white chocolate peppermint, dark chocolate walnut
Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category
pucker up!
September 14, 2010After my last post, several of you asked for the recipe for the lemon curd itself. Since I live to please, I’ll share it with you today.
A few years ago loveymom and mrslovey teamed up and bought me two hobby classes at the local culinary school – yeast breads and tarts. I had a total blast at both, learned a lot, and still count them as two of the best gifts I’ve ever received. In the tart class we were taught a few standard crusts/doughs, some base fillings, and some seasonal toppings, along with hints about presentation and serving. One of the fillings was lemon curd, and it was delicious! Several of my classmates complained that it was too tart, but seriously, LEMONS. Don’t hate them for doing what they do best!
Anyway, this curd is rather tart, but totally tasty. You can always adjust the sugar or lemon juice to suit your own preferences. Also, it makes a ton. Well, not a ton – more like a quart. For real. One quart of awesome, coming right up!! Read the rest of this entry ?
a dificult problem to have
September 6, 2010
Have you ever stopped, looked around the kitchen, and realized that you have way too much lemon curd? No? Just me? Sigh.
I recently realized that I would need lemon curd for a recipe that I wanted to try. Several years ago I took a hobby class at the local culinary school, and I remembered how easy it was to make curd. I also knew how much tastier homemade is over store-bought. Add these two pieces of info to how easily distracted I am, and it’s obvious that I was going to be making a big honking batch of lemon curd. And then I’d have it! To use in lots of things! So I made my curd and let it cool. While it was setting up, I re-read the original recipe that I had set out to make, and realized that it only required 1/4 cup. I had just made over 4 cups. If I had noticed this initially, I would have just sucked it up and used a jarred curd, you know? So now I’m sitting there, wondering what to do with well over 3 cups of lemon curd. Also, being amused by how ‘curd’ sounds when you’re using it over and over again. Curd, curd, curd, curd. Curd. Sounds funny, and a little gross. Curd.
heavens to betsey!
June 27, 2010
It’s June. I don’t know about where you live, but around these parts, that means rhubarb. Sitting on the dining room table was a community cookbook celebrating the bicentennial of a CT town, so I popped it open to see what I could find. Turns out Betsey Castle had submitted a recipe for rhubarb crisp that looked pretty straightforward, so I figured I’d give it a try.
The crisp was easy to make, and rather delicious (note, I’m not normally a fan of rhubarb, so that’s saying something). Warm, sweet filling, with a chewy, crunchy topping, it was exactly what we were looking for. I also really liked that some of the ‘crisp’ mix lined the bottom, so everything was evened out more than it were simply two layers. More bonus points for the fact that you can use slightly ‘bendy’ rhubarb, since it will soften while cooking anyway. Although we didn’t have any in the house (the horrors, I know!), I think this would be absolutely perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Read the rest of this entry ?
Happy Birthday to you
December 30, 2009Today is mrslovey’s birthday. Due to the timing, amidst the holidays, she has often felt that the day gets overlooked, sometimes shrugged off as people are making their plans for a fun night on the town. We learned long ago that trying to go out to a nice dinner on the actual day was an exercise in frustration – restaurants are overcrowded, with very limited menus. Now our tradition is to do birthday dinner out a little later (last year we didn’t go out until March, but damned if it wasn’t one of the best dining experiences we had all year!). Anyway. To keep the day itself feeling special, I offer mrslovey the cake/baked good of her choice. Whether it’s an old standby or something new that she’s curious about, I’ll do my darndest to provide.
This year’s selection is actually a repeat from a couple years ago – Krispie Treat Layer Cake. Apparently it made quite the impression the first time around, so we’re gonna do it again! It’s mostly a standard Krispie Treat in a different shape, with a slight revision or two.
Many moons ago, when we lived in the Midwest, there was a local coffee shop next to the store I worked at (this is relevant, promise, just bear with me). Now I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, but the staff were nice, and they had a small selection of baked goods available. The most glorious of all their offerings were Krispie Treat Muffins. Big, beautiful, amazing orbs of Krispie goodness. Frustrating, because no matter how many times I tried, theirs were always better. Finally, I resorted to begging. “Coffeebaking girl, puhleeeeeeease tell me what makes your Treats so special!!!!!” Her response? Vanilla. Yeah, that’s not at ALL in the original recipe.
Several moons after *that*, when we were back in New England, and I was all proud of my vanillafied Treats, one of my coworkers got married (again, wait for it!). The wedding was beautiful, the reception was a shimmery fairy tale, but the most important part was that for their honeymoon, they went to Puerto Rico. AND BROUGHT ME BACK PUERTO RICAN VANILLA. Totally different flavor profile, let me tell you. Not quite coconut, but definitely tropical. Try as I may, that’s the only word I can come up with to describe it. This discovery has brought my Treats up to a new level of wonderful – now people beg ME “lovey, puhleeeease tell me what makes your Treats so awesome!!!” I tell them about vanilla, and if they’re really lucky, I’ll tell them about Puerto Rican vanilla.
So mrslovey, on this, the occasion of your 38th birthday, I humbly present to you the most awesome Krispie Cake ever, the one with the Fluff frosting between the layers. Also, my love and devotion.
loveysoven 