Did I Pack My Toothbrush? Oh, and Clementines Pt. 2

Alright so I still need to wash my clothes so I can pack them, get all my cooking supplies organized, find my passport (I'm pretty sure I know where it is), and do just a hundred other things. But I need to share this recipe with you. Clemetine Olive Oil Cake. I got the idea from this great 24 hour cuban diner, Coppelia. They have a steamed olive oil cake with a salted brulee crust. That sounds digustingly good, right? It is. It is also six bucks for a tiny slice, which of course meant I seriously needed to find a recipe that at least came close to this cake. And I did! The secret: you bake the cake in a similar fashion as a cheesecake, in a water bath. It comes out creamy, dense, almost pudding-like.

Enjoy. I'll be back in three weeks with stories. One might involve me murdering a chicken.

CLEMENTINE OLIVE OIL CAKE
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

5-6 little clementines (or 3 normal oranges)

1 cup (200 grams or 7 ounces) sugar


Scant 1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt


2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2/3 cup (156 ml) extra virgin olive oil


1 3/4 cups (219 grams or 7 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder


1/4 teaspoon baking soda


1/4 teaspoon salt
 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch cake pan and place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. Grate zest from the clementines and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers or a fork, rub/mix ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar. 

Squeeze juice from about 4 clementines into a bowl; you’ll have a scant 1/3 cup. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3-3/4 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Pour batter into prepared pan. Take a roasting pan and place cake pan inside. Then fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go about half an inch up the side of the cake pan. 

Bake cake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Why "Home" and "Food" are Synonymous....Aloo Poori and Gobi Pakora

After months of writing pages, rewriting pages, adding more pages, throwing away the pages I just added, curling into a fetal ball under pages, I emerged with a 6th draft of my script, which I submitted to NYU Grad Film's first ever notable screenplay list. If I get picked, I've been told my script gets a bit more attention (press releases, word-of-mouth, etc.). If I don't get picked...well I suppose something else happens. 

At any rate, I realized I needed a break. So where do I go? The one place I can completely regress and hide: home. Where my mom and I promptly proceeded to spend my entire vacation in the kitchen. Our first project were these beauties.

Aloo poori is essential a fried bread, but with cooked potato mixed into the dough. Think of it as gnocchi dough made into a disc and deep fried. But better. We followed my grandmother's recipe. Which is to say, my mom tried to remember what her mom did with no recipe whatsoever. 

I honestly can't remember the last time I had these. Seven years? Maybe ten. The thing is, my mother and grandmother are/were (respectively) the best at cooking Indian food. I am horrendously biased, but so what. This is my blog and I don't run a democracy. 

The last time I had aloo poori must've been when my grandmother made it, and she probably was last physically able to cook almost seven years ago. Food can really smack you in the face with hundreds of memories. The smell of these puppies frying up brought me right back to eight-years-old and watching my this old, squat woman deftly pulling a batch of pooris out of the fryer onto a paper towel. She might've been the crankiest person I've ever met but damn did she know her way around a kitchen.

And since we couldn't stop with just ONE fried food around the house, we decided to make a batch of gobi pakora, or cauliflower fritters. Probably one of my favorite snacks of all time, which is why I try to stay away from them 99% of the year. But this day was kinda like dominos. I mean, we've already got all this deliciously fatty fried bread...

Thing is, you're going to look at the recipes below and think "wow, these dishes are really simple". And they are...with a bit of practice. There's not much in the batter for the poori, but I actually think a few additions might not be a bad idea. If you're a cumin or coriander junkie, you could sprinkle some of that into the dough no problem. Personally, I think some dried fenugreek (methi) would be killer. 

Oh, and open a window, these things are going to stink up your kitchen like nobody's business. Another reason I went crazy eating up all this fried food at home: there's no way I'm going to try and make this in my windowless Brooklyn kitchen.

Notice the crazy blackened stains on the sides of our fryer. That's decades of love, my friends.

