Banana Pudding

Not the most photogenic dessert in the world, but it sure is good!

Woah, it's been a long time since I've posted on here. There are too many other food blogs out there for me to have to write the usual apology for not posting more regularly, so I will just get right to writing about this yummy banana pudding!

I had been seeing quite a few recipes for vanilla wafers on the blogosphere, so I had been planning to make this pudding with said wafers for a long time. I finally got around to it today. I made the wafers (of varying sizes), the egg custard for the pudding, and then put everything together. The wafers were good, but the buttery flavor was too salient for the pudding. I think I will either use less butter in the wafers or try another recipe next time. The wafers by themselves were good, too. I didn't take any pictures of the cookies because they looked pretty plain, but you can still see them poking out of the homemade whipped cream (I don't like meringue.) and custard. YUM!

*UPDATE*
After sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours, this banana pudding has gotten a lot better. Now you can barely taste that heavy buttery taste I mentioned previously, so everything has melded together very well. This pudding is divine!

I got the recipe from my favorite southern food blog, Southern Plate. Every single thing I've made on this site has been so good. From the chicken crockpot dressing to this banana pudding, she knows what she's talking about. I also love how she uses generic basic ingredients. Because of her, I own a generous size of generic, Wal-mart brand vanilla extract that only cost me .98 cents :D.

Here is the recipe. Since I live alone, I halved the recipe (full recipe is shown below),and it still procured a generous portion. In order to add in 1 1/2 egg yolks, I usually stir the yolks (you can do the same thing with whole eggs), and then I pour in what looks like over half of the stuff. It works perfectly every time.

All gone!

Homemade Banana Pudding
adapted from Southern Plate

1/2 C Sugar
1/3 C Flour
3 egg yolks (I saved and froze my egg whites for my new go-to white cake recipe. I will post about that later)
2 C milk
2-3 dozen vanilla wafers* (or 1 box Nilla Wafers)
5 bananas (I used 2 bananas in my half version, and it was perfect)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
dash salt

Place a layer of Nilla Wafers in the bottom of a medium sized mixing bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat two more times with another layer of wafers and remaining bananas.

In sauce pot (or double boiler) on medium low heat, add all ingredients except for vanilla, bananas, and wafers. Stir well with wire whisk and then switch to a wooden spoon. Allow to cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thickened - about ten to fifteen minutes (Do not rely heavily on the time; rely more on the thickness of the custard. You don't want to end up with scrambled eggs!). Once the custard coasts the spoon, turn off the heat. Add in vanilla and stir. Immediately pour over wafers and bananas. Let sit for about five minutes or so before serving, to allow wafers time to absorb pudding. Top with meringue (or whipped cream), if desired.

For a basic recipe for Whipped Cream, you can go here. I made mine with 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 2 Tbsps of sugar, and 1/2-1 tsp of vanilla extract.

*Vanilla Wafer Cookies

adapted from Baking Bites

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder over the butter mixture and stir to combine. Scrap dough into a pastry bag fitted with a plain piping tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making each cookie the size of a large chocolate chip. Cookies will spread, but only a little space is needed between cookies. (IMHO, the dough was too thick for the piping bag, so I just used a teaspoon and dumped the dough onto the pan. Since it would be covered with custard and cream, I wasn't worried about them looking perfect.)

Bake at 325 F for 10 to 15 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the exact size of your cookies. Mine were a bit tall, but slightly smaller than a dime. They spread slightly to about dime-size. Cool on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

Bakewell Tart... er... Pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.



I was at first very excited about this challenge because it involved the preparation of three layers of desserts I'd never prepared (frangipane/Victoria Sponge, homemade jam, shortbread pastry dough), and it was a dessert I'd never had or heard of. After thinking about each layer later on, my excitement waned because I thought that the dessert would be boring and lacking in flavour/flavor. Every time I ached to make a dessert, my eyes would glaze over the assigned Bakewell Tart/Pudding to some other "more appetizing" dessert. After I finally had given in and made the Bakewell Tart/Pudding, however, I regretted delaying the process for so long. The tarts/puddings were so good.

Since I live alone, I halved the recipe and prepared them in small, individual tart pans. Also, I'm not a fan of nuts, so I made half the recipe of a Queen Victoria Sponge Cake as the top layer instead of the frangipane. I also made homemade strawberry jam and blueberry jam for the middle layer to make two different tarts/puddings. I made the shortbread crust a day before making the entire tart/pudding. The crust was very similar to making regular pie crust.

