the clean plate club

treats! :: cupcakes with buttercream frosting

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:12:00 +0000

i love cupcakes. i know, i know, they are all the rage right now. very IN. if a food can be IN, the cupcake is the food of the moment. but really, who's ever not loved the cupcake. it's just that it's finally getting it's due.

i decided to join in the fad. we had some family over for a party last weekend, so went all cupcake crazy. my son and i mixed up Martha's Yellow Cupcake recipe
and topped some of them with chocolate buttercream frosting and some with strawberry buttercream. it was a lot of fun to make them, but when it came down to eating them----what to choose!?

when my sister asked my son which flavor he wanted i was like, "hello? have you met my son? chocolate, of course." we kept sweets out of his life for a long time as i'm a weird combo of crazy health food momma but i also love the treats. . . baking them even more so than eating. so, the boy now being almost 4 has had enough chocolate and ice cream in his time to know what he likes. and that's what he likes. chocolate and ice cream in just about any form or combination.

me, i adore chocolate, but when spring is blooming and fruit is coming back, i have to have strawberry. it's just the right thing to do on a beautiful day in May.

so, whichever kind of cupcake eater you are, here's the buttercream recipes, so you, too, can have both!

BASIC BUTTERCREAM
makes about 8 cups

1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup egg whites
6 sticks of butter, unsalted at room temp, cut into squares
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. in a saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar and water. once boiling let it boil for 7 minutes.

2. after 5 minutes, in the bowl of an electric mixer, begin to whip the egg whites at high speed and whip until stiff (they should be just about done at the end of the 7 minutes.)

3. slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg mixture. pour to the side to avoid the whip. continue to beat until the bowl is cool--approx. 10 minutes.

4. slowly add butter a little at a time until it's all incorporated.

5. at low speed add the vanilla. beat until light and fluffy. if it starts to look curdled, just keep going, it will come together and get smooth again.

for the CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

1. stir in 2-4 ounces of melted, body temperature (100 degrees F) semisweet chocolate per 1 cup of buttercream. make sure you mix it until smooth and completely blended so you don't get flecks of chocolate in there.
2. garnish with chocolate shavings, sprinkles or chocolate chips

for the STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM:

1. stir in 1/4 cup (or to taste) of strawberry puree per 2 cups of buttercream. mix until smooth and well blended.

2. garnish with mint leaves or fanned strawberries.....or both!

YUM!

happy mother's day

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:42:00 +0000

to all the moms out there in the trenches everyday--happy mother's day! yes, it might be a Hallmark, manufactured holiday, but so what. . . we moms need a holiday all our own cause dammit we work hard.

i got to sleep in today. PAST 7am. for real. it was AWESOME. when i awoke, hubby and son had cleaned up the entire 1st floor from a family gathering we'd had the day before. they even did all the dishes. again, AWEsome. but it gets better. then they sat me down, brought me coffee and made me breakfast. i'll say it again. they, the 2 boys in the house, one who is not yet 4 and the other who can barely boil water (sorry hubs, but you know it's true) actually cooked me blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and fruit salad. yes. it was the awesomeEST. they only asked my help with the pancake recipe twice. and they served it outside on my new picnic table. it was lovely. just lovely. i felt like a lucky mom today.

i hope you had an equally lovely day. moms, i salute you.

dinner with martha :: again!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:29:00 +0000

i admit it. i have a martha addiction. i can't help it. her recipes are so neat and tidy and her website is so colorful. i'm just drawn there. that's the truth.

so, martha has a few Tomato Soup recipes on her website. i chose the following one because, well, i had nearly all the ingredients on hand. less to buy at the market is always appealing to me as i have 2 kids to cart around and all the groceries.

i really liked the soup. i was afraid it'd lack flavor because it is such a simple recipe, but it didn't. it was yummy and didn't taste like pasta sauce, which is always a concern for me with tomato soup. the onions make it really flavorful without being over-the-top oniony.

TOMATO SOUP
ala martha

Ingredients

Makes 6 cups.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

24 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes

3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onions have softened, about 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft, 10 to 20 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra stock to thin. Serve immediately.

dinner with martha

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:26:00 +0000

last night i decided to do it up martha style. i had just gotten her latest issue of Food and thought on a whim. so, i thought i ought to not just let it sit on the shelf this time. i ought to cook something up. i found a few good options, but then settled on her Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus. not a really exciting recipe, but i happened to have almost all the ingredients, so i went for it. sometimes you want something simple and reliable, you know? and it was good. not great, but a tasty and easy dinner to be sure.

