So I finally realized why firefighters get laid so often…including the non-attractive ones.
So besides the quality high school kids, my gym seems to be the home of our local firemen. I see them working out their often, usually in the weight room. Usually it is the younger, more in shape guys as well. Nice eye candy and all but, and here is where it is a flameful confession…firemen don’t do it for me.
I mean, sure, if they were cute to begin with that is another story. But I can’t tell you how many times my friends would be dating a guy that I thought, ugh, really, only to find out they were dating him because he was a fireman. I just never got it…at all. Until yesterday.
Yesterday I was at the gym plodding along on the elliptical trainer when over at the stairmaster was a guy. He was probably in his mid-thirties going into his forties. He didn’t have the greatest body and I didn’t find him cute in the least. Then out of nowhere he puts on a firefighter mask and full tanks and starts climbing the stairs with it all on.
Suddenly the man I didn’t find attractive in the least became incredibly attractive. There he was practicing going up stairs with his gear on. Practicing rescuing people…possibly me someday. Yes, the light bulb went on and I came to understand how even the ugly firemen get a lot of loving, even from the hot chics.
So in honour of my new found lust of firemen, I decided to make a dessert that you set on fire. I mean, if I set the kitchen on fire, then one of them might have to show up, right? Though I would much rather not have to met them in that circumstance, I think I will just stare at them at the gym.
This here is another bread pudding. Ah, bread pudding, how I love you so. What I really like about this recipe is that you add pureed banana to the custard mixture, so you really end up with the banana flavor in every bite. Instead of rum, I added banana liquor…either way I got to light something on fire.

Banana Fosters Bread Pudding

3 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup very ripe bananas, pureed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large French bread loaf (about 5- 6 cups torn up)

Banana Fosters Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl combine eggs and egg yolks, whisking until frothy.
Add in nutmeg, cinnamon, banana puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully incorporated.
Add sugars, whisk until incorporated.
Add in cream and again, whisk until incorporated.
Add bread pieces to egg mixture. Mix until bread has absorbed most of the custard mixture.
Pour pudding into a shallow baking pans (you can use a 8-x-8-inch pan if making one large one). Let sit for 30 minutes.
Place bread pudding into a slightly larger pan and add about 1 inch hot water to the larger pan to make a water bath.
Bake uncovered for approximately 1 hour (this is true for both smaller and larger size, the smaller maybe cooks 5-10 minutes less), or until pudding is no longer runny.
Serve  warm with Banana Fosters Sauce.

Banana Fosters Sauce

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bananas, sliced
3 TBSP banana liqueur

Heat a large skillet over low heat.
Add butter and brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, just until sugar begins to melt into butter.
Add banana slices. Moving the skillet back and forth, cook for 1 minute.
Remove skillet form heat and add liqueur. Return skillet to the stove. Tilt pan to ignite liquor.
After alcohol burns off, add cream. Whisk to make sure it is fully incorporated.
Serve immediately over bread pudding.

Adapted from Taste of the South Feb/Mar 09

Growing up Strawberry Shortcake to me were those little package of four sponge cakes that they sold at the grocery store. They were shaped liked large Rolos and tasted something like the cousin of a Twinkie, without the filling. This is what I knew, this is what I liked.
We went to Michigan one Summer to visit my grandparents. While there my aunt mentioned that we would be having Strawberry Shortcake for dessert that night. Yum I thought. When dessert came there sat an alien creature to me. Umm, “it’s a biscuit”…I am good at stating the obvious. My mother explained that this is how she knew strawberry shortcake, on a warm buttered biscuit instead of cold, odd textured sponge cake. I poked at it and being a pain in the butt kid, without really eating it declared that I didn’t like it. My dad declared this too. My mom knew my dad would protest so she had already gone to the store and bought our versions.
It wasn’t until years later that the biscuit variety of Strawberry Shortcake was placed in front of me again. This time I was far less picky and gave it a try. It’s my favorite way to eat Strawberry Shortcake.
I didn’t plan on making shortcake this time of year. Strawberries aren’t really in season but my husband and I have a problem. We like bread with our dinner. Sometimes that appears in biscuit form. And though my husband can throw back a lot of biscuits, the average recipe makes about 12. So I have a lot of leftover biscuits.
I had an overwhelming craving when I stared at those leftover biscuits to make Strawberry Shortcake. This is simple and straightforward flavors, with just the key lime juice being the exotic ingredient. I like to use the key lime to add a refreshing element to the strawberries.
So if you have only ever eaten the little yellow sponge cake discs I challenge you to try the biscuit version. It would make my mama proud.

