Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Over the weekend my parents hosted a dinner party for some friends featuring traditional Uzbek foods. Prior to immigrating to Canada, my parents grew up in Uzbekistan and many of the foods I associate with home are those Uzbek dishes such as plov (a rice pilof), manti (steamed dumplings), and shashlik (kebabs).

For the main course we served manti and shashlik but our appetizers and desserts were not Uzbeki. Because my mom decided to make meringues we had lots of egg yolks left over so I thought to make crème brûlée. Recently I had bought myself a new mini blow torch and made crème brûlée for my uncle's birthday using my previous recipe from three years ago. However this time I wanted to try something new and make chocolate crème brûlée.

Initially, my mom was quite concerned that the crème brûlée would not be smooth because the chocolate seemed to leave little grains when it melted in the hot cream. In order to alleviate her concerns I strained the mixture not once, but twice before pouring it into the ramekins. Although that may seem time consuming, the recipe is actually so easy that I really didn't mind taking that extra step.

As my mom would say, the result was "ah-mazing". The crème brûlée turned out so silky and smooth with an intense chocolate flavor. My aunt said that from now on I should stick to making the chocolate version and forget about my old one (though to be fair she is a little bit of a chocoholic). My brother, also a chocoholic, completely agreed with me. The next day, I received more compliments from my two cousins who tasted the extras I sent home with my aunt. After such rave reviews, I know I will be keeping this recipe around for a while!

Chocolate Crème Brûlée
Note: I used 4.5 oz ramekins and was able to make 13 crème brûlées, filling each ramekin almost completely to the top.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 270 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 8 tbsp sugar
• 10 egg yolks

1. Combine the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla in a small pot and bring to a simmer.  
2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the chocolate and whisk briskly until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Continue to whisk and slowly pour the hot chocolatey mixture into the bowl. Make sure that you add it slowly and continuously whisk otherwise the hot cream might end up cooking the eggs.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before pouring into the ramekins. Place the filled ramekins in a large baking dish and fill with enough hot water to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake the crème brûlées at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. They will be ready when the mixture is mostly set but the tops are still somewhat jiggly when tilted.
6. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 4 hours.
7. Once ready to serve, sprinkle some sugar on top of each custard and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar on top caramelizes and turns brown. Alternatively, if you own a mini blowtorch (like I do) use it to caramelize the top layer of sprinkled sugar.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

When I first started this blog I had created a goal for myself to write at least three posts a month. In the recent months since graduating from university and starting work as a registered nurse I haven't been able to keep up with my blogging. In addition to the fact that I'm busy, I'm also more picky than I used to be in regards to recipes that I consider "blog worthy". That's not to say that I haven't been cooking and baking, or trying out new recipes, I'm just more aware of the time and effort it takes for me to blog about them therefore I make sure that I strongly feel I should write a post about it before I start taking lots of pictures and investing my time in the recipe.

That being said, a few weeks ago one of my very good friends was celebrating her birthday and I helped her husband organize the food for the party. Together with one of her best friends (whose name also happened to start with the letter "N") we made bite-sized party foods including many appetizers and desserts. We joked around that we could call ourselves "N & N Catering" because, apart from a few items, we pretty much made all of the food.

I made three savory items and one dessert: mini pizza bites, mushroom tartlettes with cranberries and

feta cheese, and veggie wraps. For the dessert I made full-sized cookies and cream cupcakes featuring an Oreo cookie half at the bottom of each one, in addition to Oreo bits mixed throughout the batter.

Throughout the party, and afterward too, both of us "N's" received many compliments and thanks for our food. I told everyone that I had a great time preparing everything and it was even more enjoyable knowing that I was doing it for such a good friend. Even though we met not too long ago in nursing school, I feel so close to her and that she understands me so well. I hope that this is just the beginning of a lifelong friendship and that we will have many more great memories to share together.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Note: This recipe makes 24 standard sized cupcakes. I don't tend to like too much frosting on my cupcakes therefore I had a lot of extra and will probably make only half next time, but I have posted the full recipe below.

