Baking in Oregon

Still Here

2010-09-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I seem to be missing in action quite a bit, but I am still here. I've got completed recipes stacked up, ready for posting, I've just been lacking the time to get to them. Between work and quite possibly the most active 3 1/2 year old on the planet, I can't seem to find the time to put together a blog entry that I find acceptable enough to post.

So, if you check here from time to time, please continue to do so. I'm still out there. In the meantime, I'm visiting all the wonderful blog sites out there, looking for inspiration for some of my future posts.

Powerhouse Muffins

2010-05-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so after my last post, you may find yourself looking for something a little less fattening. I don’t blame you. Just looking at the ingredient list for a great homemade ice cream, you can almost feel the pounds packing on. Well, I do like a good quality full-fat treat from time to time (sometimes maybe a little more than others), but I’m also interested in keeping things healthy as well. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, life is busy, which makes it much more difficult to work in those healthy choices. There is often little or no time to spend preparing healthy, and let’s not forget tasty, dishes at home. The fast-food, drive-through generation really got its start when I was a kid; and I’m a bona fide product of that generation. Add to that a 3 year old daughter at home, a busy work schedule, gatherings with friends and family and the fact that I have been going to the gym 4 days a week for the last year (go me!), I find myself stuggling to find the time to whip up the foods that would be best for our family.

Thus began the search for some healthier grab and go options. I like to peruse the isles at the grocery store for quick-fix meal choices to fit an on-the-go lifestyle. The last 5 years or so have seen some really nice options become available. From healthier breakfast bars, natural and even organic pre-packaged snacks and pre-prepared meals in the freezer that are a far cry from questionable fried chicken and watery instant potatoes. No, the market has responded well to the demands of the consumer. We want some better choices. Yes, the ‘processed’ foods that crowd the shelves at the supermarket probably won’t go away any time soon, for they do fulfill the wants of the average Americans who want it fast, tasty and cheap. And quite honestly, cheap does not fit the description of the healthier choices that are available. I don’t know if it’s because they don’t sell as much, or perhaps that they use fewer (if any) artificial additives to help preserve and stabilize them, but you can definitely expect to pay a premium for those ‘better’ choices.

It seems like almost every entry I add to this blog includes a line where I state that I am not a fan of some particular food. Well, this entry will be no exception, though it’s not a particular food, so much as the re-use of certain foods. I am not a big fan of leftovers. No, I pretty much get my jollies out of a dish the first time around. I simply can’t count myself among those who say that certain foods get better after they’ve sat out some time in the refrigerator. If that was true, then why aren’t restaurants capitalizing on this concept? I can just see the name now: “‘Seconds’ Because fresh is just okay” Or maybe: “‘Leftovers’ Nobody wanted it yesterday, maybe it will be better now”.

Okay, okay. I realize that eating something that’s been stored for future use doesn’t have to be a complete bummer. I’m really trying to get into the habit of making meals that can feed a family for at least 2 meals, which really cuts down on the amount of time to prepare, as well as the amount of waste. So, I decided to go on the hunt for a breakfast item that I could make ahead, would be quick and easy on the day I need it, and would be tasty to boot. I really like muffins, so I figured that would be the direction to take. I did know that muffins typically freeze well, so this should be no problem. I was wrong.

‘Healthy’ muffins. You know, there are really quite a few recipes out there in cyberspace for ‘healthy’ muffins. You can find them just about anywhere you look. A comparison of the varied types available will show some similarities: No white flour, they almost always include one ingredient with the word ‘bran’ in the name, they can include a wide variety of so-called ‘healthy’ add-ins like protein powder or flax seeds. Yes, there is no end to the combinations of healthy ingredients that people can throw together. And you know what, some of them really taste horrible. I can’t quite figure it out. The authors of the recipes make them sound amazing, even going as far to say they are just like eating a ‘real’ muffin. Yeah, right. I’ve tested numerous recipes over the years only to find out the hard way that regardless of the ingredients, they all pretty much taste like wet cardboard. The people who say they taste awesome, and even like a regular muffin? They probably started their lives as cattle, chewing on the grass out in the field, because these things just stink.

So, I present to you one recipe that I think does not stink. I won’t promise it tastes like a nice Blueberry Muffin from Starbucks with the tasty crumb topping and the too-high-to-mention calorie count. I will promise you that it does contain many of those good-for-you ingredients (including flax seed) and, in my opinion, do taste just a bit better than wet cardboard. The fact that I’ve made these more than once, the fact that I continue to eat them, and the fact that my wife and daughter both like them is testament to their goodness.

I’ve modified this recipe from a number of different recipes to come up with a muffin that really reflects our personal tastes. The only thing (that I know of) that is truly unique is the name I gave the recipe. This recipe can be altered to fit your personal desires or even for food allergies. Want to add nuts? Go ahead. Want to add a different fruit, more fruit, less fruit? Be my guest. The point is, if you can find something you like, perhaps by making changes to this recipe, and create something to put on your plate that will encourage you to replace a few more of those ‘fast food’ meals, you will have made a positive step in the right direction.