All layers were very easy to make and quick to come together. My only problem was getting the sponge cake to cook throughout. In both varieties of tarts/puddings, the cake layers came out very brown on top but were not fully cooked on the bottom of its layer. I'm assuming they came out like that because of the jam layer. Nevertheless, both tarts/puddings were very good. I preferred the blueberry one out of the two.

Thanks for this challenge; it was fun!

Quick Pan-Fried Salmon

When my mother came to visit me for a few days, she purchased three packets of salmon. I told her that she shouldn't buy salmon since she would have to keep them cold during her 8-hour trip back to Arkansas. She bought them anyway promising that she would keep them in a ice-filled cooler. A few hours into her car trip, she called me and said frantically, "I forgot to take the salmon out of the freezer! I left them at your house!" I laughed and said, "I told you that you shouldn't have bought the salmon." After I promised her I would eat the salmon for her so that they wouldn't go to waste, she doubted me.

After I saw a quicker method of cooking salmon than the way I usually do it (oven-baked while wrapped in foil), I decided to try that out with one of the pieces of salmon. It was so good, that I'm going to eat the second piece of salmon today. Thanks, mom! :D I told you that I would eat it!

Quickie Grilled or Pan-Fried Salmon
adapted from Noob Cook

Ingredients (1 serving)

1. 1 piece of salmon fillet
   
2. Lawry's Seasoning Salt, kosher salt, or organic sea salt
3. Freshly cracked black pepper
4. One or two herbs you have in the pantry (optional)
5. 1/2 - 1 Tbsp of butter or olive oil

Directions:

Pull out the bones from the salmon fillet using your fingers or a tweezer, or use the boneless variety, like I did. Season the fish with salt or seasoning salt, black pepper, and herbs.Melt a knob of butter and spread it evenly on the griddle pan (or use olive oil). Grill the salmon fillet, skin side down first, for about 4 minutes each side (or till lightly browned) over medium fire. I pan-fried my fish, and it was perfect!

Pizza Hut Clone Pizza

For an update on this recipe, go here. The photos look better there; I promise!I was surprised at how good this tasted. The taste was very similar to that of Pizza Hut. I saw this recipe many months ago after doing a google search for pizza hut dough, but I never got around to making it because of the requisite non-fat dry milk ingredient. I later saw the recipe on Real Mom Kitchen and bookmarked it for the future.

When my mother came into town to visit me, she wanted me to make this pizza for her and thus purchased the missing ingredient, along with fresh mozzarella, provolone, mini pepperoni, and other things. Unfortunately, I never got around to making it for her (she is still complaining about that to this day hehe). I finally got around to trying it yesterday, and it was perfect. I think I like this recipe more than the Reinhart recipe! I love how I can make personal pan pizze instead of one big one.


I made three balls of dough in total and placed one in the freezer (for another day) and the other in the refrigerator (for tomorrow) after I allowed them to ferment overnight in the refrigerator. The first ball of dough was formed into pizza, baked, and eaten gleefully. Although the recipe doesn't state it, I highly suggest parbaking the dough for about 4-6 minutes before putting on the toppings. The edges of my pizza were golden brown; however, the base of the pizza was not done. I had to place foil along the crust and cook it for 5-7 minutes more than what the recipe states (and my oven tends to overheat!). I made this pizza with homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, provolone, mushrooms, and mini pepperoni.

Don't worry, mom! I will make this for you when I visit you in July! Love you! :)

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

1 1/3 C Warm water (105F/40C)
1 pk Dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 C Non−fat dry milk
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil (for dough)
1/2 tsp Salt
4 C Flour
approx. 9 Oz Vegetable oil (3 oz. per pan)
Butter flavored Pam (optional)

Put yeast, sugar, and dry milk in a large (2 qt.) bowl. Add the water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and salt and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, mix the ingredients with a dough hook and then knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes.) Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans ( or can use 1 - 9 inch pie plate and 1 - 9 x 13 dish) , put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle. Place in cake pans. Spray the outer edge of dough with Pam (optional). Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sauce:
1 8 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Dry Oregano
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Dry Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
1/2 tsp sugar (to offset the bitterness of the tomato sauce)
Combine and let sit for 1 hour while the dough rises.

For Each Nine Inch Pizza:
Preheat oven to 475F (I cooked at 450). Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge. Distribute 1 1/2 Oz. shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce. Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or Ham, Vegetables, Meats (cooked ground sausage or beef). Top with 3 Oz. mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown about 15 minutes. I then brush outer edge of crust with garlic butter.

