Hand me the defibrliator... CLEAR *bzzzt* ... CLEAR *bzzt* ... I think they'll make it

so, loyal readers (hah), I'm happy to announce that I, at least, am getting back in the saddle, and will be slowly posting my culinary adventures of the past semester. i don't have many (read: any at all) pictures for you, so I may supplement with doodles, and stock images from the web. or maybe very graphic descriptions. as I go, I'll likely back-date the posts in approximate order of actual cooking. my suite mates (all seven of them) seemed to enjoy these recipes, so hopefully you all will too.

give me liberty or give me cake!

Ariel

strawberry rhubarb sweetheart pie

I made this pie like, 3 weeks ago... my excuse is that I started work the day after I made it, monday to friday, 9 to 5...

So I suppose it's better late than never

The thing is that I didn't really have a recipe, I just had a crapload of farmer's market strawberries and 5 or 6 stalks of rhubarb. I kind of just threw it together with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon. Cinnamon seemed like a kind of strange idea but I really liked the way it turned out.



My only complaint would be that the center was a bit juicy. Next time I will throw in a little bit of cornstarch to thicken it up.



I made the crust from scratch too because Trader Joe's didn't have any and that's the only brand of pie crust I like. I was proud of myself because it was my first time making crust and it turned out really soft and flaky! The trick is to handle it as little as possible. I'm pretty sure I used a recipe from my Joy of Baking cookbook but I can't remember... sorry I fail at this food blogging business. Bah! Recipes! Who needs 'em?




love,
SARAH


PS I'm pretty sure I have some pictures of these amazing meyer's lemon bars that I made also, but I think they might still be on my camera... perhaps next time...

cinnamon rolls.

so this might be a wee bit late (who am i kidding?), but i made cinnamon rolls a few weeks ago (see what i mean by late?). and they were damn delicious. though i had cut them a bit to thin (i knew something was up when i was placing them in the pan), they were still yummy, and portion controlled if you will. 

so i followed the recipe on smitten kitchen. and damn was it good. so i'll be quoting from that blog. :)

"Dough

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)

1 teaspoon salt

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract"

 

"For dough: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours."

  

For filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in medium bowl.

"Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly over butter. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, trim ends straight if they are uneven (we baked them in a ramekin, incapable of discarding such deliciousness) cut remaining dough crosswise with thin sharp knife (a good serrated worked well here) into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes (an 8-inch square metal pan worked just fine, too) with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes, though yours, like mine, may take longer. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up."

 

"For glaze: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature."

 

these babies practically took all day to make and bake. but they were so worth it. i added walnuts and nutmeg to my filling. later this summer, i'll make these again the correct (bigger) way. until then, enjoy. 

 

love,

LEILA GRACE.

maple tea scones.

so, the other evening, I engaged in a bit of midnight baking (which is exactly what it sounds like, and a guilty pleasure of mine...). I produced a crowd pleaser and personal favorite – Scones: Variations on a Theme (which you may have guessed from the previous post...).


maple tea scones

in this particular instance, I did an improvised combination of a Kitchen Sink Scone (scour the pantry for stuff that can go in scones, and throw some of it in.), and a Maple Oatmeal Scone recipe I found on Cooks.com.


maple tea scones.


2 cups of flour
½ cup of sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 (about a pinch) of ginger
1/8 (ditto) of pumpkin pie spice (or, add a pinch more each of ginger and cinnamon, along with a pinch of nutmeg) OPTIONAL
½ cup of vegetable shortening *edit* this makes the scones a bit dry, but replacing 1/4 cup of vegtable shortening with 1/2 a cup of butter should work better.
1 cup of plain instant oatmeal (maple flavored would work, just don't add as much/any sugar)
2 handfuls (about 2/3 cup) of chopped walnuts
1 handful (about 1/3 cup) of whole pine nuts
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 egg
½ (ish...) cup of milk
2 bags of Maple Tea

preheat the oven to 375.


