Caramel Sauce

I've gushed over Martha Stewart before, but this time I really mean it.  That woman is a lifesaver.  I've tried to make caramel sauce once before and failed so horribly that I was afraid to try it again.  Martha's specific instructions gave me courage to try again.  I can now live my life without shame--at least when it comes to caramel sauce.

My recipe is adapted from here.

Caramel Sauce
-1 cup sugar
-5 T. cubed butter
-1/2 tsp. sea salt
-1/2 tsp. vanilla
-scant 1/2 cup of heavy cream

1. Heat the sugar over medium heat in a saucepan-no stirring yet! When the sugar at the edges of the pan start to look melted, use a spatula to pull the edges inward over slightly lower heat.  Continue to use the spatula around the edges until all the sugar is melted and golden brown. Do not burn.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt.  Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Pour into a container to cool.

Waffle Wednesday

Happy Waffle Wednesday!

Ever need an excuse to cook something?  That's what I needed last night when debating whether or not I could get up early and make waffles on a week day.

"Wait," I said to myself "tomorrow is Wednesday...Waffle Wednesday!"  Who could have resisted an alliteration so appealing and delicious? I most certainly could not.

 Easy One-Bowl Waffles
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup all purpose flour
-2 T. sugar
-2.5 tsp. baking powder
-4 eggs
-3 T. vegetable oil
-1.5 tsp. vanilla
-2 cups milk
-1/2 tsp. course salt

1. Mix the dry ingredients and add the wet to it with a few swift strokes while heating your waffle iron.

EASY AS THAT.  No excuses for next Wednesday.

Newest Masterpiece: Earl Grey Infused Chocolate Ganache Tart

Ever had one of those Earl Grey chocolates? Or perhaps an Earl Grey caramel?

For this decadent dessert I infused my ganache with Earl Grey.  Try it.  You'll like it.

For the shell I used Martha Stewart's recipe.  You can use any old ganache recipe, just steep your tea bag in the heavy cream before pouring it over your chocolate.  For an added sweetness pour some homemade caramel sauce on top.

Guten Appetit!

The Leftover Dough Solution: Turnovers

I made a tart on Saturday and had a little leftover pastry dough.  What a nightmare!

It ended up working out because there was enough to make a fresh raspberry turnover for mid-morning snack.  It's easy as pie-well, turnover- to make and yummy, too.

Try Martha Stewart's tart shell recipe for this.

The filling was
-3 T frozen raspberries (mashed)
-1 tsp. honey
-2 tsp granulated sugar

I cranked the oven up to 375(F) and baked it for round about 15 minutes, until it was golden-brown.
Beat up an egg with a few drops of water and brush the pastry before putting it in the oven if you want a nice shine.  Then sprinkle some sanding sugar.

Serve up the Pasta

New pasta shapes are always fun to learn.  I love imagining nonnas in their kitchens, sitting around the table.  I imagine that they sit there all day making pasta.  Which, of course, they never do.  Thus, we have pasta shapes that are very easy to make.  Even nonnas don't spend all day in the kitchen.

So, here comes trofie.  Trofie is just about the easiest shape you can make.  They are great if you like doughy pasta that tastes an awful lot like German Spaetzle.  You can watch this video to learn how to make trofie.   

I'd like to point out how easy pasta is.  You truly cannot mess it up.  It can be flour and water, egg and water with milk, oil or anything that you've got too much of.  You'll notice that I have a lot of egg yolks.  If you glance through my recent posts you'll see royal icing and coconut cake, both of which use just whites.  Pasta is the answer.

My Recipe:

8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cream (or milk, or water for that matter)

1. Place flour in a large bowl.  Make a slight well in the center for the wet ingredients
2. Incorporate wet ingredients with a fork or your fingers
3. When everything is just mixed, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes with the heal of your hand
4.  Let dough sit for 45 minutes before forming shapes
5. Boil heavily salted water and cook to taste