Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Hello everyone! Sorry its been so long since my last post, I've been so busy moving. Carrying furniture and boxes in 100 degree Arizona heat should be classified as torture. But now everything is in my new condo, all unpacked and in its correct place! I bought a bunch of items for the kitchen :) Crate & Barrel and Williams Sonoma are my personal meccas. So far I've made 2 meals in my new kitchen, but I cooked them both at such late hours of the night that unfortunately it was too dark to photograph. Oh well, there will be plenty more meals coming out of my new kitchen.

On to the muffins! This is the second time I've made these muffins. The recipe is from the cookbook Baked which also includes one of the greatest recipes for brownies. The book is super cute and filled with gorgeous photos and tips, I highly recommend it.

These muffins came out delicious before and did again the second time. They are soft and moist. The instant espresso powder cuts through the sweetness of the bananas and chocolate and gives the muffins a nice depth of flavor. Usually, I like my muffins right out of the oven so they're fresh and warm, but with these ones the flavor and texture enhances after a day. My brother commented after eating one, "These could be sold in a bakery!".


Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
From Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Makes 12 Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each cup about three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Muffins can be stores in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Tiramisu

This is part 2 of the meal I made for Mother's Day. I thought Tiramisu would make a nice Italian theme with the Chicken Parmesan. Plus, my mom doesn't like desserts too rich or sweet. So I embarked on a dessert journey since I've never made Tiramisu before. I was pleased by how easy it was to make! The recipe was a little daunting, lots of steps and ingredients. Not to mention, I hardly ever make cakes. To my utter suprise, I managed not to make a single mistake! No wrong oven temperatures, measurements, skipped steps. Yay for me!

On a personal note, I have so much news! I found out today that I got a scholarship for my next year of school which means that in combination with my other scholarship, everything will be paid for, and then some! Also, I'm finally moving out (yes I'm that young, don't judge!) My new condo is super cute and today I went CRAZY at Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. I spent a nice wad of cash on all sorts of kitchen goodies, I was in heaven. I would have loved to do that in Williams Sonoma or Crate and Barrel but I just can't afford to at the moment. I'm contemplating purchasing an All-Clad pot and pan set but the price tag is definitely holding me back. Any thoughts/advice on that?

Anyways, enough about me, more about the Tiramisu!


Tiramisu
From Williams Sonoma: Dessert

• Unsalted butter for greasing
• All purpose flour for dusting

For the cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the syrup:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or dark rum
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder

For the filling:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur or dark rum
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup heavy (double) cream
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Chocolate curls for garnic
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper and sides of the pan then dust with flour.

To make the cake, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until very thick and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes more. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, fold gently until well blended.

Pour the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. invert onto a cooling rack and lift off the pan. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely.

To make the syrup, combine the water and the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the coffee liqueur and espresso powder. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

To make the filling, in the top a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, coffee liqueur, and espresso powder. Set over barely simmering water and beat with the mixer set on medium speed until very thick, about 6 minutes. Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and set aside to cool, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, using the mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted.

When the yolk mixture is cooled to room temperature, add the mascarpone and vanilla. Beat until smooth and well blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble, cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.
*To slice a single cake into thinner layers, set it on a work surface. Stand a ruler against the side of the cake and insert toothpicks horizontally into the cake side to divide into 3 equal sections. Repeat this process on the 3 other quadrants of the cake. Place a hand on the top of the cake to hold it steady. Remove the top toothpick from one side and, using a long serrated knife and a slow sawing action, cute the cake parallel with the work surface, removing toothpicks as you reach them with the knife. Remove the top layer and repeat.*
Remove the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, close the ring, and set the ring on a flat serving plate. Place 1 cake layer in the springform pan. Generously brush and sprinkle with some of the syrup. Scoop about 1 3/4 cups of the filling onto the layer and spread evenly. Place another cake layer on top of the filling, pressing gently. Generously brush and sprinkle with more of the syrup. Spread about 1 3/4 cups of the filling evenly over this layer. Place the third cake layer on the top, pressing gently, then generously brush with syrup. Spread the remaining filling to cover the top. Holding the pan ring and plate together, gently tap against the counter to settle the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

To serve, run a thin knife around the inside of the ring to lossing the cake. Unclasp and remove the ring. Garnish with the chocolate curls, then a sifting of cocoa powder over the top. Slice and serve.

Chicken Parmesan

Hey everyone :) For Mother's Day I offered to make dinner, which was an idea my mom loved. I thought it would be less stressful and less expensive then finding a restaurant that wasn't filled to capacity with families celebrating Mother's Day. It did turn out to be less stressful and expensive, for everyone but me! I accidentally bought chicken tender breasts instead of chicken cutlets. Everything still worked out fine, but instead of big thin pieces of chicken, I had miniature ones.