SIRLOIN STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS AND POTATOES

Ingredients

Serves 4.

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds and 1 inch thick), trimmed and cut into 4 equal portions
1 pound red new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together mustard, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place cup
mustard mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Add steaks, and rub to coat (reserve remaining mixture for serving). Let steaks marinate at room temperature 10 minutes, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; sea
son with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes, then add asparagus to sheet, and toss with another tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes more.
While vegetables are roasting, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Remove steaks from marinade, allowing excess to drip off; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare (if pan darkens quickly, reduce heat). Let rest 5 minutes. Serve steaks with vegetables and reserved mustard sauce; garnish with lemon wedges.

cookie carnival :: may

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:39:00 +0000

it's taken me a couple days to get it decided, but here's the scoop for May's Cookie Carnival. . . we'll be baking up some BLUEBERRY DROP COOKIES. yum!

the round-up for May will be SATURDAY, MAY 31st. if you are interested in joining us cookie freaks, we'd love to have you, of course! send me and email and i'll get you the recipe. kate (AT) thecleanplateclub (DOT) net.

happy baking, everyone!

breakast :: a blueberry muffin recipe

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:41:00 +0000

as i mentioned before, we have a serious muffin fascination around here. and given that we have finally begun to see spring and the summer fruit is on the mind, we're thinking about our favorite muffin. the classic. the most well-loved. the blueberry.

here is our favorite blueberry recipe. try it out and let me know what you think! and stay tuned for good muffin making tips!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Best with fresh bloobs, but do what you have to do.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. Fit your mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; mix to combine. Reduce speed to low and add some of the flour mixture, then add some of the milk—alternating until done. Make sure to begin and end with flour. Gently fold in berries by hand. Pour batter into muffin tins and bake until light golden, 20-25 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan, on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place directly on the rack, and let cool completely.

YUM!

also, for some great information on blueberries, hit wildblueberries.com. they have got recipes, lists of the health benefits of blueberries and more on their site. . . and i think it's funny when a food gets it's own dot com.

williams-sonoma giveaway :: we have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:41:00 +0000

i'm so excited to announce the winner of the $50 GIFT CARD to Williams-Sonoma. there were lots of entries! rest assured, i DID choose randomly with the help of random.org.

and i'm happy to say that the blogger (i don't know her name!) Smells Like Home has won! it's especially cool that she won (i'm assuming it's a she based on what i have seen of her blog) because she's a serious foodie. the icing on the cake is that she's a fellow New Englander.

i've been perusing her blog and it's chock full of lovely recipes and beautiful photos. i know she's worthy of the WS gift card and she'll use it well! maybe she'll even comment here and let us know what she got!

CONGRATS to SMELLS LIKE HOME!

now, go forth and shop!

table talk :: broccoli and what a mommy knows

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:19:00 +0000

this is how the conversation went with my son who will be four this summer:

*after seeing broccoli on his plate*

child: mommy, i don't like broccoli.
me: oh, you'll like it like this. i put butter, salt and some cheese on it. try it.
child: but, i already know i don't like it.
me: try it anyway. it's really good!

*he reluctantly tries it*

child: mommy, i LIKE IT!
me: see, i told you. you have to trust me. mommy knows a thing or two.
child: mommy, you know, like, FIVE things.

yes. somedays that really seems true.

cookie carnival :: april round-up!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:56:00 +0000

it's time!

The Cookie for April was a lovely, delicate little thing called a Vanilla Bean Thin. i have to say, i really enjoyed this cookie a LOT. however, it's possible i enjoyed the dough even more. so very tasty. i'm a sucker for just about anything that includes vanilla bean. i'm not a big fan of cheesecake, but my good friends makes a kick-ass one vanilla bean cheesecake and when that gets served, i'm ALL over it.

some folks had a little trouble with crumbly dough. i was afraid i'd run into that, but i really didn't. these cookies were pretty easy for me to make. and they tasted so good with english breakfast tea. or a bit of coffee. or just plain milk.

i had my son in the kitchen whipping these up with me, of course, and he had a ball. i chose this recipe so that he could roll and cut. he gets so proud when he brings out his little rolling pin along side mine. we have fun together getting all doughy.

so, without further ado, here's the recipe, the photos and links to all the other carnivalers posts!

