Brown Butter Madeleines

Usually, it's the simplest treats that I enjoy the most.  Nondescript little seashell shaped cakes. When you bite into one of these petite, French cakes you can't help but close your eyes and smile. They are that good. You'll want to eat the batter with a spoon.  A big spoon.  But try to wait until they are baked because they get even better. Custardy, rich  golden and nutty.  Flecked with vanilla bean seeds.  They are at once light and dense.  Dunk them in your coffee or, better yet, do like Proust and dunk them in your tea.  It is easy to understand why he made such a fuss over these sweet little cakes.

Brown Butter Madeleines
makes 2 dozen
(adapted from this recipe)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter + more for greasing the pan
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
the seeds from one vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
3/4 cup flour + more for dusting the pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the middle position.  Generously butter a madeleine pan and then dust with flour.  Set pan aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter until it turns brown and smells fragrant and nutty, approximately 25 minutes.  Keep a close eye on the butter as it can burn quickly.  Turn off the heat and pour the butter through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Allow the strained butter to sit and cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the eggs and salt on high speed until they become quite thick and frothy, about 5 minutes.  With the mixer still on high, slowly add in the sugar.  Continue to beat for another 2 minutes.  Turn off the mixer and gently fold in the vanilla seeds or extract, using a rubber spatula.  Gently sprinkle in the flour and fold that into the mixture. Pour in the cooled butter and fold that into the mixture, being sure to incorporate everything evenly.

Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup and pour the batter into each madeleine mold, being sure not to over-fill.  (Molds should be about 2/3 full).  Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove warm cakes from the pan immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack, scalloped side up. Carefully, re-butter and flour the pan and bake the second batch.

Normal sized madeleine pans hold 12 cakes.  Find your pan at a baking supply store or online.  

Fresh vanilla seed gives these treats amazing flavor.  Slice the bean in half and then run the blade of your knife down the middle to scrape out all of the seeds.  

Some people like them glazed or dusted with sugar but I like them just the way they are.

Soba Noodle Soup

Sometimes you just need to enjoy something, well, brothy.  A healthy, light, brothy soup.  Just to feel better.  Whether I'm feeling under the weather or just in need of a light meal, a restorative and comfortable bowl of steaming hot soup always hits the spot.  A few ingredients and some store bought broth can turn an often times bland dish into a nourishing and delicious meal.  A riff on Vietnamese pho, this soup is flavored with star anise, ginger, lemongrass and cinnamon.  Shiitake mushrooms give the soup a rich meaty flavor, while the buckwheat soba noodles add an addictive nuttiness.  Spicy, healthy, feel-good food.  A bowl of hot soup always makes things better.

Soba Noodle Soup
serves 4

3-4 oz soba noodles
6 cups store-bought vegetable broth
4-5 star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
4 lemongrass stalks, tough ends removed
1 two-inch knob of ginger, cut in half
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 pint of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 hot pepper (preferable thai) thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
lime wedges for serving
cheese cloth
kitchen twine

In a medium to large sauce pot, boil water for cooking the soba.  Once boiling, add the soba and cook for 4 minutes.  Drain noodles into a colinder and rinse 2-3 times with cold water.  Set aside and allow to drain.

Add the broth to a soup pot or large dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Carefully bruise the lemongrass stalks by pounding them with a meat tenderizer or using the flat side of a chopping knife and pounding it with the heel of your hand. You will notice that this releases the juice from the stalks.  Lay out your cheese cloth (you'll only need about a 6x6 inch square) and place your lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon stick and ginger on top.  Wrap the cheese cloth around the spices to form a bundle and tie tightly at the top with kitchen twine.  Place the bundle into the broth, along with the chopped shallot and garlic, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes (the longer it simmers, the more flavor you get). Turn the heat back up to high, add the soy sauce, sliced hot pepper and sliced shitakes and allow to boil for 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off, add the cooked noodles and serve with lime and fresh cilantro.

Note:  This soup is even better heated up the next day.

Earthy shiitake mushrooms give this soup an almost meaty flavor.

Soba noodles, packed with buckweat flour.  Nutty, filling and  healthy.

It's amazing what a few flavorings can do for this soup.

Feel-good food at its best.