By the way, I would also like to take a moment to offer a word of advice - if you have a chance to have some little helping hands assist you with your baking, you will find it quite rewarding.

Powerhouse Muffins
Makes approximately 24 muffins

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Oat Bran
1 cup ground Flaxseed (see note below)
1 ¼ cups Brown Sugar (light or dark)
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
2 tbsp Cinnamon
1 ¼ cups Pureed Carrots or 1 ½ cups Shredded Carrots (see note below)
2 – 3 medium Apples, finely shopped or shredded
3/4 cup 1% or Nonfat milk (see note below)
2 large Eggs, beaten
2 tsp Vanilla extract
Other fresh or dried Fruit or Nuts at your discretion

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 muffin pans with paper or foil muffin liners.

Mix flour, oat bran, ground flaxseed and other dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add carrots and apples (if adding nuts or dried fruits, do so at this time). Mix the dry ingredients well.

Stir together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until well moistened. If adding fruit such as fresh or frozen blueberries, stir them in now.

Fill the muffin cups almost to the top, about 3/4 to 7/8 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Notes:

Ground flaxseed meal goes bad very quickly. If at all possible, purchase whole flaxseed in the bulk food section of the local supermarket and grind it yourself. To grind, use a blender or an electric coffee grinder (clean). Process to a fine meal, but stop short of making flaxseed butter.

I prefer using carrot puree as I don’t care for the texture of the shredded carrots – you decide. If you choose carrot puree, approximately 3 containers of carrot puree baby food will work very well. Because of the added moisture, cut the milk to ½ cup.

These muffins freeze very well. Just let them cool, then place them in either a gallon size ziplock bag or individual ziplock bags. I just take them out of the freezer the night before. They are good cold, even better warmed in the microwave. I like using foil cupcake liners as they tend to release the muffin easier – and this is a sticky batter.

The number of muffins you get from this recipe will vary depending on the amount of additional fruit or nuts you add to the batter.

Snickerdoodle...Ice Cream

2010-05-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly Snickerdoodle Ice Cream, but pretty darn close. We just got back from a vacation (working vacation for me) in Central Oregon. I had hoped to have some time to work in some long-delayed baking projects. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much time as I had hoped. I did, however, manage to work in this tasty little treat, one I had wanted to try for awhile now.

I first tried my hand at homemade ice cream a few years ago after receiving a new ice cream maker for Christmas. Now, let me just say that I am not a huge fan of ice cream. It’s not something I typically crave, but I do enjoy now and then. I should also admit that I am one of those oddballs that doesn’t like to have a scoop of ice cream served with cake or pie. The only time I’m interested in cake and ice cream together is the Cake Batter Ice Cream they serve at Cold Stone, but I digress…

After making my first few batches of ice cream in my new maker awhile ago, I found that it would be almost impossible to match the creamy goodness that is homemade ice cream with anything I could purchase at a supermarket or even many ice cream shops. No, the stuff from home is so much better. Unfortunately, it is also just a bit time consuming. If you have the time, however, it is well worth the investment to try it yourself.

For this batch, I had actually intended to make a different recipe, but I was lacking some of the necessary equipment. You’ll just have to wait for a later post to learn about that one (tease tease). For now, I decided to try a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com for Cinnamon Ice Cream. The recipe was highly rated on the site and was just different enough from the ‘usual’ ice cream recipes that it was worth a shot.

I have to tell you, it is good. It probably won’t cause me to start craving ice cream, but it is quite delicious. Oh, and if you are counting calories, you can stop here, this is not a low-fat, low-cal ice cream. It is however, creamy, sweet and cinnamony. And a fair warning, a little bit goes a long way. For me, the almost cloyingly sweet goodness was well balanced with a nice cup of strong black coffee.

So there you have it. If it’s time you dug out your rusty old ice cream maker in preparation for summer, give this recipe a try. Don’t like cinnamon? The base custard recipe would work well for any number of flavor additions. My wife suggested an addition of some chunks of sugar cookie dough, which would probably make this just about perfect. Too bad I didn't have any to add at the time. Oh well, maybe next time around. For you, go nuts (or maybe add some, if you like).

Cinnamon Ice Cream (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

1 Cup White Sugar
1 ½ Cups Half and Half
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half and half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.

Pour the cooled mixture into and ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Erik’s added tips and notes:

I would strongly suggest running the custard mix through a fine-mesh strainer before processing to remove any large bits of cooked egg that may have occurred during the tempering process. Refrigerate the custard for several hours before adding it to your ice cream maker. If you do want to add nuts, cookie dough bits, etc., do so at the end of the churning process. Be sure to freeze the finished ice cream for several hours before eating to allow it to set up properly, as well as to allow the flavors to fully develop.

Want a closer look at the photos below? Just click on them for a larger view.

Some Photos to Enjoy

2010-04-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

While I prepare some baking/cooking posts for my return, I thought I'd start by throwing out some photos for you to enjoy.