And just cuz I had made it earlier and there was one last piece sitting around, here's St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. Seriously, if you have a bit of time, make this cake. It's amazing for the soul (which means it's a cardiac arrest in a pan).

Now I admit I am quite a homebody, but I have to imagine that everyone has some feeling of relief when they step back into a place where they used to run around barefoot (and sometimes pants-less) with sticky fingers and crayons. Every now and then you need someone to ask what you want for dinner (which they will make with absolutely no help from you), or if you want to bake cookies for no particular reason.

Alright enough of that, back to reality. But before I go, can I have a snack for the plane ride?

 

Note: apparently I didn't get my mom's pakora recipe before heading back to NYC. Will find it for you guys soon! I'd say start with the poori first. They're my favorite.

ALOO POORI

4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 ¼ cup atta (whole wheat flour)

¾ cup all purpose flour

Salt and red pepper to taste

Ground cumin, coriander, dried fenugreek (optional)

Enough water to make a sticky dough (approx. 2/3 cup water)

Mix flours, salt, pepper and spices/herbs (if using). Cut in mashed potatoes. Slowly add water till dough comes together and is a bit sticky.

Take small balls of dough (about 2.5” in diameter) and flatten with a rolling pin into discs about a half inch thick.

Set a pot with enough vegetable oil for frying on medium high heat. When it reaches about 375 degrees (at least that’s what it looked like) begin cooking the poori one by one by carefully placing the dough disc into the oil. Cook on one side till golden brown then flip.

Dry pooris on a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately or at room temperature

Note: Your cooking time will depend on what type of pan you use. If you’re going with metal, make sure to continuously check the cake, as it will bake faster than if in a glass pan.

ST. LOUIS GOOEY BUTTER CAKE (from Smitten Kitchen)

For the cake

3 tbsp milk at room temperature

1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast

6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the topping

3 tbsp plus 1 tsp light corn syrup

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg

1 cup plus 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling.

CAKE

In a small bowl, mix milk with 2 tablespoons warm water. Add yeast and whisk gently until it dissolves. Mixture should foam slightly.

Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and the milk mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. I’d switch to a dough hook at this point and beat dough on medium speed until it forms a smooth mass and pulls away slightly from sides of bowl, 7 to 10 minutes. Dough will still be soft.

Press, stretch and nudge dough into a 9-by 13-inch baking dish at least 2 inches deep. Cover dish with plastic wrap or clean tea towel, put in a warm place, and allow to rise until doubled, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

TOPPING

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk corn syrup with 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and corn syrup mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.

Spoon topping in large dollops over risen cake and use an offset spatula to gently spread into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes; cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but will still be liquid in center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.

Happy Anniversary! A Deluge of Recipes...

I didn't miss it! It's still October 10th in California!

I honestly can't believe it's been a year since I've started writing this thing. And in that time I've accrued possibly...five readers. Three if we don't count my parents.  Oh well, that's fine because when it comes down to it, am I really writing these little notes on life and food for anyone, or am I happy to have these words just floating around within internet ether for my own pleasure? Heavy stuff.

At any rate, I haven't been the best blog poster, I realize that. And I apologize. The past few weeks were nuts as I've been working towards a very important deadline for my script, which is now seven drafts old! (Sniff....they grow up so fast...) But now that things have settled a bit I find myself coming to a depressing realization: I really need a job.

But let's not talk about that right now. Let's focus on all the delicious creations coming out of my mess of a kitchen.

A few months ago an amazing food blogger named Jennifer Perillo lost her husband, Michael. His favorite dessert was peanut butter pie, and food bloggers around the world made a pie for Mikey. I did too, but kept mine and my thoughts in the fridge for a while. After I read about Jennifer and her family, I immediately went out to the grocery story to buy ingredients for my own pie. Even if Jenny never knows I made this, my thoughts and prayers are with her. As is this pie (in spirit). 