VANILLA BEAN THINS

Gourmet Magazine Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk

Special equipment:
a 2-inch cookie cutter (we used a fluted diamond-shaped one)

Preparation
Make vanilla sugar:
Scrape vanilla seeds from pod with tip of a knife into confectioners sugar. Halve pods crosswise and bury in sugar. Cover tightly and let stand at least 24 hours and up to 1 month.

Make cookies:
Discard pods and transfer vanilla sugar to a food processor. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse just until mixture is in pea-size lumps. Add yolk and pulse just until a dough forms. Gather dough into 2 balls, then flatten into 2 (5-inch) disks and chill, each disk wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325.

Roll out 1 disk (keep the other chilled) to less than 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutter and chill scraps. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on a buttered large baking sheet. Make more cookies with remaining dough, rerolling scraps (but only once).

Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Cooks' notes:
::Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.
::Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

first in the round-up is kitty at boring history girl. she's a funny one. she battled the crumbly dough and ended up the winner. you go, kitty!

next is megan at megan's cookin'. she went a different way and cut her cookies with a knife as opposed to using a cutter. and they look elegant!

on to mari with her jaw-dropping-awesome photography. (this is hers with the cookies tumbling from the jar). i've been a lurker on her blog for a while, and i love what she does, so i was all flattered that she wanted to join up with the carnival. check her post here.

then there's megan of my baking adventures. she also battled the crumbly dough, but persevered and made a great-looking batch of cookies. go megan!

last, but by no means least is sihan from walking in the rain, who battled mother nature to get these cookies made! that's right. carnivaling cooks don't let anything get them down. read about it here. and check out some more beautiful photography. . . here's sihan's cookie photo.

thanks to everyone who participated this month! i hope we continue to grow and maybe get everyone who's signed up to bake in the same month. it would be so fun!

stay tuned for a little something different for the May Carnival!

bloggy giveaway :: we have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:16:00 +0000

thanks everyone, for entering my giveaway! the Cake Decorator's Bible goes to JINXY & ME of the blog JINXY KNOWS BEST! congratulations! i hope you'll visit me for the next one in the fall. but, of course, feel free to stop by and say hello anytime!

Happy Spring!

bloggy giveaway :: a cake decorating cookbook!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:58:00 +0000

it's that time again! the quarterly bloggy giveaway! what could be better than free stuff?

this time, i'm offering a wonderful cookbook. THE CAKE DECORATOR'S BIBLE. it's awesome.

it's got recipes for fabulous cakes. it's got great pictorial step-by-step instructions for all kinds of cake decorating techniques. there are some pics here, but you can also do the "search inside" on amazon.com.

HOW to WIN it: all you have to do to is comment on this post.

i'll pick a winner randomly on April 27th. check back here to see who won, but also leave an email/blog address in your comment.

that's all!
be sure to go to bloggygiveaways.com for the list of other giveaways. there's sure to be TONS of great stuff offered.

anticipating summer :: ICE CREAM!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:16:00 +0000

today it's going to reach 70 degrees here in my corner of New England. though we in these parts know it's just a tease, it does mean that Spring had actually, officially arrived. the tulips are out, the crocuses have croaked, the daffodils are ta-tooting (don't they look like little trumpets, announcing that Spring is here?) and we're feeling frisky.

for my son, this means that "summer, must be coming next week!" and summer means ice cream. and for us, that's something to get excited about. for him it's like Christmas. or even better.

so, today, in honor of the weather and thoughts of summer, i bring you my favorite ice cream recipe. FRESH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM. it's yummy. really yummy.

it always amazes me when i make my first batch of ice cream in the summer (or spring) how much better it is than *any*thing you find in the market. it's just so good.

so, get our your ice cream makers everyone! it's time for some strawberry lovin'.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

ingredients:

1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/2 cup half & half
2/3 cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled (from one 16-ounce container)

instructions:

1. combine cream and half & half in heavy medium saucepan. stir sugar, yolks and corn syrup in medium bowl. bring cream mixture to simmer. gradually stir cream mixture into yolk mixture. return mixture to saucepan.
2. using wooden or rubber spatula, stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spatula when finger is drawn across, about 10 minutes (do not boil). transfer custard to bowl. cover and refrigerate custard until cold.
3. puree strawberries in food processor. gradually blend in custard. strain custard through fine-mesh sieve.

