Like Buttuh

I made butter! Gone are the days of churning and shaking, now that we have modern appliances.

Okay, so this is totally easy. There are a few methods to making butter that I found while I was researching how I would do it. 1) in the Kitchenaid 2) by shaking it in a jar - could you imagine? and 3) in the food processor. Obviously the Kitchenaid and food processor methods are very similar.

Here's what I did:

All you need is whipping cream (I used a full liter) and about 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional). Add these ingredients to the bowl of your food processor, fitted with the chopping blade.

Start to blend and you will see the cream pass through several stages. At first, from sloshy soft whipped cream, firm whipped cream to coarse whipped cream.

Suddenly the cream will start to seize, the shape will collapse, and the whirring will change to sloshing.

The butter is now fine bits of butter in buttermilk (and it actually is buttermilk, you can save it and use it). Within a few seconds, the yellowish butter will separate from the buttermilk.

Drain very well. I pulsed it a few more times and drained it over and over, then wrapped it in cheesecloth and squeezed out as much moisture as I could.

At this point you can also 'wash' the butter, a process with ice water and further blending to help it store better. I didn't do that this time because I'm going to be using the butter quite quickly.

I portioned into 1/2-cup rations to store, wrapped in plastic wrap.

My 1 liter of whipping cream made about 2 1/2 cups of butter.

Welcome Fall!

Fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons. There's something so special about the changing colors and gradually changing temperatures. I am fortunate that I live in a place where the summer generally hangs on and on, today was 27 degrees! However nice the days are, the nights are getting colder and the days are getting shorter. Fall is homey and comforting.

I've started to really love pumpkin, which I'm happy about, because I feel like it's one of those things that I 'should' like. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and now even Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes. Seriously, first year ever that I've been able to drink one. However, maybe that's a bad thing, because now I can't stop drinking them!

I've adapted this recipe from two different ones that I've been looking at, trying to get the taste just the way I like it. I've been playing with spice combinations so they would taste like pumpkin pie, by using, you guessed it, pumpkin pie spice. A favorite spice combination of mine, that I don't get to use nearly enough. The cookie is light and fluffy, with almost a cake-like texture. And they are BIG and FAT!

With pumpkin as the base for the wet ingredients, I don't think they're too bad as far as calories. Maybe I'll have an easier time justifying these than the lattes.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

By Dulce Doll

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla, beating well between each addition.

Add flour to wet ingredients in batches, mixing well to incorporate after each addition. Mix in the chocolate chunks.

Using a 1/4-cup measuring spoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookie tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

My First Facebook Giveaway!

At a friend's urging, I started a Facebook group to share recipes and tips and I'm nearing a hundred members, so I challenged my group to raise it to two hundred, with a reward of a draw for Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. I don't think it's going to take long to get there!

The group is called Bakealicious! and it's really starting to take off. It's an open group and anyone can join, so please feel free to do so - and maybe you'll win a great book!

Banana (Nut Optional) Muffins

Less fat but not less flavor. I am sooooo glad I found this recipe! Super moist and really just taste like fresh bananas. The recipe calls for nuts, but, since I'm not the biggest fan of nuts in my baked stuff, I omitted them like I usually do, maybe one day...

This recipe has oats in it and they're great because they add a little crunch, and it calls for AP flour, which I regret using because duh, I always use whole wheat flour when I make banana bread, so why would this be any different? It would have made them just a little bit better.

Healthy Banana Nut Muffins

From Kitchen M

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 moderately ripe banana, sliced

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins with vegetable oil.

Combine flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, whisk gently to combine.

Place mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir in milk, egg, oil, and lemon juice. Mix in dry ingredients and walnuts. Mix until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Avoid over-mixing.

Scoop batter into muffin tins evenly (I used 1/4-cup measuring scoop and it was perfect). Place sliced bananas 2 to 3 pieces on top of each muffin batter. Bake muffins until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or about 20 minutes.

Makes exactly 12 regular sized muffins.

My First Contest!

I just entered a photo into the September "Does My Blog Look Good In This?" food photography event. I saw it on the second to last day that I could enter, and on a whim, thought, WHATEVER! and went for it. I have zero photography training and even less kitchen training.

Here's the pic I used:

It had to be from a blog entry in August, and I thought it was kind of a cool photo. I'm not sure what the prize is for winning, or if there even is one, maybe it's just the glory.....

Here's the link if you want to check out the competition (and there are some really beautiful photos check out the Chocolate Dobos Torte - OMG!):

http://picasaweb.google.com/Michelle.BrownEyedBaker/DMBLGITSeptember2009Edition#

Send good luck my way!

As For My Jealousy...

There's one more you should look at:

http://freshlocalandbest.blogspot.com/

I check this blog daily, if not for the beautiful photographs, then for the hope that she will have posted more stories of my favorite, most fabulous, New York City. I will be eternally jealous of this blogger for where she gets to live - and I haven't even been there yet! My trip is booked for June and I will soon be counting down the sleeps!

Just Found This

I just found the best blog! No offense to any of the others I'm following...

She's a pastry chef (which, of course, is my dream), and she's got gorgeous photos and mouth watering recipes, but breaks them down in a way that looks sooooo simple!

Please take some time and add this to your favorites list too!

http://www.pastrypal.com/