These photos were all taken at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, OR. This month-long event happens every year in April and is a wonderful showcase of some of the finest tulips available anywhere (yes, we can even rival Holland). I should also mention there are some fine opportunities to taste local foods and wines as well, just in case the flowers aren't enough.

Enjoy.

Erik - Baking in Oregon

Baking in Oregon is Returning!

2010-04-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

You heard it here first! Baking in Oregon, after more than a 1-year hiatus, is returning!. Add to that, I am coming back to the original site on Blogger after a stint with another blog hosting site (improvements to the posting software being the primary reason for the change).

I hope you'll join me once again as I roll out the posts, slowly for now, and get engaged once again in the blogging community. I've really missed posting to my site. I've continued to bake, but life's obligations took some of the free time away that I needed to post regularly to the site. Rather than post once every 3 months, I felt it was best to let things go silent for awhile.

Keep your eyes open for my first blog post coming soon. In the meantime, look over some of my old posts here, or, you can jump over to my other Baking in Oregon site here. That site will remain up as an archive to some previous posts.

I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Erik
Baking in Oregon

A Need to Knead...

2008-06-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last year on this blog, I wrote a post about conquering one of my baking fears: Cheesecake. All went well and my first cheesecake turned out, dare I say it, nearly perfect. Knowing I had that accomplishment behind me, I decided to attack another one: Bread.

Now, why should bread be a big deal? We eat it all the time, it's everywhere, and even a machine on your countertop can make it with very little input from you. Well, for me, the yeast and the kneading are those components of breadmaking that worry me. As a reminder, the reason I have any fears in baking are this: I hate to fail. I have this need to do things right the first time, I hate do overs. Is that realistic? Is it reasonable? Not really, it's just me. Unfortunately, not only do I hate to fail, I know I'm going to fail at certain things, so I tend to play it safe in the kitchen and avoid those things that lead to failure. My big 3 fears as I learn more about baking are these: Cheesecake, Bread and Pie Crust. Now, I know some of you reading this probably look at this list and laugh, thinking, "those are so easy, no problem". Well, for some of you, I'm sure they are quite easy, and, as I said, the cheesecake turned out to be no problem at all. But I don't have anyone training me, I'm learning from books, TV and the internet, which, while good, just isn't the same as hands on training. Nevertheless, I needed to move on, and King Arthur Flour gave me the little boost to get rolling.

The Baker's Banter blog at King Arthur Flour had a post for High-Fiber Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It looked really good, and the step by step posts on the blog made it look fairly easy. So I decided to give it a try. Having made scones using my food processor to do the dirty work, I was looking forward to baking bread using my trusty Kitchen Aid Mixer for my mixing and kneading. Only problem, we're out of town on vacation, and though I have a full kitchen at my disposal, I didn't have my stand mixer. So, hand mixing and kneading it would be.

I mentioned one fear of mine being yeast. Seems simple enough, but I get caught up with activating the stuff and the different types I find at the store: Active, Rapid Rise, Instant. I just followed the directions on the recipe and I had a beautiful, bubbling little blob to start my recipe. No problem, the little buggers did fine. As for the kneading, well, I consulted some of my references and dove in hands first. The only thing I wasn't sure about was how long to knead. I know both under kneading and over kneading can cause problems for a recipe, but I seemed to recall something about kneading for about 15 minutes. Right or wrong, I decided to play it a little safe and go for 12 minutes because I have pretty strong hands and was probably working it fairly hard.

Well, long story short, I was pretty pleased with the end result. The loaf wasn't beautiful, but it did rise, had good texture and tasted and smelled wonderful. Good stuff. Fear of breadmaking can now be put aside. I'll be more likely to try some bread recipes now that I have performed this task without a major failure. Thanks KAF for giving me the inspiration to tackle the second of my baking fears. The last remaining, pie crust. Stay tuned.

High-Fiber Cinnamon Swirl Bread from King Arthur Flour
Dough:
2 tsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) lukewarm water
1/3 cup (2 5/8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened or melted
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur, Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (4 2/4 ounces) Hi-Maize
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/4 (5/8 ounce) nonfat dry milk
3 tbsp (1 1/4 ounces) sugar
Filling:
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, to brush on dough

If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together - by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle - till you've made a smooth dough. Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 5 minutes at second speed and the dough should almost clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should become soft, smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.
While the dough is rising, make the filling by whisking together the sugar, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons flour.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Gently stretch and pat it into a 6" x 20" rectangle.
Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture; you won't use all of it, but save what's left. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, leaving one short end bare.
Starting with the short (6") end covered with filling, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed.
Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" (medium) loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.
Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it reise till it's 1" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degress F.
Brush the top of the bread very lightly with some of the reserved egg/water mixture, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar. Bake the bread for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 20 minutes. The bread's crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the bread from the oven, and loosen the edges with heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

Yield: 1 Loaf

Additional notes on my loaf: I didn't have an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan available, so I used a 9" x 5" and it seemed to work fine. I didn't have Hi-Maize, so after checking with KAF, I added a 3rd cup of AP flour in place of the Hi-Maize. To help improve my rising since I was kneading by hand, I let the dough rise in a gently warmed (but off) oven. For my preference, I might add a little more of the cinnamon/sugar mixture inside my loaf. Finally, my load deflated a bit on one side - I'm not sure why, I may have bumped it when I was getting ready to put it in the oven. Overall, it was fantastic. Below are some photos of the process:

Activating the yeast.

