Cherry Cheesecake Tart - You Want Pies with That?

I need to check my birth certificate. I think my middle name is actually "Procrastination."

It's Sunday night...the Lakers just won Game 2 of the NBA Championship (whoo hoo!) and my pie is finally in the oven. And, of course, it is due in a few hours. I also spent the morning at Disney's California Adventure with UCLA friend, Barbara...and got my personal best on Toy Story Mania with 176,100 points...however, I just watched this youtube video of hints and discovered the high point Easter eggs. Next time, I'm going over 200K :)

This month's theme for You Want Pies with That? is "Childhood Favorite Pie" by Ellen at Kittymama. Ellen couldn't join us this month because she has very exciting happenings in her life...in fact, check her blog for details of how she is going to create wonderful childhood memories for a beautiful little sweetheart!

Childhood Memory Pie: Bake a pie or tart that is inspired by a favorite childhood memory. Maybe you spent a summer vacation in Maine so it's a blueberry pie; or your grandmother always baked lemon meringue, or you remember your first taste of apple pie ever. Tell us a little story that will help us walk down memory lane with you and relive some happy childhood memories!

Um. Memories.
Let me describe myself using some Disney terms.

I am Dory from Finding Nemo. I speak whale and can't remember anything.

However, I did reach way way back and found two childhood food-related memories: graham crackers and cherries.

I remember eating graham crackers for snack at "Preschool in the Park" (it was actually held in a park). And I remember seeing a photo of my brother and I holding a big box of fresh picked cherries. Now, I don't remember going out and PICKING the cherries, but I remember my mom showing me the photo and telling me that we went cherry picking someplace in Los Angeles or the surrounding counties. Pretty pathetic memory, but, like I said...I'm Dory.

This pie is a variation of Tyler Florence's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. I made the original before (very yummmmy!), and switched it up for this challenge.

I used a 9" tart shell, omitted the lemon zest, and used 1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries on top. Baking time remained the same. It's a great tart for those times when you don't want a 3" tall chunk of cream cheese but all the flavor. Original recipe: Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars by Tyler Florence

Please be sure to check out the other creative You Want Pies with That? bakers!! Whew! 11:45 pm and I got it in! Good night!

Buttermilk Coffee Cake or the old school Cowboy Coffee Cake

When I went to DC to visit my friends Racheal and Lee, I baked a bit and picked up some buttermilk for a cake. Unfortunately, Lee took a swig of the buttermilk thinking it was regular milk.

I'm just sorry I missed the look on his face.

Light and easy to make coffee cake with walnut & cinnamon crumb topping

This morning I found myself heading to a presentation at another library and, in a blatant attempt to literally butter up my audience, I was looking for something to bring. And I had buttermilk in the fridge.

I was feeling old school and picked up the Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book (11th edition, 1996). You know, the red plaid cover!!

They call this the Buttermilk Coffee Cake. The note says, "Back by popular demand, this breakfast treat was known as Cowboy Coffee Cake in previous editions of this cookbook."

Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until small crumbs:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening (I used butter)

Put aside 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and combine with 1/2 cup nuts. I used walnuts. Love the "Walnut Baking Pieces" from Trader Joe's...no need to cut or trim. The nuts aren't optional...you really need them to add crunch and texture.

Stir into the remaining crumb mixture:
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

In a separate bowl, combine these two ingredients and then add (all at once) to the flour mixture:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Since the crumb mixture contained cold butter, I wasn't sure how to "mix well". It didn't say to make it smooth so I mixed it (by hand) well enough to combine everything and left these little bits of butter. See them? Well, it turned out fine.

Pour into a greased 13 x 9 pan (I always line it with parchment paper). Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cowboy Coffee Cake or Buttermilk Coffee Cake

English Peas and Buttermilk Potatoes

Math lesson of the day: English peas + Carbs = Delicious!

The farmers market has English peas now! And I'm lazy!

So I bought the shelled peas for $6 a pound ("sealed up" peas were $3/pound). That extra cost was so worth it. I know it can be relaxing and fill you with summertime Zen-like back-to-earth visions of the farm to shell them yourself...but, like noted above, I'm lazy.

