Tuesdays At The Table - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Did everyone have a good Halloween?  I got fewer trick-or-treaters than expected (about 30 or so), but the kids were soooo cute!!!
The highlight of the day was dressing Beckett and Meadow up for Halloween.  Unfortunately, we *cough, ME, cough* couldn't find their planned costumes.  So they had to take turns sharing their back up costume - as a LEPRECHAN!!!  Good thing their grammy bought it for them when she was in Ireland a few years ago.  :-)

This week I'm sharing my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  So tasty!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 ounce) cans pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth. Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

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Vanilla bean ice cream

I never dreamed of making my own ice cream until about a year or two ago. The contributors on a cooking forum that I am a member of kept talking about homemade ice cream, and I certainly wanted to give it a try.

I've learned that David Lebovitz is pretty much the resident expert on homemade ice cream recipes. In fact, he wrote a book called The Perfect Scoop and includes several recipes in there. The recipe below is adapted from his vanilla bean ice cream and is a perfect treat any time of day. You can also add a scoop to your favorite desserts (brownies, anyone?).

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk (do not use skim or 2%)
• A pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture. Add bean pod to milk.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks and gradually pour some of the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Strain the custard into a separate bowl with the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream mixture. Add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly - preferably overnight.

Once the mixture is completely chilled, remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: Used vanilla beans can be rinsed and dried, then stored in a bin of sugar. That sugar can be used for baking and, of course, for future ice cream making.

Source:  Slightly adapted from David Lebovitz, from The Perfect Scoop

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Oodles of Noodles

Noodles at the Night Noodle Market

The Night Noodle market is one of the more accessible events of the Sydney Crave Food Festival. We went along one October Friday night for a bite to eat at one of the plethora of stalls set up in Hyde Park.

When I called this post Oodles of Noodles, I think it should have been Oodles of people. It's a pretty popular event and lots of queues across the park for the stalls that brought noodles and typical accompaniments from a wide range of countries.

There were noodles, dumplings and rice dishes from China, Japanese pancakes and noodles, as well as Malay satay, Indian and Thai curries. A melting pot of culture and cuisines!

Oodles of People

I am lucky that being a Citibank cardholder (this is not a sponsored post by the way) there was a special VIP seating area that we could use. It really made all the difference so once we'd picked up our ironically non-noodle dishes - dim sums, Peking duck pancakes and pork ribs with rice - we had a seat and table awaiting so we could tuck into our wares!

The food was typical street food and I am not really a huge fan of plastic plates and cutlery but was a fun evening out to get into the spirit of the Food festival.

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Follower Fest

Erin at Moore To Love linked up with Follower Fest today...and I thought to myself "Hey, I'd really like to meet new people!", so I'm going to link up too!




I guess I should tell you a little about myself, huh?  Well, my name is Cole.  Short for Nicole...but, I prefer Cole.

I grew up in two towns south of Boston.  I lived the first 8 years of my life in the birthplace of Tollhouse cookies.  Then my parents bought my grandparent's house.  Anyway....I bought a house last year in the first town.  You shall hear of it referred to as "the money pit" from time to time.  It's a freakin' disaster, but it's MINE!!!

After seven and a half years at a large healthcare company, I left in June.  I guess you could say that I'm at a career cross-roads.  And I'm totally OK with that.  Most of the time....  :-)

While you're here, you'll get to see my weekly blog hop (Tuesdays At The Table), my fur-kids (miniature dachshunds - Meadow & Beckett), whole lots of crafts and other randomness...and a giveaways from time to time.

Meadow

Beckett

Leave me a comment so I can come visit you too!!

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One-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater (cookies)

Please tell me you know the song....Purple People Eater?  Here's a link if you don't (or even if you do).

I don't know if a bunch of songs like these were all on the same KTel album in the 70's, but Purple People Eater, Monster Mash and Witch Doctor were the songs that played at every Halloween party when I was a kid.  Good stuff.

Now, my Purple People Eaters kind of look like they are wearing party hats...I assure you that is a horn.  It just *doubles* as a party hat.  Where do you think he finds all of those people to eat? ;)

To make you One-eyed, One-horned Flying Purple People Eater cookies, you will need:

• cookies: I used a circle and attached wings on the sides and a triangle on top
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Regal Purple, Egg Yellow, Electric Green, Bright White and Super Black
• disposable piping bags
• tips: #2, #12, #5, #1
• squeeze bottles (2)

 

First, here's a peek at how to put the cookie together.  I used a template for the wings and just "winged it" (ha!) for the horn. 

Use a #2 tip to outline the monster in purple.

Use another #2 tip to outline the wings in egg yellow.