Getting ready to mix the ingredients.

Ready to rise.

Spreading the cinnamon/sugar.

Sealing the seam.

The finished loaf. The hole is from the thermometer.

Another view.

The inside - for a first ever loaf of bread, I'm pleased.

Apples and Scones - Irish Style?

2007-09-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

One of the fun parts about baking for me is exploring my family roots through food. Like many Americans, I have a bit of a 'Heinz 57' heritage - a little bit of everything. I've done some family history research and have found some interesting things - I have relatives that came over on the Mayflower (fully documented, I am a member of the Mayflower Society), which came over from England. I have family that emigrated from Denmark and Germany. My two strongest ties, however are to Ireland (I still carry that family name) and Sweden (I still have family with whom I am in contact there). Since my grandmother and aunts were born in Sweden, I grew up exposed to many of the wonderful foods of that country - in fact, I plan to use them in several blog posts to come (although I can guarantee that Herring Pudding will never grace this blog site - yech!!). That being said, I have no expressions of the Irish side of the family - most of my ancestors died very young and lived under very tough and poor conditions once they came to the US, so they didn't take much time to record information to pass down the line. So, my list of Irish family recipes is fairly short - zero. I'm very interested in knowing more about what my family may have been eating some 100 years ago when they emigrated - as well as what the Irish people in general like to eat.

I've found a number of recipes online that claim Irish heritage or at least popularity, but it can be difficult sometimes to sort out the truth from the other stuff out there in cyberspace. Maybe some of my visitors can recommend some good sites for Irish recipes and history?

In the meantime, as I take a short vacation on the Oregon Coast, I begin looking ahead to the change in seasons to my favorite time of year - Fall. I love the weather, cool, foggy, crisp, clean. When I sense those changes coming, I can't help but begin thinking of fall cooking - comfort foods - and for me, my favorite Fall ingredient has to be apples. Of course, we can get apples here year-round, but fall is the time when the best of the harvest come in and everyone's thoughts start to turn to baking with apples.

So, looking at my pile of fresh Granny Smiths, and considering how I might explore some of that Irish heritage, I came across a recipe on Joyofbaking.com for an Apple Scone Cake. Now, if the description of this recipe as posted on Joy of Baking is to be believed, the Apple Scone Cake is one of the most popular desserts made by home bakers in Ireland (can anyone confirm that??). It certainly sounded like an interesting recipe to try - and, for all I could tell, seemed as if it could be a real 'Irish' dessert. Why not give it a try? The concept is interesting - it's not really a 'cake' as I would think of it - it's really more of a cross between a cake and a pie. Imagine apple pie, but instead of the traditionally flaky pie crust, a more 'cakey' scone crust instead. Since I'm not yet experienced in the fine art of pie crust, but have successfully made scones, this seemed like a great gateway recipe to my first ever 'pie'

Overall the results were very good. Having made this, I would probably make the following changes the next time around: a bit more sugar/cinnamon in the apples - I used more apples than the recipe called for, but didn't add more sugar to account for that change. Second, I would bake it just a bit longer - I like my apples a bit softer, but this was still pretty good. Third, I might add just a few small pats of butter (not margarine) in with the apples. Lastly, I might add just a touch more sugar to the scone base. With all of that being said, I am including the full original recipe with no modifications so you can start at the same point as me. This is a hearty and tasty dessert - perfect for a cool fall evening - I will definitely be making this again.

Apple Scone Cake (originally from Joyofbaking.com)

2 Cups (280 grams) All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup (100 grams) Granulated White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup (113 grams)(1 stick) Unsalted Butter, Cold and cut in pieces
2 Large Eggs, Divided
1/2 Cup (120ml) Milk, Divided
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Filling:
1 Pound (454 grams) Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch (2.54cm) chunks
2 - 3 Tablespoons (30-45 grams) Granulated White Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Garnish:
Granulated White Sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of oven. Butter (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a 9-Inch (23cm) glass pie plate.

In a small bowl, whisk together one egg and 1 tablespoon from the 1/2 cup milk. Set this aside for later use as a glaze for the top of the cake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like course crumbs. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining one egg, remaining milk and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times. Divide the dough in half. Pat one half of the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

In a separate bowl, toss together the cut apples, sugar and cinnamon. Spread the apples evenly over the bottom of the dough in the pie plate.

