So there is this picture of me (if I had it I would post it but I think my mom has it). I am standing in the doorway getting ready to go out. My mom and aunt wanted a picture of me because they couldn’t believe I was going out in public in what I was wearing. Now before you go thinking something slutty, please… I don’t even kiss on the first date (well didn’t, I’m married now and that has cut down on my dating life. ).
Picture if you will: black stirrup pants with a pair of black and white boxer shorts OVER them, a giant Depeche Mode concert t-shirt, a cropped denim jacket, Vans shoes (at one point I owned 43 pairs) and my hair in a side pony tail (yes, it was the 80′s boys and girls). I remember at that time my aunt and mom almost laughing at me and saying “you’re not going to wear that in public are you?” and of course I was. I remember at the time thinking that I looked darn good. It’s funny what 15 years will do to you. As the last time I saw that photo I thought the same thing as my aunt and mom…what was I thinking? My recently reunited high school friends and I have been torturing each other with photos of our past. There were a lot of what was I thinking moments.
In what was I thinking food moments I present gingerbread. As a kid I was not a fan. If there was a plate of cookies I never wanted the gingerbread men. I would eat them as a last resort, they do have sugar in them after all. And I would never touch gingerbread. Yuck.
Umm, yeah, what was I thinking? Gingerbread kicks ass. Especially warm out of the oven. Yum, yum, yum.
So in effort to do something different with gingerbread this year I decided to make them into madeleines. I combined a recipe from Sherry Yard for Orange Madeleines with her recipe for gingerbread finaciers. It worked out well. After they came out of the oven I smothered them in orange glaze. What I got was something quite wonderful. And not wonderful like I thought my boxers over stirrup pants was wonderful but actually wonderful. These are best eaten the day of and even better if you can eat them while they are still warm.

Gingerbread Madeleines

½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
½ cup almond flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup full flavor molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs

Orange Glaze (recipe follows)

Sift flours, baking powder, spices, and salt into medium bowl and set aside.
Using a standing eclectic mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar, 1 TBSP at a time beating continuously on high speed. It should take 5-10 minutes to add the sugar. The mixture should be light, fluffy and a creamy white color. Stop the mixer and scape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the eggs, on at a time. Be sure each egg is completely incorporated and scape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat until blended.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in thirds, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Cover the batter and chill if for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 375F. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven. Brush the mini or standard madeleine molds with melted butter, then dust them lightly with flour.
Carefully spoon (I piped) the chilled batter into the madeleine pan, filling each shell three-quarters full. Bake for 10 minutes for mini or about 15 for standard size, or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch. Repeat until all the batter has been used, brushing pans with butter if needed.
While madeleines are still hot pour orange glaze over them.

Adapted from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

Orange Glaze

2 cups confectioners¢â¬â„¢ sugar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest

When the cake is completely cooked, whisk the icing ingredients together until smooth. Set t he wire rack over wax paper or place in a baking pan to catch the drips. Spoon all the icing onto the top of the cake and spread it out, so that it runs down the sides. Set aside in a cool place until icing has set about 30 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto and Julia Moskin

There have been times through out my life that I have often wondered what happened to people who used to be a part of my life. What is my best friend from High School doing? Or maybe the first boy I kissed? Things like that. It’s not so much that I think we will become BFF’s again, it’s that it’s just nice knowing how things have turned out for that person.
I mean I am quite sure that anyone who knew me 20 years ago would never have thought that I would be running a food blog (me included). Or that I taught math and physical sciences. I’m pretty sure back then I wanted to be a High School Spanish teacher (too bad I remember almost none of it…which is really sad since it was one of my minors in undergrad). Then I went into college wanting to be a forest ranger. Too bad I am allergic to pretty much every tree and bush out there. Not only did I want to do forestry I wanted to be in charge of a fish hatchery.
Thankfully the Internet has many, many avenues that help you to get in touch with those you have often wondered about over the years. I’ve been able to get in touch with quite a few of the ones that I have thought about. It’s been a hoot to see how they have turned out and some of the amazing accomplishments that they have done. Some are doing exactly what I pictured them doing all those years ago and some have down right surprised me, mostly in a good way. Though one turned out to have a porn star past (oh my!), but to each it’s own and it is how they paid for graduate school.
I think the holidays for some reason make people think about the ones in their lives even more. Some people are lonely and have no one around the holidays and that makes me truly sad, for everyone should have someone for the holidays. My mother always picks up the strays around her town and brings them in for the holidays. I don’t have any strays (luckily everyone around here that I know has family) but if I did, I would as well. If you have a stray, I suggest inviting them to be part of your holiday festivities. It’s a nice thing to do.
I’m still bogged down around here. My Google Reader has over 300 things for me to read. AHHH. The dƒ©cor is up and festive baking has become. Just don’t ask me about Christmas cards.
Part of that festive baking was this Chocolate-Mint Cake. It’s like a giant Peppermint Patty in cake form. It’s one of the many desserts I will be hauling to pot lucks in the coming weeks. If you are a chocolate mint fan, this cake is for you.