Use a #2 tip to outline the horn.  Use a back and forth motion to fill in the horn outline.

Thin the purple and yellow icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

 

Fill (flood) the monster head/body with purple.  Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop and large air bubbles that have formed.

Flood the wings.

Switch the tip on the purple icing bag to a #1 and add a little striped detail to the horn.

Let the cookies sit for at least one hour.

(So, here's where it got dark and I lost my natural light for pictures.  Boo.)
Use a #12 tip to pipe an eye in white.  Immediately, pipe the pupil in black on top of the white using a #5 tip.

Switch the tips to #1's and add a mouth and teeth. (Ya gotta have teeth to eat people.)

Use a #2 tip to pipe a little detail on the wings in yellow.

There you have it...

One-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater cookies!  

{The song is stuck in your head now, isn't it?  Welcome to my world.}

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Pumpkin pie snickerdoodle bars

Last year, when there was a pumpkin shortage, I snagged a few cans of pumpkin and stocked my pantry. Unfortunately, my grocery store only had the large cans left, so I grabbed one. Since it's officially pumpkin season, I wanted to make some pumpkin desserts, and I finally broke into the large can of deliciousness.

The first recipe I made with the pumpkin was pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. The second recipe I made was pumpkin whoopie pies. Then I made some pumpkin pancakes (those photos were horrible, so I am not sharing that recipe yet). Believe it or not, but I still had pumpkin left over! What's a girl to do?

I went to my trusty baking source to look for a pumpkin recipe that would use up the rest of the can.  If you haven't guessed by now, I went to Beantown Baker and found this amazing looking bar. It's half snickerdoodle and half pumpkin pie. Yum! Needless to say, this was a huge hit with my coworkers, and several of them have asked for the recipe.

One note to keep in mind with these bars is that the pumpkin layer might be a bit soft, but that's ok.  It's supposed to resemble a pumpkin pie, after all, so don't worry if it doesn't seem as done as the rest of the layers.

Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Layer

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle

• 1 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later. Note: I did not do this and just baked in my 9x13 pan.

Snickerdoodle layer:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (you can use your hands if you want).

To make pumpkin pie filling:
In the same mixer bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes (I baked for 35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely. They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.

After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.


Source:  Beantown Baker

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Eff....Marry...Kill

I've seen some of my bloggy buddies playing this game every week.  So, I'm taking the plunge and joining in for the first time!





Because I love NCIS: LA so much, I'm making them my first edition.  :-)

Eff.  Mary Deeks is scruffy and funny.  Sweet.  Oh...and HOT.

Marry.  Callen is just a little dangerous...but really loyal.  And have you seen those eyes?!?!

Kill. I'm glad they took Nate off the show.  He was so freaking annoying!

What do you think?  Did I make the right choices?

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Embrasse

You my remember that a few months ago, Sandra and I were treated to a magnificent birthday dinner at Vue De Monde by our good friend An.  Well, when his birthday rolled around we also wanted to take him to a fabulous restaurant, preferably with a degustation menu.  And after much deliberation, we chose...


Embrasse
312 Drummond St
Carlton VIC 3053
Ph: (03) 9347 3312
Website

I had read many good reviews of Embrasse in blogs and newspapers, and was very excited to visit.  It is a small, unassuming restaurant, located on a quiet street in Carlton.  I was also aware of the protests (and apparent threats of violence) that surrounded their decision to serve horse meat for a very brief period.  I didn't quite understand the fuss, or why horses deserve special attention over say, cows, chickens or sheep.  Horse meat is often served in other countries - in Germany, for example, Pferdemetzgereis, or horse butchers, are not uncommon.

However, back to the topic at hand:

In addition to an a la carte menu, Embrasse have both 5-course ($95) and an 8-course ($125) degustation options.  Being a special occassion, we splashed out on the 8-course option.  And because I didn't have to drive (yay!) I also splashed out on matching wines for an extra $95.  Sandra and An aren't big drinkers so just ordered a glass of wine each for the meal.

And speaking of splashing out...

Kir Royale - $26 each

We started with a round of kir royales.  These are one of my favourite pre-dinner drinks, and were a lovely start to the meal.  At $26 a pop they were pretty pricey - I assume they were made with real champagne - so I've since 'invested' in a bottle of crème de cassis so I can make kir royales at home.  (You can safely assume there's always champagne in my house, hehe!)

Before the procession of courses commenced, we were brought some little amuses bouche served on individual spoons.

I was amazed by the intensity and the purity of flavour of those little mouthfuls; a theme that would be repeated throughout the night.

Beetroot, black sesame seeds, apple

Cauliflower

The breads on offer were olive, and smoked wheat - both warm, crusty and delicious.  These were replenished throughout the night.