Roll the remaining dough into a 9 inch (23cm) circle, on a lightly floured surface. Gently place the dough over the apples. With your fingers, seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts. Brush the top of the dough with the egg and milk glaze and sprinkle with white sugar. Cut a slit in the center of the dough to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Serves 6 to 8

Additional notes from Erik: I prefer to freeze my cut butter before working it into the mix, it helps keep it from melting, which is important to scone making. You can also bring this dough together in a food processor to help speed the process of cutting the butter into the flour mixture - I use this same method when I make scones and it works very well. This is a 'rustic' recipe, so don't worry if your crust doesn't look perfect. Lastly, I used 'decorators sugar' instead of regular sugar on the top of the cake - I like the look and crunch of the bigger sugar crystals.

Freakin' Good Frittatas

2007-09-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

While this blog is primarily about baking sweet treats and other goodies, I must confess that I have a soft spot in my palette for all things breakfast. Given the choice, I would probably prefer to eat breakfast than any other meal of the day. With my work schedule, it's so rare that I get to have a hot breakfast (unless it's from a drive thru) that when I do get the chance, I can get pretty excited. For that reason, breakfast for dinner is a pretty regular occurance around our house. Pancakes, waffles, breakfast burrittos, breakfast scrambles, Swedish hotcakes, omelettes - bring 'em on. Part of the purpose of this blog is to help encourage me to be a bit more adventurous and to cook things I've never tried before - it's just too easy to stick with what you know and not bother with learning a new recipe. That being said, when I see a new breakfast/brunch recipe, it tends to peak my interest. So it was while watching one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Giada De Laurentiis when she made 'Mini Frittatas' one day - they looked so good, I didn't wait for the show to finish before I headed to the kitchen.

Giada's recipe uses a basic frittata base, adds a few basic ingredients, then, unlike a traditional frittata, which would be cooked in a skillet and finished in the oven, she cooks them in mini muffin pans to make some great little bites. I knew I wanted to make a few changes, so I grabbed some potatos I had on hand and rather than using the mini muffin pan, went for the regular size muffin pan - I wanted something a bit more than a little bite. Like an omelette, frittatas lend themselves very well to customization. You can add pretty much anything that strikes your fancy and that won't offend any potential taste subjects. Put it all together, bake, and you have a tasty, portable and attractive little meal. These can be eaten warm or cold and lend themselves quite well for traveling - a great idea for picnics or even a roadside snack for a long trip.

Mini Frittatas (adapted from Mini Frittats by Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network.com)

This is the recipe as made with my modifications...Makes 14-18 frittatas depending upon the size of the pans and how full you fill them.

8 Large Eggs

1/2 Cup Whole Milk (I used non-fat)

1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Medium Potatos, peeled and shredded

1/2 Medium Onion, minced

1 Cup Cooked Ham, chopped

1 Cup Sharp Cheddar, grated

Fresh Basil, finely chopped

Olive Oil

Spray Oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium skillet, saute the shredded potatoes and onion in the olive oil over medium heat until the potatoes have softened and the onions are translucent - about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, basil, pepper and salt in a large bowl to blend well.

4. Spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each cup with approximately 2 tablespoons of the potato/onion mixture. Add approximately 1 tablespoon ham and 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Fill the cups with the egg mixture, about 7/8 full. Once the cups are all filled, tap the pan on a hard surface to make sure the egg mixutre has filled in around all of the ingredients.

5. Bake for 14-18 minutes (individual ovens will vary) until lightly browned and somewhat firm. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the frittatas to loosen them from the pan. Turn the frittatas out on a wire baking rack. Serve warm or cold with (in my opinion) a dollop of sour cream.

SHF #34 - Going Local with Filberts and Blackberries

2007-08-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

Being relatively new to blogging, I thought it would be a good idea to jump in on one of the cooking events out there. The one that particularly caught my eye was SHF or 'Sugar High Friday'. Since the tagline for my blog is 'one man's search for dessert perfection', it only seemed natural that an event involving sugar would fit well with my primary purpose for this blog. This month's theme is 'Going Local' and the idea is to showcase local delicacies from your region. I have to say I had a hard time trying to come up with an idea for this one. When I think of the Northwest, and particularly, Oregon, I tend to think of Salmon - and that just wasn't going to fit well for a SHF event. So I just tried to think of a local ingredient or dish that would represent us here.

I really was having a hard time with this. I can't really think of a dish that says Oregon. We're quite a mix of many different influences - everything from Native American to Asian to European to Mexican - you can find it all here. Willamette Valley in Oregon is also becoming world renowned for it's Pinot Noir, but I just couldn't think of a good way to work it in to my baking - perhaps another post. My own ancestors are from Sweden and Ireland, and while both are well known for their baked goods, even those dishes didn't really say 'Oregon' to me. So, I was in my back yard a few days ago when it hit me, or rather, scratched me - Blackberries. I was reminded of the fact that Oregon, in particular, the Willamette Valley, is considered the 'caneberry capital of the world'. Caneberries? If you are not familiar with that term, it refers to any berries grown on planta that grow large stocks, or canes. Some of these 'caneberries' include blackberries, raspberries, Loganberries, and our very own, Marionberries (uniquely grown only here in Oregon, and quite a tasty berry I might add). I originally thought about showcasing Marionberries (a cultivar of blackberries), but the season was over and I wanted to go fresh, not frozen. It just so happens I have a thriving blackberry plant growing in my back yard, and there were plenty of berries to go around. What to make? I wanted to do something other than a blackberry pie, muffins or tart. I wanted to stick with a baked item, but something we enjoy frequently in the NW. Thinking again of coffee (I think I need a cup, I can't get it off my mind) I considered scones. Definitely not a Northwest creation, we do enjoy these tasty little baked treats in the coffee shops that dot our landscape. As I was considering a recipe for blackberry scones, I just wasn't happy with the idea of a blackberry scone. Not long after that, I was struck in a moment of inspiration to consider another very Oregon ingredient - Filberts.

