Mix My Granola!

Mix My Granola

The way a pastry chef likes it.


In other words I was creating a dessert while simultaneously picking my customized granola mix on MixMyGranola. Double duty, and you know how I love things with more than one use.

The concept behind the start-up company a MixMyGranola is brilliant, as anything custom is right up my alley. Design your own granola with anything and everything you like and they will ship it right to your door (in a sleek mailing tube might I add). Did I say granola only? You can go off the wagon and mix some G.O.R.P., or a movie appropriate snack too. Just make sure to sneak it past the ushers at the cinema.

I took making my mix as serious business. What would it be today; something very berry, or a myriad of tropical flavors including mango, coconut, cashews and ginger? I went way of the tropics for my very first Dirt Cake mix. MixMyGranola is so easy and fun to navigate. Build your mix while a tool bar keeps track of the cost and the expanding nutritional facts. Has your granola mix gotten too nut and berry laden, causing your calorie count to skyrocket? Hit the back button a few and rethink your selections. Once your masterpiece is finished, you checkout and it is sent to you with your personalized granola name, along with your ingredient list and nutritional facts. I opted for Dirt Cake as the name of my first mix; maybe in the future I will mix up a real chocolate-laden Dirt Cake MixMyGranola


Besides enjoying my decadent granola mix with milk and yogurt, I have decided to make a dessert of sorts using the tropical granola mix. No fruit crumbles here, one must think outside the box (or granola tube in this case) when faced with a bevy of toasted oatmeal delight. I got brainstorming and decided on a coconut bavarios with a granola sable. Filled with seasonal mango, a little extra granola and topped with a drizzle of caramel that allows the cream to bubble through creating a visually unique (and delicious) dessert! My neighbors just devoured the first round so I think it is safe to say MixMyGranola, and desserts made with it, it a home run.


Coconut Bavarois with Mango and Granola Sable

Ingredients:
200grams MixMyGranola
50grams butter

1. Grind the granola mixture in the robot coupe until it is a fine consistency.
2. Add the butter and continue to pulse until a dough forms.
3. Chill for one hour.
4. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
5. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until golden. 5 turn 5 minutes.
6. While still warm cut rounds to fit into the ramekins or to line the bottom of ring molds. You can eat the sable too as cookies!

Coconut Bavarois:
225grams coconut milk
2 egg yolks
100g sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp lime juice
¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 sheet gelatin (3.5 grams)
225 grams of heavy cream

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the coconut milk, half the sugar, salt, lime juice and vanilla to a boil.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the yolks and sugar together until pale. (Blanchir)
3. Temper in the boiling coconut milk into the yolks.
4. Return to low heat stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula. Bring the mixture to 180 degrees F.
5. Bloom the gelatin and squeeze off extra moisture. Place in a medium bowl.
6. Pour the coconut crème anglaise over the gelatin. Stir to ensure it is evenly melted and distributed.
7. Gently cool over an ice bath, stirring constantly, until it reaches room temperature.
8. In the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks.
9. Fold together the coconut crème anglaise and the heavy cream.

Macerated Mango
2 mangoes
30 grams sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch cayenne pepper

1. Peel and dice the mangoes. Add sugar, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper.

To assemble:
1.With the bottom of a ring mold lined with sable place a small spoonful of the bavarois.
2. Add a spoonful of mangoes and a sprinkle of granola.
3. Finish filling the mold with more bavarois.
4. Freeze for atleast an hour.
5. Remove the mold using a heat torch to gently heat the outside of the mold. Pull the mold downwards off of the set bavarois.
6. Chill bavarois in fridge.

You can do the same procedure in a ramekin.

Caramel Drizzle
300 grams granulated sugar
1. In a heavy bottomed pot create a dry caramel by heating the pot and gradually sprinkling sugar in while stirring with a heatproof spatula.
2. Cook to medium amber.
3. Drizzle caramel over the tops of the bavarois. The bavarois will bubble up through the caramel.

ENJOY!

Putting the dirt(cake) out there

Pyramide Boxes

The process of making new packaging, recipes and crafts is always an exciting challenge. From conception to demo models to the final product, doing it right means that this great idea can happen again in the future. Ideas happen by chance, but when it comes to execution, “make it nice or make it twice.” The pyramid boxes were inspired by an old French bread-baking technique using wood. A pliable wood material is cut and folded into a pyramid shape; holes at the top are created and secured together with butcher’s twine. Bread is placed inside to proof, and then bake. A baking and packaging parcel in one! My demo pyramid started off with cardstock, and then I realized that the cardstock would complement the printed-paper that I was going to use to face the box. I am still on the hunt for “bendable stock” plywood, as it is tough to find and expensive to produce. Putting an exact replicate on the backburner, I continued with my paper form. Cut the box diagram out of one of the cardstocks, using the outline as a stencil for multiple boxes. Once the box form is traced and cut out lay it pencil side up on a clean surface. Spray the box form with adhesive. Lay a square of decorative paper on a new clean surface, printed side down. Place the box form, adhesive side down, on the printed-paper. Smooth the two papers together using a bone tool or a plastic ruler. I chose a recycled “green” paper for decoration, as it had a beautiful texture that would give a sturdy finish to the boxes. Using a hole punch, punch holes on the outward-facing tip of each equilateral triangle. Secure the ends together with a piece of leather, ribbon or twine. For small favor boxes, I trace a 1.5”x1.5” square, and then an equilateral triangle on each side of the square. For larger boxes use a 3”x3” square as the base. Fill the boxes with whatever you fancy. I am going for some macaroons today, raspberry candies tomorrow and who knows what the day after that.