For the cupcakes:

• 24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
• 2¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 tbsp (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quartered them)

For the frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese,room temperature
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners (these cupcakes can't be made without liners because of the Oreo bottoms). 
2. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir together and set aside. 
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 
5. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. 
6. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. 
7. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
8. Divide the batter evenly amongst the prepared paper liners and bake for 18-24 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rotate the pans halfway through to ensure even baking. The cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a little hard to judge if you accidentally poke through an Oreo chunk).  
9. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
10. To make the frosting: combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. 
11. Beat in the powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte

To say that I have been dreaming of making this cake for a while is an understatement. I first found this recipe back in March and wanted to make it for my own birthday. However in preparation for the cheesecake contest that never happened I made a chocoloate cheesecake. No worries, I told myself, I decided to make it in May for my cousin's birthday. But unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the guest list was too big and I knew the cake wouldn't be able to feed so many people so I opted for making macarons instead.

My next attempt at making this cake was for my aunt's birthday mid-August but once again the opportunity passed as she decided to go on vacation and did not celebrate her birthday with us this year. After that my brother's birthday was next on the list and I spent a week convincing him to let me make this cake for him. This time I actually bought all of the ingredients and started to make the cake. But due to the fact that I was working all week leading up to his birthday, including two night shifts, I realized the cake had too many steps for me to be able to complete it in time so I changed gears and made cheesecake instead.

Luckily, another occasion presented itself quickly and I since I already had the chocolate genoise baked I was determined to finally finish this cake. My older cousin, who spent the last five months in Europe studying and traveling, was coming home and the whole family was invited to come over for dinner. I eagerly volunteered to bring dessert and planned to finish the cake the day before.

I am happy to report that my much anticipated cake fantasy came to life and the result was delicious. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, but then again no mousse cake really is. On the contrary it was time consuming and the directions were a little confusing. But the end result was well worth the effort. I especially enjoyed the hidden layer of nutella spread over the chocolate genoise between the layers of mousse. The mousse itself had a rich raspberry flavor and was velvety smooth. My family enjoyed the cake and I felt accomplished for finally making it after nearly six months.

Chocolate Raspberry Bavarian Torte

For the chocolate genoise:

• 3 large eggs + 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup flour
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

1. In a heat-proof bowl, vigorously whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt, Place the bowl over pan of simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture is warm.
2. Once warm, remove the bowl from the water and beat until mixture is cooled and increased in volume This will take 5-7 minutes, and the batter should be thick and leave a trail when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.
3. Sift together the flour, cornstarch and cocoa.  Add the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture, gently folding in with a rubber spatula.  
4. Pour the batter into a well-greased 8" round cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cake springs back when touched with finger. 
5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.

For the raspberry mousse:

• 24 oz (680 grams) frozen unsweetened raspberries
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Combine the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl.  You should have about 2 cups of raspberry pulp and juice combined. Set aside ¼ cup of the juice for the raspberry syrup. Cool to room temperature.
2. Add ⅓ cup boiling water to the gelatin and stir for 1-2 minutes to dissolve. Add the dissolved gelatin liquid to the raspberry purée.
3. Beat the heavy cream at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream.

For the raspberry syrup

• Reserved ¼ cup raspberry juice from above
• ¼ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup water

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberry juice then allow to cool.

For the assembly:

Note: In addition to the above ingredients, you also need to warm 1 cup of Nutella for 30-45 seconds in the microwave so that it becomes easy to spread.

1. Level the cake with a serrated knife then cut the chocolate genoise horizontally into two equal layers. 
2. Place one 8" layer, centered, in the bottom of a 9" springform pan, cut side up. Brush with half of the raspberry syrup and spread half of the Nutella over the cake layer.
3. Pour half of the raspberry mousse over and around the sides of the cake. Lightly drop the pan on the counter top one or two times to ensure the cream settles into the empty ring around the genoise.  
4. Top with the other cake layer and brush with remaining syrup and Nutella. 
5. Cover with remaining raspberry mousse. Drop on the counter top as before.  The cream  should completely fill the pan. Level the top with a large off-set spatula. 
6. Cover and refrigerate until the mousse sets, at least 4 hours.