 

I made too much peanut butter filling, so what do I do? Make another peanut butter pie, of course. But this one is PB&J, the "J" consisting of a homemade rhubarb jam. Topped off with some toasted graham cracker crumbs, this was a big hit at the nudist potluck party I went to (yeah, "nudist" means what you think it means).

But one of the best things I've started making is a roasted garlic and cauliflower soup. Oh. My. God. Not only is this really healthy, it tastes AMAZING. And such a good addition to the soon-to-be chilly nights we'll be getting in the Big Apple. I make mine a bit chunkier than normal soup and top it with some brown rice. Super, super filling, and guilt-free. Although I warn you: this is not a soup for a romantic first date. I reeked of pungent (yet delicious) garlic for the rest of the night. Luckily my script doesn't mind. He's good to me like that.

I added a few spoons of creme fraiche to the second batch of this soup and it didn't seem to make much difference, but perhaps there was an undertone of creamy tangy-ness. I'd stick to just chicken stock. But, I realized that the type of garlic I used DID change the character of this soup. I bought some fancy bulbs of garlic from the USQ farmer's market for batch #2 and I could swear the garlic in the soup had more depth. Maybe my mind just forced me to think that because I had to spend a buck fifty per (smallish) bulb.

If you're looking for a cocktail food to serve at your upcoming soiree, I'd say this soup can be transformed very easily. Just use a bit less chicken stock while blending and perhaps throw in a couple spoonfuls of grated Romano (or any ol' dry, crumbly cheese). Voila! Contemporary veggie dip.

And what do I do when a hurricane blows through the city? Make banana chocolate chip bread, of course. I'd had enough of surfing the internet, pretending to write, and reading in bed and decided to putter around the kitchen for a bit. This turned out surprisingly good. So good in fact that I'm ready to call this the ONE banana bread recipe I'll be using from now on. So good I refuse to tell you how much I ate hunched over the kitchen counter. (Hint: more than one bite.)

Alright, my devoted fans. I hope this tides you over for a bit. I'll be back soon with more. Funny thing about unemployment: it's doing wonders for my cooking. (Just learned about an amazing baking supply store in Manhattan that's much to convenient for me to get to. This does not bode well for my budget.)

Ummm....that wasn't me. Swear.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE FOR MIKEY (based on recipe from In Jennie’s Kitchen)

8 oz chocolate cookies

4 tbsp butter, melted

8 oz finely chopped chocolate

1/3 cup peanuts

1 ¼ cup heavy cream

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 14 oz can condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pinches of salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Roast peanuts in an oven set to 350 degrees till warm and toasty. Keep an eye on them, as they’ll turn dark quickly. After they’ve cooled, chop them up a bit.

Put cookies in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add butter and a pinch of salt. Pule till combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a pie pan.

Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream, along with the red pepper flakes. Spread half the chocolate mixture on the bottom of the crust and top with a sprinkling of half the chopped peanuts. Place pan in fridge as you prepare filling.

Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and store in fridge. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter together till light and fluffy. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar, then condensed milk. Add vanilla and lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt. Beat until all ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir 1/3 of whipped cream into filling mixture and fold in the other two thirds.

Pour half the filling into the prepared pan and spread out. Top with the rest of the chocolate, and sprinkle on the rest of the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for three hours or up to overnight before serving.

ROASTED GARLIC AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Note: This is the kind of soup you can do almost anything to, add any vegetable, but I’d recommend always having the cauliflower. It gives the soup it’s creamy and binding texture.

1 small head cauliflower, chopped (medium florets)

1-2 bulbs garlic, cut in half

2 leeks, washed and chopped (1” pieces)

½ eggplant, chopped (1” pieces)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp thyme leaves

2 tsp rosemary, chopped fine

Sprinkling salt

Sprinkling black pepper

½ to 1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread vegetables on a baking sheet and cover with oil. Sprinkle on herbs, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast veggies for about 20 to 25 minutes, till soft and caramelized. Place veggies in food processor (take roasted garlic out of skins) and pulse till becoming smooth. Add chicken stock little by little till you get the consistency you like. Serve. 

