Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts

November 17, 2011

Quick and Easy One Bowl Chocolate Cake and my Early-life crisis

Its been a while hasn’t it? I’ve missed you guys very much :) I apologize for the delay the past few months have been quite….hectic. I’ve been going through quite a few things in my personal life that have left me without much time or desire (gasp!) to bake and blog. But that’s all going to change now. Hopefully.

To make a big story short, my biggest problem right now is that I do not know what to do. For those of you who know me well you will know that I am the kind of girl who thinks 5, 6, 8 and 10 steps ahead. I like to have a plan. Having a plan makes me happy. And as such, I have always made and modified and perfected my ‘life plan’. Many have laughed at me, others were puzzled at this teenage girl whose got her life planned and goals set for age 30 age 40 and beyond (when many adults still do not have it figured out).

So what is this plan? Well, I’ve had it planned out since 9th grade so I can tell you quite clearly. Step 1 : Obtain really good grades in high school in order to go to university and get scholarships (check!) Step 2: Get a 4 years degree (in law and Politics) and work your ass off to get high grades and a ‘competitive’ record. (check!) Step 3: Apply to Law School, Step 4: Go to Law School, Step 5: Get a prestigious job in one of the best Law Firms in Bay Street Toronto (Canada’s equivalent to the big shot law firms in Manhattan NYC) I could go on and on and on about how this plan I have planned oh so well, but there would be no point. I have come to the conclusion that I will NOT be pursing this path anymore!

Early this summer I ended up having not a mid-life crisis, but an ‘early-life crisis’. I’m not sure I could fully explain the thought process (and believe me there was a lot of it!) but I realized that I no longer had a desire to become a lawyer! The optimistic side of me says that perhaps it’s a good thing I realized this before going to law school, going $150,000 in debt, and THEN realize I did not like it. But I cant help feeling very sad and a bit scared about all this. It is a very scary thing to go from having a plan only to have it go down the drain. Especially considering the fact that I am in my last year in my undergraduate degree, I am so very very very close to law school and all of my dreams, but now I feel I no longer want it? So what do I want? I have no idea. And for someone who NEEDS to have a plan….this is a very scary time.

Well perhaps to say that I have ‘no idea’ is unfair…I have quite a few ideas… (that’s the problem) and the reason I am stumped. The biggest issue is that the ‘options’ are very varied – from policy analyst to diplomat to getting a MBA or maybe even medical school? Thankfully because of my efforts the past 4 years I have a good enough GPA to have options. Unfortunately options can sometimes be frustrating! :p

When you are feeling the blues as I am and are not sure at all of your future, you know what helps? Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. And cake too. But what’s even better than chocolate cake? EASY one bowl chocolate cake. Because the last thing you want to do when having an early life crisis is to worry about washing the dishes. I found this cake to be super decadent and I decided to sprinkle on some pomegranate for decoration, but oh my god….it improved the flavor so much more! It added an excellent contrast : nice cool sour crunch with fudgy chocolate cake.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

* 150g unsalted butter 
* 220g brown sugar 
* 100g good quality dark chocolate
*  50g Dutch-processed cocoa
*  160ml milk 
* 3 large eggs, room temperature 
* 170g plain flour 
* 1.5 tsp baking powder 
* 1/2 tsp baking soda 
* 1/2 tsp salt (skip this if using salted butter)

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20-21cm square tin. (I used a 9 inch round)

In a large pot or mixing bowl over simmering water, add the butter, sugar, chocolate, cocoa and milk. When butter and chocolate has melted, remove from heat and whisk to combine. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Sift over the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt then gently stir to mix.
Scrape batter into tin and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool in tin for 5 minutes then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. Cake will keep for a few days in an airtight container (a quick zap in the microwave will get it all warm, melty and soft again).

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
(source)

Ingredients

* 100g good quality dark chocolate 
* 50g unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature 
* 150g icing sugar, sifted 
* Pinch of salt
*  1-2 Tbl of milk (I ended up using 3)

Method

In a bowl over simmering water, melt chocolate then remove from heat. Beat in softened butter (make sure it is room temp. Cold butter is bad news in this case). Sift over icing sugar and salt then beat until combined. Add enough milk until it is a spreadable consistency.

May 30, 2011

Strawberry Cake

by Women Eye, in summer

***Side note: Blogger has been hating me lately. I tried to post this at the end of April and it just would not post. Then I tried again a week later and the pictures wouldn't upload. Thus..this post is from then :)

*sings* I'm baaaa-AACKKKKKK!!! :D

Miss me?

We will pretend you said yes.

I know, I know, I've been bad. Haven't updated in ages. But that will all change. I think. I hope.

