pumpkin scones with brown sugar glaze

So, remember when I talked about going to Alice's Tea Cup when I went to New York to visit Nimra? Probably not. But anyway, since I am far too obsessed with baking for my own good, I immediately had to buy the cookbook they just released on the 25th of October. It came in the mail on Thursday, signed [picture me grinning from ear to ear like a fangirl when I saw how two pastry chefs signed my cookbook. yeah, that pathetic], and I was almost late to class because I was skimming through it and admiring all of the colorful photos.

I brought it with me when I came home for the weekend, and decided that I had to try baking some of their famous pumpkin scones with brown sugar glaze. It was, fittingly, the first [and currently, only] thing I ate there when I went with Nimra, and it was divine. Ergo, I ran to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some canned pumpkin and buttermilk, much to mom's dismay, and as soon as I woke up this morning got to work baking.

Pumpkin Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze

For the scones, you'll need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin [NOT pumpkin pie filling]
• 1 tsp vanilla 

For the glaze, you'll need:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a large baking sheet. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger, and mix at low speed with paddle attachment until well combined. Add in butter, increase speed to medium, and beat until dough has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Using your hands, make a well in the center of the dough. Pour pumpkin, vanilla, and buttermilk into the well. With your hands, mix until dough is wet. It will also be quite sticky.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface and pat down with your hands until it is about 1 1/2-inches thick. Using a 3.5-inch pastry cutter, cut out scones and distribute them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before dipping in the glaze.

To prepare the glaze, put butter, sugar, lemon, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk as butter melts and sugar dissolves to make sure the syrup is uniform. When the syrup comes to a boil, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Lower heat and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until glaze starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. If serving immediately, dip the top of the scones into the warm glaze. If not, do not dip the scones; pour glaze into a container and only drizzle or dip the scones in the glaze when ready to serve.

Mom had absolutely no faith in my scone-making ability. She watched me make the dough and told me to just give up and start over, because the dough was 'too sticky' for them to turn out well. Seriously, it was just chastisement after chastisement. Even when they were in the oven, she told me to go check on the 'impending failures.' Though, I have to admit, even I was worried; I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out because the dough did seem much wetter and stickier than I had anticipated.

Still, I persevered, and it was well-worth the uncertainty, because they turned out perfect. 

In fact, Yusra couldn't contain herself and ate two. I myself ate one and a half, they were so irresistible. Even mom had to admit, they were delicious, and I noticed she kept going back to the kitchen to nibble. [HA, mom].

 

Now Yusra wants me to make them on Thanksgiving. Maybe I will, as a sort of pregame for the main event. Which I'm still told is going to be my responsibility.

Oh, the pressure.

sour cream coffee cake

I'm home for the weekend! Haven't been home for about a month now, and after 2 insanely busy and mildly stressful weeks, I decided it was time for a much-needed weekend back home.

Also, dad's birthday is on Tuesday. Not that he really does much for his birthday, but I wanted to see him for it. Interestingly, my dad's tastes in foods are pretty much the exact opposite of mine. As in, he doesn't care much about it at all. He likes a few time-tested dishes and isn't one for experimenting with new foods and flavors. Consequently, we don't have big dinners or anything for his birthday, because his idea of a good time is eating one of his 'acceptable' meals and watching some terrible action movie.

But he does love one particular cake; Ina Garten's delicious, moist, perfect, sour cream coffee cake. So it was only appropriate that I bake it while I'm home this weekend so he can have it with his morning tea before work. An early 'birthday present,' if you will.

[also, I'm broke and this is the best that I can do.]

I also love this cake. It always turns out spectacularly. Plus, I always trust in Ina Garten's dessert recipes.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For the cake, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the streusel, you'll need:

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3/4 cups chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

For the glaze, you'll need:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and then mix in vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture on low speed, or fold with a rubber spatula, until just combined.

For the streusel, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt until evenly mixed. Using your hands, pinch butter into the dry mixture until it forms a crumble. Add in the nuts, if desired.

Pour half the cake batter into the tube pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle half of the streusel evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining batter, spreading evenly, and sprinkle the remaining streusel. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

To prepare glaze, sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Pour in maple syrup and stir vigorously until mixture has thinned. If too thin, add more sugar; if too thick, add some water. 

