Super Secret Rainbow Unicorn CUPCAKES! Summer: Part 3

My friends and I were bored one day. So we decided to go to Georgetown and get cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcake. Unfortunately, we just had to go on a weekday, so when we got to the metro station, the parking lot was completely full. We were forced to park at a meter, which meant we had limited time to ride down to DC, get our cupcake, and get back before the meter expired. 

The metro stations in the vicinity of Georgetown Cupcakes are relatively far, so be prepared to walk. We got off at Foggy Bottom-GWU, and had to walk quite a few blocks. Alternatively, if you get off at Rosslyn, VA, you have to walk across the bridge to get to DC. Both stops are about the same distance away from GTC.

Cupcakes posed for photo shooting. A lot of the people in line were taking pictures.


When we finally got there, the line was out the door. It wasn't terribly long, and the wait was only about 10 minutes. Our wait was nothing compared to during peak hours.
While we were waiting in line, an employee was handing out copies of the menu. However, we weren't there for anything that was available on the menu. We heard through the grapevine that there was a Super Secret cupcake only available through Super Secret means. When I got to the cashier, I indicated that I wanted the Super Secret cupcake. It turned out to be a Molten Lava cupcake, which was chocolate cake with melted chocolate in the center, with vanilla butter cream and chocolate drizzle on top.Yum. 

Lemon Berry and Super Secret

Note the price of the Super Secret

In my opinion,  cupcakes are overhyped. Are GTCs really good? Yes. Are they wait-over-30 minutes-in-line-and-pay-over-$2 good? No, not really. Especially when I can make my own cupcakes (see below). Still, it was fun going to Georgetown, even though we were a bit rushed to get back to the parking meter on time (we were a bit late, but didn't get a ticket). And the price of the Super Secret cupcake made it a pretty sweet deal.

  

Speaking of cupcakes, I made rainbow cupcakes to share with my friends when we went to Otakon. They were rather labour-intensive, as each colour had to be mixed and layered. I then swirled it around, and the effect was pretty darn awesome. And then I had to make them as gay as possible, so I topped them with sculpted fondant unicorns and rainbows. Hand-sculpting with fondant is pretty tough, so I only made two unicorns and about six rainbow ones. The rest just had rainbow sprinkles. I'm pretty satisfied with how they turned out.   

Fondant isn't very tasty, so only part of the head was bitten off this unicorn. You can also see my rainbow and sprinkle-covered cupcakes in the box.

The recipes for the rainbow cupcakes, frosting, and homemade fondant are coming up in a later post, so stay tuned. 

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Blackberries Picking: Summer, Part 2

This is completely out of chronological order, but whatever. 

Summer is my second favourite time to go to the farm. Autumn is my favourite because of apple picking, picking bright orange pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, and sneaking through corn maizes (I know, I know..). Nothing is better than munching on countless crispy, juicy apples when the weather is just starting to turn a bit chilly, yet the sun is still warm and bright in a clear, blue sky. As you can see, I miss going to the farm to pick huge bushels of apples. 

Although I don't go to the farm as frequently in the summer, there are plenty of offerings during the hot summer months. The market has bounties of fresh vegetables, including eggplant, squash, sweet corn, and piles upon piles of tomatoes. There are also pick-your-own fruits, including peaches, nectarines, blackberries, and tomatoes. 

I went to the farm with some friends during mid-July, near the peak of the blackberry season. Clusters of both the bright red, unripe berries and dark purple, ripe ones hung from the branches. The sweetest berries are the ones that are so soft and mushy, you have to pluck the fruit very gently, otherwise they will explode in a mess of dark, purple juice. Give it the most delicate squeeze, and you can feel the juices almost burst out of the fruit. Although these are not ideal for picking and bringing home, they are perfect for popping directly into your mouth. I did plenty of that. I think more berries made it into my stomach than into my bucket. No wonder blackberry picking is so hard.

These berries are just waiting to be omnommed :P

Lazy dogs ;)

These berries' lives were saved from being directly eaten, but not for long


So why is summer my second favourite season? I absolutely hate the heat. I would go to the farm a lot more often if I didn't have to suffer under the scorching sun. In reality, it wasn't that hot, but I am a wimp and I love A/C and cool weather. After we managed to fill our containers, we made it back to the market post-haste. We were planning on making blackberry and peach pie and blackberry scones later that day. However, I was too lazy to pick my own peaches, so we just got them at the market. Shh, no one has to know.

Food porn is in the previous post, btw.