I was super swamped with essays and assignments and exams...and then sprinkle in some work and personal life and there was no room for anything else!

But thankfully, I am OFFICIALLY done school. Submitted my last exam last night and am OFFICIALLY done my third year! :o I honestly can't believe it. Time has gone by SO fast.

The past few weeks have been really tough, but Zahra has learned quite a few things!

1) Its AMAZING the amount of work you can get done without facebook!

I kept getting sick this semester and in the last week of March I got the worst case of the Flu that I have EVER GOTTEN. It was bad. like. REALLY BAD. Anywho, my crappy immune system meant that I fell really behind in school and thus April = hell month. Especially the last week. Since I always spend wayyyy too much time on facebook, I decided to 'cancel' my account until I was done exams. The problem is, that I probably go on facebook about 30 times a day? (I know. I have no life :P )

The first few days were tough....I was a druggie on with drawl and facebook was my drug. The worst part was I hadn't realized how addicted I was to it until I stopped! But the amazing part is....I ended up wasting SO MUCH LESS TIME than before and got SOOOO MUCHHHH work done. Every time I decided to go on facebook I couldn't...so I would have to study some more :)

2) Sleep = Bitch

Why do we humans need to sleep? Why?

Ok. Fine. Sleep isn't a problem. I actually love sleep. I really do. What I HATE is not having the OPTION to stay up as much as you like. And another thing...why do our bodies hate us? EVERY DAY this month I had to wake up bright and early (8 am for me) and go to school. EVERY TIME I would hit the snooze button about 10 times and have to DRAGGG my tired butt out of bed. And you would think that after a while I would get used to it....form a new sleep schedule? WRONG. Sleep = bitch remember? ALL month I was walking around sleep deprived. I had even developed VERY unattractive puffed up eyes. My sister actually screamed when she saw me. no lie.

But the best part? ohhhh the best part. Today, when freedom finally wrung.... I was planning on sleeping in until 2pm to make up for all those times I wanted to sleep in but couldn't. But Sleep = Bitch, and thus that means that today, for the first day in over a month...I woke up without an alarm clock...at 6 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sleep. Why do you hate me?

3) Energy Drinks work...(sort of... see #4)

Desperate times call for desperate measures and from all the stress and lack of sleep I was forced to buy some energy drinks. At first I was really reluctant...who knows what goes into theses things? Up until now I had always passed over them, opting instead for a hot cup of tea for my caffeine rush. I ended up having to cave in and bought these mini ones form our school's mini-store and it tasted NASTY and it worked WONDERS. I would take 2 gulps and be jumping up and down!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

YAY! I have found a way to stay awakkeeeeeeee

4) Red Bull does not work.

Red Bull energy drinks? You know the ones that "give you wings"? I had originally planned on buying a can at the Uni store (instead of those mini amazing but they didn't have any so I was forced to buy the mini ones...so then the next day I went to the store and bought myself a nice big can. I came home and drank half of it...just waiting for the energy burst! Then I fell asleep. For 4 hours. So Clearly not only does Red Bull NOT work....it makes me SLEEPY.

You may say thats only because I'm weird.

But...Yah. I would have to agree.

5) Spring in Canada is never truly spring

In most countries, when spring comes, it comes to stay. Not in Canada though. NOT. IN. CANADA. In this past month we have had a few days of beautiful spring weather....birds chirping and flowers blooming and all that.....and then 3 days later we will have hail. I wish I could say I was exaggerating. I WISH. In fact 2 weeks ago it snowed 2cms!

But, despite this unintentionally negative post, I am going to choose to be positive. And celebrate the end of exams and the (hopefully?) beginning of spring with this delcioious strawberry cake! :)

Strawberry Cake
Source

Yield: Serves 10
Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top of cake
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan or pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
3. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange strawberry slices on top of batter. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan. To serve, cut into wedges. Store cake at room temperature, for up to two days.

**I thought I should include a picture of what happens when my family invades. They wait with baited breath for me to finish taking pictures...then they ATTACK!!!! This picture was taken 5 minutes after I allowed them to grab some. Yes. That is all that there was left. 10 minutes later it was all gone.

June 02, 2010

Fruit Packed Cake Pastry

by Women Eye, in with tea

I have some big stuff planned for this blog that has me very excited! I wont give too much away but lets just say you can expect a few more videos coming your way. ;)

Now, on to this recipe. I made this a few weeks ago because I knew my family, more specifically my parents, would love it. You see my parents are a little overly obsessed with eating ‘healthy foods’, something that, as a dessert baker, I get into arguments on with them. They claim that its my fault that they have gained weight, gotten diabetes, and in general just consume waayyy too much sugar.