What is a Filbert, you may ask? Well, around most of the world, Filberts are known as Hazelnuts, but here in Oregon, one of only 4 places in the world where these nuts are grown, they are referred to by fans and growers as Filberts. Though Oregon represents only a small amount of the total hazelnuts produced worldwide (Turkey is the largest producer), the hazelnuts grown in the temperate climate of Oregon are considered to be the biggest and tastiest in the world. I wanted to use a recipe that could really show off the great flavor of this nut. Since we have such strong ties to coffee and baked goods here in the Northwest, I thought I'd try my hands at a goodie I've wanted to bake for awhile now, so I tracked down a basic recipe for scones, and went from there.

That being said, I still had the blackberries to consider. I still wanted to use them, but I wanted something unique. Thinking back to a tea event I did some cooking for awhile back, it struck me - curd. This traditional English dish is most commonly made with lemons, but many other fruits can be used. Curd is a type of preserve that uses fruit juice, sugar and eggs. It is smooth and creamy and pairs well with scones (as well as making a great filling for cakes and other pastries). Now I had my recipes in order.

Since I have never made scones before, I was concerned that I wouldn't get the right texture. A friend of ours, who is quite the hand at making scones, was out of the country, so thanks to my old standby for recipes, Allrecipes.com, I found a basic scone recipe and some great tips from readers. Following their lead, I decided to make the dough entirely in a food processor, and I'm glad I did. The recipe calls for frozen butter, cut into small pieces, and then incorporated into the flour mixture using a pastry knife or by hand. The food processor, made this step very fast and turned out a well incorporated, yet not overworked, dough. For the hazelnuts, I purchased raw whole nuts and toasted them myself in the oven at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes on a foil lined baking sheet. I removed most of the skins by wrapping them in a kitchen towel, letting them sit for 5 minutes, then rubbing the toasted nuts in the towel. Boy, did that smell good!

Many thanks to Johanna at The Passionate Cook for her choice of themes for this month's SHF. It really made me think about what dishes and ingredients I have to work with in my area, and I think, has enlightened me about being more aware of some of those choices. Also, thanks to Jennifer of Domestic Goddess for starting SHF. You can find the information on this month's SHF by clicking here. Update - Johanna has posted the results for this month's SHF and can be found here - be sure to check out some of the great entries from all over the world.

Overall, I was very pleased with my results. The scones, in my opinion and the opinion of Mrs. wannabe baker, came out very well. I can definitely say there is no replacement for freshly toasted nuts - they really came through in the scones. In fact, the scones would have been great on their own, however, the blackberry curd really went nicely with the nutty flavor of the scones without overpowering them.

Following are the recipes I used for this post, as I made them, including the few modifications I made. If you would like to know a little more about Oregon Filberts, follow the link here for an interesting article from Saveur magazine.

Hazelnut Scones (adapted from Simple Scones from Allrecipes.com)

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut in small pieces and frozen
3/4 Cup Toasted Hazelnuts, finely chopped (I used a coffee grinder to chop mine)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Large Egg

Plus, 1 additional egg, 1 tablespoon milk and decorator's sugar

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F and adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.

2. In a food processor or large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix briefly. Add frozen butter. For the food processor, pulse until the butter is incorporated - it should resemble course meal. If you are not using a food processor, mix the butter into the flour with a pastry blade or two knives.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and the sour cream until smooth.

4. Add the sour cream/egg mixture and the hazelnuts into the food processor. Process until a ball of dough forms, about 1 minute. For those not using the food processor, mix the sour cream/egg mixture and the hazelnuts in with a fork. Once combined, use your hands to press the dough together until it forms a ball.

5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8 inch diameter circle, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 triangles. Whisk together the remaining egg and milk and brush onto the scones. Sprinkle with decorator's sugar.

6. Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper or a silicone baking mat. Space the scones approximately 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 - 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, serve. Scones can be frozen and used later.

Blackberry Curd (adapted from Triple Berry Curd from Cooking Light Magazine)

3 Cups Blackberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1. Place berries in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Press berry mixture through a sieve. Reserve 1 cup of the puree for the curd, refrigerate any leftover. Discard the seeds.

2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk together. Add 1 cup blackberry puree, lemon juice and eggs. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter, stir until butter is melted and combined. Cool at least 6 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

Cheese Me, Please Me

2007-08-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

There are a number of recipes out there that I long to bake, but not just bake, bake well. Perusing through bakeries, foodie blogs, magazines and cookbooks, I find myself wishing I could duplicate some of the wonderful creations out there.

