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Showing posts from January, 2018

Cake Pops

Cake pops are super cute but they can be overly sweet (and if I think something is too sweet, you know it’s true). I am just getting interested in making them. I would never bake a cake just to crumble it up, but I did make too many vanilla cake layers the other day when I was baking a cake for an event I catered. For catering events, I always like to make more than enough just in case somethings goes haywire. As a result, I had an extra 9 inch cake layer. I put it in the freezer so that I could use it later. I wasn’t inspired to do anything with it until I read a blog about cake pops. I realized it was high time I try my hand at them. I opted to keep things very simple- this is just a basic recipe for a round cake pop, minimally decorated. The big tips here are using coconut oil to thin the candy melts. My first cake pop fell apart because the candy coating was too thick. Thinning it out with coconut oil meant I could easily coat the cake pop and keep the coating thinner (b

Chicken Asparagus Stir-fry

It’s the New Year! Happy 2018!  It’s the time for dieting and gym memberships and resolutions and all that. However, healthy eating doesn’t mean bland food. This recipe is full of lean protein, vitamin and mineral packed vegetables, no simple carbohydrates, uses only 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of sugar, is filling, flavorful and gloriously warming on these ice-cold arctic chill days. Here at Watership Down Kitchen, I firmly believe that food is not just fuel for the body; it is also food for the soul. Feed both with this dinner! Ingredients: 1 pound of chicken breast, thinly sliced 1 pound of asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces 1/2 cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks 1/2 cup snap peas 8 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 shallots, thinly sliced 1 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon beer 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Aebleskivers

Aebleskivers are like round pancakes crossed with a light, fluffy popover crossed with a donut holes; delicious, addictive and sweet. All you need to make them is a special cast iron pan; I got mine on amazon for about 15 dollars but they also have electric models as well. The name literally means “apple slices” in danish since they were traditionally made with an apple filing. I like mine plain with just a simple vanilla glaze. Enjoy! Ingredients: 2 egg whites 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 4 tablespoons butter, melted 2 cups buttermilk 1 cup vegetable oil for frying Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method: Make the glaze: whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable but still thick. Set aside. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer

Sparkly Rose Cake

Recently I was asked to make a cake for a surprise birthday party. My client has eaten and enjoyed past cakes of mine and gave me complete creative control. A great freedom, right? I was stumped. I have never made a cake for a client that was entirely my choice. Normally, clients ask for a certain flavor and theme, and I get creative within those constraints. When I bake cakes for myself, I let my imagination run wild because those cakes are only made to please myself and its my little secret if they bomb.  Eventually, I decided to use my tried and true chocolate cake recipe, filling with a luscious mousse-like chocolate filling and frosted with white chocolate butter cream. Since my client will be traveling with her cake, I kept the decorations simple and the cake easy to cut. Fondant was out and so was any multi-tier creation. Instead, I opted to pipe elegant roses and decorate with silver and gold dragees. Cover the whole thing with sparkly pearl lustre dust and yo

Double Stuffed Pizza

I can never have enough cheese in my pizza. When stuffed crust is available, I order it. I always order extra cheese on my pizza. I love the stringy, melty white ropes of mozzarella (with provolone, if I can add it) stretching between my slice and the remaining pizza. But adding extra cheeses and “fancy” options like stuffed crust can get expensive, especially if you like to add meat toppings (and I do). Therefore, I like to make my own pizzas best; I can slather the crust with butter, bedazzle the top with meat and drown my poor crust with cheese. Unfortunately, the crust suffers from sogginess when coated in too many toppings and cheese. I got to thinking the other day- how can I ensure a super cheesy pizza and a crispy crust? Stuff the whole crust and bake it in two stages. This pizza is like a garlic butter stuffed crust, sauceless calzone with pizza on top. The entire crust is stuffed with cheese, baked, topped with sauce, cheese and toppings and baked again, ensuri

Gyro Flat Bread

This flatbread has so much going for it; the dough is very easy to make and requires very few ingredients, most of the steps are sitting around waiting so you can feel free to leave the kitchen to do other things around the house, and you can make this dough in advance. Plus, this is a very soft flatbread, so it is easy to use as a wrap- it won’t break apart or crack when you fold it. I really like to use this to make gyros, doner kebabs or something as simple as a cucumber, tomato and mayo wrap. This recipe makes 8 breads, but I wouldn’t expect them to last long in your house; you’ll be dreaming up ways to fill it or use it to sop up curries or scoop up hummus. Enjoy! Ingredients for sponge: 1/2 cup bread flour 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water Ingredients for bread: Add 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup bread flour Method: In a large bowl, combine he bread flour, yeast, sugar and

Gyro Meatloaf and Tzatziki Sauce

This recipe owes itself to my blog idol, Chef John.  I find his videos easy to follow, and his sarcastic and pun-tactic sense of humor is engaging and chuckle worthy. Plus, he is an excellent chef and his experience and expertise helps me to travel the culinary world without ever leaving my kitchen.  When I studied abroad in Italy, there was a doner kebab shop right around the corner from where I went to school. I cannot tell you how many late nights my friends and I would go there and order that delicious flatbread sandwich, stuffed with tzatziki sauce, meat shaved off a vertical rotisserie, and lots of veggies. It was a delicious treat, but not one I have been able to indulge in out in rural Maine. I do have a vertical rotisserie, and someday hope to be able to recreate the shaved meat doner kebabs in my memory, but I was thrilled when Chef John posted this recipe. This recipe makes an incredibly aromatic, spiced meatloaf that serves an an excellent substitute. Top