Hiatus...Just for a smidge

I love "me" time. This blog is my way of sitting down for a few moments and talking about some of the things I love. Namely delicious noshes. And photos of said delectable bites. And when I realized that I hadn't posted since March, I knew it was time to get some "me" time in. But...

..sometimes life gets in the way of "me" time. And boy do I crave me some "me" time. But right now, while delicious recipes do beckon, I am spending the next few weeks (months?) feeding my family the warm and familiar. Because we are moving. And every free second of the day is spent consumed in the search for our very first house EVER!

We've been perpetual renters, (Man Mountain's job means my twins have been in 5 schools in 5 years!), but we now have the opportunity to stay put. And as someone who really self-identifies as a "nester", I can't wait to get the keys to my very own kitchen house!

So for just a few more weeks (hopefully NOT months), I will not be posting on Pink Grapefruit.

As soon as we find a home, I will be back, with something ooey, gooey and celebratory!

Thank you for waiting out this journey with me!

Strawberry Syrup for Sundaes

Man Mountain and I went out for dinner. Without the trio. Which means the restaurant had real cloth napkins, and romantic banquettes. And we ordered food that I don't can't make, like rabbit stew, and pinot noir poached eggs, and asparagus in house-made puff pastry.

And profiteroles. With house-made hot fudge sauce. Which I've made. Not the profiteroles, but the hot fudge sauce. And while nothing is better than hot fudge sauce on vanilla ice cream, a close second is fresh strawberry sauce. Not the congealed Smuckers variety; the realio dealio.

So, when I saw these:

I knew I had to make this:

Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water...

...to a quart of strawberries, rinsed, dried, and cup into quarters. Squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dusted on top (optional, for thickness only) and 45 minutes on low, slow heat.

Cool to warm and spoon over vanilla ice cream. Hmmm...melt.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Man Mountain is a Reese's PB cup man. For Valentine's Day. For Easter. For Christmas. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. We've tried the fancy schmancy handmade by Swiss elves, etc., but he always goes back to his tried and true originals. So when I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew that I had hit the jackpot.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies 
Recipe by Jen from Picky Palate
Adjusted for Snack Size PB Cups (.75 oz. each)

18 Snack Size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (.75 oz.) each
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350.
Blitz PB cups and egg in food processor until smooth.
Use medium scoop, or rounded teaspoon, and place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Flatten into 1/2 inch high circles.
Sprinkle with sea salt. (Technically, this step is optional, but I mean, really....)
Bake for 15 minutes.

Eat.

I sprinkled them with sea salt after they baked.

Seriously. Peanut Butter cups cookies dusted with sea salt?!

There is a special place in heaven for people who think up this stuff.

What's next, sandwiching some Haagen-Dasz vanilla ice cream between two of them?

Ah....the possibilities....

Madeleines

"I raised to my lips a spoonful of the cake . . . a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place." - Marcel Proust




All I've ever read by Proust is his famous quote about Madeleines. Which in and of itself makes me want to read more Proust. Or eat more Madeleines. And in almost any form these delicious, not-too-sweet, tender-crumbed cakes are delicious. And EASY to make.

Buy a Madeleine pan, they are not expensive, and can make the most pedestrian things seem a little fancier. You can use them to make little shell-shaped mini-muffins or cupcakes. You can tint some white chocolate with edible gold dust, pour into the pan molds and voila - chocolate sea shells, perfect for a sea theme birthday party! You can even make gougeres (french cheese puffs - recipe coming, I promise) look lovely for a luncheon.  Madeleine pans are so versatile that I can slip on pearls and an ironed apron and call myself Martha when I use them!

And there are lots of easy recipes out there for them.

David Lebovitz
smitten kitchen
Francois Payard



But I used Ina's. Of course.

Ina's Madeleines

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting or aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

P.S. Although they are technically a "sweet" cake, they go amazingly well with creme fraiche dolloped, fresh chive dusted and garam masala scented pumpkin soup.

Spiced Pumpkin Apple Soup

Very slightly adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 cups chicken stock (you can substitute vegetable stock)

• 1 1/2 cups solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• Creme fraiche and chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple. Partially cover the pot and sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is clear, about 8 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and garam masala, and sauté the mixture for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of chicken stock and cook it for 1 minute more.
2. Pour the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, add the pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth.
3. Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in the remaining chicken stock, the salt, and the bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. After 5 minutes, stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer it for 2 minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot. For a pretty -- and tasty -- touch, garnish each bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped chives. Makes 6 servings.

Why I love school vacations...