I made Chicken Parmesan (at my Mom's request of either Lasagna or a chicken dish) with pasta, a salad, and Tiramisu for dessert. Everything turned out tasty! In fact, we're having leftovers tonight. I used Giada de Laurentiis' recipe (surprise, surprise) for a lightened version of Chicken Parmesan. The chicken in this recipe isn't coated with eggs and a pile of breadcrumbs, then fried. Its stands up to the traditional (and unhealthy) version, but definitely can't top it.

Note: I definitely used more cheese then the recipe called for! Also, I don't have an ovenproof skillet (someone feeling generous?) so I transferred everything to a glass baking dish. I didn't dot the tops of the cutlets with unsalted butter either, simply because I didn't have any unsalted butter.

Chicken Parmesan
From Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 chicken cutlets (about 3 oz each)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In a small bowl, stir the oil and herbs to blend. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet over a high flame. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat.

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Dot the tops with the butter pieces, and bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.


Marinara Sauce
Makes about 2 quarts (8 cups); 1 quart will serve 4 over pasta
Lasts 1 week refrigerated, 3 months frozen

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Flourless Chocolate Torte

I've been wanting to make a flourless chocolate cake for quite some time now after having a miniature one from Whole Foods. I don't really care for normal normal cake, I think it is too boring. I like flourless chocolate cakes, though, because they are indulgent and rich. So I decided to test a recipe from Williams-Sonoma: Dessert cookbook. The recipe for Flourless Chocolate Torte is actually the cover photo and it looks incredibly delicious. My photo didn't come out looking as good, partly because of obvious reasons like lack of photo equipment but also due to some kitchen problems. This recipe is fairly complicated, but the only mistake I made was setting the oven temperature. I set it to 350 when the recipe called for 300. No, I'm not retarded.

Side note: My dog just threw up on my bed. Great.

I realized my mistake when there was 12 minutes left of cooking so I just took the torte out of the oven then and it appeared to be done. It was a taaaad bit overcooked but nothing horrible.

Another side note: My dog just ate his own puke. Awesome.

The other problem I ran into was that I didn't have a flat plate to place the torte on to cool (someone take me to Williams Sonoma!) So the torte ended up a little misshaped with the sides higher than the middle. Whatever, right? Until the choclate glaze decided to obey gravity and sink to the lower middle part. All in all, the torte might not have looked its best, but it tasted fantastic! My family each ate their entire piece while singing high praises. Next time I make it, I will find a flat plate and learn how to read oven temperatures!

Last side note: At least I didn't have to clean the puke... right?

Flourless Chocolate Torte
From Williams-Sonoma: Dessert

• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark rum or brewed espresso (optional) (I used 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 300. Grease the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper and the sides of the pan, then dust with cocoa powder.

In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and the 3/4 cup butter. Set over barely simmering water and melt, then whisk until well blended. Set aside to cool slightly.

In large bowl, with a mixer set on medium high speed, beat together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, dark rum (if using), vanilla, and salt until pale and very thick. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

In deep, clean bowl, using a mixer on medium high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until medium-firm peaks form. Scoop half of the egg whites onto the chocolate mixture and fold them in gently. Fold in the remaining whites just until no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake the torte until it puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out very moist but not liquid, about 35 minutes. Do not overcook. Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes.

Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert the pan onto a flat plate. Lift off the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Glaze the cake with the chocolate glaze (below), then refrigerate again until firm, at least 2 hours. Transfer to a flat serving plate. Using a thin-bladed knife, cut the cake into small slices, dipping the knife into hot water and wiping it dry before each cut.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

To make the glaze, combine butter, cut into 4 pieces, and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Set over barely simmering water and melt, then whisk until blended. Remove from the heat and whisk in the corn syrup until smooth and glossy. Set the cold cake on a wire rack over a large plate or baking sheet. Slowly pour the warm glaze over the center of the cake. The glaze should cover the surface evenly, spilling over the edges and running down the sides, the excess falling onto the plate below.

Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Hey everyone! Last night I used but another recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis. I'm really getting a lot of use out of this cookbook! I couldn't find Orecchiette pasta at the store so I used shell shaped pasta. The dish is a nice merging of flavors, spicy & bitter. The recipe is super simple, the only problem I ran into was preparing the broccoli rabe since I had never used it before. Does anyone know of any how-to videos on trimming broccoli rabe? You can lighten this dish up by using Turkey Sausage. If doing so, increase saute time form 8 minutes to 12 minutes.

Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
From Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis

• Salt
• 2 Bunches of broccoli rabe, stalks trimmed and quarted crosswise
• 12 ounces dried orecchiette pasta or other small shaped pasta such as farfalle or penne
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound spicy pork sausage, casings removed
• 3 garlic gloves, minced
• pinch of dried red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used this plus more for garnish)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Strain the broccoli rabe, reserving all the cooking liquid. Set the broccoli rabe aside. Cook the orecchiette in the same pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occassionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is brown and juices form, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Stir the Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and the pepper into the pasta mixture.