Well I say “don’t eat it.” Simple as that. Of course they always point out that me baking 2-5 times a week doesn’t really help, I always offer them the fact that wherever they go there will be treats, and if they want to stick to a healthy lifestyle, they will have to make an effort to do so, not me. You would think that would be the end of the story. End of discussion.

But nooo…not in my house. So I continue to bake, and they continue to eat, and we therefore decided to come to a healthy middle point. I would continue to bake but try to bake a little less, and cook a little more, and when I do bake, its ‘healthier’ foods. So when I saw this recipe I just KNEW my parents would love it. It’s a simple cake jam packed with fruit on top!

Boy was I right, this has become a favorite in our house, and I’ve made it several times. I ended up adding a lot more fruit than called for in the recipe, because that’s how the parents like it (though they STILL said they wanted more fruit for next time!), and I also substituted yogurt for sour cream, and it still tasted wonderful.

Overall, this is a keeper in our house, but next time I might try another cake recipe, and just top it with fruit. Now don’t get me wrong, this tastes wonderful just as is, but I personally felt like the cake batter needed an extra little something something, though my family thought it was fine as is!

Fruit Pastry Cake

(source)

Ingredients:
100g butter, soften at room temperature
200g caster sugar (I cut down to180g)
50g sour cream (I replaced with same amount of low fat yogurt)
3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
210g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
500g fruits* tossed with 2 tablespoon sugar*
(You can use strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bananas, oranges, pears, apples, pineapple, or any other fruits that are not too juicy. I omitted the sugar and used as much fruits, either fresh or canned, as needed to fill the top of the cake)

Method:

Wash, cut (chunks or slices, as desired) and drain fruits, toss with sugar (if desired) and set aside. (if using canned fruits, wash the fruits to remove the syrup, omit the sugar).
Grease (with butter) and flour the side of a 9" round pan or a 8" square pan and line the base with parchment paper. *** I used a 10 inch one with the removable sides
With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and sour cream (or yogurt) till light and fluffy.
Dribble in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled.)
Add vanilla extract and zest. Mix to combine.
Sieve over flour and baking powder and mix till smooth. (To avoid getting flour all over my work surface, I mixed the flour into the batter using a spatula, just a few strokes will do, then I used the electric mixer to mix the batter till smooth.)
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
Arrange fruits on top, don’t press the fruits down into the batter. Decorate the fruits as desired.
Bake in pre-heat oven at 180degC for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Cover the top with foil in the last 15 mins of baking to prevent the top from getting over browned.
Leave the cake to cool in the pan for about 5~10 mins. Unmold and transfer to wire rack to let cool completely. Dust the cake with some icing sugar if desired.

I started off with a pretty design, but then I saw I had a bunch of fruit left over so I just sprinkled them in around it ;)

February 05, 2010

My love for Italian Gelato

by Women Eye, in kiwi

Before my trip to Italy last summer there were many things that I was looking forward to. The coliseum, Vatican, leaning tower of Pisa, and the 5 little villages of the cinque terre were all on the list. But one thing that I had been looking forward to, perhaps more so than the famous tourist attractions, was something that my foodie side was obsessing over and could not control. Gelato.

I had first heard of this Italian delight when I was planning and researching every last tidbit of our trip – I was, after all, our travel agent, hotel/car booker, plane ticket purchaser and Ms. tour guide Extraordinaire! I kept coming up against people claiming that you could not ‘go to Italy’ if you do not have gelato. I didn’t comprehend it at first…its just ice-cream right? What’s so special about it? Regardless I made a mental note to try it out. I was a bit excited about this and told my sister about this marvelous thing called ‘gelato’. My sister committed a MAJOR bubble burst by informing me that she had already tried gelato, and that it wasn’t anything impressive. Consider my bubble burst. I decided to not get my hopes on it. Have it just be another something to do when in Rome. Yah. That’s right. I went there. Horribly cheesy pun. :)

Then I came upon a website that I swear to god helped me plan this trip in a way I never would have been able to! And after all her advice on everything from how to drive in Italy to best shopping locations, I stumbled onto a page where she dedicated an entire page on gelato. She claimed that when you are in Italy, you must ENSURE that you have at least 1 scoop of gelato a day. At this point I was quite intrigued, and the foodie side of me could not withstand this deviously delicious dare. So. I accepted. And boy am I glad I did.