Chocolate-Mint Cake

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
16 ounces light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Peppermint Frosting
Chocolate Ganache

Melt chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at high for 30 second intervals until melted (about 1 ½ minutes). Stir until soft.
Beat softened butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla, Spoon batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 10-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread peppermint frosting evenly between cake layers. Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly on top and sides of cake.

Peppermint Frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
¼ tsp peppermint oil (not extract, oil!)

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in peppermint oil.

Chocolate Ganache
12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
1 ½  cups whipping cream
3 TBSP unsalted butter

Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2 qt microwave safe bowl at medium power 2 1/2-3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melt and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter, let stand for 20 minutes.
Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until soft peaks form.

Source: Southern Living Christmas Cookbook

How do you translate a hug into food? That was my challenge of sorts.
For you see one of my favorite food bloggers and all around wonderful person Barb, of Winos and Foodies, thought it would be a good idea to see if there were in advances in chemotherapy. You might know Barb from her efforts for getting the word out about cancer with her LiveStrong with a Taste of Yellow event that she has hosted for the last two years. Unfortunately Barb is back to battling cancer. Some of us fellow food bloggers (headed up by Bron and Ilva) thought it would be a good idea to send Barb a big cyberspace hug. Letting her know we are sending her every good thought that we could possible muster up!
So I thought long and hard about what to make. What would say comfort and love. Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate always makes me feel at peace. And I want Barb to feel at peace.
I am one of those who can not have hot chocolate without marshmallows ( well, I suppose if I was forced I could). Marshmallow panna cotta popped up in my head. Only problem…no one had made that yet…well if they did it’s not in cyberspace. So off to the experimenting I went. It only took two tries and I thought it would take much longer. The second time was a charm so to speak and let us hope that Barb’s second time is a charm as well.
To compliment the panna cotta I made a Peppermint “Hot Chocolate” Soup for it to swim in. If you wandering if it taste like marshmallow. Yes, like a big creamy, smooth one.
All the best Barb, we are thinking of you!
(((((((((HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS,HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS,  HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS))))))

 Marshmallow Panna Cotta with Peppermint “Hot Chocolate” Soup

Marshmallow Panna Cotta

2 cups heavy cream
½ cup half and half (or you can use more heavy cream)
½  cup marshmallow fluff
1 package (¼  ounce) unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place ½ cup of cream in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the cream. Let gelatin bloom for about 5 minutes.
Put remaining cream and half and half into a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Add marshmallow fluff and whisk into cream mixture. As the mixture heats up the marshmallow will start to melt into it, keep whisking to make sure it full incorporates.
Turn heat to low and add in the bloomed gelatin, whisking again to make sure it fully incorporates.
Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.
Pour mixture into ramekins of your choice. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but serve that day or the next for best texture and flavor.
Unmold by dipping ramekins into hot water for a few seconds. Flip the panna cotta over into a shallow soup bowl. Pour in chocolate soup. Garnish with candy cane pieces and extra chocolate if you like.

“Hot Chocolate” Soup

1 cup whole milk
1 cup half and half
3 heaping TBSP powdered peppermint hot chocolate
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Place milk in a medium saucepan and whisk in hot chocolate. Add half and half and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let sit for about 3 minutes.
Whisk to incorporate the chocolate until totally smooth. Let cool slightly as to not melt the panna cotta when served with it.

….there is a Red Velvet Cheesecake.
Falling into the why didn’t I think of that category I ran across a recipe in Southern Living Christmas Cookbook for a Red Velvet Cheesecake. My mouth dropped open just a bit. How had I never thought of this before. I mean my husband is the man who loves all things red velvet and he eats cheesecake. Plus I love to experiment with cheesecake flavors.
The question I get from most people when I made this was, does it taste like the cake. For the most part yes. It has all the flavor components but in a creamy texture that is cheesecake. And it has cream cheese frosting on top. So cheesecake with cream cheese frosting. Yeah, a pretty darn good invention if you ask me. The cheesecake is not baked in a water bath which I was reluctant about. It came out creamy but the next time I make this I will bake in a water bath.
I would love the say that I have crossed more things off my Holiday to-do-list. Other than getting the tree up that would be a big fat zero…and I got invited to another party. I find this the most ironic. For last year I was invited to zero parties. None, zippo, nada. This year 10. You think they could have spread these things out.
No gifts have been bought. Apparently when I told my editor that I needed my check so that I could Christmas shop, he must have thought I was super early and shopping for Christmas 09. It’s been “getting out” to me for over a month now and at this point I’m no longer holding my breath. I almost bought cards today but just didn’t find any I like. Hopefully you are having better motivation than me.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

For the Crust:
1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 TBSP granulated sugar

For the Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring

For the Topping:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Crust:
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

For the Filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.
Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring.  Mix on low speed just until fully combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325F for 10  minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.
Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.
Cover and chill for 8 hours.

For the topping:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.
Remove sides of springform. Garnish if desired.

Source: Souther Living Christmas Cookbook