Ginger Milk Pudding

One of my friends has of been late going through a pudding making phase. She’s shown me quite a few ideas of things we could try together, but a few days ago we settled on attempting ginger milk pudding. Sugar, ginger juice, and milk are all the ingredients one needs for the traditional Cantonese dessert. Our take included a lot more ingredients and was melded with American tradition since we had some technical difficulties. On an afternoon filled with trial and error, we finally found a combination that worked. The first time when we used the initial three ingredients, it didn’t set. Maybe the milk wasn’t hot enough? Neither of us had a kitchen thermometer, so we couldn’t tell. Luckily, we were able to thicken it with cornstarch. And while that turned our seeming failure into a success, I have a feeling that the consistency of this pudding is probably very different from the original kind because of that additional ingredient. Regardless, we thought it was tasty and I wanted to share the fruits of our labor.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh ginger
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Instructions

To prepare the ginger:

1. Peel the ginger –using a spoon for this works so well you’ll never want to use another technique again.
2. Roughly chop and add the ginger to a food processer so it gets broken down into smaller pieces.
3. Juice the pieces though a hand-held squeezer, but save the pulp.

For the pudding:

1. In one bowl, mix together cornstarch, salt, sugar, and one cup of milk.
2. Prepare a double boiler (a heat-safe bowl that fits snugly over a pot of boiling water).
3. While the double boiler is heating up, combine three cups milk, the ginger juice, and the pulp in a saucepan. Put it over medium-high heat to scald the mixture.
4. Once it scalds, turn the heat to low. Slowly mix in the bowl of cornstarch and milk into the saucepan of scalded milk and ginger, stirring constantly.
5. Strain the mixture into the bowl over the double boiler and let it cook for 10 minutes, still stirring occasionally.
6. Add the vanilla, coconut milk, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Make sure everything is once again thoroughly incorporated.
7. Once the pudding is finished cooking (it should be viscous) pour it into desired bowls or molds and press plastic wrap on the top so it does not develop a film. Chill for an hour.
8. If you want more ginger flavor, you can add more juice or even ginger powder, but be sure to not overdo it or else the pudding will be very spicy!

Apple Strawberry Oat Bars

Stress baking usually happens when I have an overabundance of an ingredient on the verge of going bad, therefore making me more stressed knowing that it needs to be used in the next few days (or less!). My current dilemma was that I hadn’t polished off all my Jonagolds procured from apple picking a few weeks ago and that there were two cartons of strawberries that needed to either be eaten or remade into something else just as tasty. So, what else was there to do but combine them as a baked good? I looked to see what else I had around– of course there was flour and sugar in the pantry, but with oats, I instantly thought of fruit bars. No, not the kind you would want to consume on a long hike, but more of a dessert bar thanks to of all the butter that’s used. And that butter is worth it–these are so good! I couldn’t stop eating them, and needed to give them away to friends as soon as I could. It was this recipe that got me started. In my version, the crust was a lot thicker on top but it might have been because I used a smaller pan– what I did was take a circular 9×9-inch pan and pack the mixture into a 9×5-inch rectangle using wax paper. I also used more apple than strawberry, changing the ratios. And a sprinkle of cinnamon made things just right!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Yield: 12-15 bars, depending on bar size

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 7 tbsp butter
• 1 cup finely diced apple
• 1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Melt butter. Combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.
2. Pour melted butter over oats and flour and incorporate until everything is well mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, combine apple and strawberries and lightly mash to incorporate the two.
4. Layer a pan with wax paper. In the prepared pan (I used 9×5 measurements), pack in half of the oat mixture. Add the apples and strawberries next, then sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice over it.
5. Top with the remaining oat mixture, and pat everything down to make sure it will stick together.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, making sure the top is lightly browned. Once out of the oven, let cool completely before cutting into bars. If it seems to be falling apart, leave in the fridge for at least an hour to firm things up.

fruity oat goodness!

Plantain Muffins

I have never eaten plantains other than fried and prepared as a side dish in Cuban restaurants. I have never cooked or baked with one either. However, when I happened upon some in the dumpster behind a local grocery store, I had to take them and see what I could use them for. Even though plantains are comparable to bananas in appearance, their tastes are completely different when eaten straight from the peel. I bit into one, not knowing what to expect, and it reminded me of how the white part of a pomegranate smells. Texture-wise, it’s starchier. I didn’t know what to do with my formerly trashed plantains, but thought they could be incorporated into baked goods similar to bananas, still not understanding that they are completely different fruits. I made a few tweaks to this recipe, adding cinnamon and nutmeg, increasing the baking soda and baking powder, and omitting any crumb topping. It initially came out tasting more fruity yet savory than a muffin made with a banana would taste, but I liked it and wanted to share.

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 20 muffins

Ingredients

• 3 overripe plantains
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Line a muffin pan with wrappers or grease lightly to prevent sticking.
2. Mash plantains. Add vegetable oil, white and brown sugar, and egg. Mix until everything is well-combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Fold flour mixture into plantain mixture until it is just combined.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Spoon batter into the muffin pan so it fills 2/3 of each cup.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Fluffy and moist!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been baking so much lately, for better or worse in this early fall heat resurgence. The only pro I can think of when it comes to baking on hot days is that it takes little-to-no time for butter to become “room temperature” if you spontaneously want to make something that involves it. Not that I would ever hold off on baking if it’s too hot outside, but I especially wanted to one recent evening because I was going to a housewarming and wanted to make something for friends there to enjoy. These cookies are inspired by Anne Burrell’s recipe  but I decided to not use nuts since they were going to a crowd. I love putting cinnamon in plain chocolate chip cookies because it really gives an extra dimension to the flavor. These were no exception, and I was happy to see it as an ingredient in her recipe.

