Time to get down...

and dirty, using your hands as the weapon of choice, to make a traditional Texan treat known as the Hello Dolly Bar.



Imagine how excited I was when I found cajeta at Wegmans!



Crumbled graham cracker layer.



Chocolate chip layer.



Shredded coconut, yummm.



Chopped pecans with a sprinkling of cinnamon.



Emptied cans of cajeta and condensed milk!



Melted cajeta milk mixture over layers of sweetness.



Hello Dolly Bars

1/2 cup of butter
2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 13.4 ounce can Mexican cajeta
1 14 ounce can condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Pour melted butter into a flat pan. Crush graham crackers with fingers until they resemble a coarse corn meal. Toss graham cracker crumbs into pan, and mix well with melted butter to form a crust. Layer the chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, and cinnamon over graham cracker crust. Melt cajeta and condensed milk over medium heat until fully incorporated and smooth. Pour cajeta-milk mixture over the top of prepared bar. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, top should be light brown. Let cool in pan for at least half an hour, cut into bars and serve. (Adapted from Homesick Texan).

The calories of these home baked goodies are over and beyond the cap, but once in awhile, we must all indulge. And you wonder why everything is bigger in Texas...

Tastespotting

My recent realization...

that I derive happiness from seeing the corners of lips turn up into a smile when tasting my recipes means that I shall continue inviting friends over for home cooked creations. On this occasion, Adam & Beka came for a long, overdue meal. I used them as my guinea pigs for Thai Tamarind Salmon, Vegetable Curry Wontons, and Condensed Milk Pound Cake with Green Tea Cream.



Thai Tamarind Salmon

Tamarind Sauce

1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chili powder

Melt all ingredients in a sauce pan and let simmer on low heat.

Salmon Fillets

2 cups bean sprouts
1 tsp seafood broth base
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to broil. Wrap a broiler pan with foil. Make Tamarind Sauce and Thai Chili Lime Sauce. Place salmon in dish with Tamarind Sauce and turn to coat on both sides. Place salmon in the broiler pan skin side down. Bake salmon at 425 degrees F for about 12 minutes. Pour Thai Chili Lime Sauce over salmon before serving. Sautee bean sprouts in seafood broth until slightly soft. Place salmon on top of bean sprouts and add crushed peanuts and sesame seeds to the top of salmon.

Vegetable Curry Wontons

1 can sliced carrots
1 cup cut potatoes
1 cup water
2 blocks Japanese Curry Mix
1 package wonton wrappers

Boil potatoes in water until soft enough to mash. Heat oil in a skillet and toss in carrots and potatoes. Add water and let pan come to a boil. Allow carrots and potatoes to cook through before adding curry mix. While vegetables cook, use fork to mash into small pieces. Remove mashed curry from heat and allow it to cool before making wontons. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry wontons a few at a time turning them in pan until golden and lightly browned. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil.

Thai Chili Lime Sauce

2 tsp red chili flakes
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp sweet and spicy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Condensed Milk Pound Cake with Green Tea Cream

Thanks to Ian, I have my very own autographed copy of Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot. I am thrilled/grateful and promise to memorize every inch of this dessert book. Quiz me later?

Tastespotting!

I may be unable...

to stomach more food after the continual shoving food down my throat, but I promised a recipe. So, recipe I shall!



The unadulterated cupcake topped with shreds of coconut.

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Cupcake

1 cup cake flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin pan with paper cups. Sift cake flour, baking soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Cream butter and cream cheese until mixture is light and creamy. Add sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and stir in lemon juice. Fold in dry mixture into wet mixture. Divide batter evenly into paper cups. Bake for 10-15 minutes and let cupcakes cool before icing. (Adapted from Amanda Lee).

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Food coloring

Cream butter until smooth and add lemon juice. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and heavy cream until frosting forms. Mix in food coloring until well blended.

Perfect for Spring, ready to soak up the sun.

Where do I...

even begin detailing the massive montage of food and munchies this weekend? I love senior reunions that rekindle friendships; we are so ridiculously awesome/cute.