Double Chocolate Ice Cream

After an unsatisfactory attempt of making the Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream I mentioned before, I decided to make something I knew would taste good. I don't know if I did something wrong, but the texture and taste of the cheesecake ice cream were way off.

I have been trying to avoid custard-based ice creams because I don't like using only one part of an egg. I have way too many egg whites in the freezer already. However, I was really pining for a creamy ice cream and succumbed to the idea of making an ice cream with egg yolks. I knew I wanted chocolate, so I looked in my bookmarked recipes for chocolate ice cream recipes with the least amount of egg yolks.

Fortunately, I found one that required four instead of 5 to 8(!) egg yolks. In the future, I'm going to try to make the same ice cream with 2 egg yolks to see if they come out okay. Also, I want to try making a chocolate sorbet, which doesn't require any egg yolks at all. I hope the consistency of the ice cream will be more than satisfactory.

Back to the ice cream I made... I didn't have any blocks of chocolate, so I used a combination of Guittard's semi-sweet chocolate chips and Nestlé chocolate/peanut butter chips. I didn't taste any of the peanut butter, but the ice cream was FANTASTIC. I could barely sleep last night because I couldn't wait to have more the next day. With my ongoing insomnia, I had to force myself away from that freezer all night and early morning :). Make sure you have other people around when this ice cream is ready, or you'll be tempted to eat too much of it in one sitting!

July is National Ice Cream month, so I'm sending this to the Ice Cream Social Challenge, put together by Savor The Thyme. Tangled Noodle, Scotty Snacks & to Ben’s Homemade# 5: Ice Cream.

I'm also submitting this ice cream recipe to What's Cooking Summer Recipe #4 - Ice Cream forum!



Double-Chocolate Ice Cream

from Williams Sonoma Collection: Ice Cream and My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I didn't have whole milk, so I used a combo of skim and half-n-half)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
pinch of salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional:
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't add these since I had used them in the base)

Method:
1. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the milk and 1 cup of the cream. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5-7 minutes (I waited until there was a film on top of the milk).

2. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cocoa, salt and remaining 1/2 cup of cream in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve (It never reached the smooth stage for me. Just wait until it is well-mixed).

3. Remove the milk mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4-6 minutes (My custard seemed to be the right consistency as soon as I put everything in the pot! I still continued to heat it for 4-5 minutes). Do not let the custard boil. Put the 6 ounces of chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) in a heat proof bowl and pour the hot custard over it (I suggest putting only half of the mixture over the chips, wait a minute or two, then stir the chocolate. After the chocolate has melted, add the rest of the custard). Stir until the chocolate melts and the custard is smooth. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (if you like little chunks of chocolate in your ice cream, I would skip this step, unless you think there are a few curdled egg bits in your custard). Add vanilla and stir to combine.

4. Place the bowl into a larger bowl partially filled with ice cubes and water. Stir occasionally until cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

5. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stir in optional mini chocolate chips. Transfer the ice cream to freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days before serving.

100% Whole Wheat Bread: Artisan Bread in "Five" Minutes

I checked out the popular Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day from the library a few weeks ago and decided to make whole wheat bread.

The bread was really good, but it was very dense because of the flour. After I put some butter on it, my mom devoured her piece happily. I plan to make the other wheat bread that requires a combination of whole wheat and regular bread flour the next time around.

I had made brioche dough from this book on a previous occasion, so I had an idea of how to prepare and handle the dough. However, if you would like to see a video of the authors demonstrating how to prepare the dough, go here.

Instead of grading my students' exams, I was making this dough hehe.

Despite the authors' explanations and justifications, I still think calling this bread process as "five minutes a day" misleading. Nevertheless, having dough sitting in the refrigerator ready for your beckoning call is very nice. If you live alone, like I do, I suggest halving this recipe, or make the other loaf, cut it into slices, freeze the slices, take out however many you want later, and then put them in a toaster to defrost.

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Makes two to three 1.5 lb loaves (I made two).