Grilled Steak

My summertime fascination with grilling is still going strong and last week I decided to conquer steaks! I have watched many cooking shows and there are always two pieces of advice that are commonly given. The first is to not move the steak around too much; place it on the grill and let it cook through on one side then flip and cook the other side. The more you handle the meat, the tougher it gets. The second point they always mention is to let the steak rest for at least five to ten minutes so that the juices have time to get absorbed into the meat. Otherwise if you cut into the steak too soon all of the yummy juices are all over the plate instead of in the meat itself.

I really wanted to let the steak shine and speak for itself so I didn't go too heavy on the marinade...just a simple dry rub of rosemary, garlic, a few red chili flakes, and some salt. My goal was to get a nice sear on the outside and cook the steaks to medium-rare on the inside. Although I tried to get good grill marks I wasn't quite able to achieve the classic cross pattern. However that didn't affect the taste at all and I was pleased with how the steaks turned out in the end. We enjoyed them for dinner together with some grilled corn and a refreshing mango salsa my mom made.

Grilled Steak
Note: We had four large 13 oz steaks. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the meat and preference for doneness. The directions below reflect meat cooked to medium-rare.

• Steaks
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before starting to grill.
2. In a small bowl combine the chopped rosemary, garlic, crushed red pepper, and enough olive oil to make a loose paste.
3. Slather the steaks with the mixture and sprinkle generously with salt on both sides.
4. Put the steaks on a hot spot on the grill to get a good sear. Cook each side for 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160° Fahrenheit. If trying to create grill marks, turn the steaks 90° halfway through cooking each side.
5. If wanting to cook the steaks through some more move to a cooler part of the grill, not directly over the burner.
6. Once the steaks are done to your liking, remove from the grill and let them rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Strawberry Cupcakes

Now that I have graduated and am no longer in school, seeing my friends requires actual planning and coordination of schedules. As the summer is winding down I thought that it would be nice to try and organize a mini picnic on the beach and catch up with my friends. The truth of the matter is that apart from a few people, I really haven't seen most of them since our graduation back in May.

I decided that I wanted to bake some strawberry cupcakes for our little picnic because they seemed appropriate for the season. Also, my mom had bought me cute little cupcake liners that I was dying to use. I found two separate recipes from my favorite food blog Annie's Eats and decided to use the cake from one and the frosting from the other.

I was a little nervous to prepare the frosting because it was a strawberry-flavored Swiss meringue buttercream. Through my skimming of many food blogs I had read of how finicky Swiss meringue buttercream can be, which doesn't surprise me because anything with the word "meringue" in it usually gives bakers nightmares. However I decided I would bite the bullet and try my hand at making it.

Despite my initial hesitations I actually had no problems making the frosting. I don't know whether it was beginner's luck or if it's truly not as difficult as people make it out to be but I can honestly say it wasn't hard at all. The frosting turned out rich and creamy and was absolutely delicious. I went through the extra step of straining the strawberry puree before adding it to the buttercream just to make sure it was completely smooth.

Due to the fact that I made extra cupcakes, I was able to share them with my family and a few other friends who came over to my house the night before for dinner. They loved the cupcakes and commented on how cute they looked in the liners my mom had bought.

Unfortunately, the picnic didn't work out as I had planned because as it happened, one of my friends got called in to work that morning and since she was providing a ride for two others they couldn't attend either. In the end, only one other friend was able to come which left me with lots of extra cupcakes. Instead I brought them with me to work and shared them with the staff during one of my night shifts.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 18-21 cupcake

For the cupcake:

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped strawberries

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined.
4. Add the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined.
5. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
6. Distribute the batter amongst a well-greased or paper-lined muffin pan. Fill each well ¾ full with batter. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in the pan before removing and finishing to cool on a wire rack

 For the frosting:
Note: These instructions are from the original recipe and assume the use of a stand mixer. The frosting can also be prepared using a hand mixer, but it will take a lot longer.

