Monthly Archives: January 2015

January blues and Crème brûlée

It’s not boo-hoo blues, it’s that the month of January always seems to linger… It’s the month where the major holiday hype has now officially come to an end and that once glittery sparkle of the wintry wonderland is just plain over, your left missing family and friends again, plus you’ve finished all your holiday cookies…uh -oh! (Perhaps that’s just me?) I came across this article and thought it really applied too, especially with its statement on only having the will to get out of bed for nothing less than a strong cup of joe.

Recently we were experiencing fairly decent temperatures, actually getting away with 3 layers and not 5, but then we got hit with a freak snowstorm that gave us a few more inches. Lucky us, right? Adding another layer back on as we speak. How’s the weather in your neighborhood?

I don’t know about you, but I feel like the month of January really needs some cheering up! It needs some pizzazz to lead us into the giant heart-shaped month of February…Yeah! Such an occasion calls for something cheery like…..like…..crème brûlée!

I’ve never attempted to make crème brûlée before, but after watching various YouTube videos, reading, etc. I felt fairly confident that I could pull it off. Seriously, it was the best decision ever, because it turned out perfect! The best part is I get to share with you all now!

Very Easy Creme Brûlée

Ingredients:

2 cups Whipping Cream
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar (also extra for caramelizing on top)
¾ tsp vanilla extract
4 Ovenproof ramekins
1 kitchen torch

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 300°F

Heat whipping cream in a sauce pan, almost bringing up to a simmer. Please make sure to stir frequently.

In a bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and ½ cup sugar until well blended.

Very slowly stir in hot cream and vanilla extract, so you are not left with scrambled eggs to deal with.

Next, strain mixture through a mesh sieve into something with a pouring lip. Then divide the mixture into 4 ramekins and place in a large cake pan.

Fill the cake pan with very hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully pop everything into oven.

Bake at 300˚F for 35 minutes. Once they are done, you will be able to tell if the brûlée is set but still has a slight giggle to it, remove ramekins from cake pan and water.

Cool the ramekins at room tempted, then place in refrigerator to chill.

Let’s Talk Caramelization: (my favorite part)

Once brûlée is chilled, take out of refrigerator, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar on each custard ramekins. Then with your hand swirl to ramekins around in the air to evenly distribute and spread sugar.

The moment you’ve all been waiting for…..torch the top! Make sure to move the torch in a circular pattern until the whole surface is caramelized just as you likely . YouTube a video if this is your first time to assist with your torch confidence.

Happy eating and don’t forget to share how your creme brûlée turned out!

Backpackbees

Click, Ship & treat yourself!

Rosemary in my what?

Rosemary in my COOKIES! YESSS! If you’ve been watching our Instagram account you’ve seen that I’ve picked up some new light cookbook reads. Now…I can no longer hold it in, my current cookbook obsession is, Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week by Isa Chandra Moskowitz! Isa seriously has me hook line and sinker with these cookies. I turned into an instant cookie monster not even wanting to share with Mr. B. My family knows I am the first to snub most chocolate off, but the addition of rosemary to a cookie really caught my attention. Oh and guess what? IT’S VEGAN!

These cookies were perfect and in every way, just as Isa described they would be, buttery, golden, and wake your taste buds up with the exotic happy marriage of semi-sweet chocolate chips and fresh rosemary. Trust me folks, be forewarned, you are going to instantly become obsessed with these cookies too!

Don’t fret if you think it’s going to be all complicated because it’s vegan and possibly an unknown territory. It’s actually really easy and we had almost everything we needed on hand already in our kitchen. I only had to modify one partial element of the recipe and that was the coconut oil. Isa’s recipe calls for refined coconut oil, I only had unrefined but didn’t let that stop me and certainly didn’t change the taste as far as I am concerned.

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies
Link directly to source: Post Punk Kitchen

1/2 cup refined coconut oil, softened (I used unrefined)
2 tablespoons lightly packed, chopped fresh rosemary (Chop it FINE)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (golden preferred)(I used Bob’s Red Mill whole ground flaxseed meal)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate semisweet chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two large baking sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to beat together the coconut oil and rosemary, until relatively smooth. Add the sugar, and beat for about a minute.

Add the non-dairy milk and flax seeds, and beat once again, for 30 seconds or so. Mix in the vanilla.

