Never Bashful with Butter

*EDIT*

I had it pointed out to me this morning that my vegan pudding recipe is the same as one posted on a PETA website. I was not aware of this, and insist it is purely an awkward coincidence. I’m sorry if this has offended anyone (as it has apparently offended this commenter, who accuses me of copying it) but I didn’t mean to cause any problems. I’ve never even heard of or seen the website they accuse me of stealing it from, before.

Here is a link to the PETA website where the same recipe exists- *CLICKY*  

I would, however, just like to make note that also on this “recipe” site, there is a “recipe” for vegan grilled cheese sandwiches.  I hardly think that anyone who’s ever said they created a recipe for vegan grilled cheese should be accused of stealing it from this website. The truth is, the internet is a big place. With so few ingredients, someone is bound to have an identical recipe, somewhere. 

Unfortunately, if you’ve ever had the *ahem* pleasure, of hearing the Banana phone song, you’re probably wanting to kill me right now, because it’s already gotten stuck in your head.

Sorry.

Anywho,
Rather than sit and discuss at length the social ramifications of this song… I’ll talk about something else.

Bananas are seriously one of the best fruits on the planet, aren’t they?

You can use them as a base for smoothies, fruit soups, ice cream, puddings, or you could just eat them by themselves.

You can use them as part of a dessert, or a savoury dish. They’re just that delicious.

I have always loved bananas. I even nicknamed my little sister “Nanner Chunk”… Though there was a period of time there where she REALLY didn’t like that nickname, at 14 years old (oh god I’m old), she’s come around to where she appreciates her unique nickname.

For me, a really classic pairing for bananas, is chocolate.

Back when I was a kid, I had this totally awesome kids cookbook with all sorts of neato kid friendly recipes in it. This cookbook really was one of those things that really sparked my interest in cooking. It was called “Kids Cooking: A very slightly messy manual”

Inside the book, it had a recipe for “Frozen bananoids” which were frozen, peeled bananas on a stick, dipped in melted chocolate and then rolled in all sorts of things from M&M’s to toasted coconut.

I LOVED THIS RECIPE.

Not only could I make it with very little effort or work (gimme a break, I had a hard time concentrating as a child) but who doesn’t love a little fruit with their candy? Chocolate, Candy sprinkles and a little banana? Delicious.

…though really, I know one of the biggest reasons I loved this recipe was that there were little cartoon Penguins on the page around the recipe, and I love penguins. This recipe had the penguin seal of approval, and so it gained mine as well.

Truth be told, I don’t think I made very many of the other recipes in the cookbook. My mom sort of didn’t like me being in the kitchen because I had a tendency to make messes and either clean them up at the last second, or not clean them up at all.

So making brownies wasn’t exactly something I did very often.

But she was totally cool with me freezing bananas. I don’t think she really was very fond of me dipping them in chocolate, but I tried to keep that part as under wraps as possible. Sneaky frozen bananoids was the name of the game.

Anywho, since then, I’ve done a lot of banana/chocolate combos. Mostly banana and Nutella sandwiches (OH DEAR GOD YES), but also banana and melted chocolate, or banana and chocolate ice cream.

And of course, today’s treat, Banana Chocolate pudding.

… I couldn’t pass up the chance to make a vegan version of it. Ever since last year when I really found that chocolate and tofu were really a tasty combo, I’ve played around with it, adding different things… and after much trial and error, I’ve created a really delicious Vegan pudding.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Pudding recipe-

1 banana
2 cups silken (soft) tofu
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chill for at least one hour before serving. Top with Dried Banana Chips.

Its also super easy to make, which is awesome.

So I made myself a tasty little nostalgic snack, that, while not quite as rich as a chocolate dipped frozen banana, still tastes really good.

-A.

There are very few times where I will pass up the chance to make baked goods.

Especially for a holiday, and especially for my husband.
This year, however, the alien flu got me, and I was so sick on Valentines day, I passed out on the couch and when I did come to, I was barely able to enjoy the special dinner that my wonderful husband had prepared for the two of us.

So since I wasn’t up to it on the 14th, Tonight I made my husband and I a special dessert.

