Blog Archives - DragonWarden

Black Magic Chocolate Cake (w/ condensed tomato soup)

4/28/2015

This recipe came from some really old-skool book on really really crazy recipes - such as using Campbell's condense tomato soup in a cake. But the poster claimed that it produced an amazingly rich and moist chocolate cake, so I swallowed my skepticism long enough to give it a shot.

Boy am I glad I did. The cake really WAS amazingly moist, and if it weren't for the lingering scent of cooked tomatoes in the kitchen, I would never have known what the main ingredient was. One note, make sure you grab a low-sodium soup. If you can't find a low-sodium alternative though, if you're planning on icing the cake, even something as mildly sugared as the Chinese-bakery style whipped frosting works quite well to offset the sodium.

1 3/4 cups flour (or 1 3/4 cups plus 2 T cake flour)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
one 10-oz can low sodium condensed tomato soup (such as Campbell's)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease and “flour” choice of baking pan(s). (You may want to use chocolate powder instead of flour so it doesn’t show up against the dark cake. You can use one 9x13 pan or two 6” round pans.)
Sift and then whisk together the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, put all the wet ingredients and beat until it is well mixed. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour into the prepared pan(s).
Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (See below for time guidelines.)

Note: I've put this into various sizes of vessels and they all came out beautifully, whether I made the rounds separately or cut a thick cake in half, etc. So, a general rule of thumb:
2 round cake pans: start checking around 30 mins
9" x 13" pan: 35 - 40 mins
6" pan x 3" height: 50 mins
5" ramekin: 35 mins

Matcha Tea Cake Cookies

4/11/2015

The cookies themselves were very mild in flavor, so it's easy to over-eat! Careful of the caffeine! I found the almond scent lovely, but I think next time I will put a little less in. The cookies cracked a bit because I used the 2-spoons method of scooping, which don't make perfectly smooth balls - but I'm not against this more "rustic" look as opposed to the perfect full-moon shapes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
2 tbsp + 1 tsp matcha tea powder
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Servings: 40

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. In another bowl, whisk granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts. In a small bowl, stir 2 tbsp of matcha powder with 2 tbsp of water, then stir into the wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until combined.
Using a 1 oz ice cream scoop or 2 tbsp, scoop 1" balls of dough at least 2" apart onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 20 mins.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the cookies for about 10 mins, until set at the edges and very lightly browned on the bottoms. Let the cookies cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Arrange cookies on a baking sheet. In a sieve, combine the confectioners' sugar with the remaining 1 tsp of matcha. Dust over the cookies and serve.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Dust with the matcha sugar before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (from Blue Point)

4/9/2015

The Blue Point is a restaurant in San Diego that purportedly hired its dessert chef away from Disney. I can believe it. They were kind enough when I asked for the recipe to not only email it to me, but cut it down to "home portions" - but beware, this is still a VERY big batch of batter!

1-1/4 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips (for very dark, 70%, for somewhat sweeter, at most 60%)
1-1/4 lb unsweetened baking chocolate
1 tsp salt
1 lb + 2 oz butter (cut into pieces)
1-1/4 cups water
1 lb + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
12 whole eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Servings: about 18 mini-cakes or 36 cupcakes

In a mixing bowl whisk eggs thoroughly and set aside for later use.
In another mixing bowl combine both kinds of chocolate, butter, water, sugar, and salt over a double boiler. Cook until all ingredients have melted.
Whisk the mixture to a smooth consistency (no lumps), remove the bowl from heat, and set aside to cool for 20 mins at room temperature. Once slightly cooled, gently whisk in the eggs and add the vanilla, place in a covered container, and refrigerate for a day until mixture has set before using.
For more even baking, take mixture out of refrigerator and set outside to warm up closer to room temperature. Scoop into a silicone mold and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins, rotating the sheet pan after 10 mins. Set aside to cool before storing.

Cake mix will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or you can bake off the whole mix and freeze the cakes once baked. Thaw them out to room temperature before using. You can serve them warm by microwaving them for 30 seconds.

Sweet Blackberry and Brandy Sauce

4/9/2015

This was actually not as sweet as I had feared it would be, and was wonderful drizzled over vanilla or butter pecan ice cream. Can be used over pies as well.

4 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brandy

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Servings: 3 cups

Place the blackberries, sugar, and brandy into a saucepan, and place over medium heat. Slowly bring to a simmer, and cook until the blackberries have softened, about 10 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and stir into the simmering berries. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce has thickened and reached your desired consistency, about 10 minutes.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

4/9/2015

These cookies were both humongous and unaccountably cute. I just loved the fact that they were these fat little mounds, and I may never pick up a flat cookie again. They were a big hit - lightly crisped on the outside, chewy on the inside without being too dense, and of course, PLENTY of chocolate with two cups of it stuffed inside.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 cups chocolate chips or 1 cup chips and 1 cup chopped chocolate (if using chopped, sift out the powdered chocolate)

Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Measure out flour using the scoop-and-level method (should be about 120-125 grams).
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes, ideally 3 hours or longer.
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Blueberry Walnut Scones

4/9/2015

These scones have the dubious honor of weaning my mother off of Cost Co scones. (Which is actually no small matter, I assure you. After trying these for the first time, she literally threw out a whole box of the store-bought ones - and considering how she feels about waste, that is definitely high praise!)