When I got to Rome the first thing I did was go get gelato. Actually, that’s a lie. Our connecting red-eye flight arrived at 7:00am Rome time. 3 am Ottawa time. The first thing I did when I got to my air conditioned hotel room with a beautiful view of the legendary Rome? I went to sleep. Cause that’s how I roll baby. I ended up waking up 6 hrs later with drool and pillow marks all over my face, to my sister gently waking me up. (Ok, in reality she may have been poking me with her eyeliner telling me to get up. I believe there was quite a bit of ‘ewww’ and ‘ you are sooo gross’ and ‘you’re such a loser! Totally posting this on facebook”.) Though I digress, I prefer the former statement. Anywho, after that we went off to dinner and THEN we went to a gelateria. And that is where I had my first taste of heaven. It was pistachio. Mmmm pistachio.

So, for those of you who wonder, what’s the difference between ice cream and gelato, allow me to clarify. Ice –cream is made of cream and gelato of milk. But what makes it so amazing is that it is much creamier and much tastier. If you have a flavor, such as pistachio, it is as if you have stuck a fistful of pistachios in your mouth. The flavor is so very intense, I was originally very surprised. In fact, I was so surprised that I kept saying, “oh my god. It tastes like pistachios. It…it really tastes like pistachios. You don’t understand. Its not like it tastes sort of like pistachios. It TASTES OF PISTACHIO.” I’ll admit. I got a lot of weird looks. I bet those Italians that were laying around at their local gelateria on a warm Sunday evening in August, were wondering to themselves who this crazy tourist is. What should Pistachio Gelato taste like? Grapes? Is the poor child mentally challenged? I won’t lie. I got some overly sympathetic looks.

But yes, I am happy to say that I got a scoop of gelato every day (some days 2-5). From Nutella flavor to chocolate to kiwi, watermelon, cantaloupe and tiramisu. It’s truly amazing how many different types of flavors there are.

Anywho, on to this recipe. I stumbled on to this recipe for raspberry gelato over a month ago, which not only didn’t need an ice-cream maker to make but only had 3 ingredients! I just had to try it. Only I didn’t have raspberries. But I did have a bunch of kiwis. It was really yummy and OH MY GOD GUYS. It TASTED like KIWI. For REAL. Like. Like it was like I had kiwi in my mouth. Like. For serious.

Kiwi Gelato

(adapted from here)

300g (10oz) frozen kiwi (I just peeled and chopped kiwis and put them in a freezer)
1/2C (approx 70g or 2 1/2oz) sugar or to taste
1/2C double cream (48% milk fat minimum)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until you have a smooth creamy mixture that looks like soft gelato. Taste and add extra sugar if you think it needs it.

Freeze for a few hours or enjoy pronto.

Recipe Review:

So, I thought this tasted REALLYYYY good. My only problem with it was it would NOT stiff up. Of course I probably should have left it in the freezer a bit more, but I couldn’t wait ok? I just had to have it! The flavor was amazing but a bit slushy. But I didn’t mind too much :) I will definitely make it again, just tweak it a bit…maybe add a LITTLE bit more fruit and freeze longer.

Recipe rating: 7/10 stars (only cause I need to freeze it longer!)

September 09, 2009

BBQ fruit

by Women Eye, in fruit

So I've started going back through my back log of pics...and here's what I have for you guys today :)

I made this quite a while back ago....but I would LOVE to be able to do it just ONE more time before we put the BBQ away for good. I made this for dessert one day, so that we could enjoy it after we had our BBQ chicken.

Its crazy easy and very, very delicious! All you do is pick your favourite fruit (or a mix like I did) and slather on some good stuff!

Ingredients:

* Freshly cut (and pitted if needed) fruit (a few examples of good fruits would be apples, peaches, bananas, pears, etc)
* 1-2 tbsp honey
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 -2 tbsp brown sugar

1) spread honey onto the fruit, and sprinkle with the cinnamon and brown sugar . BBQ until nicely baked.

The best thing about this is that you can pop them in the BBQ after you have taken all your food out and about to sit down to eat. By the time your done eating, the dessert is nice and hot and just ready!

Enjoy with some whipped cream or ice cream if you like! ( I mean come on...your having fruit for dessert......you deserve an extra something ;) )

I tried to get pics of how they look like after they are ready.....but they ate it so fast there was no time!

Anywho.....thats all for now, hopefully I'll be able to post more of my backlog photos soon!:) I made banana bread today( that I have yet to try) which I will post for you guys soon! Also.....I'm hoping to change the layout of the blog....so don't be too shocked if it looks all different! lol
I should get to bed....first day of school tomorrow!

Quick and Easy One Bowl Chocolate Cake and my Early-life crisis

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

Directions:

Fruit Packed Cake Pastry

My love for Italian Gelato

BBQ fruit

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