the maple milk tea, it should be about this color when it's done.

either in a saucepan, or in the microwave, slowly heat the milk, and steep the tea in the hot milk. it does not matter if a skin forms, it will all be worked into the dough.

while the milk tea cools, sift together the dry ingredients (flour through pumpkin pie spice), and then cut in the shortening, keeping in mind the guidelines here.
then, using a wooden spoon, fold in the oatmeal and nuts, and then the egg and vanilla extract.

slowly add the cooled milk tea, paying attention to the consistency of the dough.
turn out the dough, and form a round,then cut it into 6-8 wedges.

place wedges on a greased baking sheet, and top with the maple glaze.

bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick/chopstick comes out clean.


maple glaze. (OPTIONAL)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
½ tablespoon of shortening (or butter, or oil)

okay, so this is even more off the cuff than the scones themselves. basically, combine all ingredients but the oil/butter/shortening to taste, keeping in mind that this will be spread thinly on the tops of the scones, so the flavors can be stronger than usual. then, heat in a pan, adding the oil/butter/shortening, and heating until they are completely combined, just short of bubbling. I would strongly recommend oil or shortening in place of butter here, since butter has a low smoke point, and as a glaze, there is more of a risk of burning than usual.







so there you have it. scones are a great medium for experimentation, so feel free to play with proportions of fat to starch to protein, for fluffier, heavier, or more buttery scones, as well as the things you add to them. also, the maple tea scones are a prime example of augmenting or replacing the liquid to add a desired flavor, which many beginners are hesitant to try when baking.


happy stomaches and fertile minds,
Ariel

basic scones.

a variation on the basic scone recipe.


As far as I'm concerned, there are few baked goods that combine the overall simplicity and ease of assembly, with the broadness of variation and potential like the scone does. The most basic form of these tasty treats involves only 7 ingredients (all of which the culinarily minded ought to have in their pantry, even the college student types, and three of which in portions no greater than a teaspoon), and about 5 steps, but the things you can add once you understand the underlying structure of the basic recipe are damn near endless.

basic scone recipe.
(borrowed liberally from The Cookie Recipe Club)


2 cups of flour
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of vegetable shortening


preheat oven to 375 degrees


standard baking temp; hotter will cook faster, but less thoroughly, and lower will cook more thoroughly, but slower. (yes, yes, this is a duh, I know. but it needed to be said.)


sift the dry ingredients together twice


or, for those of us without the leisure of a sifter, you can also use a mesh strainer, or even simply thoroughly whisk the dry ingredients together. The goal is to get the sugar, salt and baking powder evenly distributed in the flour before the wet ingredients are added.


cut in the butter and shortening


I'd like to think this step is rather self-explanatory, but you never know. the goal is to break up the butter, but into pieces no smaller than the tip of one's pinky. the butter will become more combined in later steps, and breaking it up any smaller will alter the texture of your scones


mix in milk


I'd suggest adding the milk slowly, it will go smoother, and if you are eye-balling, it gives you better control of the consistency of the dough. you're aiming for moist, but not sticky, and a dough that will hold together when you turn it out onto your board.


turn out on floured board, and press into a round, about 8-12 inches in diameter


if you've little in the way of counter space, you could theoretically do all of the mixing on a cutting board, but this can get messy, and difficult when adding in the milk (and, in some variations, an egg). otherwise, when short on space, a cutting board can be used anywhere, even perched on the stove or over the sink. as far as kneading and rolling goes, scones don't require much in the way of kneading (unless the dough's a bit moist, in which case, you ought to knead in more flour), and can be pressed out by hand. The diameter is not as important as the thickness of the round, which should be no more than three quarters of an inch, and no less than a quarter of an inch (the scones rise in the oven).


