Dessert

Home & Family, Read, Dessert, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Rock candy Crystallization

Rock candy, so popularly associated with garishly colored sticks and strings, makes its first appearance in world culinography in 9th century Iran. It seems even at such an early time in human history we had already learned to grow sugar crystals. And why would we be growing sugar crystals? Keep reading!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Drink, Gluten Free, Fall, Home & Family, Spring, Summer, Video, Winter

Home & Family: Fermented Coffee

Microbes are the oldest life form on this planet. They can be found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and indeed inside our own bodies. Check out how food-hackers are changing the flavor of coffee with these tiny organisms!

Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Summer, Video

Home & Family: Strawberry Shrub

Trust me on this one, drinking vinegar is great for you. A shrub is a vinegary preserved, fruit syrup that will keep you satisfied all Summer long. Stir some into soda water or shake it with a cocktail!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Snack, Side, Summer, Video

Home & Family: Mealy Fruit

The secret to avoiding mealy fruit this summer lies in temperature control. Learn the science behind those unfortunate peaches and get some tips on storing your favorites while the weather is still warm!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Meat, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Video, Winter

Home & Family: Nomiku Sous Vide

What was once a tool fit only for commercial kitchens has been adapted for your home! The Nomiku is an immersion circulator for the modern cook. Control temperature within a fraction of a degree for perfect cooking.

Dairy Free, Dessert, Home & Family, Video, Winter, Summer

Home & Family: Candied Fruit

Preserving fruit with sugar is a centuries-old tradition that seems to rear its head every Christmas. As we celebrate Christmas in July with Hallmark, take to heart some candying tips. Get started on this now and you'll have gifts aplenty on your shelf to dole out come December! 

Dairy Free, Dessert, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Winter

Candied Lemon Peel

This is not a new trick, it is simply good, old, cooking at its best. When we slowly replace water content in food with sugar we act to reduce the amount of H2O necessary to support the growth of bacteria and microbes. Which is to say, we preserve the food. Sugar is a most excellent prison for your lemons. Keep them alive far past their due date with this solution.

Breakfast, Dessert, Home & Family, Read

Weight vs. Volume

Any scientist worth her salt will tell you that the two most important factors in any experiment are consistency and reproducibility. Considering that every time we bake we are essentially conducting a science experiment, why wouldn’t we hold the same standards in the kitchen?

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Video, Winter

Home & Family: Kitchen Hacks

Let me save you from the terrifying moments when you realize, mid-cake, that you're missing an ingredient. A little chemistry goes a long way when it comes to kitchen hacks!

Dessert, Snack, Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall

Mistake Cake

This is the cake built on mistakes. When you run out of certain ingredients in the kitchen, it's always helpful to know the chemistry behind what you're missing. Do you need to mimic fat? Acid? Leavening? In this case, I took every major substitution I know and used them to build a cake. 

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Drink, Fall, Gluten Free, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Winter, Read

Kitchen Swaps

The cold sweat that drips down your neck when you realize you're missing an ingredient, and the cake batter is halfway finished, is real. You have guests scheduled to arrive in mere hours, nay, minutes. Do you rush to the store and grab a bundt cake shelled in plastic? Oh no, not here. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT. 

Dessert, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Caramel Seafoam

Against my mother's will I used to choose this airy, caramel confection when we were taken to the candy shop as kids. She will eternally favor truffles, the grand nexus of chocolate. But I like a bit of hardened texture in my confections, and this treat could not be more satisfying. Caramel seafoam is the adult equivalent of a teething biscuit. It presses against your teeth as you bite into the brittle caramel, rewarding you with sweetness for the task of chewing. 

 

Dessert, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Side, Snack

ORANGE WALNUT CAKE

A delight of layers, this cake has enough personality to please every texture nerd. I line the pan with caramelized walnuts, then pour the batter on top for baking. Once the cake is out of the oven and cool, I plaster the top with an easy chocolate mousse. Though it may look complicated, fret not- this is a cake you can throw together with minutes on the clock and look like a winner when the buzzer sounds.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Crushed/Chopped Walnuts
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Bourbon
  • 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1/3 cup Tapioca Starch
  • 1/3 cup White RIce Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Coconut Milk
  • 3/4 cup Safflower Oil
  • Zest of two Oranges

BUSINESS

  1. In a large saute pan, heat the walnuts with brown sugar and bourbon over medium flame. When everything is sticky and melted, remove from the stove and pour into the bottom of a lined 9-inch springform cake pan.
  2. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (everything up until Eggs on the list).
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and lighter in color. Whisk in the oil, milk, and orange zest. 
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing to combine.
  6. Pour the batter into the cake pan, over the caramelized walnuts.
  7. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, until browned on top and springy to the touch.
  8. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING BUSINESS

I swear by this genius chocolate mousse posted on Food52, originated by Hervé This. Make a batch with orange juice from your remaining skinned oranges, and slather it on top of the cake before serving.