In Arizona, at least the districts I worked at, the teachers had to do the duties: Morning playground duty, bus duty, lunch duty, afterschool duty, and after school bus duty. Which for the record blows. So many parents come to you at this time and want to ask questions and you can’t answer them because you have duty. Of course I usually just told the parent to walk and talk with me, but some didn’t want to. Nor did they want to stand in 112F weather for afternoon duty for 15 minutes…wimps. But playground duty in the morning was my favorite. It was my favorite for the fact that it was all age kids, so you got to interact with students you might not ever see normally. They older kids at K-8 schools are usually way in the back…they like to hide us, for good reason.

One day a fourth grader comes up to me looking a little down. Normally the kids who came up to you were the ones with few friends. His one and only friend at school wasn’t coming to school that day so he had no one to play with. We stood there talking and then he said something that has stuck with me to this day , “I sure hope this isn’t one of my snap shots”. I looked perplexed at him and asked what he meant by that. He went on to tell me that his mom had told him that someone took a snap shot (picture for those who are hockey fans and thinking something else) each day of their life. And that you never knew what moment they were taking the picture, so you always needed to be on your best behavior or doing something interesting so that when you die and they hand you your life scrap book you had nothing to be embarrassed about, always be proud. I asked him if he thought he wasn’t being on his best behavior and sadly he said that his behavior was fine but if this were his snap shot of the day he was pretty lame having no friends a recess. I told him that I begged to differ. I told him that if this was his snap shot of the day that he should look back on it with nothing but pride. This time he was the one that looked confused. I told him that here I was kind of having a bad day, feeling bad that I had no one to talk to and he came over and did me a favor by talking to me and cheering me up. Right away he smiled and said, “Really?” I of course told him yes and smiled back. “Then I do hope this is my snap shot of the day. Thanks Ms. G” and off he went.

First off, how clever is that mom? For the record that student ended up being one of my junior high students and the mom is pretty clever all around. And that kid is a really awesome kid who became a really awesome adult and I hope is collecting a lot of wonderful snap shots. Sometimes when I am sitting around in my sweats and eating cereal looking less than awesome I think, gosh I hope this isn’t one of my snap shots. I think of that a lot. No, not like gosh I hope I don’t get caught on the toilet for one of my snap shot kind of things. More like I sometimes wake up and think, I hope this day has something snap shot worthy in it. And then I realize, that’s really up to me.

If you are a traditionalist you will not love my dessert today. It’s banana pudding…that I messed with. I made banana pudding, added a little more milk to it and some gelatin and made panna cotta. Topped it on some vanilla wafer crushed cookie crust and topped it with Nutella whipped cream (because somehow I missed World Nutella Day…how did that happen). If you love the flavors of banana pudding, then you will enjoy this. I actually infuse the banana into the milk overnight so their aren’t actual pieces of banana in the pudding, makes for a smoother panna cotta.

Hope you all have a wonderful week. I am not sure how much blogging I will be getting to as I am feeling better (yay!) and have a busy week. Hopefully I will collect some really good snap shots this week…I hope you do too!

Banana Pudding Panna Cotta with Vanilla Wafer Crust and Nutella Whipped Cream

For the Vanilla Wafer Crust:
2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafer Cookies
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar <p>

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Equally divide among  4 (4-inch diameter) mini spring form pans. Press to form a crust on the bottom of each pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.

For the Panna Cotta:
2 eggs, beaten
2 ½ cups whole milk, divided
2 SUPER ripe bananas (like the kind you would use for banana bread)
½  cup granulated sugar
1 heaping TBSP cornstarch
Pinch of salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBSP unsalted butter
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

The night before you make this smash bananas and place them in an air tight container along with 2 cups of milk. Let sit for at least 12 hours. Remove banana pieces from milk, and strain into a measuring cup. Yes, the bananas will be brown, that’s okay, get over it.
In a double boiler over simmering water, combine eggs, banana infused milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Stir constantly and cook until thick, 10 to 15 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
Stir in the extra ½ cup of milk and gelatin. Whisk until fully incorporated and gelatin has dissolved.
Evenly distribute the panna cotta among the 4 (4-inch diameter) prepared crusts. 
Let set up in refrigerator for at least 6 hours, covered with plastic wrap.

Nutella Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP Nutella
2 TBSP powdered sugar.
Whip the cream on high using beaters or a stand mixer. Once it starts to form stiff peaks add the sugar and the Nutella. Beat until fully combined.
Pipe Nutella Whipped Cream on top of dessert and add a banana for flair.