I am plagued, however, by something that stops many fledgling bakers from achieving their desires: Fear. Yes, fear. Fear of failure. As silly as it may sound to some folks, fear of failure can be a powerful barrier to attempting to conquer new challenges. For those of us that don't have the benefit of a formal cooking school education or a chance to apprentice under an experienced baker, the thought of trying to duplicate some of the more difficult recipes can be daunting. Not only that, some of those recipes call out some spendy ingredients - I don't know about some of you out there, but I really have a hard time putting a couple of hours of work and some of my hard earned money into something if it isn't going to turn out right the first time. I know, I know, that's a somewhat unrealistic expectation - you can't expect to do everything right the first time, and you can sometimes only learn from your failures. That's very true, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I had always wanted to try a cheesecake, but had always passed on the chance because I feared the results wouldn't be any good. I have collected more cheesecake recipes than I can count, watched numerous Food Network chefs make this dessert over and over, and read many comments on Allrecipes about the trials of folks attempting to recreate this luscious treat. Something finally urged me on to finally try this out - I think it was the 5 packages of cream cheese sitting in the refrigerator. I had purchased them in the hopes of making a cheesecake, but for awhile, there they sat, staring at me, reminding me that I had taken the first step, but now I needed to follow through. One day, I noticed that I was getting closer to the expiration date - I was not going to through out those wonderful creamy bricks, and I was certainly not going to just turn them into some kind of dip again. No, it was time to commit. So, I jumped in to my recipe archive.

Allrecipes.com is a favortie source of recipes for me. I found this site about 5 years ago and make regular visits to see what's new out there. I often find recipes I want to try and save them on my computer for later review. What I like about the site is the vast number of readers that leave their comments - some of them really make a huge difference in these recipes. Often, a reader will note a particular step may have been left out, or perhaps they will further clarify on a technique that some of us may not be totally familiar with. So, I grabbed a recipe rated 5 stars that had plenty of comments from folks that had made this recipe before. There were some great suggestions about having your cream cheese at room temperature prior to mixing and about using a Bain Marie (water bath) to cook the cheesecake even though it wasn't part of the recipe. My choice was the NY Cheesecake III. It had a different crust than most, but the readers seemed to have very positive results with this one - and, many used it as their first attempt at cheesecake as well.

My results? Well, the picture above says a lot. One of my bigger fears was the dreaded 'crack' running through the middle of the cake. What can I say, it came out better than I could have expected. Only slightly browned around the edges, just slightly 'jiggly' at the very center, and smoooooth on top - only 2 tiny cracks that were very hard to spot. How about the taste? I made this for a family gathering (violating one of my personal rules about 'testing' recipes on large groups when you don't have a backup recipe on hand). What can I say, they loved it. Many thought it was store bought. It was creamy, flavorful and had just the right balance of density.

What did I learn? Well, I'm very thankful for the suggestions on Allrecipes. I believe that getting the cream cheese to room temperature had a big effect on this recipe. I chose mix the cream cheese batter by hand as some suggestions noted that over mixing was a bad thing too. I would have been unable to mix this by hand if the cream cheese had not been softened. Next, the water bath. One drawback to the water bath is the water seeping in to your pan. Most folks suggest wrapping the pan with a layer of heavy foil, but one person noted using a cooking bag. I just happened to have one on hand, so I placed that around the pan, placed the pan on a large baking sheet, and poured some near boiling water in the pan (after it was already sitting in the oven - didn't want to spill anything). The hardest part about this recipe was patience. Many readers noted, as did the recipe, to leave the cake in the oven for an hour (or more) once the cooking time was completed and the oven was turned off - this is supposed to help prevent cracking. I have to tell you, I was like a little kid on Christmas morning, pacing back and forth, wondering what was hidden behind that door, but I was determined not to open it, I just didn't want to risk ruining this recipe. I actually ended up leaving the cake in the oven overnight instead of the 1 hour recommended in the recipe. When I got up early the next morning, I opened the oven to find the cake pictured above. (I'm sorry for such a plain photo here, I just had to show how smooth the top of this cake turned out)

So, I've managed to conquer one of my fears. Cheesecake is off the list of baking don'ts and on the menu of the wannabe baker. It really wasn't all that bad. Of course, the next test is to see if I can duplicate the results and be sure the first attempt wasn't just a fluke. That aside, I now can feel more confident about tackling another item on my list of mose feared recipes - what that will be remains to be seen.

NY Cheesecake III - from Allrecipes.com
NY Cheesecake III

Crust:

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1 Egg, Beaten
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened

Batter:

2 1/2 Pounds Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 3/4 Cups White Sugar
3 TBLSP All-Purpose Flour
5 Eggs, Whole
2 Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly coat a springform pan with spray oil. Note: You could use a 9x13 inch pan instead.