AMAZING BANANA BREAD (from Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/speckled-for-the-freckled/)

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted salted butter

¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

1 ½ cup flour

3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter into mashed bananas and ass sugar, egg, vanilla, then spices. Add salt and baking soda. Add flour and mix till almost combined. Add walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix till just combined.

Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool and serve.

80 Pages In...Cardamom Apple Cake

So, being back in nyc has been....different. I've gotten so accustomed to a break-neck pace of life, having the next few months to just do what I please (mainly write) has been strange. It's...calm. A little too calm. The grad program is starting up in the next few days, so I think that means some activity will be picking up. On a very happy note, I've completed 80 pages of draft 2.5 of my script! Woo hoo! Alright, now I'll shut up about my life and talk about this cake which, trust me, NEEDS to be talked about.

This cake needs its own word. It's serendipilicious. Right out of the oven this cake smells heavenly of spices and apple and just everything that a luscious apple cake SHOULD smell of. The cardamom is lovely, but make sure you grind it with a mortar and pestle (or in my case, a small bowl and thick wooden spoon) so that you don't have any large crunchy pieces for people to bite down on. I add cinnamon as well, but I think a very tiny dash of nutmeg or ground cloves might be nice too.

I say this cake is luscious because the topping creates this caramelizes unctuous glazed crust that is...oh man, I want to make this cake again right now. Other fruits that might work are pears, bananas (although might become too sweet), peaches, cherries...the list goes on. Just nothing that's too juicy, so I'd stay away from citrus. Also, it's best to eat this cake warm, and the day you make it. It's not difficult to prepare at all (save for the damn crushing of the cardamom), which makes it the perfect dessert for an impromptu potluck or dinner party. To be honest, I'd invite people over just so I can make this cake.

And I did actually accidentally take this thing out a bit earlier than I should have. Be forwarned: the top might brown up before the actual cake is done baking. That happened to me, and since I can't STAND an overbaked cake, I took it out while the very center was still a little goopy. Oh well, who cares. This cake is so yummy I almost prefer it to be on the underdone side. However, if you're not a fan, I'd suggest covering the top with foil if it's getting brown before the cake is close to done. I think I'm going to see if the girls would fancy a casual dinner party this saturday....

Yeah, it's not fully cooked. But who cares, it's delicious anyway.

French Apple Cake (based on Tartlette’s)

FOR CAKE

1 ¼ cup flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp dried buttermilk powder

¾ cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 – 1 ½ apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Granny Smith are good)

FOR TOPPING

6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch round baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl. In another smaller bowl whisk the water, oil, egg and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet ingredients over the dry, whisking until just not combined. Finish mixing to just combined with a spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan and arrange apple slices on top.

For the topping, in a medium bowl whisk the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and whisk together well.

Bake cake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the butter topping over surface (don’t worry, some of your apple slices might shift slightly). Bake cake for about an additional 20 minutes till top is nice and brown, and toothpick inserted at center of cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

Allow cake to cool in pan. When room temperature, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. 

Chugging Along...With Some Oat Soda Bread

So...where was I? Oh yes, I'm back from Europe and my visit to the Midwest (about a month now), and I have tried to focus all of my mental, emotional and physical energy into the one thing I REALLY need to be working on: my script. Are you surprised? I wouldn't think so, considering I've been talking about my writing for the past millenia (or at least it feels that way). Writing is a wonderful art, and my first love, but I can't help but start to feel antsy. Honestly, since August of 2009, I haven't had such a huge amount of time for me to do whatever I please. By the end of summer, I'm going to see about getting a part-time job, hopefully in development or in writing. Might help to stave off the cabin fever. ANYWAY, you could hardly care about that with such pretty pictures of bread loaves distracting you. This, my friends, is my first attempt at soda bread, and even though I'm not really sure what the original version tastes like, I'm never going back. It's only oat soda bread for me from here on in. 