English Peas and Buttermilk Potatoes

4 red potatoes (mine were a bit big...so adjust to taste/size/hunger)
1 cup shelled English peas
1/4 cup buttermilk
1-2 T butter
Lots of salt and pepper

I cut up the potatoes and nuked them for about 5 minutes. I boiled the peas in salted water until al dente (I'm sure I could have done things together in the pot, but I wasn't thinking). Drain everything and pop it back into the pot to dry out a bit. Add the buttermilk and butter and start mashing. Easy PEAsy (get it?! darn, I'm such a nerd)

Cinnamon Squares - Tuesdays with Dorie

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures chose Cinnamon Squares on pages 210 and 211 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Be sure to head over to Tracey's blog. Her blog rocks!!!

I've made this recipe before and it is delicious! A perfect breakfast, tea, snack, brunch, dessert, 3:00 pm, midnight and TV snack. Yes, a friend indeed.

The center swirl is a delicious combo of instant espresso powder, sugar, cinnamon and chocolate. I know some people don't care of the flavor combo of cinnamon and chocolate, but I love it. I put in 3/4 of the batter, the swirl, then the remaining 1/4 batter.

The topping is a mix of melted bittersweet chocolate and butter. Simply yum.
Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers

Recipe: Find it on Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, or in Dorie's fantastic book, Baking.

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Sorbet

Oh dear. I'm having an affair with the ice cream maker. You know I'm in a committed relationship with the Bundt pan (as evidenced by my 1,000 bundt cakes), but my brand new ice cream maker makes me weak in the knees. Oh man, it is fantastic! It's like magic!! Perhaps it will only be a summer fling...we'll see.

I adapted the recipe straight from the Cuisinart instruction booklet! They had a plain lemon sorbet, but I love anything ginger so I infused some ginger into the simple syrup mixture. Next time, I would infuse more ginger for a longer period of time to give it more ginger flavor (I love love ginger)

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Sorbet

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger, cut into 1/4" slices - next time, I would use more
3/4 c fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Bring water, sugar and ginger to boil, reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Strain the ginger from the mixture. Refrigerate until you are going to use it.

Add lemon juice to syrup mixture and stir. Pop in the ice cream maker until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt with White Chocolate

Lemon Blueberry Bundt
from the Nestle's website

Still working on those Costco blueberries (I think they are actually breeding and multiplying in the clam-shell box...)

Today's blueberry item: Lemon Blueberry Bundt. Yes, shocker of all shockers...Mary selected a Bundt cake!

This recipe is pretty much a buttermilk pound cake with some added melted white chocolate (didn't really taste this in the end product). Add half the batter then the blueberries. The blueberries are supposed to end up in the middle. But since I must have the heaviest blueberries on the planet (see my upside down blueberry cake from earlier this week) and I forgot to dust them in cornstarch or flour (although the recipe didn't call for this), they kinda sunk and didn't end up looking anything like the photo on Nestle's website.

The topping/glaze is 1 cup of melted white chocolate morsels with optional lemon extract.

Yeah, those blueberries were no where in the middle. But I just say the cake has its own mind and character.

Was it my favorite bundt? No, not really. I would rather have Everyday Food's Berry-Lemon Bundt with the lemon glaze, rather than this white chocolate glaze. But I know there are a bunch of white chocolate lovers out there so you might want to give this one a try!

Recipe: Nestle's Lemon Blueberry Bundt

P.S. Happy Birthday Karen!!!

(Upside down) Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

(Upside Down by Accident) Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Who doesn't love the Smitten Kitchen? She's amazing and always come up with the most delicious dishes.

When I saw her Raspberry Buttermilk Cake, I knew I had to make it. I love breakfast and tea cakes. I just don't like frosting...I've been peeling it off since I was a little kid!

Also, I bought the mammoth box of California blueberries from Costco and have to come up with 10 ways to use them. :)

The batter came together quickly. Very easy and "lower" in fat...only 1/2 stick of butter! I sprinkled 1 cup of blueberries on top and popped it into the oven...

When I opened the oven, the fruit was gone. I thought there were in the middle...but no, they were on the bottom.

I probably used too many blueberries and next time I can dust them in flour or wait a few minutes before popping them in the batter. Smitten Kitchen's and Gourmet's fruit fell, but not all the way to bottom like mine.

So, like the saying, "when life gives you a cake with blueberries on the bottom, turn the damn thing over," I served it as an upside down cake, and dusted it with some powdered sugar.

The bottom had a nice crunch because the sugar topping was on the bottom! :)

Recipe: From Smitten Kitchen who got it from Gourmet. Use either one.

Royal/T Cafe, Culver City

Royal/T is a cafe, shop and gallery in Culver City, CA.

