treats - blueberry cornmeal cake

ucla's food science class hosted a "science of pie" lecture, featuring christina tosi of momofuku milk bar and zoe nathan of huckleberry and sweet rose creamery. as i mentioned in an earlier post, i'm a huge fan of christina and momofuku. i've also enjoyed all of zoe nathan's amazing restaurants, so needless to say i was very excited to go to this lecture.

and did i mention there was a pie contest with samples? yes please!





the goods:
- 13 1/2 tsp unsalted butter (room temp)
- 3/4 cup + 3 tbl sugar (plus 2 tbl for the top)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs (room temp)
- 4 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbl vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup + 2 tbl plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbl ricotta cheese
- 1 cup blueberries

the equipment:
standup mixer, 9 inch cake pan, parchment paper

the how to:
- preheat oven to 350F
- line 9 inch round pan with parchment paper and grease with butter
- in stand mixer, cream together butter sugar and salt on medium-high for 2 minutes
- reduce to low and add eggs 1 at a time for approximately 3 minutes each

super creamy, similar texture to cake frosting

- add in oil, maple syrup and vanilla
- pause mixing and add in flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, yogurt and ricotta

you can see the cornmeal in the batter

- scrape down sides of bowl and gently mix before turning mixer back onto low and mix until just incorporated
- scoop batter into pan, top with blueberries and sprinkle with sugar

blueberries will sink down

- bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes
- allow to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes in pan before transferring to serving plate

blueberry cornmeal cake

treats - salted double-chocolate cookies

i was first introduced to these delicious specimens when i stumbled upon momofuku milk bar in manhattan. not only did i fall in love with these cookies, but i was blown away by their entire menu of unique creations. cookies, pies, cake truffles, cereal milk pana cotta and so many other whacky sweets.

i was also delighted when i discovered the milk bar cook book by christina tosi. i've tried a few of the cookies and i still can't decide which one is my favorite. these salted double-chocolate cookies are definitely fighting for the number one spot.

the goods:
the crumb
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbl butter (melted)
the cookies
- 16 tbl butter (room temp)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup glucose (or 2 tbl corn syrup)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 2 oz 55% chocolate (melted)
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 recipe of chocolate crumb

the equipment:
standup mixer, sheet pans, plastic wrap

the how to:
the crumb
- preheat oven to 300F
- combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, salt into bowl
- add melted butter and mix together until small clusters form
- spread clusters onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally
- allow crumb to cool before using in other recipes

*store crumb in tupperware in fridge for up to 1 month

the cookies
- combine butter, sugar and glucose (or corn syrup) on medium-high for 2-3 minutes
- add egg, vanilla and melted chocolate and beat on medium for 7-8 minutes
- on low, add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until dough just comes together for about 1 minute

batter should feel fluffy and creamy, like icing

- add in chocolate crumb until incorporated, for about 30 seconds
- measure out 1/4 cup of dough and place onto parchment-lined sheet pan
- tightly wrap pan(s) with plastic wrap and store in fridge for 1 hour to 1 week (i recommend 24 hours)
- preheat oven to 375F
- set dough onto parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for approximately 18 minutes

set cookies 2-3 inches apart before baking

yes, it's a bit of work but the results are amazing! and i promise you'll impress your friends and family with these brownie-like cookies. enjoy!

treats - juice cleanse (day 1)

after watching the documentary "fat, sick and nearly dead," i was very inspired to not only try juicing but attempt what they call a "reboot" as well. in the film, they were challenging people to take a 10 day juice-only diet.

that all sounds fine and good, but i wanted to do something a little more realistic. having spoken to some juice cleansing friends as well as scouring the internet for juicing tidbits, i learned that your body feels a bit crummy during the first 3 days for the cleanse. guess i should push passed 3 days and go for 5! and why not challenge myself a bit and actually try for 7.

lucky number 7 it is! 7 days of fresh fruit and veggie juice creations that i put together in my own kitchen. that's realistic, right?