I've stayed away from bread making because I honestly have a sub-concious aversion to anything that needs yeast. I assume if a recipe calls for yeast, it's going to take centuries to make, and will use every pot and pan in the house. I know this is an irrational fear. And I have known for a while that soda bread is a "quick bread", meaning it doesn't use yeast as a levener, but still, I decided not to bother. Until along comes this really intriguing recipe from 101 Cookbooks that I finally couldn't pass up. It was a lazy evening, and I had a box of oats I wasn't doing anything with, so why not. And oh man, the oats. Seriously the oats are really what give this bread its wonderful flavor. It's toasty, hearty, and all around delicious. Take a fresh baked piece of this bread, slather it with soft butter...oh man...maybe I should make another loaf right now...

The one thing I will say about this bread is that processing the oats down to the point where they reach a flour-like consistency is not easy. Be patient, I took the better part of an hour processing, sifting, then processing again to get my oats to where they needed to be. I promise your patience will be rewarded. The rest of the recipe is a snap to whip up. Just that damn oat flour is a bit of a bitch, but as soon as you cross that hurdle, it's smooth sailing.

Not sure if you can tell, but there's a big chunk of crust taken out of the left half of this loaf. I couldn't wait to take pictures.

Now you can put whatever you like on top. I happened to have poppy seeds, and felt that a bit of sea salt would add a nice kick. I was right. I'd recommend adding a touch more salt to the top regardless of your seed combination, for an extra kick of flavor. And I will definitely be keeping a few more seeds around the house to play more with the crust. I might even be tempted to add a few in the dough, to be honest. Why not live a little. But first, I need to get 10 more pages down on paper. Then I can reward myself with bread.

Oat Soda Bread (Heidi’s Recipe - http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/oat-soda-bread-recipe.html)

2 cups rolled oats (or a scant 2 cups oat flour)

2 ¼ cup flour

1 ¾ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp sea salt, plus extra for top

7 tbsp powdered buttermilk

1 ¾ cup water

1 tbsp honey

butter (for pan and for top of loaf)

a variety of seeds (caraway, poppy, sesame, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and center rack in middle. Butter and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Make oat flour by pulsing oats in a food professor till it becomes a fine powder.

Sift flours, baking soda, salt and buttermilk powder into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in water. Drop the tbsp of honey in there too. Stir still ingredients just come together as a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 30 seconds, until the dough comes together as a cohesive, slightly flattened ball without any cracks or fissures. If your dough is a bit too dry, add a splash of water just a bit at a time.

Ease the dough into the pan and brush top with melted butter (or cream) and sprinkle generously with the seeds and some extra sea salt. Bake for about 30 minutes, then move rack up a level so the top gets nice and toasty. Bake another 20 minutes, or until a hard crust forms and the bread is baked through. It will feel solid and sound hollow when you knock on it. After it’s cooled for about 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, life carefully out and allow to cool on a wire rack. 

One week....and Loaf Cakes (Chocolate and White Chocolate Almond)

One week. One week left of school. I can't believe that I am almost done being a student for good. And my little film family is growing up! And I'm writing a feature! I'm backpacking through Europe in two weeks! Phew...that's a lot to ingest. But it's not so much that I can't also enjoy a piece of cake or two. One of the reasons I've had so many double-recipe blog entries is because my baking instincts are in overdrive. I cook a lot when I'm stressed, and at this point I've got enough sweets to turn my apartment into the new hip Williamsburg bakery. Luckily, you don't need a crazy baking fetish to enjoy either of these cakes. You just have to like tasty things and have minor league skills in the kitchen. And trust me, these two beauties are worth it. 

This chocolate cake is really wonderful, but you MUST use good cocoa. The intense flavor from really good cocoa powder just gives this cake such a chocolatey punch. I add some bittersweet chocolate chips just for a little extra choco-goodness, and because I think they add a nice bit of moisture. This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen's, who names this (very aptly) an "everyday chocolate cake", which it really is. One bowl, great for a party or a boring Tuesday.