4. process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. transfer to container and freeze until firm. if you want to jazz it up a bit, mix in some chocolate chips before you put it in the freezer. that's some extra good yum.

that's all it takes, friends.

makeover :: a new blog!!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:06:00 +0000

it's amazing.

my blog has a new face!

it's been prettied up by the FABULOUS summer. needless to say i love it and now i hope i can give it the attention it deserves and post a little more often than i have of late!

happy spring everyone! and if your blog needs a lift, call on summer. you won't be disappointed! and she only charges $25. a total bargain.

blog for babies

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:26:00 +0000

in case you haven't heard about it, holly over at Phemomenon is doing a wonderful blog event--Blog For Babies by Making Little Wonders. here is a bit from her blog that will clue you in to her amazing journey as mother to her baby, Cole.

What some of you may not know about me is that I have been homebound since November 8, 2007. We have been in quarantine (and still are until at least May 1st).

Early last October I was 7 months pregnant with our second child. Another boy (heaven help me!). Roughly 8 weeks before my due date I started getting really sick. I was sick the entire pregnancy anyway, but this was different. This wasn’t normal, and it was intensely more painful. What I didn’t know at the time was that I had an uncommon form of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy - my body was giving up. Doctors don’t know what causes this or how it happens. I went for some tests to find out what was wrong and about two hours later Cole was here. All 3 lbs 6 oz of him. He was okay, but he was very small and underdeveloped for how far along I was.

her blog event asks us to make something little. something to honor the little ones among us who have a rough start in life. go to her blog for lots more info. the idea is for her to gain sponsors for the March for Babies, which is happening soon. here is the link to her March of Dimes page where you can sponsor her. she also is trying to just raise awareness of the event.

in addition, holly is looking for donations of prizes that she can giveaway. though i am unable to do the event this month, i have given a prize for her to give away. it's a onesie. for those of you who don't know about my clothing line. hit my website--bubbleandsqueak.biz.

and go over and visit holly! give her some love!

the cake = YUM.

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:03:00 +0000

on sunday my son and i had High Tea. yes. we sliced into that cake and had some vanilla nut tea. it was lovely. we even had candles!

i'm definitely a big fan of the cake recipe of Dorie's that was chosen for last month's Daring Bakers challenge. but, i think, even more than the cake, the frosting is where it's at. so good. and so easy! sometimes butter cream can be a pain. but not this one. and i'm not sure why. all i know is it's tasty.

especially with lemon.

ooooohh.

being a mom is hard.

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:26:00 +0000

it's been a long week of not being able to find time to post! so, i have to ask. . .how do you mommy bloggers do it? especially the ones who bake and cook like crazy, too. . . and post about it all!

cause i gotta say, having 2 kids is kicking my butt. the laundry, the dishes, the constant messes. how to keep up with that and still have time for my "stuff" (i.e. this blog) is becoming a mystery to me.

the fun news is that my blog is being redesigned. whoo hoo! i just hope i can do it justice by posting regularly! we'll see.

today we'll be slicing into The Cake. that will cheer me up! i love anything lemon and raspberry and people are raving about the recipe. so, here's hoping mine came out well.

back to the dishes. . .

cookie carnival :: april!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:32:00 +0000

it's carnival time!
so, this month's cookies are VANILLA BEAN THINS! a simple, elegant cookie. and it's a good one to do with kids who can roll and cut dough.

the posting date for the round-up will be APRIL 28th. carnivalers, there's an email on the way to you and those not yet involved if you'd like to join, here's how it works:

:: send an email to kate{AT}thecleanplateclub{DOT}net, please put "cookie carnival" in the subject line. and i'll email you the recipe of the month.

:: when you've made your batch of cookies and posted about it, email me the direct link to your post and i'll include you in the round-up on the specified day the end of the month. please include a picture if you can and i'll put that up as well.

:: i will send you an email every month with the recipe for that month. you are in no way obligated to participate every month, but this way you can if you want to. you can also email me to unsubscribe at any time.

sweet!

Daring Bakers March Challenge :: Dorie's Perfect Party Cake

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:35:00 +0000

I did it!

Just under the wire, but it's done. this is my second DB challenge and i have to say it was really fun!! this month it was Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake. the recipe comes from her book Baking From My Home To Yours. lots of peeps in the food blog world love Dorie. i'd never heard of her until recently and i have to say i'm a fan!

anyways, i was stressing out all month about the challenge because i hate to bake and not have a good occasion for the eating of it. i was thinking i'd bring the cake to my mom's for easter, but then we ended up staying at home for easter, so when to bake a cake? who would eat it?

then, i read the challenge directions again and saw that included instructions for freezing the fully frosted cake! so, that's what i did.

this little number's in the freezer now waiting for next saturday when she'll come out for a small family gathering we're having. i'll deck her out in fresh raspberries. maybe a little candied violet or 2 and she'll be feeling real sassy and ready to party. she is the perfect party cake, after all!

so, here's the cake looking a little un-dapper. but i'll post more pics after i decorate and slice in. i can't wait to taste it, too, of course!

thanks to morven for a great challenge--it was fun. the directions were easy to read and understand.

well, i'm off to check out everyone's cakes. . .