I'm not usually a fan of eating large amounts of "bread", but between its great, crumbly crust and the tons of berries and nuts I toss in (it almost has a hard time holding together - the best type of scone!), even I'm scarfing down a whole wedge at a time. Be prepared for a mess when making it, though - this batter is VERY sticky.

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
5 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
8 tbsp very cold, unsalted butter, cut into 16 equal-size pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, cream, thinned yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche
1 large, very cold egg

1 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Dump out onto a clean work surface.
Distribute butter over dry ingredients and toss lightly to coat the pieces with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll over mixture to flatten the butter. Using a dough scraper, push mixture together, and repeat the rolling process two more times, scraping off the rolling pin between each process. Scoop mixture into mixing bowl and refrigerate.
Puree 1/2 cup blueberries and the liquids. Whisk in the egg. If not using immediately, refrigerate. Crumble or chop the walnuts.
Remove mixing bowl from fridge. Using a large, flexible spatula, add walnuts and 1 cup blueberries, mixing evenly. Now add the liquids gradually, gently folding into the developing dough.
Turn dough out onto work counter and gently move it around to ensure all portions are uniformly moistened. Do not knead dough!
If desired (for extra flakiness), after dough is formed, flatten somewhat and gently make 2 letter folds in opposite directions. (You can cover with cellophane and store for a day in the fridge.)
Pat dough into the desired shape and cut into 8 equal-size scones (or to make more personal sizes, cut these in half again to make 16 roughly triangular mini-scones).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put scones onto lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 16-18 minutes, until scones are light brown on bottom and just golden on top.
Remove scones to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. To store, let scones cool completely, then seal in an airtight Ziploc bag for as long as a day before eating. Otherwise freeze scones and later reheat in a 350 degrees F oven for 5 minutes or in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Baklava

4/9/2015

While this recipe is listed as "easy", any attempts at baklava are probably going to be more labor-intensive than any other backing project ever (short of needing to whip your own meringues from scratch). Definitely a good workout for the arms! I didn't use the damp cloth and still managed it all right, but you should definitely prepare to work fast so that the phyllo sheets don't dry out.

1 pound chopped mixed nuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar

1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.

(Less-Sweet) Apple Pie

4/9/2015

I love apple pies but find conventional recipes too sweet for me, so I adapted my favorite parts for something a little more to my taste. Thus far, it's met with the approval of all friends and family, even with the lower sugar content - it's now become something of a staple baked good for me now, particularly as the Fall season rolls around and my parents' little sour apple tree starts bearing fruit!

1 or 2 pastries for 9" double crust pie
1 deep-dish pie pan or 2 shallow pie pans
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
8 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, sliced
1 egg (optional)

This can make either 2 shallow pies or 1 deep dish pie. Adjust crust and apple preparations according to which number you are making.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly; they will soften and fall during baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir the corn starch in the water. Stir the corn starch-water mixture and flour into the saucepan to form a paste (it may seem clumpy at first but don't worry, after everything is mixed together it will even out). Add the vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and stir while simmering, making sure everything has become uniform.
Pour over the apples in the pie(s) - if you have two shallow pies, split the sauce evenly between them, if you have one deep-dish, use only about 2/3 of the sauce.
Cover the pies with the top pastry crust. Make sure there is adequate ventilation by either making slits or using a lattice pattern. Make an egg wash by mixing one egg with a little water and brushing over the crust.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then cover with foil to prevent the crust burning. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, until apples are soft.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

4/9/2015

This might almost be more of a really decadent chocolate cupcake instead of specifically red velvet, but regardless of the subtleties of taste, it's been fantastic as both a cake and cupcake; moist, and full of flavor. However, due to the amount of chocolate, it DOES get very dark, especially if you use 70% like I usually do. That's why I prefer the gel food coloring, which is even more intense than pouring whole bottles of liquid food coloring in.

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

a few drops of red gel food coloring
1 tsp vanilla paste
vanilla cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, buttermilk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting (from The Cake Boss)

4/9/2015

Due to all the sugar that's needed to provide support, this isn't at the very top of my list of favorite frostings, but the cream cheese really makes a delicious complement to such cupcakes as the Red Velvet. One could try to play with using some gelatin to help provide support instead of the sugar.

2 8oz packages Philly cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Put the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle at medium speed until creamy, approximately 30 seconds.
With the motor running, pour in the vanilla and paddle for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and mix until smooth, approximately 1 minute after the last addition.
Use this as soon as you make it, because it will get very stiff in the refrigerator. If you have to refrigerate it (for a maximum of 2 days), do not microwave it to freshen it. Instead, let it rest at room temperature for 4 hours to soften.