Mini chocolate tortes filled with cocoa cream cheese, with a little drizzle of chocolate syrup, a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry.

They were super simple to make, and really pretty tasty.

Also, they’re mini, so if you’re like me, and when faced with a whole chocolate cake, you feel the urge to shove the entire thing in your mouth, swallow, and smile as though no one noticed your little diet indiscretion, its handy for portion control. *smile*

I am super stoked about how huge and pretty this latest batch of strawberries at the supermarket. They’re still not as tasty as Oregon strawberries, but they’ll do until summertime.

I used THIS recipe for Chocolate cake (note, I did not use the glaze or peppermint filling recipes)

Instead of using round cake pans, I used 2 half sheet jelly roll pans that I buttered and floured. Only pour in about half an inch of cake batter, then bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure its done, allow to fully cool before cutting. (This recipe yielded about 10 mini tortes. I haven’t assembled all of them, but I plan on making them half sized, 2 layers instead of 3+ heart topper, and having my husband bring them to work on Monday.)

The chocolate cream cheese filling is simple, but will make enough to fill quite a few mini tortes, or fill a large cake. It freezes well, and if kept in an airtight container, will keep for a few months in the freezer.

You’ll need-

1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
About 1/2 cup whipping cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the powdered sugar while the mixer is on low speed. Add cocoa powder.
At this point, the mixture will be crumbly. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the whipping cream, slowly, while the mixer is on low speed. As the mixture begins to gather together and form a mass, turn up the speed to medium. You may need a little more or a little less whipping cream to achieve this. If you do not have whipping cream, you can use milk, but you’ll need a lot less of it, and the filling will not be as fluffy. Still tasty though. *smile*

Once it starts looking like a creamy batch of lightly chocolate flavoured filling, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure there are no chunks of cream cheese that are not mixed in. Beat on medium high or high for about a minute or so, until fluffy. Spoon into ziploc bags and chill until ready to use.

To assemble the tortes, just use a 3inch round cookie cutter to cut layers of cake, and pipe a little of the filling between each layer. Plate with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and a strawberry, and there you go!

If you don’t have a cookie cutter, just cut squares with a sharp knife. Or you can use a different shape cookie cutter if you like! have fun with it!

In the meantime- More photos!

If you missed the link above, I really do recommend reading my true story of how I ate an entire German cake as a small child. Heh. Its good reading!

-A.

Mardi gras is Tuesday February 5th this year!

It was one of my very first work days at this particular bakery in town, and a customer asked if we sold king cakes. Considering myself a big fan of the baked good, I was totally surprised that there was a form of cake that I hadn’t heard of before, so when she said “king cake” I had no idea what she was talking about. I asked the customer for a description, but it didn’t sound like she had much of an idea either, saying instead that it was a request made by someone else, and she was just shopping.

At first, no one on my shift even KNEW what a King cake was. A few of my co-workers thought maybe it was “king sized” meaning it was just a really large cake, and another one thought maybe it was like a grooms cake. After a few hours, we just forgot about it and moved on.

I don’t think I ever thought about a king cake for another year or so… That was when Hurricane Katrina hit.

I remember hearing about hurricane Katrina, and just feeling powerless. I didn’t know anyone from any of the areas affected by hurricane Katrina, but still. I donated to the charities, I led a fundraiser at my work. Luckily no one I knew was affected, but we all just felt so bad for those who were.

About three months after Katrina came and went, I gained two new coworkers. Sisters that relocated from Louisiana.

Meeting them, you’d never have known what they had just gone through. These were some of the most beautiful, kind, energetic and exciting women to be around. They perked up our little bakery and made everyone excited to go to work every day.

In the two years since I started working there, we’d gained another co-worker, who I didnd’t know was from Louisiana as well. The three of them became fast friends, and when they planned a Mardi Gras party, and I was lucky enough to be invited.

When I asked what I could bring, in addition to the “bring some booze” suggestion (in your early 20’s its to be expected) They asked if I could bring some cupcakes, or a dessert or something. I remember one of the sisters said “I’m making the king cake, so don’t worry about that.” and I just laughed it off, kind of embarrassed since she said it like it was something so commonplace.