--------------------------
DORIE'S PERFECT PARTY CAKE

For the Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream:

1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For Finishing:

2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

asparagus :: the food of kings

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:20:00 +0000

hooray! spring is coming, people! (she says as it snows outside)

i don't know about you, but we New Englanders are pretty psyched to see the happy, sun-warm, weather coming on the horizon. but, then again, we're never happy. we'll be complaining about the heat soon enough.

right now, we're getting excited about Springtime produce and first on the list is a true harbinger of Spring--Asparagus! it took me a long time to learn to appreciate it. When I was a kid I thought it was just awful--right up there with cherry tomatoes--those red, squishy, slimy wanna-be grapes. but now that my tastes and I have matured, i'm all about this green, stalky friend. saute 'em, grill 'em, puree them in a soup and i'm there.

want a tiny bit of history? (it's actually interesting)

the word asparagus comes from Greek meaning, "sprout" or "shoot." it's a member of the Lily family. (who knew?) the cultivation of this stalky veg dates back more than 2,000 years in the eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans alike prized it not only for its texture and mature flavor, but also for its alleged medicinal properties. (it was believed to cure toothaches and bee stings). a friend told me recently that eating canned asparagus cured her of a urinary tract infection. so, there ya go. a multi-purpose vegetable. King Louis XIV of France dubbed it the "Food of Kings." he had special greenhouses built so that he could enjoy it year round.

that's devotion! I can respect that kind of food obsession. this is a vegetable that's so cool it's got it's own .org. seriously. go to www.asparagus.org to find out just about anything you would want to know.

here is my favorite spring/summer recipe. it's so easy, i sort of hesitate to call it a recipe. but it's wikkid yummy!

EASY GRILLED ASPARAGUS
serves 4

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

:: heat grill to medium-high. in a shallow bowl drizzle asparagus with olive oil.

:: grill asparagus until tender and browning slightly. turn it frequently for about 5 minutes. transfer to platter. sprinkle with salt to taste. serve warm or at room temperature.

:: i prefer to lay the asparagus right on the grill, but there is the risk of losing some through the grates. that's a risk I'm willing to take. you can also thread them onto skewers or put them in a disposable pan.

now that's good grilling!

cupcake love

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:02:00 +0000

my cupcake hero entry was mentioned over at All Things Cupcake in the Weekly Cupcake Collection!

that's pretty cool! i like gettin' some love. and ATC is such a fun blog.

: )

a departure from the food

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:41:00 +0000

have you all been over to Mike Leonen's blog? it's called Something About Parenting. it's something you should check out. Mike writes really fun and thought-provoking posts on the ins and outs of parenting. he's also a phenomenal artist. this is one of his, called Banana Slide (i chose one with food in it to try and keep it on task with the food blog here). i love this illustration!

Mike did some work for me over Christmas last year. he altered 2 photos for me--one of each of my kids. and the came out just fabulous. i would love to show you, but the hubby doesn't want me to post photos of the kiddos faces. so i don't. the work mike did was really cool. he made a picture of my son in his baseball cap and baseball glove just POP with vibrant color. he drew baseball bats and baseballs around the edges and added some fun text. for my daughter who was only 3 months old, he made her close-up all soft and warm and golden. truly lovely. i highly recommend Mike. if want a special gift or a keepsake for yourself, send him some pictures of your kids. you won't be sorry you did!

cookie carnival :: march round-up!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:21:00 +0000

we have carnival'd! not as many people who signed on came through, but we still had a great month and we'll hopefully see them in april. i'm just so thrilled that folks wanted to do this with me at all!

so, on to this month's cookie. i have to say, they were kind of pain in patootie to make, but dang, they are TASTY little buggers. really tasty. worth the bit of frustration. . .

of course i had my little kitchen helper on hand to help me thru it. he, as usual, had to make "my OWN cookies, mommy!" so, i had support. the trouble comes when rolling the log. the dough tends to crack and crumble a bit, so i had to sort of do repair work as i rolled, pinching the dough back together. i have no idea why this happened--i'm not a skilled enough baker. but, i wonder if it has to do with the temperature of the dough or the flour to fat ratio.