Honey & Pine Nut Tart

Spring is here, technically.  In Minneapolis there is still snow on the ground, ice patches to avoid and that all too familiar chill in the air.  Ugh. I'm trying to be patient.  It's hard.  In the meantime, I made a tart.  Not only does this tart have the honor of being one of my husband's most requested desserts, but as an added bonus, its flavors are eerily capable of transporting my mind to another place... a warmer place.  One bite and I am taken to a Tuscan villa.  A long wooden table is set under a cloudless early evening sky. It is packed with great friends, heaping platters of family-style dishes and many opened bottles of wine.  At the end of this magical dinner, a rustic tart is passed around the table, accompanied by a gently whipped rosemary steeped cream. The perfect ending to a perfect dinner on a perfectly warm evening.  Sigh.  Alright, back to reality and this tart is still sublime.  The rich, piney flavor of the toasted pine nuts marries perfectly with the creamy honey custard filling.  A slightly sweet and tart rosemary steeped cream plays off the flavor of the pine nuts remarkably well.  This dessert is elegant, beautiful, complexly flavored and most importantly, completely irresistible.  Glancing out the window, I still see the remnants of winter, but just a slice of this decadent tart and I am reminded that spring is just around the corner.

Honey & Pine Nut Tart with Rosemary Cream
(tart adapted from this recipe)

for the tart crust:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 sticks (10 Tbsp) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

for the tart filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups pine nuts, toasted

for the rosemary cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp créme fraiche
1 Tbsp sugar

note:  you will need a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom for this recipe.

for the crust:
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Pulse a few times until dry ingredients are combined.  Add the cold butter and pulse mixture until it has the texture of coarse meal.  In a slow, steady stream, pour in the cream and egg mixture with the machine running.  Process until the dough just comes together (the dough may be a bit crumbly).  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into two discs.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate one disc for 30 minutes.  (Freeze the extra disc of dough for a future use).

One the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Generously flour your rolling pin and surface and roll the dough out to a 12'' circle, just larger than the tart pan.  The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick.  As you roll, move your dough around to prevent it from sticking to your surface. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan and gently press it in evenly, leaving no holes.  If the dough forms holes or cracks, simply patch them up with excess dough.  When you've finished pressing the dough into the pan, run your rolling pin over the top of the pan to cleanly cut off any excess dough.  Place the prepared pan in the freezer while you make the tart filling.

for the filling:
In a medium sauce pan, bring the honey, sugar and salt to a boil over medium-high heat.  Whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Add the cold, cubed butter and continue whisking until the butter has melted and incorporated into the mixture.  Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes.  Once cooled, whisk in the cream, egg and egg yolk.

Remove prepared tart pan from the freezer and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.  Pour the pine nuts into the tart pan, spreading them evenly.  Pour the honey custard mixture over the pine nuts.  Bake the tart for 1 hour.  The center of the tart may still be a bit wobbly, but should be golden brown.  Allow tart to cool completely before removing the tart from the pan.  Serve at room temperature with rosemary cream (below).

for the rosemary cream:
In a small sauce pan, bring 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and 2 rosemary sprigs to a slow simmer over medium heat.  Once bubbling, turn off the heat and allow the cream to steep for about 15 minutes. Transfer cream and rosemary to the refrigerator to cool completely.  Once cooled, strain the cream into a large bowl.  Add the additional 1/2 cup of cream and whip (using a whisk or hand mixer) until it just begins to thicken.  Add the sugar and créme fraiche.  Continue to whip until thick but not stiff.  You still want the cream to have movement.

Pulse cold butter into the flour mixture.

Your dough may appear dry and crumbly but don't worry, it is supposed to look this way.

Whisk the cold butter into the boiling honey syrup.  The beginnings of an amazing custard-like filling.

Toasted pine nuts add an unexpected warmth and richness to this dessert.

Spread pine nuts out onto the bottom of the unbaked shell and then fill with the cooled honey custard.  

Fresh rosemary-steeped cream.   Whip it into a soft and flavorful topping.  

Slice, top with cream and bring on spring.

Chocolate Bouchons

I first learned of chocolate bouchons from my beloved Thomas Keller cookbook of the same name. Traditionally baked in cork-sized molds (bouchon is French for cork), these decadent morsels are meant to be tiny, two-bite treats.  For my first batch of bouchons I decided to buck tradition and make mine a bit bigger, one, because I can certainly eat more than a corks worth of chocolate cake and, two, because I don't own a bouchon tin. Well, I'm very happy with my results and, as far as I'm concerned, the more bouchon the better.  These cakes are incredibly rich, luscious and unabashedly chocolaty.  They melt in your mouth with their densely moist cake and splattering of chocolate chunks. Make these for anyone who adores dark chocolate and you'll have a friend for life.  Make them for dessert at your next dinner party and your guests will swoon. Believe me, you will be glad you made these cakes a bit larger than a cork.  

Dark Chocolate Bouchons

adapted from the recipe in Bouchon by Thomas Keller

makes 15 cakes 

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 tsp fine fleur de sel or kosher salt

1 tsp espresso powder

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 sticks unsalted butter, melted

6 oz dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 12 count muffin tin plus half of a 6 count muffin tin. Set tins aside.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Once butter is melted, remove pot from stove to cool slightly.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flower, cocoa, salt and espresso powder.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer) beat the sugar and eggs at medium speed for 5 minutes or until thickened and light in color.  Add the vanilla extract and turn the speed to low.  Continuing on low speed, add in half of the dry mixture followed by half of the melted butter.  Add the rest of the dry mixture and finish by adding the remaining butter.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, mix in the chopped chocolate.  Make sure batter is thoroughly mixed.