It snowed again today. And yes, I thought I would be so over the snow by now.  Yes, all the shoveling, the endless dressing and undressing of Little Bitefuls in copious amounts of hooded batting, the wet boots, the "I'm COLD, Mom!"'s. But when I awoke this morning and saw the new white coating outside, I just smiled and enjoyed its pristine beauty. I padded downstairs in my pj's and took my hot cup of coffee (yup, I'm back on the Joe), back up to bed, not worried at all about shoveling, or school bus delays, because... it's SCHOOL VACATION time!

Yes, we have something called "Winter Break" here in Connecticut, and I love it! Here's why:

1. No morning rush. No alarm clocks. No cold cereal for the girls.

2. Hot breakfasts for the girls! French Toast made from Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Star Wars Pancakes.  Mary Kitchen Corned Beef Hash with a dollop of Heinz ketchup on top ('cuz that's how they roll).

3. No school = no after school activities = late dinners = YAY!

4. Late dinners = NEW RECIPES = even better!!!

5. Having time to make homemade egg nog.

6. Having time to drink homemade egg nog! (And as Papa says "Made with a little bit o' egg and a whole lotta NOG!")

7. Having time to drink homemade egg nog brings us back to #1 - no alarm clocks! :)

8. Morning rush = Drive-thru Starbucks = Grande Iced Coffee and Packaged Madeleines for Little Bitefuls. No morning rush = homemade Blue Bottle coffee and Homemade Madeleines!

9. Having 30 little additional fingers to help me knead dough, lick bowls, scoop batter and eat goodies!

10. Winter Break = Home bound joy.

Blackberry Crostata

I love blackberries. They have a complex, rich, winy flavor, that is not too sweet. They have bite, not like blueberries or raspberries, which, while delicious, are always soft when ripe. 


Blackberries are like the Godfather of berries - they keep their integrity when cooked!


I have a new boyfriend and his name is Mister Cuisinart and we like to cook together. So we made Ina's crostata. Easy and delicious, no tweaks necessary for the crust. It is just perfect. 

Place blackberries on center of crust

Fold over crust to make a pocket

Voila! Oozing blackberry goodness!

What happened to my New Year's Resolution about no sugar........???


Blackberry Crostata
Crust is all Ina. 
Filling is lovingly adapted from Ina Garten's Summer Fruit Crostata

Ingredients

• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) ice water

For the filling (makes 1 crostata):

• 1 pint blackberries, washed and dried
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/8 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons limeade
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

For the pastry:

Directions

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough, the other disk of dough can be frozen. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle of parchment paper that has been lightly floured. Transfer it to the baking sheet.

For the filling:

Wash and spread out the blackberries on a clean, dry dish towel, so that they can easily dry. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the limeade. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Bake the crostata for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Topped Butter Babycakes -say it five times fast!

Yeah, the soups have been delicious. Warm, and filling. And healthy.


But after snow day #4, and early dismissal day and 2 hour delay day...well, we needed a little chocolate.


So instead of being a chaste chocolate chaser, I became a decadent dilettante and made these.


White Cupcakes with Truffle Cream Topping

by Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage (Recipe is totally theirs. No messin' with perfection!)

from Chocolate Obsession
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2005)

Makes 12 cupcakes - Best served the day they are made. Listen, this recipe only makes twelve. Invite friends over, put on a Top Chef marathon, pour some Baileys over ice and ENJOY YOUR SNOW DAY!!!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated cane sugar

For the topping
8 ounces 65% chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered cane sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, very soft (75°F or 24°C)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon

Directions

Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 12 standard muffin cups (2 1/2 inches top diameter and 1 1/4 inches deep) with paper liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.

3. Combine the crème fraîche, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk by hand until well mixed.

4. Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy and pale.

5. Switch the mixer to low speed. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in 2 additions.

6. Using a tablespoon, divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full.

7. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the cupcakes are puffed, lightly browned, slightly cracked on top, and a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack.

8. When cool, remove the cupcakes, still in their paper liners, from the muffin cups.

Make the topping

1. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl.

2. Put the cream and powdered sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook at a simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat.

3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Whisk the mixture by hand until the chocolate melts. Whisk in the butter, and then the vanilla extract.

4. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface, and refrigerate until it is 70°F (21°C). This will probably take 30 to 40 minutes, but check after 20 minutes.

5. When the cream is at the correct temperature, put it into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture is lighter in color and less dense.

6. Put the topping into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch star tip. Pipe a swirl on the top center of each cupcake, distributing the topping evenly among them.

7. Store in a cool place until serving.