Assorted French Macarons from Au Pain Dore have chewy almond exteriors with a center of ganache spread to the edges of the cookie. I could seriously eat these mini treats non-stop. What a shame...



Kathy and I fear admitting New York City's defeat in crafting the best cupcakes in the world, but I must commend Le Glaceurs for these moist, perfectly sweetened, cupcakes.



Before digging into my Banana Walnut cupcake, I just want to point out the tiny marzipan banana decoration and the gorgeous swirls of banana cream cheese frosting.



Looks can be deceiving. Upon first glance, the Shoulder of Lamb from Alexandre looks like a pile of who knows what, but the slow-braised, tender hunk of meat sits on a potato mush soaking up apple glaze.

After those cupcakes, I am too ashamed to post the recipe and pictures of my humble little lemon cream cheese cupcakes. It shall be saved for a later post.

You would think...

stir-frying a bunch of noodles seems easy enough, but it has been my biggest cooking challenge yet. The thought of so many exotic ingredients in Asian cooking somehow prevents me from exploring these dishes, but I'm happy to finally dip my toe in the water. A dinner with Ann, Cathy, Kathy, & Jen meant Pad Thai with Thai Chili Lime Sauce, Sweet Potato Cobbler & Coconut Ice Cream.

Pad Thai with Thai Chili Lime Sauce

Rice Stick Noodles
4 ounces sliced firm tofu
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
1 bundle green onion
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup crushed peanuts

Soak a bag of rice stick noodles until pliable and not soft. Heat a pan on high heat and add a generous amount of oil. Add tofu, garlic, and some tamarind sauce into the pan and let tofu brown. Stir in noodles and add in more sauce. Sprinkle noodles with water to prevent sticking. Crack an egg to the side of pan and mix with the noodles. Toss in slice green onions and bean sprouts. Top with crushed roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. (Adapted from Chez Pim).

Tamarind Sauce

1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chili powder

Melt all ingredients in a sauce pan and let simmer on low heat.

Thai Chili Lime Sauce

2 tsp red chili flakes
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp sweet and spicy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce

Coconut Ice Cream

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Combine coconut milk with powdered sugar and whisk to dissolve. Whisk in the cream and keep whisking until soft peaks form a whipped cream. Spoon and smooth the ice cream into a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Sweet Potato Cobbler

Filling

1 can sweet potato
1/4 cup brown sugar

Topping

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold margarine
1 egg
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss mashed sweet potato and brown sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add sliced margarine and mix until a crumble forms. Combine the egg and cream and add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until combined. Spoon peach mixture into a cake pan and drop topping mixture by over the peaches. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with shredded coconut and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve warm with coconut ice cream.

I also went on a spontaneous baking spree.



Walnut Chocolate Brownies

1 stick margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 egg beater’s egg whites
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the margarine and sugar in a double boiler until fully melted. Stir in unsweetened cocoa power, salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove the bowl and set aside briefly until the mixture cools. Add the egg whites stirring to combine until batter is runny. Slowly mix in flour a little at a time until batter is shiny, thick, and fully incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup of the walnuts and chocolate chips. Top with the rest of the walnuts. Spread evenly in the foil lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes until center is moist but not runny.

Mint Chocolate Truffles

6 ouches semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp mint extract
decorations

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and heavy cream on medium heat until a smooth ganache forms. Add in mint extract and stir to combine. Remove mixture from heat and let cool before rolling into balls. Roll chocolate into balls with palms and dip into sprinkles. Place truffles on parchment paper and refrigerate until cooled.

Veggies!

Vegetable Frittata

1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
1/2 cup diced broccoli
1 Tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all egg and vegetable ingredients in a mixing bowl. Heat skillet on medium high heat and cook garlic until fragrant. Pour egg mixture into pan and top with shredded cheeses. Fry frittata for a minute before placing skillet in oven for 5 minutes. Remove frittata from oven when the top turns brown and sprinkle with some herbs before serving.

Satisfied. All in a week. http://www.tastespotting.com/post/11217/