My one tip is that when putting the cookie dough on the sheets, try to avoid having chocolate chips at the bottom of the dough ball. Trying to scrape off melted chocolate from a cookie sheet is no fun, and then I always think about the chocolate that was lost as a result, even if it’s one chocolate chip!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Yield: 36-40 cookies

Ingredients

Wet

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Dry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 10 oz chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and two kinds of sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to combine.
2. Leaving out the chocolate chips, add the dry ingredients together in another bowl and mix together until it appears uniform.
3. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet until everything is just incorporated. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F <- I’m putting this step in the middle/end of the prep process to save energy. In my experience, the oven will heat to the right temperature in time.
5. On a greased cookie sheet, drop large tablespoonfuls of dough about an inch and a half apart from one another.
6. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
7. Let them cool for a few minutes before trying to move them off the cookie sheets.

Chocolate Matzo Bark

I made this on a whim once–I like trying new things and had never made chocolate bark before, let alone on a matzo cracker. What I like about this combination is that the layer of matzo means that the chocolate bark is no longer overwhelming — as much as I love chocolate bark the confection’s thick pieces can at times feel like an inordinate mouthful of cocoa and sugar that I just don’t know how to process.

Like the soba salad, this is more of a recipe outline since there are so many different combinations of ingredients that can be used. All to your taste preferences! Instead of using semisweet chocolate, you could try milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even a combination of the two. How about dark chocolate smothered with salted caramel and topped with toasted almond slivers? White chocolate with chopped cashews and cherries and sprinkled with cinnamon? Those were examples off the top of my head that I may need to investigate later, but examples of the endless possibilities and balances of sweet and savory that would complement one another. How heavy or light you want to go on toppings is also up to you.

Prep and Assembly: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes (to melt the chocolate)
Yield: 18-20 pieces

Ingredients

• 6 matzo crackers (or more if there are leftover ingredients)
• 10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup pepitas (dark green pumpkin seeds), chopped
• The peel of two oranges, minced
• 2/3 cup orange-flavored cranberries, chopped (I found some at Trader Joe’s that were infused with orange flavor, but feel free to use the plain kind as well)

Instructions

1. Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-safe bowl and place over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure this is a bowl that will fit snugly on top of the saucepan without gaps. As the butter and chocolate begin to melt, stir to make sure things are melting evenly and to develop a smooth consistency.
2. Once the butter and chocolate chips are melted, turn the heat to low and begin spreading it on the matzo crackers with a spoon or spatula. Keep the chocolate on heat so it does not harden.
3. Before the chocolate has set, sprinkle on the pepitas, orange peel, and cranberries. Push the toppings down if it looks like they will fall off.
4. Refrigerate for a half hour or until they set, then break each cracker into several pieces. In order to retain as much of the chocolate and toppings as possible, I carefully chipped different sections off with a knife.

the finished product

What I liked most about this was the combination of beautiful jewel tones thanks to the cranberries and oranges with the dull jade of the pepita on a rich chocolate canvas.

 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I am a humongous fan of chocolate (and vegetables)! As I’m sure you could guess,  I am interested in pairing the two whenever I can just to get in my chocolate fix. Just because we conventionally cook zucchini for meals and eat them as savory foods this squash, like a carrot, is very sweet and seemingly underutilized as dessert. Grating it especially brings out its sweetness. I have only recently started to bake with zucchini but have been pleased with the results.

I visited my friend a few weekends ago in Detroit and wanted to make something to share with him and his family. As I was browsing Two Peas & Their Pod, I found this recipe that I definitely wanted to use. The chocolate zucchini bread I ended up with using their recipe (one of their most popular breads, according to their website) was moist and and flavorful, and something that I could see eaten as breakfast, a snack, or a “healthy-ish” dessert paired with milk.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Yield: one 9×5 inch loaf of bread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2+ cups grated zucchini
• 1+ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. Combine melted butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in one bowl, making sure everything is evenly mixed.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
4. Pour the dry into the wet ingredients, but mix until just combined.
5. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined, and then 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and use the reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to top the bread as decoration.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Of course, you will want it to cool a little bit before removing the bread from the pan. Once it’s out, try topping a slice with some vanilla yogurt or cinnamon. Enjoy! 

Carrot Cake Cookies

Last week, I was looking for a recipe that could fulfill two requirements: something I could make with the abundance of carrots in my fridge and something that was easily portable so I could share with my friends– these cookies were the result. They’re less time-consuming to make than traditional carrot cake and maybe a bit healthier since they come in smaller portion sizes? These low-effort cookies had a high approval rating, which is a win-win in my book. (And the recipe was adapted from one published by Land O’Lakes a few years back.)

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Yield: 20 cookies (and can definitely be doubled)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1+ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1+ cups (2 medium) grated carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) I used walnuts but almonds or pecans would work well too.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In one bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until the mixture is light and creamy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla into the butter/sugar and mix until incorporated.
5. Combine the contents of both bowls into one (doesn’t matter which) and once well-mixed, stir in the grated carrot and (optional) nuts of choice.
6. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

And there you have it! Simple carrot cake cookies. Share with friends or enjoy as a midday pick-me-up.