Posted By Lindsay on November 27, 2008
A Thanksgiving tradition has taken root, and it tastes darn good. What is it? Well, if you were around last year, you’d remember that we skipped the cooking the night before thanksgiving, instead replacing dinner with a delicious plate of pumpkin waffles. Well, we decided to do the same again this year, and it might just have to be something we do every year before Thanksgiving.
Our Thanksgiving menu this year is just as ridiculous as last, except that this year we’ll have 3 people (hi Robin!) enjoying the feast, instead of just two. Still, stay tuned for plenty of leftovers recipes in the coming weeks, we’ll have lots.
Pumpkin Waffles
Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the size of your waffle maker.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk OR 2 cups soymilk mixed with 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and preheat waffle iron.
Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices.
Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth.
In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks (as in, far soften than the over-beaten whites you'll see in my picture above). Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.
Brush or spray waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions.
Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Serve with warm maple syrup (for breakfast), or chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream (for dessert).
As for the rest of the menu, we’re only being somewhat adventurous. Our Turkey turned out so well and so perfect last year (even if it was 2 hours late), and we figured, why mess with a good thing? So we’re doing the same Cranberry Glazed Roasted Turkey as last year. Same for the Ultimate Garlic Mashed Potatoes. This year, however, we are trying a few new recipes, including a gravy recipe donated by the wonderful Auntie Sally (our gravy last year was eh…), some pancetta and chestnut stuffing by Giada (Taylor picked that recipe), an attempt at homemade jellied cranberry sauce (the only way I could convince Robin NOT to get a can of the stuff), simple roasted green beans, and a traditional Spiced Pumpkin Pie (our attempt at a twist on pumpkin pie last year didn’t go so well, we figure keeping it simple was the best bet).
As of now, 9:37 on Thursday morning:
- Turkey stock for gravy is made and in the fridge (made by boiling some aromatics with the turkey giblets — FYI: if you’re faced with the challenge of figuring out what is what when it comes to parts, this image might give you a hand. We needed all the organs EXCEPT the liver, and had no idea what the liver looked like.)
- Turkey is brining in it’s ‘body bag’.
- Jellied cranberry sauce is made and setting in the fridge.
- Pumpkin pie is made and actually looks somewhat decent (I have crust issues). It took about 20 minutes longer to bake than expected, which is not something you want to deal with at 11:00 at night.
- Garlic is prepped and roasting in the oven. Because 9:45 in the morning, roasting garlic is exactly the scent you want filling up your home. :) Lovely!
We’re planning on eating at 4:00. Which means we’ll probably eat at 6:00. Isn’t that always the case?
Hope you all have a lovely turkey day, filled with delicious smells and fun times with those you love. We’ll be back periodically throughout the day, updating you on our status and progress (just in case you need some light reading while your own bird is baking).
Posted By Lindsay on November 26, 2008
Folks, we have a winner. Hands down, no question about it, winner. This little gem will be joining lovely almond and rich chocolate on our wedding cupcake menu.
Holy cow they are delicious.
How they all came about:
Robin likes Chai. A lot. And upon hearing we needed a non-chocolate cupcake recipe for the wedding, suggested we try a chai cupcake. Sounds good, right? We first turned to our fail-safe book (though recently it has failed us), Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Indeed, there is a Chai cupcake recipe in there. However, it uses yogurt in the base, which, if you read the disaster that was the Pistachio Rosewater Cupcakes last week, you’ll know that the yogurt didn’t fare so well. And I wasn’t going to risk that happening again.
So we began with a basic vanilla cupcake recipe, and went from there.
Chai tea is sure a complicated beast – but after a good bit of research, I understood fairly well that most chai teas are comprised of a few key spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. Some used nutmeg as well, so we decided to toss some of that in the mix.
For the tea portion, we simply steeped some black tea, using the soymilk instead of water. This infused a rich tea flavor to the cupcake without needing any extra liquid – the soymilk was already in there.
The frosting was a challenge, but to me, no cup of chai is complete without a giant dollop of whipped cream. Short of frosting these with whipped cream, I wanted a frosting more silky and smooth than our standard buttercream. We decided to try, for the first time ever, a Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Success. The frosting was to die for. The best frosting I have EVER made. Much less sweet than American Buttercream, but so much richer and with an incredible depth of flavor that almost makes you think there is more in it besides egg whites, sugar, and butter. It made me extremely nervous, making it, though. The frosting feels very fragile, like it can barely support it’s own weight, and at the slightest hint of too much heat or even if you sneezed near it, it’d melt into oblivion. Has anyone worked with Swiss Buttercream before? It is so perfect in every way and I don’t want to abandon it, but I don’t want it to become a wedding-day disaster either.
Spiced Chai Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes 12 cupcakes. Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Frosting recipe adapted from Tartlette.
Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk
4 black tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose leaf black tea
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For frosting:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ËšF.
Heat soymilk in a small saucepan or microwave until almost boiling. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then remove teabags, squeezing out as much soymilk as possible. Re-measure, and add more soymilk to make exactly 1 cup. Whisk in cider vinegar, and side aside until curdled.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Pour in soy milk mixture, along with oil, sugar, and vanilla, and stir just until no large lumps remain.
Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 cup of batter (liners should be 2/3 full), and bake for 20-22 minutes or until puffed and golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
For buttercream: put the sugar and eggwhites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick and shiny meringue, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until is is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and whip for another 30 seconds until incorporated. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.
Posted By Lindsay on November 26, 2008
Little sis is in town this week. And that means one thing: lots of cupcakes. We’ve made it our goal this week to finalize the flavors for the wedding. We’re looking for two more flavors to compliment the tried and true Rich Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Cupcakes and Almond Cupcakes. We didn’t even have to think twice about wanting those two gems on the menu. However, we quickly decided that there is such a thing as a person that doesn’t like chocolate, and we need a non-chocolate cupcake recipe in the mix. While some variation of the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cupcakes might still be in the running (we’re thinking raspberry filling?), we had a few other ideas up our sleeves as well.
Like these. Don’t you ever find yourself dreaming of creamy caramel? Or maybe it’s just me. But I wanted to turn those dreams into a cupcake. We adapted the recipe from our favorite book of all time, Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World. The caramel itself is vegan, made with a combination of brown rice syrup, brown sugar, and soymilk. Taking into account my lactose intolerance, and my fear of burnt sugar, it was a very easy and edible way to make a caramel substitute. Keyword here is substitute. While it was good, it wasn’t great, and lacked the true depth of flavor of a good quality caramel.
The cake itself, however, was divine. Moist and fluffy with a beautiful crumb, it might just be the perfect cupcake base.
To improve on this cupcake, we’re thinking of adding some caramel extract to the cupcake itself. Screw vegan at this point, and get some real life caramel sauce or dulce de leche and drizzle it over top of the cupcakes and mix it into the frosting for a rich and authentic caramel flavor.
Our other, extremely enticing and devious idea: add some applesauce and spices to the cake, top it with the caramel frosting, and voila! Caramel apple cupcakes. You might be seeing that one soon.
Dulce de Leche Caramel Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes. Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Caramel Buttercream
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon caramel extract OR 1 tablespoon caramel sauce
Vegan Caramel Sauce
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup soy creamer
1/4 cup soy milk powder
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ËšF.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix. Whisk together the oil, soy milk, coconut milk, lemon zest, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 cup of batter (should be about 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
For caramel sauce, in a small saucepan, whisk together soy milk, creamer, soy milk powder, and arrowroot. Stir constantly over medium heat until arrowroot is cooked and the mixture starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. Whisk in brown sugar, and then brown rice syrup. Turn up heat to medium high and bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat to low to sustain a low simmer, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture is thick and slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before drizzling on cupcakes or adding to frosting.
For frosting, whip butter or margarine until fluffy. Add confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add extract and caramel and whip until combined. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Posted By Lindsay on November 23, 2008
If you follow this blog, you’ll know that despite my issues with dairy I have a strong affinity for goat cheese. I’ll gladly risk any upset feeling I might have to enjoy its creamy goodness. And so, when I stumbled across this recipe (ok, so maybe I was actively searching for a goat cheese ravioli recipe, but I found this one nonetheless), it was a no brainier that it would be on the menu that week.
The raviolis were perfect. The goat cheese and arugula are a perfect combination, and need no modifications whatsoever. Next time we make this, however, and there WILL BE a next time, we might mix it up a bit with the sauce. It was far too buttery (if you believe there is such a thing). Keep the tomatoes, keep the bacon/pancetta, but use some olive oil and maybe some white wine in place of the butter. Yes, THAT would be just divine.
You know you’ve had a good meal when you begin to crave it at 9:00 on a Sunday morning…
Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter
Ingredients:
Ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
8 ounces arugula, chopped (about 8 cups)
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled
1/2 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
42 (about) wonton wrappers (from one 12-ounce package)
2 large egg whites, whisked just until foamy
Tomato-Pancetta butter
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 large plum tomatoes, quartered, seeds and membranes discarded, tomatoes diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
For serving
5 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
12 fresh basil leaves
Fresh thyme sprigs
Directions:
Make ravioli:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; saute 10 minutes. Add arugula; toss until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer arugula mixture to large bowl and cool. Mix in goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper.
Line 2 baking sheets with heavy-duty foil; spray foil with nonstick spray. Place 4 wonton wrappers on work surface; cover remaining wrappers with plastic to prevent drying. Lightly brush entire surface of each wrapper with egg white. Spoon 1 generous teaspoon filling into center of each wrapper. Fold wrappers diagonally in half, forming triangles. Press edges firmly to seal. Arrange ravioli on prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Can be made ahead. Cover with plastic and chill up to 1 day; or cover with plastic, then heavy-duty foil, and freeze up to 1 week. If frozen, do not thaw before cooking.)
Make tomato-pancetta butter:
Cook chopped pancetta in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel; drain. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add butter to drippings in skillet; melt over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and thyme; saute until tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Cook and serve ravioli:
Place melted butter in large bowl. Cook half of ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 5 minutes for frozen. Using large strainer, transfer ravioli to colander and drain; place in bowl with butter and toss to coat. Cover to keep warm. Cook remaining ravioli in same pot of boiling water. Drain and add to bowl of buttered ravioli. Toss gently to coat. Divide ravioli among bowls. Rewarm tomato butter over medium heat. Add reserved pancetta and basil; saute 1 minute. Spoon sauce over ravioli; garnish with thyme.
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