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Summer Memories: Part 1

I've had some pictures left on the back burner that I never got to post. Among the many things I made over the summer, I made green tea ice cream.
I fell in love with green tea ice cream the first time I tried it. That was quite a few years ago, and I think I had it either in a Japanese restaurant or we bought a pint of Haagen Daz. Either way, green tea ice cream was a rare treat since it was hard to find in the grocery stores and we didn't frequent Japanese restaurants. Also, when I did find it in the freezer of an Asian store, the quality of the ice cream was sub par. It would either be icy or just off-tasting. Some had crap ingredients like Blue No. 1. Good green tea ice cream has the distinct taste of grassy matcha tea and the green color is purely from the tea. The flavour is pretty delicate, so it shouldn't be masked with any off flavours. The texture should have a rich mouth feel. This isn't a light, low fat ice cream.

Wish I could eat this right off the computer screen

The green tea ice cream I made was a custard based ice cream, meaning that there are eggs in it that thickens the base. That is how you make ice cream with a rich, creamy mouth feel. Yum. 

I also used a good quality matcha powder. Don't skimp on the powder, because it makes or breaks the ice cream.

Awesome ice cream making ingredients

What is unusual about this ice cream is that I used whole eggs, instead of just the yolks. Some custard ice creams have a scary amount of yolks, and I didn't want to have a ton of egg whites left over, so I just used the whole eggs.

Green Tea Ice Cream

1 cup milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 whole eggs

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp matcha powder

In a blender, blend the milk, eggs, sugar, and matcha powder together. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients very well in a large bowl. 

Pour the mixture into a large saucepan and add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Gently heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring very frequently. Keep an eye on the mixture, so that the bottom doesn't burn or boil over. Do NOT let it boil, you just want to cook it so that it thickens slightly. It will be done when the base is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon in an opaque layer. Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Had a little ice cream base left over

When the ice cream mixture is thoroughly chilled, churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacture's directions. I churned mine in my Cuisinart for about 25-30 minutes. When it is done, place the ice cream in the freezer to harden.

Go, ice cream maker, go!

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Days of Simple Eating

I swear I'm not dead. Although I haven't posted since June, I have been cooking lots of food all summer. I was just too lazy to write about it. This summer was the summer of salads, sushi rolls, bubble tea, homemade froyo, store bought froyo, basil lemon ice cream, peach smoothies, fruit tarts, noodle soups, grilled veggies and a lot more. I was cooking up a storm all summer, and enjoying my updated kitchen and new kitchen toys. The powerful, versatile Vitamix blender and an Old Mountain grill pan were added to my collection. The blender was used at least once a day, making smoothies, shakes, juices, and vegetables made with whatever fresh vegetables were lying around. The grill pan was used not nearly as frequently, but I made good use out of it. I grilled perfect steaks about twice a week, along with grilled onions, mushrooms, eggplant, scallions, potatoes, squash, and peppers. The grilled onions were my favourite.

Fruit Tarts and Peach and Blackberry Pie

Well, good things can't last forever, and summer has come to an end. I said my goodbyes to my wonderful kitchen and toys. I will miss you, beloved ice cream maker and grill pan. I don't think I can live without a blender, so I took one along with me. So off to college I went, to get my edumacation. Now I am reduced to using a rice cooker, microwave, mini fridge, not-as-powerful blender, and a full kitchen that is a building away. But thanks to my suite mate, now I can use an electric skillet as well!


Cooking during the school year will prove to be challenging and require a bit of creativity. I am up for the challenge, and I already have some recipes up my sleeves that I can't wait to try. I will have to drastically simplify the way I cook here. Unlike at home, I don't have access to my fully equipped kitchen with a well stocked spice cabinet, fridge, and pantry. It also isn't very convenient to do simple kitchen tasks, such as chopping vegetables. Therefore I will try to use a few shortcuts without sacrificing taste. For example, I'm using seasoning blends like Italian seasoning, and jarred minced garlic.


Tonight, I made a simple dinner of lentil soup. It was comforting and nutritious, but made me long for some real home cooking. You will need a rice cooker.


Lentil Soup
makes 2 very generous servings


1 cup dried lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1 carrot or a few baby carrots, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning


Place dried lentils in the rice cooker pot. Sort through the lentils to make sure there are no small stones or other foreign objects. Rinse with cold water.
Add the can of tomatoes, carrots, and garlic to the pot. Fill the tomato can with water and add to pot. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Turn on rice cooker and cover with the lid. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, depending on your rice cooker. The soup is done when the lentils are soft.
Eat with crusty bread, preferably in the company of friends.

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Picnic Eats

For our picnic, I contributed two loaves of rustic bread and fruit tarts. The bread dough gets a long, slow rise in the refrigerator, which develops flavour and a beautiful crumb. If you want to make the bread in a day, skip the rise in the fridge and place it in a warm spot to rise for 1.5 to 2 hours. For the fruit tart, I made a lime curd and added strawberries. You can use different berries and other fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, peach slices, etc. I just used what I had.