1 1/2 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 c lukewarm milk
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 c honey
5 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (like canola oil)
6 2/3 c whole wheat flour

1. Mix the yeast salt, honey, and oil with the lukewarm water and milk in a 5-quart bowl (I used the KA mixer bowl), or a lidded, not airtight food container.
2. Using a spoon, food processor with dough attachment, or a stand mixer, mix in the whole wheat flour without kneading the mixture.
3. Cover the mixture, and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flatten on top); approximately 2 to 3 hours (see picture above).
4. Although the dough can be used after it has risen and collapsed, the authors state that the mixture is easier to handle when it is cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded, not airtight container and use over the next 5 days (I used my tea container). After the five days, put the dough in the freezer for up to 1 month.
5. On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Using wet hands, scoop out a 1 1/2-pound (cantaloupe-size) handful of dough. With wet hands, quickly shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6. Drop the loaf into the prepared pan filling it slightly more than half-full.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Flour and slash the top of the loaf using the tip of a serrated bread knife.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 5 minutes, if not using a stone; otherwise, preheat the oven 20 minutes before baking time.
9. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes or until deeply browned and firm.
10. Allow to cool completely before slicing in order to cut reasonable sandwich slices.

Homemade Pasta & Bolognese Sauce

Noodles with italian seasoning on top.

This past weekend, I decided to make my first batch of homemade pasta after seeing the detailed, yet simple process on Pioneer Woman's website. She had a visitor called Pastor Ryan who made this pasta along with bolognese sauce (usually a ragù or meat sauce originating from Bologna, Italy). *NOTE* After reading a comment on PW's site, I found out that this recipe was copied (and not acknowledged! That is not cool.) from Chef Gordon Ramsey. I included the youtube video of him making the recipe below.)

It was so easy to make. I only had one problem and that dealt with the texture of the noodles after I cooked them. I followed the recipe exactly, but I think the noodles should have dried for a few minutes before cooking them. I also think they could have cooked one more minute longer. Nevertheless, it was so good. I will definitely make this again.

Make sure you flour your surface well and flip over the dough as you roll it out to prevent the noodles from sticking too much.

At this point, most of the noodles were sticking to the table. I had to pry them up with a dough scraper. I also cut the noodles with a pizza wheel.

I made the sauce first so that it could simmer for up to 2 hours. I also halved this recipe and ate it for over two days for lunch and dinner (four meals +!). Make this ASAP! :)

I sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top and poured a glass of iced green tea in a wine glass to make everything look special :).

Bolognese Sauce (halved version)

copied and adapted from Chef Gordon Ramsey and Pioneerwoman

3/4 cups grated carrots
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon oregano flakes
1 tablespoon dried basil flakes
1/2 6-ounce can tomato paste (I used tomato sauce because I was out of this)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/1 to 1 cup red wine (I don't drink; I used leftover, homemade chicken broth)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
salt
pepper
1 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1/2 cup milk (I used heavy cream; you could also use half-n-half)
Fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or big pot over medium heat.
   
2. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes.
   
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then add in the ground beef (or turkey or chicken).
   
4. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.
   
5. Throw in oregano and basil.
   
6. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well.
   
7. Add tomato paste (or sauce) and let it heat.
   
8. Add garlic and stir to combine.
   
9. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine (or chicken broth). Stir together.
   
10. Add Worcestershire and stir.
    
11. Add canned tomatoes.
    
12. Finally, pour in milk (or cream or half-n-half), stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
    
13. Make the homemade pasta while it simmers
    

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pasta

Pastory Ryan states: “Two eggs per one cup of flour. Make well in flour, crack in eggs, and slowly mix with hand. Knead by hand until dough becomes smooth and pliable, adding flour to the board as necessary. Let rest for a little while before rolling it out. I usually figure one egg per person to determine how much to make. Example: Two eggs and one cup of flour would make enough pasta dough for a dinner for two. Got it?” (I made a portion for two people so that I could have leftovers. I should have made a portion for four so that I could have more homemade noodles the next day)

For two:
1 cup flour
2 eggs

1. Make a well in the flour.
   
2. Crack the eggs into the well.
   
3. Start mixing it lightly with one hand until it’s all combined.
4. Turn it out onto a floured surface and begin kneading it, rolling and punching and pushing, until it’s smooth, not sticky or tacky.
   
5. Stick the dough in a plastic bag if you’re going to use it later, or just let it rest for a little while on the counter if you’re getting ready to make it now.
6. When you’re ready, roll it out on a floured surface as thinly as it’ll go. The noodles will plump up quite a bit when they boil in the water, so the thinner you can roll it, the better.
7. Cut the noodles really thin. You can use a sharp knife (if you can keep it in a straight line), a pizza wheel (this is what I used), or a long pizza/bread cutter like this one.
8. (Let the noodles hang to dry for about 30 minutes.)
   
9. To cook the noodles, just boil them in salted water (very important!) for probably two (I suggest cooking them for four minutes) minutes. Don’t let ‘em go too long since they are not like the dry variety.
   
10. Drain the noodles, and then toss them with some dried herbs.