• ¾ cup chopped strawberries
• 2 large egg whites
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Puree the strawberries in a food processor. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove seeds, and set aside.
2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. (I didn't actually have a thermometer so I just eyeballed it for when the sugar dissolved)
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)  
4. Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer - don’t worry, it will come together!)  
5. Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and frost the cupcakes once they have cooled.

Nachos

It's no secret that my family likes to shop and keep our pantry well-stocked with all sorts of food items ranging from canned goods, nuts, chips, crackers, pasta, grains, dried fruit, granola, chocolate...you name it, we probably have it. However occasionally it happens that our pantry becomes too full (generally after a big Costco trip) and we have to go through it and sort that which we don't need/will never use.

Last week, while cleaning through the pantry my mom came across a half-eaten bag of tortilla chips leftover from some picnic. Not wanting to eat them plain, but also wanting to get rid of the bag and not waste the chips we thought it would be a great idea to re-purpose them into nachos. Nachos are wonderful because you can literally put anything you want on the tortilla chips, stick it in the oven, and have a meal ready in ten minutes. Also, depending on what you top them with, nachos can serve as both an appetizer or main course. In my family we tend to put a lot of toppings so they become quite filling and we serve it as a main course, such as a lazy brunch.

Nachos
Note: Generally we put ground beef on our nachos but they can also be prepared using other meats or vegetarian. Also, the recipe below does not have quantities because these are just suggestions...make as little or as much as you want.

• Tortilla chips
• Cooked beef (I used the recipe from my Mexican Beef Lettuce Wraps)
• Diced tomatoes
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese 

1. Spread a layer of tortilla chips evenly across a baking pan.
2. Top with ground beef, making sure to cover most of the tortilla chips.
3. Spread the diced tomatoes over the ground beef.
4. Use a large spoon to dollop the sour cream and salsa over top. Roughly spread it across so that most of the meat is covered.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top. (Don't skimp on the cheese...more is better!)
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-13 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbling and the tortilla chips around the edges are crisp.

Chocolate and Jam Twists

I found this recipe about a month ago but I was waiting until my brother came home from his month-long trip to Israel in order to make it. He is the biggest consumer of baked goods in our household and it didn't feel right baking something without him being present to sample it.

Of course after waiting for so long to make it, I kind of had high expectations. I was a little disappointed when my twists did not turn out as beautiful as the picture from the original recipe so I sprinkled some powdered sugar over them. However when I shared this detail with my mother she disagreed and said they looked nice on their own as well.

Later when I showed her the picture online, she helped me to discover that I had actually misread the recipe and combined the chocolate and jam in each twist, rather than make two separate flavors. This accounted for the extra thickness in the filling and the difficulty I experienced when twisting each strip of dough. But I think it actually turned out for the better in terms of flavor because I actually enjoyed the combination of chocolate and fruity jam in each bite. Therefore I think that if I make these twists again I will still make them the "wrong way" because I liked how it tasted.

Chocolate and Jam Twists
Note: I used chocolate ganache for the filling because I had it leftover from something else however the original recipe calls for using nutella and peanut butter. Also, the original recipe used only one filling and single layers of dough....I used two fillings and double layers.

• 1 package puff pastry, thawed
• Jam (any flavor)
• Chocolate ganache (recipe here)
• Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one block of the puff pastry dough to about 2 millimeter thickness.
2. Cut the rolled dough in half horizontally. Spread jam on one half and the chocolate ganache on the other.
3. Carefully place one half over the other, making sure the pieces match up as closely as possible and the filling is sandwiched in between. 
4. Cut the dough vertically into strips about 1" wide. Carefully twist each strip and pinch the ends together. 
5. Place the twisted strips onto a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave some space between the strips as they will slightly unravel and puff outward in the oven.
6. Repeat with the other block of dough and filling.
7. Bake the twists for 15 minutes or until golden and puffed at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool and harden on the tray before transferring. Optional: sprinkle with some powdered sugar once cool.