So I know that many of you are excited that I have made something every day this week. Well, don’t get used to it. Number one I have subs jobs next week, the 5th grade class that always has me, needs me back. Number two I was stuck at the apartment all week because my body felt the need to not have any red cells. At first they just dipped a little low, but then they went crazy low. Crazy low. And of course, no one knows why, just a whole lot of guessing going on. Ah, “practicing” medicine at its finest. They thought maybe I was internally bleeding, and with as graceful as I am who knows. So I got CT scanned and ultrasounded and all the probes that one can be probed with. I’ve been the ultimate human pin cushion this week as well. Special. Oh, and number 3…I will eventually run out of things to ramble on about…but then again, with the way people act, maybe I won’t.

And what’s worse is that none of them seem to appreciate my humor. When the doctor told me that a diet consisting mainly of carrots, hummus, crackers, gummy bears, and beer was not getting me the iron I need (yes, I am on an iron supplement), I corrected him and told him that sometimes I eat gummy colas and really I have been more of a Whipped Cream Vodka and Key Lime Soda girl over beer lately. He was not amused. Sigh. I do actually drink a smoothie every morning that is stuffed with spinach as well. I just hardly ever eat meat unless it is in bacon form. When they told me to rest, I joked and said, “so I shouldn’t participate in that 10K I signed up for this weekend?” Again, he was not amused. For the record, I was not signed up to run. I run when being chased only, and even then, I weigh my options. Who am I being chased by? Truthfully, if it’s a zombie, I’d prefer just to get it over with and have my brains sucked out rather than spend my life running from zombies, but that’s just me.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have 4% of my daily values (if I eat both of them) of iron, clearly a health food for me then. I figured if all I was doing was melting chocolate, why not start to melt down candy and use that instead in the place of where chocolate goes. So I thought I would try my hand at a flourless cake using them. Worked pretty well, though I think the Andes Mint version (you can just sub 4 ounces of those instead of peanut butter cups) I made way back in the day (but didn’t blog about for some reason) was better. But then again, I like mint better than peanut butter. If you are a peanut butter fan, you will enjoy this.

I’m off to train for my 10K and eat gummy bears. Have a lovely Saturday.

Peanut Butter Cup Flourless Cake

4 ounces chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (about 6 regular sized ones)
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 granulated cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.
Chop peanut butter cups into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.
Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture.
Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.
Top with more Reese’s and serve with ice cream. You need the ice cream to cut the richness.

I rejoined the gym. No, I’m not one of those gym bandwagoners who climb on board the beginning of the year. As most who read this blog know, I am one of the weird people who like to work out. But since having moved I had not joined a gym yet. I knew that at the beginning of the year they run deals, and I was waiting around for that. Which I got.
Since it’s I am new to the gym you have your free training sessions that they push on you. I had passed but it was so dead the other day that the trainer told me he was bored and could we please do a fitness test. Fine, whatever. I did the test. His comment was that I was in pretty good shape, quite flexible except in my hamstrings (the curse of a defensive ice hockey player). Today while at the gym he came up and said “you did pretty well on  your fitness test, but I could totally get you leaned out.” I laughed at him and told him I ran a baking and dessert blog and that so wasn’t going to happen. To which he dared to say “can’t you switch it over to a healthy living blog, more people are interested in that anyway?”
These were the wrong things to say to me. I whipped around and out I spewed.

“First off people are interested in that because that is what society tells them to. I can assure you that brownies taste a hell of a lot better than celery, plain and simple.
I will never be one of those people sipping on MGD 64. I drink beer because I like how it tastes. If I want to get drunk I take two shots of vodka. I eat something sweet every day. If I go to Denny’s at 1am and order seasoned fries, it’s because I want them. I don’t say, Ugh I feel fat after I eat them. I don’t say I will work out harder tomorrow to burn these off. I just eat them. Because I like them. End of story.
I’m not one of these insecure size 4 girls who are convinced that their life will be better if they are a size zero. I’ve been smaller than this and I’ve been larger than this. My happiness does not depend on that. My happiness doesn’t depend on where I live or what I drive either. So save your crap for some other girl. The key to happiness is surrounding yourself with people who like you for you and not the size of your jeans. My blood pressure last week at the doctor was 112/66. My cholesterol  was 117. And my blood sugar is in the normal range.
I’m pretty funny. I’m pretty smart. I’m pretty cute. I’m pretty awesome. And that’s all the pretty I need to be.”

 
He just stared blankly at me.  And then said, “wow, you are really sure of yourself aren’t you?”
I replied, “you don’t know the half of it” and walked away.
On my way out the door he stopped me and said, “I would still love to train someone with your moxie.” I smiled and said, “I already have a trainer thanks, but feel free to join me for a beer sometime.”
So in honor of the trainer who thinks I should change to a healthy living blog (ah, can you imagine…), I offer up French pastry. Which is about as fattening as you can get. Sweet dough. Fat. Pastry Cream. Way fat. Fruit. Hey that’s healthy. Glaze. Not that bad. Streusel. Back to fat. Yeah, this is time consuming and over the top (I actually made it for the holidays) but figured this would be a perfect time to post it.

