Chocolate Swirl Buns

Wow, September has gone by in a flash! I can't believe that it's already the end of the month and yet it feels like it's still summer. Part of the reason is because we have been blessed with great weather that has lasted all month long. In fact I heard on the radio that apparently we broke the record for the longest streak of dry days. According to reports the streak went on for 51 days...not bad for a city known around the world for its rainy weather. This great weather coupled with my extensive summer wardrobe made me a very happy camper all month long, despite having to return to school.

I have to admit that another reason the month seemed to fly by is because my schedule was packed with activities. As a result I didn't actually spend too much time in the kitchen because I was simply too busy, though I'm sure others would still consider it a lot by their standards. Still, when some classmates called upon me to help them with their bake sale I immediately agreed to contribute.

I decided to make these chocolate swirl buns that I saw not to long ago on my favorite food blog Annie's Eats. They are basically like a cinnamon bun, though with a chocolate filling, and by baking them in a muffin tin they are extremely easy to pop out and serve. Once again my family was disappointed that I was baking for someone else, though I did leave two for my mom and brother to try. They both enjoyed the little buns and I decided that I should make them again sometime soon, this time for the family, because they looked delicious but I didn't have a chance to try one.

Chocolate Swirl Buns
Note: The original recipe calls for making 12 rolls in a regular muffin tin. I made 24 in a mini muffin tin and the rolls were a great size. I also prepared the rolls a day ahead and kept them in the fridge then let them sit on the counter for a few hours the next day before baking them.

For the dough:

• ½ cup warm milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp rapid rise (instant) yeast
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces, room temperature 

For the filling:

• 8 oz (225 grams) dark chocolate, roughly chopped 
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water

1. Using an electric mixer, combine the milk, sugar, and yeast. Add the egg, flour, and salt and mix until a sticky dough starts to form.
2. Mix in the butter until incorporated. If using a stand mixer switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 10 minutes, otherwise just use your hands. The dough will still be extremely sticky.
3. Transfer the dough to a well-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Keep in a warm place until doubled in bulk, approximately 1-2 hours.
4. While waiting, prepare the filling by combining the chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the chocolate is finely chopped and even somewhat powdery. Add the butter and continue pulsing until incorporated.
5. Once the dough has risen place it on a well floured surface and punch it a little to deflate it. Let it rest for five minutes then split in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 12" long. 
6. Sprinkle half of the chocolate filling over the rolled out dough then, working from the long end, roll it into a log. Cut the log into 12 individual pieces and place each into a well-greased mini muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
7. Cover the muffin tins loosely with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise for at least 30 minutes. If not planning on baking right away simply cover and put them in the fridge, then allow them to proof twice as long before baking them later.
8. Once ready to bake, brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until puffed and golden brown. If baking those that were refrigerated the bake time may be slightly longer.

Macarons (Again)

I know that I have already blogged about macarons back when I made them for my friend's birthday at the end of April, but I feel like I should post an update. The truth of the matter is that since that time in April I tried to make macarons again for a baby shower and they turned out to be a total flop. However last week my mom and I attended a macaron making class at a local French cafe and I learned some new techniques.

I have to admit that I attend a lot of these "how-to" cooking classes but rarely do I actually learn new things, usually because I have already experimented so much on my own. I can happily say that this time was different and I definitely learned a lot...starting with how not to be afraid of my Kitchen Aid. Although I love my wonderful Kitchen Aid stand mixer dearly I am still hesitant to use it when it comes to whipping items such as egg whites for meringue or cream for whipped cream. After a few unsuccessful attempts I basically gave up and use my hand mixer instead, relying on the Kitchen Aid for less delicate things like cake batters, cookies, and doughs.

Despite my fear of the Kitchen Aid I saw how easily the teacher used it in our class to whip the egg whites and I wanted that confidence for myself. I intensely grilled her about everything related to the mixer, such as how long to go on each speed, and carefully observed the changes in consistency as she increased speeds. I asked so many questions in such great detail that at some point another person in the class asked if I owned a bakery. My mom laughed when she heard this and was quick to point out that although we did not technically own a bakery she sometimes felt as though we did given my frequency of baking for various occasions.

The macarons we made in class were of course picture perfect...exactly what you would expect from a bakery. As can be seen in the picture, they all had beautiful smooth tops and perfect little feet. We made two varieties, pink and purple, and two different butter cream fillings; raspberry-vanilla for the pink macarons and lemon-lavender for the purple ones. My mom was not thrilled with the lavender filling because she said it reminded her of body wash and made her feel like she was eating soap.

Obviously I wanted to test all of the new things that I learned at home and luckily for me I was invited to a birthday party the following week. I specifically went to a special kitchen store to buy the food coloring that we used in our class, a gel-based color that would not interfere with the moisture content of the macaron shells. Even after coming off my third eight hour clinical shift in a row (PS 5 AM wake-ups are no fun) I was too excited to try making the macarons.

My macarons did not turn out as picture perfect as the ones we made in class but they were definitely an improvement on my previous attempts. Initially I had some problems with getting the oven temperature just right for the first batch of red shells; this resulted in a tray of cracked shells. With the yellow ones I had the right temperature but I had not mixed the batter enough and therefore the shells came out a little bumpy on top instead of smooth. Nonetheless, I was extremely proud of the shells I baked and, more importantly, for getting over my fear of my Kitchen Aid.

Macarons
Note: This recipe makes about 40 shells, 1" in diameter. I highly suggest drawing out a template and placing it underneath the parchment paper in order to be able to pipe all the shells into equal sizes.