Rustic Bread  

adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice

makes 3 loaves

 Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour or high-gluten bread flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1 3/4 cup ice cold water

cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting

Making the dough

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. With a spoon, stir in the water a little at a time until it is absorbed. If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook on medium speed until the dough become smooth and sticky. If kneading by hand, knead vigorously for 5-7 minutes while moving the bowl in a circular motion with your other hand until the dough becomes smooth. The dough should be sticky, but able to clear the sides of the bowl. If it's too sticky, knead more flour into it. If it's too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water at a time to the dough.

Resting the dough

Place the dough on a well-floured work surface and cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Flour each piece and gently round them into balls. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight (at least 8 hours) or up to 3 days. If you want to bake the loaves on the same day, place the covered dough in a warm spot and let it rest for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Baking 

2 hours before baking the bread, remove the bread from the fridge and gently press the dough down to distribute the air bubbles. Cover the dough loosely in plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours. If your dough is already room temperature, skip the rest and shape your loaves.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a baking pan on the top shelf, and if you have one, a baking stone. Have a cup of hot water ready.

After letting the dough rest, shape your loaves into either a long baguette shape or a round boule (ball). For the baguette, use a sharp knife to cut 3 diagonal slits. For the boule, cut an X on the top. Sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina flour on the baking peel, or on a pan if you aren't using a baking stone. Gently place the loaves on the peel or pan, and slide the loaves in the oven. Immediately pour the cup of hot water on the empty baking sheet on the top shelf. Be very careful of the steam and don't get water on the glass door.

Lower the temperature to 425 F and bake for 25 minutes or until the loaves are a nice golden colour.  

Fruit Tarts

 Lime curd

1/3 cup lime juice

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 Tbsp lime zest

4 Tbsp butter,cut into pieces

Place lime juice, sugar, and eggs in a medium metal bowl and whisk until combined. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water so that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir constantly while the curd is cooking until it becomes thick, like sour cream. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer to remove lumps. Add the butter and zest and stir until butter is melted and combined. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Fruit Tarts

You can make one large fruit tart or many individual tarts with this recipe. I made 6 individual tarts about 3 inches in diameter. 

6 Tbsp (one stick) butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp ice-cold water
lime curd
assorted berries and fruits


Preheat oven to 425 F. 
Cut butter in small pieces and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt, and with a fork, cut the flour into the butter until the dough resembles small pebbles. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together in a cohesive mass. It should not be very sticky, and should hold together when squeezed into a ball.
Generously flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1/3 inch thick. Cut circles slightly larger than your tart pans. Gently press the dough into your tart pan, making sure that it is molded into the pan. With a knife, trim off the excess dough at the edges. Poke a few holes on the bottom of the tarts with a fork. 
Bake for 20 minutes or until the crusts are a pale golden colour. Remove from the oven and let the crusts cool completely in the pan. 
Remove cooled crusts from the tart pan and fill with the lime curd. Arrange fruit on top of the curd. I used sliced strawberries and lime wedges.

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Picnic and Strawberry Fields

How hobos picnic:

Find a secluded spot by the water and spread out lots of yummy foods

 Make dragonfly friends

Take photos, skip rocks, act sketchy while glaring at people in boats

Being the hottest day of the year (at least it felt like it), we just had to go to the farm to pick strawberries after picnicking. There were fresh strawberries, cherries, peaches, and a variety of vegetables in the farm market. We grabbed a bucket and headed out to the strawberry fields. Along the way, we said hello to chickens and goats.

This guy really enjoyed being scratched.

The breeze carried the sweet smell of ripe strawberries as we entered the field. There weren't many good strawberries left since the peak of the season has passed. Most of them were overripe or eaten by bugs. The berries straight from the field were warm, sweet, and incredibly juicy. Although we weren't supposed to eat them without paying, I couldn't resist popping some of the bright red berries into my mouth as I was picking. Shh, just don't tell.

 We ended up picking this many to take home

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Sunsets

Haven't seen such a beautiful sunset in a long time

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Fro yo, my love

I'm obsessed. Got an ice cream maker that I've been wanting for years, and the first thing I had to make was frozen yogurt.

Original Frozen Yogurt

4 cups plain, lowfat yogurt

2/3 cup sugar

To make frozen yogurt rich and creamy, most of the whey needs to be strained out of it. You can skip this step by using Greek yogurt, which is just strained yogurt.

Line a strainer with a paper towel and place over a bowl so that there is some space between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the strainer. Pour the yogurt into the strainer. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

When the yogurt is done straining, add the sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be thick, thicker than sour cream. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn for about 20 minutes, depending on your model. Scoop frozen yogurt into a container and place in the freezer for a firmer texture.

Enjoy!

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