Friday, September 30, 2011
A couple of days ago, I was driving down the road and I screeched. Loudly. I scared everyone riding with me, but I couldn’t help myself. There, right off the road was a tree, bright orange. It was surrounded by trees holding on to summer, their leaves still bright green. It was a beautiful sight, that firey hue on a backdrop of lively green.
As I hopped out of the car to take pictures, any lingering thoughts of summer were wiped from my mind. Autumn is here and I’m embracing it.
It’s not particularly hard for me to be enthusiastic about fall, it’s my very favorite season. All year I long for these days of warm cups of tea, cheeks flushed from the cool wind, and cinnamon scented everything. I crave hearty root vegetable soups, bread fresh from the oven after a long summer of salads and lighter fare. Most of all, I love the baking. Apples, pears & pumpkins, hello!
This is the first thing I’ve baked since the season change, and it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever had.
About a year ago I tried an almond & pear chocolate bar and since then I’ve wanted to make something with that flavor combination. I added a touch of cardamom, because I love it with pear, and a cider glaze, because it just sounded good. There’s a lot going on here, but it works. It tastes like fall.
Pear & Almond Chocolate Cake with Cider Glaze
The glaze here isn't going to get very thick, but I like it that way. When you pour it over your cake, it will sink right in instead of laying on top like one thickened with lots of powdered sugar. It'll keep the cake very moist and extra tasty.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (packed) brown sugar,
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 pears, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
For the glaze:
1 cup pear cider
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or cardamom
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously brush 12- to 15-cup nonstick Bundt pan with oil. Whisk 1 cup boiling water, cocoa powder, in 2-cup glass measure. Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla in large bowl to blend. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds longer. Beat in half of flour mixture, then cocoa mixture. Add remaining flour mixture; beat to blend. Fold pears & almonds. Transfer batter to prepared Bundt or angel food pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool the cake 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; cool 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, stir together cider, brown sugar, butter & cinnamon in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil, continuing for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
When cake is cool, pour over glaze & top with powdered sugar.
Posted byhannah queen | honey & jamat5:06 PM247comments
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Roasted Tomato Soup
It seems I’m a wee bit smitten with tomatoes. For years, I couldn’t stand them. I’d pick them out of salads, pull them off pizzas, avoid them at all costs. Then one day I gave them another try and I was totally in love. I’m still kind of picky - I don’t like really gushy ones, and I prefer them cooked, but lately I just can’t get enough.
My very favorite way to enjoy a tomato is through soup. I’ve liked tomato soup for ages - way before I liked tomatoes themselves. I’ve got a confession for you - I really love tomato soup from the can. As in, the red and white can. Oh yes, I eat way too much canned soup in the fall and winter. I’d never attempted to make it myself because I wasn’t sure I could improve on that tin can goodness. Yes, I am a bit crazy. I did just say “tin can goodness”. To my credit, tomato soup and ice cream sandwiches are just about the only things I prefer store-bought.
When N.E.E.T. magazine asked me to contribute a “comfort food” recipe for their fall issue, the first thing I thought of was tomato soup. I was pretty certain they didn’t want a picture of canned soup though, so I finally gave homemade a chance. And guess what? It’s so much better than the other stuff. Totally surprising, right?! ;) I’m going to be making batches of this and freezing it so I can cut the sodium glut that is Campbell’s out of my diet!
I kind of had no idea what I was doing with the recipe, I was just guessing but it came out terrific. I roasted the tomatoes with shallots and added thyme, because I’m on a tomatoes & thyme kick. But you could add any herb you’d like.
If you’d like to try it out (and trust me, you do), head on over to N.E.E.T. (A lot of people were having trouble accessing the recipe, so I've added it below.) The recipe is on page 140, but be sure to check out the rest of the issue. It features recipes from two of my favorite bloggers Julie from Always with Butter and Stephanie from Desserts for Breakfast. If you haven’t seen their blogs, go now! Both are outrageously beautiful.
Roasted Tomato Soup
Serve hot or cold
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, a mixture of your favorites
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
extra virgin olive oil
herbs, thyme, oregano, basil, whichever you prefer
salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 400f. Cut tomatoes into quarters, (if you’re using cherry tomatoes, leave them whole). Spread the tomatoes and shallots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs, gently toss. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes & shallots and brown and have caramelized.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Dump all of the pans contents into a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly add in stock while blending. If you soup is too chunky for your liking, pour through a mesh sieve.