After seeing my Strawberry Shortcake, Crazy Cocker Spaniel will have nothing to do with hers!

Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake

6 Southern Biscuits
2 pints fresh strawberries
2 TBSP key lime juice
1 1/2 cups sugar (this will greatly depend on your sweet tooth)
Whipped Cream
butter for biscuits
Southern Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
zest of 1 key lime

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter, zest, and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that’s life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Adapted from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork.com

Strawberry Filling:
Take strawberries and roughly slices them. Add key lime juice and sugar. Mash lightly with a fork. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight (I prefer overnight).

To make the shortcake:

Take warm biscuit, cut in half. Slather butter on both sides of the biscuit. Add strawberries on top bottom biscuit. Add some whipped cream. Top with the other half of the biscuit.

My husband is not a romantic in the traditional sense. He wont be spelling out my name in rose petals on our bed (which don’t do because it stains…or so I am told) anytime soon. I don’t really get flowers (though boy when we were dating I did…miss those days…well, the flower part). There are no spontaneous poems. There is no coming home to romantic meal for two that he cooked (the man burns soup). And this Valentine’s day I will get a card. We wont be going out, in fact, I believe we are getting the heart shaped pizza from Papa John’s because we find it amusing. No flowers, no chocolate, no romantic getaway, no lingerie (seriously men, don’t do this), no jewelry (though my husband is good with this…all mine comes in a little blue box). And I could care less. Why you ask?
I could care less because everyday my husband gives me a Valentine. He does it by going to work. He works at a job that enables me to only work part time and not only work part time, but work part time at something I love (don’t worry, he likes his job too).
Every workday he takes the bus for over an hour each way. Why? So that we can live in a house that we really wanted. And so that I could have the kitchen I was in love with. Again, another Valentine to me.
Every weekend when he gets up (he gets up way earlier than me) he watches horrible vampire type movies or plays video games. How is this a Valentine? He wears headphones so that the noise doesn’t wake me (I am a super light sleeper).
Every Thursday and Friday night he sits in the scorekeeper box with me to keep me company, even though he has already worked the whole day. And every Friday night he scorekeeps for me while I go and play my game in the league. Another huge Valentine.
Every week he eats Chinese food even though he is not that big a fan but I love it so.
Don’t worry, I promise I do some nice stuff for him too.
So you see, I get Valentines all the time. Some people maybe never notice the things that their significant other does for them. But boy I sure do. And I find it incredibly sexy and romantic. So thank you dear husband for all the Valentines you give me on a daily basis. Know that I appreciate them so very much.
Speaking of things I love. Snickerdoodles. Every since I made (and ate the whole pan) of Snickerdoodle Blondies I have been in Snickerdoodle mode… a Snickerdoodle love affair if you will. I found a recipe for a warm cream cheese tart and it sent my mind wondering if I could put a Snickerdoodle spin on it. And I can, and did.
Hope you spend this Valentine’s Day with someone you love.

P.S. If you are looking to make something at home for you and your sweetie, check out my Seafood Gratin over at Northwest Noshings.

Warm Cream-Cheese Snickerdoodle Tart

5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulate sugar
 2 large eggs
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon

1 baked Pastry Tart Shell (recipe follows)
cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.
In the work bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and butter. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated and smooth. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and cream of tarter and beat until fully incorporated.
Spread filling evenly in prepared tart shell.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until center is set and edges are light golden. Remove pan from the oven and allow tart to stand for two minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Serve warm. (I ate it both ways and enjoyed it either warm or chilled).