Let cake cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to gently loosen it. Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes [preferably until completely cooled], before drizzling glaze on top.

It takes every ounce of restraint for me not to pick off the streusel topping while the cake is cooling. And when you cut into it, there's a gorgeous streusel ribbon in the center. Plus, the sour cream makes the cake super moist and not too sweet.

It's the perfect coffee cake recipe. I've literally made this dozens of times, and each time I feel like it gets better and better. Not because my skills are improving much, but more because this cake just tastes amazing, and it never grows old with time.

Though, I made this yesterday, and I woke up this morning and about half of it was gone. I don't think there will be any left by his birthday on Tuesday.

Ironic.

apple cake with lemon glaze

Today I took a break from exam studying to bake an apple cake! Which I'd been meaning to do for a while now.

Not to mention it tasted like autumn in cake form.

A few weeks ago, a group of friends and I went up to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick apples, and I picked a fair amount of Winesaps to use for baking.

mmmm...apples...

Finally put them to good use! I found a wonderful recipe at soupbelly for an apple cake with lemon glaze [although, I ended up making a lime glaze because we only had lime juice on hand, but I'm sure the lemon would have given it an extra kick].

Apple Cake with Lemon Glaze

For the cake, you'll need:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil [or substitute for 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for a healthier alternative] 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 4 cups apples, peeled and cut into small cubes

For the glaze, you'll need:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice [add more or less for desired consistency]
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9-inch springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together eggs and oil [or applesauce if using substitution]. Add granulated and brown sugars and vanilla and whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to egg and sugar mixture and fold until incorporated. Batter will be relatively thick. Fold in apples.

Pour batter into pan and level it evenly. Bake for 70-75 minutes. Let cool completely before pouring glaze on top.

To make glaze, sift confectioner's sugar. Pour in lemon juice and mix until sugar has dissolved. Add more lemon juice for thinner glaze; add more confectioner's sugar for thicker glaze. Once cake has completely cooled, use a spoon to drizzle glaze over top.

I let the cake cool while I went to take my exam, and I had actually forgotten about it until I walked in and smelled the cinnamon and apple. Talk about a pleasant surprise! Made the glaze and drizzled it before I had dinner, then cut a slice for Noosh and myself. Yum.

And not even that bad for you! Whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil; it's practically a health food, really.

Right?

Don't answer that.

In other news, I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. Which is, incidentally, my favorite holiday.

Well, I like the entire current holiday season. But Thanksgiving is in a league of its own, with all its gastronomic prowess.

And mom gave me the 'honor' of cooking our entire Thanksgiving dinner, meaning she's either giving me a false sense of culinary self-worth before telling me she already has dinner planned out, or she plans on watching me make a fool out of myself in the kitchen. I'll probably destroy the turkey/light something on fire and run to her for advice/grovel at her feet for help, but until then, the thought of cooking dinner is keeping me happy.

Plus, it'll be nice to be home for a bit.

dining in DC

Noosh and I spent the weekend in DC with Matt, Chelsea, and Chelsea's wonderful parents and brother, Maxwell. The initial reason for the trip was the Rally to Restore Sanity and the March to Keep the Fear Alive. I was so excited about it. And since we live relatively close, why not?

Long story short, the line for the metro was out the wazoo, so Noosh, Matt, Chealsea, Max, and I ended up skipping the Rally and instead exploring Tyson's and eating. A lot.

Except, not eating in the city. Eating at Chelsea's. Because her parents, aside from being two of the sweetest people on the planet, are two of the most phenomenal cooks I've ever met. Friday night we had some herb-grilled chicken, squash with lentils and walnuts, and shredded Brussels sprouts. For dessert, Mrs. Sparta made two scrumptious coconut cakes [to make up for my birthday!] with chocolate-espresso sauce. One was low-carb, while the other was the normal, full-fat. Surprisingly, I preferred the low-carb one. She replaced the flour with a combination of almond flour, coconut flour, and soy protein powder, which made for a much denser cake. Since I should also be veering towards low-carb myself, she showed me some of her recipes and gave me some great tips which I'll definitely use in tortes and brownies. I pretty much idolize her ability to make low-carb desserts actually taste as delicious as the originals.