The one thing I should warn you about is that this is a crumblier, slightly drier cake. It's delicious, but don't expect one of those moisture explosions that comes with some chocolate cakes. This is actually perfect with some fresh whipped cream and a few berries. Or, if you're crazy (in a good way), a touch of thin chocolate ganache. Either way it's a great way to relieve a bit of stress in not too much time. Which is great when you've got a lot of writing to do.

Left a few pieces of cake for my roomies. Next to them are some (slightly) failed macarons w/ Meyer lemon mascarpone filling. 

Now, this white chocolate almond pound cake, this is something else entirely. Moist, sweet, buttery with a touch of tang and awesome depth of flavor, this is officially my favorite pound cake now. So much so, I made it twice within one week (for two different events, not for me to just eat in my room while watching Friday Night Lights).

The real trick to this cake is the cream cheese that replaces half the butter. It keeps the cake moist and gives it such depth. The white chocolate is really amazing as well. I'm not even a white chocolate fan, but in this form it really, REALLY works. That paired with the almond extract...mmm...maybe I should make this cake one more time....

I use a bit more almond extract than asked for in more recipes (or in this original recipe) but I really think it makes a difference. The best thing to do is to taste the batter after adding a conservative amount of both vanilla and almond extracts, and then adding more bit by bit till it's got a good, strong taste of almond. Don't worry if it's a little intense, remember you still need to add the flour which will dull the flavor a bit.

Ghirardelli has slowly become my go-to for chocolate chips, both white and brown. Their 62% bittersweet version is great for several applications. I even use it for ganache. It's the same chocolate the company uses in their blocks of bittersweet. I think one reason they tend to be better is that it doesn't have that awful, waxy texture so many chocolate chips come with. Plus they're usually the only kind of chip that my fancy pants Williamsburg grocers carry.

So, another reason I'm baking so much is that I'm in training. For the biggest event in NYU's Grad Film Program. That would be...drumroll please...the official 3rd Year Bake-Off!!! At first I didn't feel too much pressure, but after having every one of my classmates pass me in the halls and claim they are going to take me down, now I'm in it to win it. I've got to make something(s) that are pretty spectacular. More details on what I'm planning will come.

Everyday Chocolate Cake (based on Smitten Kitchen - http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/everyday-chocolate-cake/)

Note: Since SK keeps this cake a one-bowl creation I figure my lazy method of making most cakes is acceptable. Just make sure you add the flour last, as after that is when over mixing becomes an issue. And try to use really good cocoa. No Hershey’s crap.

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup canola oil

1 cup light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup room temperature water

4 tbsp dried buttermilk

¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (I used Guittard, Valrhona is good too)

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup and 5 tbsp flour

couple handfuls of chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine butter, oil and sugars. Beat until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until completely combined. Add water and vanilla and mix. Batter will look somewhat curdled, that’s fine. Add cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly with a spatula. Add flour and mix till almost completely combined. Add chips and fold in until batter is just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top over. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes till toothpick inserted in center comes out with several crumbs attached, but no wet batter. Cool in pan for ten minutes, then flip out and cool till room temperature. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries, or just pull chunks right off the loaf. That’s more my style.  

White Chocolate Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake (adapted from Smitten Kitchen - http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/cream-cheese-pound-cake-strawberry-coulis/)

1 ½ sticks butter, softened

2/3 package (5-6 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup plus 5 tbsp sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¾ - 1 tsp almond extract

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ cup flour

3 handfuls of white chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and increase speed to high and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes (very important). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, along with salt and baking powder. Add half the flour and fold into batter with spatula. Add half the white chocolate chips. Add the rest of the flour and fold till almost combined, add the rest of the chips and mix till just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out top with spatula. Bake cake four about 30 minutes, till golden brown, then cover with foil and bake an extra 25 minutes, till a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.

Allow cake to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes, then can be removed to cool completely, about another half hour. Slice and serve at room temperature.