San Francisco Part 3: Golden Gate Bakery

San Francisco Part 2: Miette Pastry Shop

San Francisco Part 1: Crown and Crumpet

Welsh Cakes

 

Welsh Cakes are a traditional welsh snack and taste somewhat like a mixture of a pancake and a scone. I have made my welsh cake in the traditional cooking method using a cast iron pan that I inherited from my Oma. These cakes can be made with many kinds of dried fruit and spices, today I used currants, fresh lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.   

Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes with Lavander Meringue Buttercream Icing and topped with Meringue Cookies

Ghost Meringues, Happy Halloween!!!

Ingredient:

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree F.
2. Beat eggs on medium until foamy then add cream of tartar, beat until soft peaks form and then slowly add sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form and then add extract.
3. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a SPLAT sheet. Fill a pastry bag or a zip lock bag with your meringue mixture and cut the tip off. Pipe the meringue in 2 inch swirls and then add eyes.
4. Bake meringues for about 1 1/4 hrs -1 1/2 hrs or until they are dry and crisp. let cool and enjoy. 

Hazelnut, Brown Butter Madelines

Vanille and Cookie Ice Cream

It's one of the last days of summer so my boyfriend and I decided to spend it in the park playing frisbee and making ice cream.  Many birthdays ago my uncle Kevin gave me this 'Ice Cream Ball' as a gift, however I have a habit of losing things and this time it took three years to pop up again. Considering that this is originally from an infomercial, I was doubtful as to whether or not it would work, but I was happily surprised. The Ice Cream Ball has two compartments; one is where you have to put about four cups of ice and one cup of rock salt (I got mine from the hardware store), and the second compartment is for the one pint of 18% cream, 3 tbsp suggar and any other delicious treats, we used vanilla and chocolate cookies. Once you have filled the two compartments you just have to kick it, roll it or throw it around for 20 minutes, stirring half way. Then it's time to stuff your face with delicious homemade ice cream!

   

Potted Herb and Seed Bread with Tomatoes

 This weekend I was in the Laurentian mountains visiting with my boyfriends parents. His mother Carol has a plentiful garden which inspired me to make my recipe of herb bread with her cherry tomatoes in a planting pot. The pots are  just simple terracotta pots that I picked up at my local hardware store which can be placed directly into the oven. Here's the recipe:

 Ingredient:
3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp dry active yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp melted butter
5 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp millet flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp olive or canola oil

1. Pour day active yeast into warm water, let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Heat milk, honey and butter over the stove top.
3. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture.
4. Add two cups flour salt, millet flour and seeds.
5. Continue adding the rest of the flour as you mix.
6. Kneed dough for about five minutes.
7. Place dough in a oiled non metallic bowl and lay a tea towel over it, let stand for 1 1/12 hours or until it doubles in bulk
8. Deflate dough and place in terracotta pot with a tea towel over it, let stand for 40 minutes
9. Place in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes.
10. Now they just have to cool off a bit before you cut around the edges and serve them, enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Canneles

Canneles are small French pasteries native to Bordeax,

with a crispy exterior and a custard like interior. I've had them before

 but thery're best right out of the oven.

Chicken, Brie, Blueberry Red Onion Chutney on a Baguette

Rissoto Tomato Tart with Almond and Date Salad

Croissant from Figaro's, Cream Earl Gray Tea and Mixed Berry Hemp Seed Smoothie

FIgaro's is an amazing Croisanterie around the corner from my house.