Affogato Americano

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Ice cream and espresso are two of my favorite things.  This twist on the Italian affogato (vanilla gelato/ice cream with a shot of espresso) is actually a modified version of my favorite drink back at UCLA.  For those who knew me anytime between 2001 and ~2008, you'd know my go-to drink was the Mocha Roma- hot coffee with a scoop (sometimes two) of Baskin Robbins' Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream.  It was only served at Kerckhoff and between ~2006 and 2008, it was basically a secret menu item, since it was no longer on the main menu, but there was still a button for it on the register.  Eventually, they changed the registers and the Mocha Roma was lost forever...until now.  This Rocky Road Affogato (Rocky Roma?) may not have the same kick as a Mocha Roma, but it's still pretty darn delicious.  And really, a traditional affogato and a Mocha Roma are only a pint/quart/gallon of ice cream away.

Crock-Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

adapted from Foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

- One 4-pound beef chuck roast
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for coating
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 3 cloves garlic, mashed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped

(I added potatoes and mushrooms, cut into big chunks)

PREPARATION

- Sprinkle the roast all over with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Coat in flour and shake off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast to the skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the roast to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker, along with the carrots, celery, onions and garlic.

- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir until the oil begins to turn brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the flour and wine and whisk until thick (it's OK if there are some lumps). Add the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.

- Pour the gravy into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The roast and vegetables should be tender.

- Remove the roast and let rest for a few minutes. Discard the thyme stems and strain the vegetables, reserving the gravy. Toss the vegetables with half the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir the remaining parsley into the gravy and season with salt and pepper. Slice the roast against the grain. Serve the meat and vegetables on a platter, moistening them with some of the gravy; serve the remaining gravy on the side.

(Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pot-roast.html?oc=linkback)

Welcome back!

Making whoopie

Whoopie Pies
recipe from Epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

For cakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg

For filling

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION

Make cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Make filling:
Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Cooks' notes: • Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.

• Filling can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Bye bye, Magpie

Chocolate Guinness Cake
easy to make and delicious--from Nigella Lawson/NPR version

INGREDIENTS

for the cake:

1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

for the topping:

8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

PREPARATION

Preheat the over to 350 F, and butter and line a 9 inch springform pan.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter — in spoons or slices — and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the frosting. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift over the confectioner's sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsifted confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

There's a hole in this cake!

Coffee cake- boont, I mean bundt form.

I fixed it!

Blu-uuuuuuuuueberry breakfast loaf