Thursday, June 26, 2008

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler for Everyday Dish TV & a VegBloggy Award!

Please head over to my new blog at TheUrbanHousewife.com, where you'll find this post & more!

It's been ages since I've posted a recipe, but today I have a recipe & a video as well! While In Portland, I was lucky enough to hang out with Julie Hasson & tape a segment for Everyday Dish TV. I've been watching her show & reading her blog for quite some time, so I was thrilled to be invited on. Here I am on set after I taped my segment, of course I'm rocking my Bake & Destroy shirt! I decided to make a dish that's easy to make & perfect for your current Farmers Market bounty, a Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler!


Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Filling:
1 1/2 cups organic granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
5 cups fresh sliced strawberries
3 cups sliced rhubarb
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of salt

Biscuit topping:
2/3 cup cold Earth Balance margarine or vegetable Shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
3 - 4 tbsp ice water
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°F.

For the Filling: In an oven-safe, deep skillet, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add the rhubarb and strawberries, mixing until coated. Add a pinch of salt, maple syrup & mix well.

Place the skillet on the stove top over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. If necessary, reduce heat slightly to maintain simmer. Let fruit cook until glossy and thickened, stirring as needed, about 10 minutes.

For the Biscuits: In a large mixing bowl, add flour and Earth Balance. Using a pastry blender, cut margarine into the flour in pea-sized pieces.

Gently stir in sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add vanilla. Gradually add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a log, and break into 8 to 10 pieces.
Form small, flat biscuits and place them evenly over the top of the bubbling fruit.

Transfer skillet to the preheated oven. If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, cast iron pot, or pan, transfer your filling into a 9x13 pan, placing the biscuits on top.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until center is firm and biscuits are golden. Let it cool & thicken before serving, then enjoy!



By the way, I am thrilled (& surprised) to say I was given a VegBloggy Award by VegNews magazine. I'm a fan of their publication, so it was nice to see my name on their pages. I'll be attending the VegNews Music / VegBloggy issue launch party tomorrow night & may even have something to do with the desserts at the festivities. Rumor has it, I'll be seeing some of my friends & fellow award winners at the party, it's sure to be a fun night!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Sugar Shock; a massive baking post!

Please head over to my new blog at TheUrbanHousewife.com, where you'll find this post & more!

I am back from Portland! I had a great time seeing familiar faces, making new friends, & eating A LOT of food. I'll be covering the goods in a future post, but in the mean time, get your sweet tooth ready, as I am about to take you on one appetizing adventure that may put you in to sugar shock!

It's no secret, I love to bake! The level at which sweets are being produced is currently at an all time high around here. It may have something to do with a little endeavor I have in the works, but let's just say, they're not all for the consumption of my household or friends! With that being said, let the tour begin!

My friends Jordan & Mike got married. To celebrate, we ditched the guys & had a Girls Night Out which also celebrated the arrival of a friend's baby! I whipped up two types of cupcakes for the occasion; Vanilla with Pineapple Buttercream & Toasted Coconut & "La La Lemon"- Vanilla filled with Lemon Curd & topped with Lemon Buttercream.

I also sent home a little treat for the newlyweds; a Chocolate cake filled with a fudgy Caramel concoction, topped with Chocolate frosting & drizzled in Caramel. Not wanting to send them over the edge, I baked a 5 inch cake, the perfect amount for two to share!


An future vegan spot in San Francisco called "V Restaurant" contacted me for an event they were holding which included a bus tour & a stop in a community garden for dessert. I created this trio of mini treats for everyone to enjoy; Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies, Orange Dreamsicle cupcakes, & locally grown organic Strawberries in Bittersweet Chocolate! I went along for the tour & saw familiar faces including Aurelia from VegNews who wrote about the event for their Press Pass blog.

One of my favorite people, Laura B. the vegansaurus had a birthday! I insisted on creating a cake for her special event, hosted at San Francisco's newest veg cafe, The Usual Suspects. My first time working with a tiered cake, it leaves a bit to be desired visually, but this cake was quickly demolished! The bottom layer is Chocolate filled with Peanut Butter Caramel & the top is Vanilla with macerated Strawberries. I frosted the outside with a light & fluffy Vanilla mousse.

Mini cupcakes are super fun to make, although some would say they're more fun to eat! These mini Chocolate cupcakes with brightly colored Vanilla Buttercream were for an event at the Sephora corporate offices. While I don't believe there were any vegan in the house, rumor has it people loved them & were shocked to find out their veg status!

Finally, I bring you a fun project, a goth inspired cake! Birthday girl & awesome artist Netsui commissioned me to create her birthday cake & this is what we came up with. Despite the black marzipan skull & iron cross exterior, this cake is filled with sweetness; Vanilla cake coated in violet Strawberry Buttercream & filled with fresh strawberries!


I hope I didn't send you in to complete sugar shock! Surprisingly, this isn't all of the sweet treats I've been making & you can expect to see more posts like this in the future. Let's hope you can process it all without slipping into a sugar induced coma!