Using an ice-cream scoop, portion a scoop of the batter into each of the 15 prepared cups.  Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the tops are a bit cracked and no longer wet to the touch.  Allow cakes to sit in the tins for a few minutes and once they are cool enough to handle, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.  If necessary, use a small offset spatula to carefully coax the cakes out of the tins.  

If using, pour powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve and gently shake over the cooling cakes.  

note: this recipe can easily be doubled

These cakes have a lot of butter but don't worry, they are so worth it.

Chopped dark chocolate.  It doesn't matter if you start with chocolate bars, chips or  callets.  I prefer chocolate with 60-75% cocoa solids for ultimate richness.    

Mix the chopped chocolate into the surprisingly thick and fudgy batter.

Bake until just done and perfectly moist in the middle. 

You've just got to try them.  Chocolate heaven.

Banh Mi at Home

Have you ever suddenly realized that there is one dish that you really love, like love to the point of ordering it every time you see it on a menu, but that you rarely make at home?  I had that realization the other day about a sandwich I often crave, the banh mi.  Warm, juicy, marinated meat tucked into a fresh baguette and topped with a cool carrot and daikon radish slaw.  You can't forget the crisp cucumber, sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro and slathering of spicy mayonnaise.  I've had delicious restaurant versions filled with duck pate, tofu or shredded pork.  I've even enjoyed a banh mi in hotdog form from Asia Dog at the Brooklyn Flea. No matter how they're made, I really can't get enough of these Vietnamese deli stalwarts.  For my own take on the sandwich, I decided to used marinated and grilled chicken. The acidic flavor from the marinade and the char from the grill (or grillpan) create the perfect contrast to the crusty yet tender baguette and cool, spicy toppings. Hearty, cool, spicy hot and complex, these sandwiches are the perfect dose of freshness as we approach warmer weather.  There's nothing like fulfilling your cravings at home.

Chicken Banh Mi 

Makes 1 full baguette sandwich (serves 2 hungry people)

For the marinaded meat:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup fish sauce 

juice from 1 lime

2 Tbsp sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

For the slaw:

1/4 lb of daikon radish, thickly shredded

2 carrots, thickly shredded

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the spicy mayonnaise:

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 Tbsp hot chili sauce (I use sriracha)

Sandwiches:

1 fresh, crusty baguette, sliced in half

1/2 hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced

Fresh cilantro, roughly torn or chopped

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced or julienned 

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and garlic.  Place the chicken breasts and 1 thinly sliced jalapeño in a large, resealable bag.  Pour the whisked marinade over the chicken.  Seal the bag, be sure the marinade evenly coats the chicken and place the bag on a plate or in a bowl to prevent any possible leakage. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. 

Meanwhile, in another small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, 1/8 cup sugar, toasted sesame oil and salt.  Combine shredded carrots and daikon in a separate, large bowl.  Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble sandwiches.  

Mix the mayonnaise and chili sauce together. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. 

Once the chicken has marinated, turn your outdoor grill to high or heat an oiled or non-stick indoor grill pan over high flame.  Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off any jalapeños that may have stuck to the meat.  Grill chicken for approximately 10 minutes (5 minutes per side) or until just done. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil while you prepare the other toppings.

Pour a bit of the slaw dressing over the shredded carrots and daikon.  Toss to coat and add more dressing, bit by bit, until the slaw is lightly coated.   

Remove the chicken to a plastic cutting board and slice into 1/2 inch slices.

Spread the prepared mayonnaise over both sides of the halved baguette.   Arrange sliced cucumbers over the bottom half.  Top with the chicken then cover with the slaw.  Top with cilantro and jalapeño slices.  Cover with the top half of the baguette.  Slice into portions and enjoy.

Fresh lime juice gives the grilled chicken a fresh, citrusy punch.

Shredded carrots and daikon radish bring a cool crunch and vinegary bite to this sandwich.

A few Asian pantry staples you'll need for this recipe:  fish sauce, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seed oil.

Slice it up and enjoy this classic Vietnamese sandwich at home. 