Pastry Tart Shell
Makes 1 (10 ½-inch) tart shell

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
½ tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
½ cup plus 2 TBSP powdered sugar
2 egg yolks

cinnamon sugar
Using a food processor, combine the flour, cream of tarter, nutmeg, and salt and pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Add sugar and egg yolks and pulse again, just until the mixture comes together and pulls aways from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a disc ans wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hours or overnight.
Prepare fluted tart pan by buttering pan and then sprinkling cinnamon sugar into the pan. Get both the bottom and sides of the pan.
Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a circle. Fit dough into prepared tart pan, pressing evenly over the bottom and up the sides. Line tart shell with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake tart shell for 20 minutes (at 350F), or until edges are very light brown. Remove parchment paper and weights.
Bake tart shell for 5-10 minutes more, or until lightly golden throughout.. Cool on a rack before filling.

Adapted from Taste of the South February/March 2009

I have a new form of people watching now. I guess it will help the time go by. I got my first round of allergy shots today. Yep, they hurt. But at least the nurse didn’t lie to me, she told me they would hurt. She was right.
After you get allergy shots you have to sit around and wait for 30 minutes to make sure you don’t have a reaction to them. And even though I did bring a book to read I found myself people watching far more than reading.
See the waiting area is right next to the exit. We must be next to some section where there are a lot of elderly people. And well, they are the funniest of all. My favorite today was the woman that reminded me of my grandmother. My grandmother always had her hair covered up with a plastic bag almost everywhere she went if the weather was bad or looked bad. This was to prevent her hair from being ruined and looking bad. It never seemed to occur to her that wearing a grocery sack from the produce department on your head would look bad.
I got to hear the little old couple argue for a good 10 minutes as to what parking lot they parked the car in. Only to be picked up by their son. So they didn’t even drive. Oye.
There was the head to toe leather couple. I really wanted to know what department they were going to. Yes, I was nosy. You don’t get a man in all leather pant, leather coat, leather boots and fringe everywhere. His wife or girlfriend was the same as well, though she had on a leather hat with fringe and an all leather purse. I sure hope they ride motorcycles, because if I find out they drive like a Ford Taurus I will be deeply disappointed.
I sure do hope I continue to have some good people watching as it made the time go by quickly. If I am not people watching or reading I am trying to think of recipes to invent. I didn’t think of this one today, I thought of this one while actually waiting at the allergist last week. I was so wanting a creamsicle but it was cold that day and I didn’t want ice cream, but still wanted the flavor.
The filling for this is nice and light, which is perfect because you don’t want it to be too heavy. If I had another vanilla bean I would have thrown another one it. I like to see my cookies speckled, but alas I was out. These are a little more on the cookie than cake side as well. If you are a orange and vanilla fan, I think you will enjoy these Creamsicle Whoopie Pies.

Creamsicle Whoopie Pies

Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies

2/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup full fat sour cream
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 vanilla beans, cut and seeds scraped out
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of ½ a medium orange
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
Using a stand mixer (or a bowl and beaters) using the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sour cream for 1 minute until combined.
Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrap down the bowl after each addition.
Add the vanilla bean seeds, extract, and zest and beat for another 30 seconds until completely combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, you don’t want to see any flour but you don’t want to over mix it.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Using a piping bag, fill the bag with batter. Pipe the batter to about the size of a quarter (I made mini ones) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350F for 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and move to wire rack to cool completely.
When cooled, match up two cookies of the same size. Take one cookie, and with the flat side up, pipe or spoon on the orange vanilla filling. Top with another cookie.
Repeat until you run out of cookies.

Creamsicle Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 ¼ tsp orange extract
¾ tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use bowl and beaters) using the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, extracts and butter. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, using a spatula to get all of the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.
Clean bowl and place back at mixer. Add whipping cream. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the cream on high. When soft peaks form add the 1 TBSP of powdered sugar. Keep whisking on high until the cream has formed stiff peaks.
Add cream cheese mixture to the bowl with whipped cream. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together until completely combined and light and fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.