Pour contents into a large stock pot, add heavy cream and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Garnish with pepper, herbs, and crusty bread, enjoy!
(P.S. The folks over at Terrain have recently launched a gorgeous new site design and they sent me a discount code just for you guys! If you enter "HONEYJAM" at checkout, you'll get 15% off. Hurrah!)
Posted byhannah queen | honey & jamat10:31 PM251comments
Labels:cooking,savory,soup
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tomato Cobbler
I can’t believe autumn is almost here. I’ve spent most of the summer busy as a bee, a little travel, a few exciting photo jobs, a new puppy, (who is currently snoozing at my feet as I type this) with little time to blog or bake.
I had a few free hours this afternoon, and I spent them baking this tomato cobbler. It’s an idea I’ve had in my head for a while, a savory cobbler instead of sweet (not a very original idea, true, but new for me!), but I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go with it. Then I found this recipe from Martha Stewart. It was just what I was looking for.
This cobbler has it’s feet firmly planted in two seasons. It’s bursting with juicy, late summer tomatoes, but it has the feel of fall. It’s warm and filling, just the thing for when the evenings turn cool. It’s perfect for the in between. A transitional cobbler.
The original recipe uses a different biscuit recipe, and gruyere instead of thyme. I think gruyere AND thyme would be perfect, but I didn’t have any. If you try it out, let me know! Also, the thyme biscuits are perfect on their own. Just preheat your oven to 400, form into rounds, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Tomato Cobbler
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 4
For the filling
extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 pounds grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
For the biscuit topping
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup heavy cream or buttermilk
Directions
Make the filling: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
Toss onion mixture, tomatoes, flour, and red-pepper flakes with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Make the biscuit topping: Whisk together flour, baking powder, thyme and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Add cream, stirring with a fork to combine until dough forms. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)
Transfer tomato mixture to a 1 quart baking dish or medium cast iron pan. Spoon 5 clumps of biscuit dough over top in a circle, leaving center open. Brush dough with cream. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling in the center and biscuits are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 20 minutes.
Posted byhannah queen | honey & jamat5:14 PM262comments
Labels:baking,savory
Friday, August 05, 2011
A Day at Terrain
As you’ve probably noticed, Terrain is one of my very favorite places on the web. For a long time now, I’ve dreamed about visiting their store in Glen Mills, PA, and earlier this week, that dream came true! I was invited, along with a small group of other bloggers, to spend a day at Terrain at Styers. The happy dance I did when that email landed in my inbox was epic, let me tell you.
The mushroom hut.
The day the team at Terrain put together was magnificent. We toured the 3 acre property, created terrariums, did lots of shopping in the store, had mini spa treatments, ate some fantastic food, and got to hang out with some really interesting & kind people.
I'm going to attempt to share some of my experience with you here, so be warned, there are lots and lots of photos!
The sweet and salty cake!
One of the highlights of the day for me was meeting the guys from Baked, who are incredibly nice. They stopped by at lunch and we got to try out some of their famous cakes. The sweet & salty is absolutely to die for. It’s haunted my dreams every night since.
A plant display - inside the store!
The store it’s self is like my own personal heaven. Something beautiful is around every corner. I stocked up on weck jars!
I was ridiculously excited about the terrariums, I’d wanted to make one for ages!
I gave mine a “forest floor” feel, thanks for the photo, Ez!
I hadn’t realized just how big the nursery part of Terrain is, there are plants absolutely everywhere. The sections are broken up by huge, beautiful doors. It’s enchanting.
The displays throughout the store are so great. A touch messy, they look like life, just really well styled.
To end the day, we had a outstanding 7 course dinner at their cafe, filled with some of the best food I’ve ever had. It was the perfect end note for a perfect day.
If you ever have the chance, I would definitely recommend a trip to the store. Be sure to allot a good chunk of time for your visit, you can easily get lost in the beauty. I left the store wishing I could just move in. Put me a cot in a back corner and I would have been a happy camper!
Huge thanks to the team at Terrain for hosting a day I won't forget!
Terrain
914 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA
610-459-2400
styers.shopterrain.com
Posted byhannah queen | honey & jamat2:44 PM257comments
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