RASPBERRY SWIRL COOKIES
Bon Appetit | February 2004

Makes 2 dozen.

ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

preparation
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Flatten and shape into rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly before rolling out.)

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13x10-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick). Mix jam and coconut in small bowl to blend. Spread over dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Sprinkle nuts evenly over jam mixture. Starting at one long side, roll up dough jellyroll style into 13x2 1/2-inch log. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap cookie log; cut 1/2 inch off each end and discard. Cut remaining log crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange rounds, cut side down, on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart; reshape into neat rounds, if desired. Bake cookies until edges and bottom are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

holly from pheMOMenon played along this month. here's her post. she and her son seemed to have no trouble making them. . .or eating them!

also joining this month was kitty from boring history girl. here's her post. she had a heap of trouble with the recipe, but she's got a good sense of humor about it. check out her post for the sorta sad pictures of her cookies! sorry, kitty! it'll be better next time, i'm sure!

and then there's cara from the picky apple. she had a hard time of it, too--due to sleep deprivation. believe me, cara, i've been there! many times. check out her funny post here.

lastly (but not leastly) we have mari at mevrouw cupcake who expertly thought to add vanilla bean to the dough. umm....YUM! check her post here.

if you'd like to join april's carnival, we would love to have you! drop me an email--kate AT thecleanplateclub DOT net.

thanks to everyone who participated!

cupcake hero :: march marshmallow!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:09:00 +0000

could i be the next cupcake hero? is it possible? well, i'm not saying it's NOT possible, but given that it's my first try at this wikkid fun food blog event, i'm not holding my breath. i had a great time coming up with a good entry, though.

the theme for the month was MARSHMALLOW. so, of course i went down the s'mores path. but ultimately, i couldn't find a suitable way to get the graham into the mix. a chocolate cupcake with marshmallow frosting would be excellent, but how do you get the graham in there? well, i also figured there'd be lots of s'mores-type entries, so i gave up on the quest and finally landed on a recipe i have had for years--raspberry cupcakes. i usually do a lemon glaze on them, but for the challenge, i made it a lemon marshmallow frosting which *totally* rocked. it was SO good.

so, here's how it's done:

RASPBERRY CUPCAKES WITH LEMON MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

1 egg
4 egg whites
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup raspberry puree (approx. 1 pint of raspberries, sieved to remove seeds)
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cup flour

:: preheat oven to 350.

:: with an electric mixer, mix all ingredients on low speed to combine, and then on high speed for about a minute.

:: pour into 18 prepared cupcake tins, and bake for around 20-25 minutes.

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:
2 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
9 standard-size marshmallows
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

::In a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until a thin syrup forms that drops in a thin thread from spoon -- about 15 minutes.

:: With mixer on medium speed, gradually pour half of the syrup into egg whites and beat until soft peaks form; keep remaining syrup at a simmer. Add marshmallows, one at a time, to syrup mixture until the marshmallows melt down. Gradually beat syrup into the frosting mixture until it reaches spreadable consistency. Beat lemon juice in.

happy easter!

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:58:00 +0000

comfort food :: beef stew

noreply@blogger.com (kate) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:56:00 +0000

it's been rainy and COLD and overall kinda miserable here in my corner of new england. we're wishing for spring, and it comes way to slowly! so, i turn to comfort food.

for me and the husband, beef stew is good, cold weather comfort food. and of course i made martha's fab layered biscuits (again) because they are just too damm good.

have you seen the movie Big Night? it's about a pair of brother's trying to keep their little, authentic italian restaurant alive when they are across the street from a much more american italian place that's kind of the neighborhood hot spot. there's a line in that movie about one of the dishes being "so good you have to kill yourself!" it's classic. the movie is a must-see for the many many classic lines. anyway, that's this meal--the biscuits are perfect and the beef stew is just so rich and warm and flavorful. it's good eats on a cold cold not-winter-but-not-yet-spring night.

i've tried many'a beef stew recipe and i've found this one from emeril (around here we just refer to him as "bam!"). it's simple and it's delicious. and here it is:

SAM'S BEEF STEW
courtesy of emerils.com

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
4 cups dark veal or meat stock
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Toss the beef with the flour. When the oil is hot, add the meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the onions, celery and 1 tablespoon of garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables are wilted and golden about six minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Deglaze the pan with the stock, scraping the browned particles away from the pan. Add the potatoes and carrots. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Reseason the stew if necessary. Yield: 4 to 6 servings