Dirt Cake On Etsy!

Strawberry preserves and Valrhona Grand Cru Dirt Cake Macaroons up for sale on ETSY!!

Reasonably priced, this is the perfect way to enjoy simply delicious treats. Packaged and shipped with love. Order while you can!!!!

Dirt Cake On Etsy

Cinnamon Rolled Crepas

Making them at my part time...going to be great

A Foray Into Savory

Let's be honest, I don't make sweet food exclusively, but it sure is fun pretending to. Cooking "real food" is a good time, I should probably do it more often. My mom was visiting for Easter, and we decided to take a little jaunt over to the farmer's market , near my abode. With Mommydearest(and her wallet, gasp) in tow, I scooped up loads of Spring produce. Having just learned how to properly clean artichokes, I stocked up. I have decided to make them my food-of-the-moment. Roasted artichokes with gremolata on toast. A perfect snack, hors d'oeuvres, or light lunch. A glass of pinot, spring sunshine and I am the picture of happiness.
Ingredients:
2 artichokes
zest and juice of one lemon
3/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
4 slices of your favorite bread for toasting
olive oil

1. Prepare the artichokes by removing the bottom leaves, and trimming the pointy tips off of the rest of the leaves. Peel the stem where the heart is.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Squeeze in the the lemon juice, and insert the artichokes.
3. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Strain the artichokes and pull away all of the leaves, saving them for a snack.
*You can cook the artichokes sans stems, I however happen to love eating the meat off of the bottom of each leaf.
Turn oven broiler on.
5. Grate the garlic into a small bowl, add the parsley and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cut each cleaned artichoke heart in half. Spoon on the gremolata mixture and drizzle with alove oil. Sprinkle with a dash of coarse sea salt.
7. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil.
8. Place the stuffed hearts and toast on a sheet tray and cook under the broiler until the toast is golden.
9. Place a half of an artichoke heart on each piece of toast.

Sometimes I don't know HOW TO DEAL with it all

From work to play, to cooking for yourself, cleaning your apartment, decorating, organizing your closet, finding that perfect outfit....it all can be a bit overwhelming at times. The two J's are here to give you a few pointers, and guide you in the right direction. Living "that life" that you have always wanted isn't so daunting and is definitely possible. Learn How To Deal with it all on a sister site of sorts www.howtodeal-jj.blogspot.com. The girls are constantly updating the site with new tips and tricks. How To Deal is as addictive as Perez, but actually motivates me to get moving!
':

Strawberry Preserve Perfection

Apparently these preserves are "out of control delicious"

Glossy, bright red strawberry packed preserves in early April may seem a tad premature. The current issue of Gourmet is pushing Spring, and I am right on board with them.I have the luxury of living in Southern California, and every day of the week there is a farmer's market packed with fresh organic produce. The strawberries have been especially good this early in the season and I couldn't resist making some preserves. I wanted to achieve bright red preserves, and avoid the darkened overcooked stuff. Browning in color when making jam results in a muddy flavor. I canned the preserves in little baby flip top jars. A cup of tea, some scones and clotted cream will make the perfect cream tea...don't forget the preserves, or jam or whatever you want to call it.

Ingredients:

1000 grams fresh strawberries, whole and hulled
400 grams granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
20 grams pectin
80 grams sugar

1. In a large ziptop freezer bag combine strawberries and 400 grams of sugar. Shake to distribute.
2. Let strawberries sit in a hot water bath for a few hours to pull as much liquid as possible from the strawberries. (An at home version of sous-vide cooking).
3. Strain the strawberries. Reserve liquid.
4. In a medium heavy bottomed pot bring the strawberry and lemon juice to a boil.
5. Shake together the 20 grams of pectin, salt, and 80 grams of sugar.
6. Whisking constantly, shake in the pectin mixture into the strawberry liquid.
7. Whisking constantly cook for three minutes.
8. Add the strawberries, switch to a heat proof spatula, and cook for 8 minutes.
9. Pour preserves into sterilized jars or storage container and allow to cool.

For Canning:

Canning screw top or flip top jars
Large Pot
Tongs

1. Sterlize jars in the dishwasher or a pot of boiling water.
2. Fill with hot preserves and secure a sterlized lid on while hot.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4. Instert jars into boiling water. Boil for five minutes for small jars, 8 minutes for large jars.
5. Remove the jars with the tongs and allow to cool.

There is a lot of great literature on canning out there on the internet, read around!

If you don't want to can simply store the jam in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks, or the freezer for a year.