The butter was perfectly soft and spreadable - a small detail but so important!  I loved the cute block for butter and the wooden butter knife too.

Now, let's look at the procession of courses.  I'm not going to say too much about each course individually - suffice it to say they were all fabulous and the wine matches were great too!  I love how beautifully composed each plate was.

First Course

Souvenir of Laguiole….our way

Meli Melo of vegetables, emulsions and purees, home grown and foraged herbs and flowers

Suze Cocktail – Gentiane, Cassis and tonic

Second Course

Dory, smoked olives, stinging nettle juices, old way pickles, malt bread

2010 Polperro Pinot Gris – Mornington, VIC

Third Course

Squid cooked in red wine, zucchini and family, fromage blanc froth, meyer lemon and bergamot

2010 Wittmann Riesling – Rheinhessen, Germany

Palate Cleanser

Rhubarb and Rose Tea

This was a rather interesting little palate cleanser, with a unique sour taste that we all thought tasted absolutely distinctly of McDonald's cheeseburgers.  (You know, the sour pickle/onion tang?)  I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but it was so unexpected and really cool!

Fourth Course

Pork fillet- roasted and glazed with an anise syrup, mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, flame grilled potato, chicory, Dijon mustard

2008 Bella Ridge Chenin Blanc – Swan Valley, WA

Can you see the little mushrooms on the left hand side of the plate?  How adorable!  I thought this plate was like a composed woodland scene - gorgeous.

Fifth Course

Wagyu beef, smoked rice vinegar, asparagus, ink, caramelised butter, pomme croquette, plantons, wild garlic

2008 Domaine du Vieux Chene Côte du Rhône – Rhône, France

Mmm... rare beef and a crunchy, creamy potato croquette: bliss.

With our final savoury course, I thought that now would be a good time to mention that all the little leaves and flowers on courses weren't just for decoration, but were actual edible components of each dish, adding texture and flavour.

Sixth Course

Cheeses from here and over there

2009 Mas Amiel – South-West France

Pre-Dessert

The pre-dessert was an adventurous flavour combination: dark chocolate, and a red capsicum sauce.  Our waiter informed us it was a love-it-or-leave-it combo - I loved it, Sandra and An weren't quite as enamoured.

Seventh Course

Banana, nougatine, desiree potato, olive oil, sheep’s milk yogurt

2009 Pichot ‘Le Marigny’ Vouvray Moëlleux – Loire, France

Potatoes in a dessert?  A thousand times, yes!  The little potato noodles were appealingly mealy (y'all know I love dough), and combined with a lovely smooth yoghurt, crunchy nougatine and little sweet bursts of banana.    Just wonderful.

And rounding up the meal was Embrasse's famous forest floor dessert.  I've seen and read about it on innumerable blogs, and I was ecstatic when it was brought out!

Eighth Course

Chocolate & hazelnut parfait, forest floor, sorrel mint granita

1982 Toro Albala gran Riserva Pedro Ximenez – Xerez, Spain

I know it's a 'forest floor', but I think it also looks a little 'under-the-sea', don't you?  My favourite part of this dessert was the 'mushroom' with its meringue stem and chocolate parfait cap.  Wow!

And as it was a birthday, our lucky An got a little salted caramel and chocolate petit four.

I'm so glad we chose Embrasse for this special occasion!  The food (as you can see) was amazing, the atmosphere was lovely, and the service was fantastic - warm, professional, efficient and well-informed.  Our dietary requirements were easily accommodated (we'd informed them when we made the booking that one of us didn't eat seafood and only liked meat well done; I felt that it was only fair), and all our other needs were taken care of without us even having to ask.  No problems, no worries - it was such a perfect, enjoyable night!

Happy birthday An!

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Permanent Templates for Custom Cookie Shapes . . . Works for Me Wednesday

So, here's the deal.  You guys are smarter than I am.

{But you already knew that.}

A while back, I wrote a post about making templates for cookie shapes when you don't have a cutter.  I was making them with clean cardstock or cutting up a new manila file folder.

Well, I got a sweet email from a reader who suggested I use plastic made for quilting templates.


Ding! Ding! Ding!

A. Using this method, the templates are reusable and WASHABLE!
B. My mom, who was a quilter, would have just loved this!

It's how I make all of my templates now.  All you do is...
 
go to the fabric store and buy the template plastic,


place the image to be traced underneath the plastic,


trace (I like a Sharpie),


cut out (I used my "good" scissors just for you guys).

Voila!  A cookie template you can use over and over again.  Works for me!

**Dear sweet reader who sent in the tip, please let me know who you are in the comments, so I can give you proper credit.**

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