• 120 grams egg whites, room temperature
• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 140 grams ground almonds
• 240 grams icing sugar
• Optional: Gel-based food coloring

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg white on medium speed until frothy. Add the granulated sugar and then whisk on full speed for 6-8 minutes. Note: this may seem like a long time but it really is necessary for the egg whites to be shiny and stiff therefore 6 minutes is a minimum. If desired, add food coloring about 3-4 minutes in, scraping the bowl as necessary.
2. Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar and ground almonds together in a bowl then add to the stiffened egg white mixture with a rubber spatula. 
3. Mix the batter by folding from the bottom up and around the sides (called macronnage) but try not to overmix. The mixture should fall back on itself and form ribbons at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Pipe out 1" sized circles onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving about ½" between the macarons as the batter will spread. Once the tray is full, tap the tray a couple of times on the counter to release air bubbles and then let the tray sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes before baking.
5. Once ready, bake at 325 degrees Farenheit for 10-11 minutes. I recommend trying a small test batch to check your oven for the right time and temperature. If your oven has a hot spot you might want to turn the tray 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even baking. 
6. Allow the macarons to cool completely (I really do mean completely) before removing them from the parchment paper otherwise they will stick. 
7. The macarons can be filled and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. To defrost place them on the counter with the lid to the container removed to prevent condensation.

Butter Cream Filling
Note: For my macarons I used a raspberry vanilla butter cream for the red shells and a lemon butter cream for the yellow shells. I used ⅔ cup sugar and ½ cup butter for each filling and still had leftovers.

There are a variety of flavors that macarons can be filled with. To make a simple butter cream filling use the ratio of ¾ cup butter to 1 cup of icing sugar and then add whatever flavor you desire. Just make sure the butter is at room temperature.

Possible suggestions:

• Vanilla (2 tsp vanilla extract)
• Raspberry Vanilla (1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp raspberry jam)
• Lemon (2 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• Chocolate (35 grams chocolate, melted and cooled)

Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color. Add whichever flavor you are using and continue to beat until incorporated. Leftover butter cream can be stored in an airtight plastic bag (like a Ziploc freezer bag) for 2-3 months.

Chipotle-Peach Barbecue Chicken with Cilantro Chimichurri

This barbequed chicken is yummy I promise! Unfortunately none of my pictures seemed to do it justice and I was too eager to eat it to concentrate on taking a lot of photos, but the taste was well worth it! I found the recipe not too long ago and decided to make it while summer fruit are still around. The original recipe actually called for mango but I couldn't find any at the grocery store and we already had peaches at home so that's what I used.

I decided to use the grill pan that I bought way back in February in order to cook the chicken. I hate to admit it but I have actually only used it twice since buying it, once on the grill side for grilled chicken satays with a peanut sauce and once on the griddle side for making pancakes. The problem with using the grill is that it takes so long to clean afterward! Not only are you left with little pieces of chicken on the grill but, as I've just found out, you are not supposed to use soap on cast iron as it ruins the finish. What the heck! To top it off, you are not supposed to scrub too hard either otherwise that can ruin the finish as well. It seems my mom may have been wise when she warned me of the inconvenience of my purchase.

Regardless of my cleaning difficulties, I don't regret using the grill to cook the chicken because it turned out delicious. It was juicy and moist and the flavor was amazing. The kick from the chipotle balanced perfectly with the sweetness of the peaches and the cilantro added extra freshness. After eating the chicken my mom asked if I could just make the sauce on its own and use it for dips or other dishes. I agreed and will probably make another batch to try with a vegetable stir-fry.

Chipotle-Peach Barbeque Chicken with Cilantro Chimichurri

• 1½ cups peaches, chopped in large pieces
• ¾ cup (about ½ bunch) cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo + 1 tbsp adobo sauce (can use less if not wanting it to be too spicy)
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 lbs chicken (breast, thighs, or drumsticks)

1. Combine the peach, cilantro, chipotle, rice wine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
2. Set aside half of the mixture into a small container for a sauce. Coat the chicken with the other half of the mixture and cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, though preferably overnight to allow the chicken to absorb more flavor.
3. Once ready to cook, grill the chicken on a grill or grill pan pre-heated over medium-high heat. Turn and reposition the chicken pieces about every 5 minutes for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink inside.
4. While the chicken is cooking, put the reserved mixture into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve the sauce alongside the grilled chicken.

Chocolate Fudge Oatmeal Cookies

Last week was the first week of school and I officially went to my last first day of undergraduate classes. I can't believe that in eight months I will have graduated from university and be on my way to working as a nurse! In the midst of all the first week excitement our nursing undergrad society had our first meeting since going on break. Obviously I did not pass up on the opportunity to bring a yummy treat and decided to bake these chocolate fudge oatmeal cookies.

Needless to say my mother and brother were disappointed when they learned the cookies were not for them, though I did save a few and gave them some. The cookies were extremely chocolatey as one would imagine with almost a cup of cocoa powder. Although highly sticky and hard to handle I think the end result was worth it. I'll probably make them again soon, no doubt for one of the upcoming bake sales I have agreed to participate in.

Chocolate Fudge Oatmeal Cookies
Note: This recipe makes about 40 small 2" cookies.

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup olive oil
• 4 egg whites

1. In a large bowl combine the oats, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl combine the vanilla, olive oil, and egg whites.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well to combine. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes, though longer is better, to make it easier to handle.
4. Plop mounds of dough onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper. The cookies should be about 2" in size and you can use your hands to flatten them out. The cookies will not spread so don't worry about spacing them too far apart.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the centers look set. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the tray before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cookies will continue to harden on the tray and as they cool.