day 1

fat flush
the goods:
- 3 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1/2 cucumber (skin on)
- 1/2 bunch parsley

the how to:
- juice all ingredients on high
- if you do peel your cucumber, juice on low
*hint - bunch up your parsley and wrap around your cucumber to maximize your juice

the juice will separate, so give it a good stir before you drink it

the results:
a muddy green juice with a very strong celery taste
drink twice a day

fat flush juice

mean green
this recipe is actually from the movie "fat, sick and nearly dead."

the goods:
- 6 kale leaves
- 1 cucumber
- 4 celery stalks
- 2 green apples
- 1/2 lemon
- ginger (to taste)

the how to:
- juice lemon on low
- juice the rest of the ingredients on high
- be sure to wrap the kale around the cucumber to maximize your juice
- if this is your first mean green, start without the ginger and add in as needed

the results:
a bright green, full glass plus half a mason jar. the lemon and green apples make it very tart.

mean green juice

i wanted to do a second fat flush and fruit mix later in the day, but i ended up getting sick during my mean green juice. i'm going to blame it on the celery. i've decided to eliminate that ingredient since i strongly dislike celery in any form and will substitute another leafy green in its place.

wish me luck for day 2!

treats - white chocolate cheesecake

i'm one of those weirdos that isn't a huge fan of cheesecake. maybe it's my disdain for cream cheese, but that's just a guess?

however, my boyfriend is a cheesecake fanatic and i thought i would gift him his favorite dessert for this lovely easter holiday.

this recipe is super creamy and fluffy, with hints of white chocolate and almonds. if you want to get super fancy, i recommend stirring up some whipped cream and adding berries.

the goods:
the base
- 2 cups vanilla wafers
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
the filling
- 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs
- 12 oz white chocolate (melted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract

the equipment:
9" spring foam pan, food processor, hand mixer or stand up mixer

the how to:
- preheat oven to 300F
- grease bottom and edges of pan
- mix all base ingredients in food processor until combined
- press base ingredients evenly onto bottom of pan

*hint - add foil to bottom and outside edges of pan to avoid any leaking

- combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk on medium speed until fluffy
- gradually add in remaining milk
- add eggs one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition

- blend in melted chocolate, vanilla and almond
- add filling into crust

- bake 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes at 300F, until cheesecake is set in the middle
- remove cheesecake from oven and rest on wire rack for 1-2 hours, before removing rim of pan

*hint - go around pan edges with thin knife before removing outer rim of pan

- once cooled, remove outside rim of spring foam pan and chill cheesecake in refrigerator inside of airtight container for 4-6 hours

Enjoy!

treats - mixed berry crumbler

crumbler – a crumble/cobbler hybrid; a fruit based dessert with traditional streusel topping and an additional sweetened layer giving it a similar thickness to a cobbler

well, that’s my definition anyway! i was racking my brain trying to decide if I wanted to make a cobbler or crumble and then I thought... why not make a hybrid and give it a name similar to a monster truck. yes!

behold the crumbler was born.

the goods:

the base

- 1 cup vanilla wafers

- ¼ cup butter (softened)

the filling

- 2 lbs sliced fruit

- ¼ cup sugar

- 1 tsp baking spice (or cinnamon)

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 tbl lemon juice

- 1 ½ tbl flour

the topping

- ½ cup rolled oats

- 1/3 cup brown sugar

- 1/3 cup flour

- ¼ cup butter (softened)

the equipment:

glass baking dish (8x8 or 9x9), food processor

the how to:

- mix wafers and ¼ cup butter into food processor until combined; smooth evenly on bottom of pre-greased baking sheet

vanilla wafer base

- mix fruit, sugar, baking spice, vanilla, lemon juice and flour in large bowl

- in a separate bowl, mix the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter together for the streusel topping; it will start to form small balls when it’s mixed completely

streusel topping

- spoon filling mixture over wafer layer and top with streusel mixture

- bake in pre-heated oven at 375F for 40 minutes

golden brown and ready to serve