Apple-Cranberry Tart with Apple Jack Pastry Cream Filling

Sugar Dough

6 TBSP cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups pastry flour (all-purpose is OK, too)
1 1/2 TBSP baking powder

Put the cubed butter and egg in a mixing bowl and beat them with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is in little pieces and the mix looks like scrambled eggs. This will take about 2 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and continue mixing until the dough comes together and starts to clump. Stop the mixer and dump the bowl onto the counter and knead by hand very gently until the dough holds together. You can use this dough right away or put it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

The Custard Base

Pastry Cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
62 grams granulated sugar (a bit more than 1/4 cup)
12 grams pastry flour ( 1 1/2 TBSP all-purpose will work OK)
12 grams cornstarch (1 TBSP)
250 grams whole milk (1 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 TBSP Apple Jack or other Apple Brandy

Put the egg, yolk, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until very well blended. You don’t want any lumps. The mixture should be thick and homogenous.
Put the milk into a 2-quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Pour a small amount, about a quarter cup, of the hot milk into the egg/flour/sugar mixture while whisking constantly. You have to keep it moving or the heat from the hot milk will scramble the eggs and make a mess of the custard. When you get that mixed in pour in a little more and keep on whisking. Then pour the now-heated egg/flour/sugar/milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and return it to the heat. Keep on whisking and be sure to get into the corners so nothing will stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. As the mixture gets to the boiling point it will become very thick. Keep on whisking and let it boil for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and add vanilla extract and Apple Jack. Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl. Put a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the cream and let it cool to room temperature.

The Fruit

3 Granny Smith apple, diced tiny
2/3 cup fresh cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
grated zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup sugar (to taste, depending on the apples)

Put apples and cranberries in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and taste. Adjust the seasoning and sweetness to your taste. The flavor needs to lean to the strong side, but not overpowering and for sure not too sweet.

The Glaze

Apricot Glaze
1/4 cup apricot jelly
1 – 2 TBSP Cointreau, Grand Mariner, or orange juice

Heat the jelly over low heat until it melts and liquefies. Add the Cointreau and mix well. Use while still warm.

Streusel:
2 ounces butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in all ingredients with pastry cutter until pea-sized. Set aside,

Assembly
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the pastry and fit it into a tart pan (I used 2 mini (4-inch) ones). Spread a layer of pastry cream over the bottom so it comes about half way up the pan. Arrange the fruit . I use a lazy pile on top method, but feel free to get as fancy as you like. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the fruit. Sprinkle streusel topping around the sides of tart. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (27-35 minutes for the mini), until the crust is nicely browned. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for just a few minutes. Brush the top with the glaze. Let it cool to almost room temperature before serving.

Adpated from An Amateur Baker in Sidney who adapted it from Dessert Circus by Jacque Tores

So I have a special request and we will see how many people actually follow it. Please don’t email me until after the New Year. I am going through A LOT of tough personal things right now and combined with being back to working, I don’t have a ton of time to write and answer questions right now. Especially, when, no offense, over half of the questions are not specific to my blog and could be answered with a quick Google search.

If I am sounding less than nice, I am. I am tired of getting emails where people are in the middle of making the recipe and can’t figure something out. And when I don’t respond to them right away because I am say…working (when you sub, you don’t have access to a computer) they freak out and send a chain of less than nice emails. This is not a single experience. It happens a ton (at least once a week in some manner). And I’m a little over it right now.  So right now if you are unsure about a recipe, don’t make it. Save it until after the new year and ask me then.

Since I am less than peachy keen right now, I figured I would haul out this recipe from my archives. I made it back when peaches were in season, but since peaches do freeze nicely, those would work as well.

I promise in the coming months that I will let you know what is going on. Just right now I need my space. Thanks,

Peabody

Peach Melba Pie

Pastry for double crust 9-inch pie
4 cups fresh or frozen peaches slices (if frozen, thawed)
2 TBSP instant tapioca
1 cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP peach schnapps
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pie crust. Crimp the edge and trim excess crust.
Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the peaches, the tapioca, sugar, and schnapps. Toss gently until evenly mixed. Add the raspberries and toss again very gently to avoid crushing the berries. Pour filling into the pie crust and dot with bits of butter. Cover pie with second sheet of pie dough.
Mix together until evenly blended, the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over pie crust.
Bake pie for 10 minutes in the preheated 450°F oven. Reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, or until the juice begins to bubble through the topping. If the edge of the crust browns too fast, cover with a strip of aluminum foil.
Remove pie from oven and cool on a rack.
Adapted from the Seattle Examiner.com