2. To make the crust: Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter. Spread to the edges of the pan. Prick all over with a fork, then bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

3. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F (245 degree C). In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 TBLSP flour, 5 eggs and 2 egg yolks. Mix thouroughly. Add 1/4 cup cream and mix only enough to blend.

4. Pour filling over crust and bake for 10 minutes at 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). After 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and continue to bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, but leave the cake in the over for another hour. Remove from the oven, the center may still jiggle a bit - that's okay.

5. Chill overnight - don't skip this step. Serve plain or garnished with your favortie fruit.

My notes:

First, though the recipe doesn't call for it, I used a water bath, as I described in the post above. Second, be sure not to overmix your batter. Third, while the crust was good, it was almost too sweet for the cheesecake. When I make this again, I may go back to the standard graham type crust.

I served this with the Supreme Stawberry Topping, also from Allrecipes.com
Supreme Strawberry Topping

If you've never tried a cheesecake before, give it a shot, you just may be able to get past one of your recipe fears. I finally have.

A humble beginning...

2007-08-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Baking in Oregon, my brand new blog.

As you can probably tell by the title, I'm planning to post about baking. While my primary focus will be on baking sweet treats and desserts of all kinds, I imagine there will be some savory dishes mixed in here and there. I'm not necessarily going for an Oregon flair in my baking, it just happens to be my home and a place I'm proud to live. If some NW inspired recipes and ingredients do happen to make their way in, then that's a bonus.

I've been interested in cooking since I was a kid. While I had several people who influenced my interest in cooking, it was my grandfather who really got me started. We started simply, making easy snacks for my brother and sister and I such as bread with melted cheddar and season salt. Eventually, he, along with my grandmother, would let me help prepare dinner. One recipe in particular that stands out in my memory was one I had a hard time understanding as a kid - Mousse. I just couldn't figure out why this very tasty chocolate 'pudding' was named after a big animal. I also had a hard time understanding why he kept telling me that the tasty beef sauce I used for my french dip was called au jus. It's funny to recall how the mind of a child interprets things which our adult minds don't give a second thought.

Since then, some years have passed and my interest in cooking has grown to a desire to spread my wings a bit and dig into those areas of cooking that have long haunted me - specifically, baking. For me, many of my past 'baking' experiences included opening the box, adding the eggs, water and oil, mixing together, throwing it in the oven, and considering myself a good cook. That might have been okay for a kid learning to use an oven or even as a bachelor just hoping to put something hot on the table. But now it's time to learn the ways of the baker. It's time to learn that brownies don't have to come from a pre-packaged mix. It's time to learn that bread doesn't need to come from a plastic bag. It's time to learn how to make a proper 'sponge'. It's time to learn about 'proofing' and why a 'financier' has nothing to do with money. It's time to put that beautiful new KitchenAid mixer to work! In short, it's time to do those things I've always wanted to do but have been stopped by my fear of failure - well not any more.

After reading a number of foodie bloggers out there, I've found myself inspired not only to start this blog, but to start challenging myself in the kitchen. I may even consider joining up with a group like the Daring Bakers to see if I can conquer some of their 'Daring' recipes.

My motivations? Well, first, my wife, who has supported me through my past kitchen successes and failures. She has endured the pain of living with a 'wannabe baker' gathering up cookbooks, new utensils, pans, ingredients and anything else to clog up our little kitchen. Yes, through it all, she's always there to lick the bowl. Friends and family are next. I may look like I like to eat (and I do), but I really get my enjoyment in making a dish for someone else and having them say 'ohhh...' at the first bite - if I get that reaction, I know I've done okay. Really though, there is nothing like cooking for other people. I mean, food is one of the key ingredients to any gathering. Whether it be for 2 or 22, good food just makes it more fun - and dessert, well that just highlights any food based gathering. Last, but not least, my little girl. Sure, the only raspberries she can understand right now are the kind she makes at me while I'm trying to concentrate on something important, but someday, she'll be old enough to know what a real raspberry is, and what wonderful things you can do with them. Yes, once she's old enough to wield a spatula, she'll be out of the crib and into the kitchen to cook with daddy.

As a part of this blog, I'm also planning to improve upon my photography skills, especially in the subject of still life and, in particular, food photography. I've done okay with scenics and portraits, but I've seen some pretty awesome food photos on many of those blogs out there (Kieran at Ice Cream Ireland comes to mind) and I'm looking forward to testing my skills with a camera as well as with an oven. The photo I've attached to this first blog shows the Cape Mears Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. This photo recently took 3rd place in a local photo contest, so I thought I'd share it here.

What else will this blog be about? Well, baking/cooking will be the #1 topic. That being said, I'll probably splash a few other topics in here and there. Maybe some thoughts on Oregon and the Northwest. Maybe a little talk or two about healthier eating and exercise (because I really need it!). Who knows what else may crop up from time to time.

So please join me as I start my adventure into the fun and frustrating world of baking. I'd love to get feedback from you folks out there. If you have your own foodie blog, let me know, I'd love to check it out. Got a recipe you think I should try, let me know. Got tips or suggestions that could turn my failures into success? Let me know.

Now, what do I start with??? Hmm...