I wasn’t sure if they wanted me to just bring something from the bakery or if they meant for me to make it at home, and being a cake decorator I was kind of used to taking cake decorating orders, so I asked them “how would you like me to decorate the cake” and they said “with lots of green and gold and purple, and maybe put like a cutout of a baby on it or something.”

Now, I was confused.

“Let me get this straight, you want a baby on your Mardi Gras cake?”

The oldest of the sisters, the one who mentioned that she’d be making the king cake, she got a good laugh at that one. I was so confused though. “Why a BABY?”

“You know, like the baby tucked into the king cake?” she said, as though I had only suffered a momentary lapse of reason, and at any moment I’d pop back and say “Oh, thats right. I don’t know where my head was.”

But that didn’t happen.

They both began a very animated explanation, complete with hand gestures and diagrams scrawled on the back of a very long receipt one of them had tucked in their purse, of what a king cake is, and why having a baby on a Mardi Gras cake makes perfect sense.

A king cake is a round brioche filled with a cinnamon, sugar, and pecan mixture, drizzled with a thin icing and sprinkled with sugar sprinkles in gold, green and purple. After baking, it is tradition to tuck a little plastic baby into part of the cake, and whoever finds the baby in their piece is King!

Apparently, the baby is symbolic of the baby Jesus, and the king cake is shaped like a Kings crown. The colours of the sugar even have meaning- Purple for Justice, Gold for Power, and Green for Faith.

A kings cake is traditionally eaten anywhere between Epiphany (three kings day) on January 6th, and Mardi Gras. Its a tradition kept by people all over the world, but in the US, really is only common in Louisiana and the surrounding states.

King Cake

For the Brioche:

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast
2 Tbsp Warm Water (115 degree F)
1 tsp Iodized Salt
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Milk
2 tsp Orange Zest, minced
2 Cups Flour, sifted
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 sticks cold butter, cut into cubes

1 Egg beaten and 2 Tbsp water, for the egg wash
purple, green and yellow sugar sprinkles
1 plastic baby trinket

Dissolve the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, let stand until frothy.
Dissolve the salt, sugar, orange zest and milk in a small bowl. When dissolved combine the milk mixture with the yeast mixture. Mix the cinnamon with the flour.
With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, then gradually add the flour, until all is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes, or until a smooth elastic dough is formed. A little more flour may be necessary. With the motor running, incorporate the butter into the dough, a little at a time but rather quickly so that it doesn’t heat up and melt.
Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.
When the dough has doubled in bulk punch it down, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Roll the dough out to a 6 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread the Pecan filling (recipe below) out in the middle of the rectangle along the whole length, leaving about 1 1/2 inch on each side. Fold the length of the dough over the filling and roll up tightly, leaving the seam side down. Turn the roll into a circle, seam side down and put one end inside of the other to hide the seam, and seal the circle. Place the cake on a baking sheet and let rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Before baking, brush the entire king cake with the egg wash.
Place the king cake into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When the cake cools, tuck the baby trinket into the cake through the bottom. Drizzle the top of the cake with the icing and sprinkle with the coloured sugar in stripes.

Place on a large round serving plate and decorate with Mardi Gras beads, doubloons and whatever else that you like.

For the Pecan filling:

1 Cup Pecan pieces
1/4 cup butter
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice

Melt the butter and combine all of the ingredients together.

For the glaze

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
just enough lemon juice to form a thin icing suitable for drizzling (a tablespoon or so)

Combine the sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until no lumps remain.

Anyways, in the end I sort of understood why putting a baby on the cake would make sense. I ended up making cupcakes for the party and I put little plastic babies on them. It worked out quite nicely. I also had my first taste of king cake that night, and I thought then what I thought now… Boy, does this taste like a bear claw!

Wait, what’s that?

YOU FOUND THE BABY!

So, you’ve got all weekend to make yourself a delicious King cake, tuck a little plastic baby inside it, and celebrate Mardi Gras in traditional New Orleans style! I know its cliche, but I gotta say it-

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

-A.