Saturday night, Mr. Sparta was gracious enough to let me creep over his shoulder [and occasionally stir!] as he cooked dinner. We [though mostly he] made lobster and clam chowder, roasted eggplants stuffed with an onion, tomato, and mint mixture, and grilled flank steak marinated in olive oil and garlic. Absolutely delicious. In the hour and a half or so that I was popping in and out of the kitchen, Mr. Sparta gave me some fantastic tips [don't let mushrooms absorb water before cooking, save lobster shells to make your own stock, let meat come to room temperature before grilling for a more uniform steak, the secret to good chowder is thyme, etc. etc.] that hopefully will come in handy if I ever attempt anything as delicious as the food I watched him prepare.

And, of course, the dinnertime conversations and company were some of the best one could hope for. I can't say I was too disappointed about having missed out on the Rally [besides, Noosh and I watched Stewart's speech online earlier today and pretended we were actually there] because it gave me an opportunity to hang out with some of my favorites and enjoy food with people who fully appreciate it as much [if not more] than I do. I can't remember the last time I was doubled over with laughter during dinner, talking about everything from Jerk Animals to Monty Python to Disney chicks to Jackass 3D. Plus, I got the best thing EVER from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of Matt's brilliant detective skills.

AWWWWW YEAHHHHHHHHHHH.

I do think a Harry Potter-themed dinner is in order as to celebrate the release of Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Soon. I mean, I could really go for some Chiddingly Hotpot and Pumpkin Pasties.

Overall, this weekend was rated a solid A.

Which is the exact opposite of the grade I'm going to be getting on tomorrow's Logic Midterm.

Ugh. Can't I just replay this weekend over again instead?

pumpkin spice macarons

Yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon. Macarons. They seem to be the new baking "thing."

I like this fad much better than the whole cupcake dealio from a while back. Macarons [not to be confused with macaroons] are a French, meringue-based sweet of some sort of filling sandwiched in between two airy, crunchy "cookies," made out of almond flour, egg whites, and sugar.

Got together with my good buddy, Tommy, to make these. He and Angie came by the apartment last night because Noosh and I hadn't seem them in a while. Tommy and I had been planning a bake-date for a while now, and finally settled on macarons.

Plus, being the pro bakers that we are, we have to maintain our street cred and keep up with trends. Word.

The recipe we used actually comes from make and bake, and is incidentally the Daring Baker's challenge recipe for this month [which I myself am not a part of yet, but hope to be soon!].

Pumpkin Spice Macarons

For the macarons, you'll need:

• 2 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the pumpkin filling, you'll need:

• 4 oz pumpkin [canned or fresh]
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsps confectioner's sugar
• pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine confectioner's sugar and almond flour in a bowl until well-blended. In a clean, dry bowl attached to a stand mixer, whisk egg whites on medium until they form soft peaks. Slowly add granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of almond mixture to egg whites and gently fold. Add in vanilla. Fold in remainder of almond mixture in two batches, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.

Gently pour batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain, half-inch tip. If there isn't one on hand, a ziplock bag with a small portion of the corner cut off will suffice. Pipe small disks, about 1-inch in diameter, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until top is slightly golden. Wait for them to cool slightly, 3-4 minutes, before removing disks and letting them cool on a wire cooling rack.

To prepare frosting, beat pumpkin, cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and nutmeg in the bowl of an elecric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high until smooth and creamy. Once macarons have cooled, spread a layer of pumpkin on the flat side of one disc and use another disc of a similar size to sandwich the filling. Repeat until all macarons have been used up.

These actually tasted much better than I expected they would. I'm really iffy about meringue, because I feel like all I'm doing is eating fluffed up sugar. Which is not far from the truth, but also because purchasing supermarket meringue can just be one of the worst on-the-spot decisions you could make in a grocery store. But I think it's the pumpkin filling that is the star here; super creamy, not too sweet, and my first taste of pumpkin this Fall. Delicious.

Also delightful to serve because everyone loves how cute they are.

I'd say it was a total success. Excellent job, Tommy. We are definitely well on our way to pro status.



[I mean, I can always dream.]