I had the day off today and spent some time in Culver City. First, lunch at Royal/T Cafe and then a trip to Surfas Restaurant Supply (please, as if I could go to Culver City without stopping at Surfas...I now have enough paper products to make over 1,000 cupcakes)

Above, Royal/T Milk Tea - black tea with a peachy flavor, brewed with soy milk. I got it iced but it is also available hot. The Matcha Tea - very, very matcha...a little too strong for me.

It is inspired by the Maid Cafes of Tokyo's Akihabara district. All the waitress are dressed as French maids.

Ponzu Salmon rice bowl with seared edamame

The lunch rice set ($14) includes one salad, sandwich or rice bowl; one side order and one tea, coffee or beverage.

Baked Egg with fresh shiitake mushrooms and bacon

My friend got this as part of the breakfast set ($10) along with a chocolate crossiant.

Japanese potato salad

This was my favorite part of the meal; Japanese potato salad is total comfort food! It uses Japanese mayo and includes carrots and cucumbers. Yummy!

From the gallery

They have a large space (10,000 square feet) that includes the gallery space, store, cafe, VIP room. It is a very nice space with open ceilings.

Royal/T Cafe
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
T 310 559 6300

Cherry Mochi Cakes - Cute and Gluten-free

fresh california cherry mochi mini-cupcakes

Remember the Blueberry Mochi Cake I made recently? It has been well received by my co-workers, friends and family...and it is such a thrill when I get comments from people who made it for their family (and they liked it!)

Now that it is Summer Fruit time (whoo hoo!), my thoughts are all about the cherry. Two years ago, my friend Charlotte forwarded me the Martha Stewart Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes recipe. It is just so pretty!

But I tend to shy away from nut recipes (because a co-worker can't have nuts or seeds), so I thought...what if I make it with mochi cake!? The result, if I do say so myself, is YUM!

Cherry Pitting with a chopstick! I tried my best to keep the stem attached.

Since I wasn’t sure how this would all work out (read: it could be another baking disaster of mine), I didn’t want to risk wasting my very first batch of beautiful California sweet cherries! So, I made 16 mini cupcakes with fresh cherries, and poured the rest of the batter into a 9 x 13 pan and added frozen Trader Joe’s Sweet Cherries (about ¾ of the bag)

Make this easy-to-make, gluten-free recipe! Since it is made with mochiko flour (sweet rice flour), the texture is slightly chewy!

Cherry or Blueberry Mochi Cake
Adapted from JustJenn who adapted it from Hawaii's Best Mochi Recipes by Jean Watanabe Hee

Mix together: 2 sticks melted butter and 2 cups sugar. Mix in 1 can evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk).

Whisk in 4 eggs. Add 1 box of Mochiko (Sweet rice flour. You can get Koda Farms Mochiko at an Asian grocery store, Surfas in Los Angeles, or health food stores because it is gluten-free. I buy it at Japanese grocery stores for $1.28 - $1.50 a box). Add 2 tsp. baking powder and 2 tsp. vanilla and mix until smooth. Done! How easy is that?!?

You can add frozen blueberries to the mix or layer them into the batter. Or, as I did for this one, add fresh and/or frozen cherries. I covered some and just popped the cherry in other...both ended up the same; I would do the easy method!

I made 16 mini cupcakes and baked them for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees…until they were a bit golden on top. The remaining batter went into a 9 x 13 pyrex glass pan for 60 minutes (check at 50 minutes).

For the mini cupcakes, I sprayed the tray with Baker’s Joy. However, if you were going for totally gluten-free, please just brush with melted butter.

Cherry Mochi Cake - Give it a try!

Fresh Mango Bread - Tuesdays with Dorie

Fresh Mango Bread. Deliciousness in a carb.

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Kelly of Baking with the Boys selected Fresh Mango Bread on page 45 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I love mangos! Plain mangos. Mangos with chili pepper. Mango lassi. Oh yes, I heart mango!

I cut the bread into little pieces to make it easier for my co-workers to grab a bite. The pottery is my platter from Gary Holt Pottery in Berkeley, California (see this for more info).

This recipe took 2 1/2 small mangos to get the right amount of diced mango. The bread was very very easy to mix and put together. I skipped the raisins and went all mango, all the time.

While baking, I thought the bread would overflow out of the pan! It really doomed up...but then fell while cooling. That happens a lot with my breads...they are such a tease in the oven.

The bread had a nice blend of spices, and the fresh mango was delicious. Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers! You can find the recipe on Kelly's website Baking with the Boys or buy Dorie's great book!