fruity clafoutis

although i don't exactly live in a climate bursting with cherry blossoms, i am still excited about spring. about our hearty the little plants which are starting to push through the warming earth. stretching out for the sun.

so to celebrate here's a simple dessert which sings of sweet custard and tastes like spring.

chocolate whiskey soufflé tarts

i was searching for st patrick's day treats when this recipe called out. it combines two of my roommate's favorite things: whiskey and chocolate. one should not skimp on either.

reindeer rhythms.

according to the bbc (and a team of scientists) reindeer have
"abandoned use of the daily clock that drives biological rhythms"
in order to survive the extreme conditions in the arctic.

i would like to abandon my daily clock. my circadian rhythms.
in order to survive the extreme conditions of this life i'm living.

apparently my primary circadian clock is located in
my suprachiasmatic nucleus.
if someone could tell me where that is,
i'd like to unplug it.

blackberry pear pie

4 pears
1 cup blackberries
2 teaspoons ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 lemon (the juice from)
1 recipe of pie dough
1 tablespoon milk
1 egg yolk

daylight savings

daylight savings.
sure this is a spectacular idea if one has crops to plant.
or a limited number of candles to burn.
but i have no need for extra evening light.
i need morning light.
to photograph creations such as my blackberry pear pie.
so thanks a lot george vernon hudson
(for coming up with this idea in 1895).
there was no sign of the sun at six this morning.
now all i have is pre-pie photos to share.

and the rest will have to wait until this afternoon.

black and tans

after my sister presented this recent recipe find, i decided to do some brownie research. hoping to turn up a fantastic tale about the creation of this rich and tasty treat. i fear that the story is rather dull.  according to a brownie historian, the treat was created as a 'ladies dessert'- easier to eat than a piece of pie, smaller than a piece of cake.

this particular recipe is more my style. guinness stout and dark chocolate. now that is a ladies dessert!

and why black and tan? because of the drink which, when poured perfectly (combing an ale with a stout), creates a beautiful layer of yes, black and tan.  

the shamrock shake

sugar cookies

1 c butter

3 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

blueberry tarragon tart

1 recipe almond tart dough
3 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons honey

a bit like coffee

you look a bit like coffee
and you taste a bit like me
how. can i keep me from moving?
now. i need a change of scenery
just listen to me I won't pretend to
understand the movement of the wind
or the waves out in the ocean or how
like the hours i change softly slowly
plainly blindly oh me oh my.

(clap your hands say yeah)

sipping peace coffee from my latest thrift store find.
enjoying the music in my head.

roll with it

and this is what we get when I don't like the prospects of the first batch of dough! i used the croissant dough recipe, let it rise for a couple of hours, rolled it out, loaded it up with cinnamon and brown sugar, and rolled into my popover pan (which is always taunting me to use it for things other than popovers). then tossed the whole pan into the fridge and went to bed.  in the morning, i baked them at 375f until they were golden.  the glaze is a bit of cream cheese, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar.

the journey of the pain au chocolate

 

 

 

croissant dough

julia childs, from 'baking with julia'

1 ounce fresh yeast

3 1/2 cups flour, unbleached all purpose

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup milk (plus more)

4 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 tablespoons flour

morning. mondays. march. and me.

this morning. was as so many monday mornings have been.
i stay up into the small hours baking. and then wake late, toss the now cooled result of my evening's endeavor into my bag, and dash out to catch my bus.

greeted by the brisk minnesota air.
i have five blocks to contemplate the dysfunction of my day. i hop over the icy puddles reflecting gnarled fingers of leafless trees. gazing up at a sky drenched in color that only morning can bring.
and then onto the number six bus. winding towards the downtown skyline. dancing with the rising sun.

i want more.
more of the soft light.
more of the calm before the hustle turn bustle.
of a city waking up.

i somehow envision this as a tool. a method of gently coaxing more morning out of each day.
today there was approximately twenty minutes between alarm and out the door. so i am posting, in the last minutes of actual morning, with nothing but a promise.

of more time.

for reflection. sharing. and pain au chocolates.