Add about half the flour, as well as the salt and baking soda, and mix well. Add the remainder of the flour, along with the chocolate chips, and mix well until it looks like, well, cookie dough.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets in rounded spoonfuls. Flatten gently with your hands. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown.

Let cool on sheets for 3 minutes or so, then transfer to cooling racks to cool the rest of the way.

Thanks for getting me through the tough times Isa!

Not only is rosemary for remembrance, as you may have read in my prior post, our friends departed Korea earlier this AM and mother Korea decided to surprise them one last time before they were on their way… SNOW! It was surprisingly a decent amount of snow that settled in below on our streets, sidewalks and trees. I love looking our windows onto the glittery white rooftops munching on a cookie.

Backpackbees

Click, Ship & treat yourself!

     

 

More see you laters

Today I joined our friends for brunch at The Bakers Table in Seoul. As I sat there enjoying the Farmer plate, (sunny side up of course), it hit me like a ton of bricks that this was yet another couple of wonderful friends that we’d say our see you laters to (never goodbyes). Yes, in the early morning (SUPER EARLY!) this couple would be off to starting a new chapter, soon with a beautiful bundle of joy, in Malaysia together. We were grateful to have the opportunity to spend some time with them and to open our home up to them on their final nights in Korea.

You think after all of these years abroad it would get easier to see our friends off, but it isn’t. Every time we arrive at this point I always sit and wonder why certain people enter into our lives when they do. We all start off strangers, but end up meaning the world to one another, with this link and strong bond. We know we will see you guys again very soon and cannot wait to welcome this beautiful baby into the world with you as well! Cheers!

Backpackbees

An Edible Roundup

No recipes tonight folks (we will start to share again soon)… We’ve just been having a good old time in the kitchen, no pressures, kicking off 2015 right! We’ve been cooking from scratch and eating at home a lot lately. We hope your kitchen’s been treating your belly well too! We’ve been getting asked a lot lately what we’ve been whipping up and eating. Since you asked for it, we will give you an edible roundup. In the famous words of Julia Child, bon appétit!

Backpackbees

Click, Ship & treat yourself!

2015: Cheers to the New Year!

Whew! 2014 was definitely a roller coaster of a year! There were really incredibly sweet moments and memories made and then of course some doughy times too.

Along the way I’ve learned that life is like baking a loaf of homemade bread. Each single ingredient put in is vital and important because that’s what helps bake and form the loaf in the end. Sometimes in life the ingredients just don’t seem to come together correctly and you get disappointed, or discouraged. You start to think maybe I should dump this damn thing and start over, or question if was a waste of time from the beginning. But you know what? The great news is if you don’t toss in the towel and you let all the ingredients mix and knead, give a little time to bake, it ends in a great crusty loaf! I mean, come on, ending up with a freshly baked loaf of bread in my book is something to be thankful for, am I right, or am I right? Wink-Wink.

So if 2014 was a roller coaster of a year for you as well, know that 2015 might be your best mix of ingredients to come! For 2015 let’s all wake up together in the new year thanking God for giving us yet another day, a day to enjoy another slice of our fresh loaf!

With that being said, who is popping by for some freshly baked whole-wheat honey cinnamon raisin bread? If you can’t make it we highly recommend using some of that Christmas dough on a swanky bread machine like we did (Psstt… IT’S ON SALE TOO!) I don’t think that we will ever purchase another loaf in the store unless in a pinch. Thank you Williams-Sanoma.

Here’s to the greatest mix of ingredients to come!

Happiest of New Years to you and you and of course you!

Honey Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Source: Breville Food Thinkers
Makes one 1.5-pound loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 3/4 tablespoon milk powder
1 3/4 dry active yeast

Add to the fruit and nut dispenser: 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions:
Ensure the collapsible paddle is attached in the bread pan and is in the upright position.

Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed above, then secure the bread pan into the bread machine.

Place the raisins in the fruit and nut dispenser. Select the Whole Wheat setting, the desired crust color, and the 1.5-pound loaf size, then press start.

When the entire cycle is complete, use an oven mitt to remove the bread pan from the machine via the handle, and allow this to cool before removing the bread from the pan. The bread will slice best once completely cooled.

Backpackbees