I ♥ LA

Ahhh, California.  As soon as I get off the plane at LAX I instantly feel relaxed. I was in LA over the weekend and had a fabulous time.  The weather was warm, the sun was shining and the vibe was as laid back as ever.  It was the perfect break from the hectic work week and cold weather I've gotten so used to.  We walked in the sun, shopped, enjoyed some refreshing cocktails and, of course, ate deliciously all weekend long.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Ricky's fish tacos.  Ricky sets up shop in a nondescript, open-air lot and fries up the freshest and most delicious fish tacos you'll ever have.  Topped with crunchy cabbage, fresh pico de gallo and homemade sauces, these tacos are at once hot and refreshing.  They are out of this world.

The Intellegentsia latte at Square One.  The perfect morning drink in a cozy and tucked away space in the always hip Los Feliz neighborhood.  This latte is deliciously nutty and strong, just the way I like them.  Along with the coffee, the breakfast menu is perfection.  Using local and organic ingredients, everything we ordered was flavorful, healthy and satisfying.  Bring your computer and park it at a distressed wooden table inside, or check out the gorgeous outdoor garden.  You'll want to sit, talk, eat and sip coffee all day long.   

Pork taco with a side of beans from the famous, James Beard award winning Yuca's taco stand.  California, to me, means Mexican food, so that's what I filled up on all weekend.  These pork tacos are insanely good.  Be sure to grab a pickled jalapeño to munch on too.

Sprinkles cupcakes.  Vanilla up top and red velvet below.  Pure bliss in my book.  Sweet, buttery, moist and pefectly frosted.   I have to say that the vanilla is my personal favorite (and the hit of the weekend) but all of their confections are delicious.  Yes, we drove to Beverly Hills on a Saturday and waited in line for 30 minutes to snag a dozen of these sweet cakes but it was definitely worth it.  

A Box of Chocolates

Whether you love it, or love to hate it, Valentine's Day is upon us.  Chalky-sweet conversation hearts.  Homemade paper valentines passed between nervous grade schoolers. Red and pink decorations.  Chubby cherub babies flying around shooting their love arrows at the sad and loveless.  Despite all of it's artificial sweetness, Valentine's Day does have one perk:  Big boxes of chocolates.  This year instead of buying the name brand, flavor mapped variety, I decided to make my own.  As previously mentioned (here and here) I really love salted caramel.  Maybe a little too much.  These caramel lovelies are made with lots of sea salt and dunked into the darkest dark chocolate to coat.  A generous sprinkling of sea salt tops them off.  They are decadent, richly sweet and hold just the right amount of lovely saltiness.  Kind of like Valentine's Day itself.

Chocolate Covered Salted Love Caramels
Makes a lot (but that's a good thing)

ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sea salt + more for sprinkling on finished candies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 oz dark chocolate (preferably 72% cocoa), chopped

special tools
candy thermometer

Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan (glass or metal) with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper (see photo below).  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set pans aside.

For the salted caramel:

In a small sauce pot, combine the cream, butter and salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the butter is melted and the salt is dissolved into the cream.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a large sauce pot, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Turn off heat and carefully pour in the scalded cream mixture.  The mixture will bubble violently.  Carefully stir with a heat-safe silicone spatula and turn the heat back on to medium.  Reheat the mixture to 248 degrees (firm ball stage).  Once up to temperature, turn off the heat and carefully pour the caramel into the prepared loaf pan.  Allow the caramel to set up at room temperature for around 20 minutes and then place in the refrigerator and cool until set, approximately one hour.

Once the caramel has chilled, transfer the caramel from the loaf pan onto a cutting board.  Trim the edges of the caramel and carefully slice into strips, widthwise.  Continue to cut these strips into cubes.  Return cubes to the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate.

For the chocolate coating:

Create a double boiler by placing a medium sized, heatproof glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.  Be sure that the glass bowl fits snugly into the sauce pan and that the bowl doesn't touch the water.  Add half of the chopped chocolate and melt, stirring occasionally until completely smooth.  Remove the bowl from the pot and little by little, add in the rest of the chopped chocolate, stirring until each portion is melted into the warm chocolate.  When all of the chocolate is added and melted, continue to stir for another few minutes. Your chocolate should now be tempered.  To test, smear a thin layer on a butter knife and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 minutes.  If the chocolate on the knife is hard and shiny, you've successfully tempered your chocolate.

One by one, place a caramel on a fork and gently dip into the bowl of warm chocolate.  You  may have to use a spoon to help coax the chocolate over the caramel.  Wipe the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl and gently transfer covered caramels onto the parchment lined baking sheet to set up. (See my candy bar post for more information on this technique).  While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the tops with sea salt.  Repeat until all of the caramels are dipped.  Once finished, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.  Allow to come to room temperature, box up and enjoy.

Using a loaf pan makes the caramel the perfect thickness for cutting into candies.

Trim the edges, cut into strips and then cut into cubes.

Deep, dark chocolate pairs so well with the sweet caramel.

Package up these homemade chocolates for your Valentine. . .

Or keep them for yourself!