cut round into 6-8 wedges, and place on a buttered baking sheet


make sure to butter the baking sheet. I can't emphasize this enough; a lot of time, new bakers will assume that an unbuttered or 'pam'ed baking sheet will work, but really it doesn't. regarding the placement of the scones on the baking sheet, scones don't expand out as much as up, so feel free to let them get more up close and personal than usual.
*ahem*
I shall take this moment to state: YOUR FOOD IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INGREDIENTS YOU PUT IN IT. this is true of everything, from the butter on the baking sheet, to the sugar you sprinkle on top: the less processed, and the less artificial your ingredients are, the better. so there. now I descend from my soap-box.


toss the scones into the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until cooked through and the appropriate color


you can, as with most baked goods, tell when they're cooked through with the toothpick test (or, as I usually end up doing, as I don't really have toothpicks, the chopstick test), wherein one inserts the wooden stick-like object of one's choice into the thickest part of the baked good. if it comes out clean, it's done. if it's got dough or batter sticking to it, it's not. toothpicks are favored because of the small size of the resulting hole, but for my usual audience, the look of the thing is hardly the main focus.


so, that's the basics, annotated by yours truly.

happy stomaches and fertile minds,

Ariel

baklava & palmiers.

click on picture for more details!

last night was very delicious, so delicious, our friend Chris dropped by after work to join us/mooch off our hard work. for a few days, ariel and i have been toying with the idea of making baklava and decided that yesterday we might as well go for it. i also made two types of palmiers, one batch of orange zest for my little sister's friend and another batch with the leftover walnuts from the baklava.

    

 we used that nifty thing called google and searched "baklava easy" and used the first recipe that appeared (link). in the nut mixture, we used walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts, though pistachios would have been way more authentic (the local supermarket did not have them and we did not want to drive to the "nearest" trader joe's). also amidst making the syrup, i realized i didn't have any vanilla extract. oops. the only hassle to this desert is the layering of the dough, butter, and nut mixture. best when done by two or more people. the only thing i think we had an issue with at the end was that there wasn't enough syrup. ariel's vivid imagination made her think the baklava would be swimming in syrup. though that was not the case, a little more syrup would have added to the overall dish.

  

next we made the palmiers. this has got to be the easiest and classiest cookie with the most possibilities. why waste your time with lame and boring chocolate chip cookies from the can when you can just defrost a sheet of puff pastry, spread your favorite filling, roll it, cut it, then bake it! really... that is all there is to it. 

orange zest palmiers

1 sheet of puff pastry

1 cup of sugar

1 tbsp of orange zest (half an orange)

   

preheat oven at 400 degrees. sugar the surface you are going to place the pastry on. roll out defrosted puff pastry at 1 inch per side. i suggest covering the rolling pin with sugar (a cookie could never have too much sugar!). lightly sprinkle sugar and orange zest all over the pastry. take one side and roll the entire length until you reach the middle. do the same for the opposite side. make sure it is tightly rolled! wrap the roll in plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or the freezer for about 20 minutes. 

take the roll out, unwrap, and with a good knife, cut out each cookie at 1/2 inch thick. place on the baking sheet at about and inch to an inch and a half depending how large these cookies are. then they are ready to bake! just pop them in the oven for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. be careful! these babies burn fast! 

the walnut palmiers are very similar but instead of orange zest, we shaved walnuts,  sprinkled sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg over the dough. next time ariel and i decide to make these, we want to play around with more flavoring. blackberry? cherry jam? any suggestions? 

love,Leila-Grace

genesis

orange zest palmiers

we here at coquettes a vin would like to welcome you select few who have managed to stumble upon the very first post of our humble food blog.

we are three college students, who, in spite of various financial and technological limitations, try to boldly go where no dorm kitchenette has gone before on both sides of the country. at the moment, we are slightly better equipped in the kitchens of our childhood (ie: mooching off our parents), and thus our boundaries have been expanded. but nonetheless, we embark on our sugary and savory adventure and hope that you will accompany us, spatula and all!



love,

Leila-Grace & Ariel