Refrigerator Chocolate and Pumpkin Porter Pie with Pumpkin Marshmallow Meringue - You'll Eat it Faster Than You Say It!

Did you hear??????  It's Pie Week!

I'm becoming a one-trick pony during these theme weeks, what with lemon and berry and pumpkin marshmallows.  But I just can't help myself.

As such, during this Pie Week I basically had to involve mallows in my pie.  And for some reason, I felt compelled to look for ideas that also involved beer.  I'm not sure why The Fates directed me that way, but as usually, they knew better than I, and before I knew it, I was calling Four Peaks to make sure that I could still get my mitts on a six pack of their pumpkin porter.

I've already mentioned my almost obsessive love for Four Peaks here, where I made not one but two recipes with their signature beer, Kilt Lifter.  So it wasn't a stretch for me to decide that I needed to use the porter for this round of reindeer games.

What I found was a lovely recipe that used Guinness to make a chocolate pudding as the base for a marshmallow "meringue" topping, which was then torched to s'more-y goodness.  Basically, this is a boozy s'more pie with a touch of salt, thanks to the addition of pretzels in the crust.  Perfection, really.  Since Guinness is more appropriate for St. Patrick's Day than Pie Week in November, I not only used the more seasonal pumpkin porter instead of Guinness but also opted to use my own pumpkin marshmallows as the topping.  

THIS is a pumpkin pie I can get behind, people.

Since the recipe made two pies, I was a little concerned about what I'd do with two entire pies in the house.  Husband doesn't like chocolate OR marshmallow, and HRH has informed me that the "marshmallows at Nana's" are better (goodbye, college tuition).  That would leave me with two pies all to myself.  Bad news.

Fortunately for my waistline, we met our new neighbor this weekend, and to welcome him to the neighborhood and feed his friends who had worked hard all day getting him unloaded and moved in, I offered a pie to them.  Young pups that they were, they happily accepted.  

Note to self: make recipes that net two pies more often and give them to neighbors.

Pie Week continues tomorrow, too.  If you haven't caught all the amazing pies this third round of Pie Week has already offered, swing by to see how you can be the talk of the Thanksgiving table.  I have to say that this is a wonderful bunch of ladies who love cooking, baking, and making homemade goodies that will taste so much better than anything you can ever buy in a store.  And since pie is truly So Exciting, several of them are making multiple appearances.

Monday 

• Kirsten / Comfortably Domestic – Mile High Apple Pie
• Katie / The Hill Country Cook – New Mexico Apple Pie
• Anne / From My Sweet Heart – Cranberry Cherry Ricotta Pie
• Haley / The Girlie Girl Cooks – Coconut Cream Pie

Tuesday

• Jeanne / Inside NanaBread’s Head – Black and White Coconut Tart
• Mads / La Petite Pancake – Pineapple Pie
• Monica / The Grommom – Papaya Pie

Wednesday

• Carrie / Bakeaholic Mama – Chocolate Cream Pie
• Kat / Tenaciously Yours, – Grandma’s Chocolate Pie
• Kirsten / Comfortably Domestic – Maple Sweet Potato Pie with Toasted Swiss Meringue

Thursday

• Shanna / Pineapple Coconut – Boozy Pumpkin Egg Nog Pie
• Carrie / Bakeaholic Mama – Sweet Potato Tartlets
• Christina / Buffy and George – Deep Dish Apple Pie

Friday (that's today!)

• Madeline / Munching in the Mitten – Sweet Potato Pie
• Allison/Decadent Philistines Save the World - that's me!  The recipe is below.
• Lauren / Climbing Grier Mountain - Mini Butternut Squash Pie Stacks with Marshmallow Frosting

Saturday

• Megan / Wanna Be a Country Cleaver - Biscoff Pie with Whiskey Mallow Fluff
• Shanna / Pineapple Coconut - Persimmon, Pear and Brandy Pie with Vanilla Bean Crumble
• Kirsten / Comfortably Domestic – Very Berry Cherry Pie

Refrigerator Chocolate and Pumpkin Porter Pie with Pumpkin Marshmallow Meringue

(inspired by and modified from Sprinkle Bakes)

**makes two pies - share with a friend

For the crust:

• 2 cups pulverized pretzels
• 2 cups pulverized, freshly made and cooled graham crackers*
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a bowl, combine the pretzels, graham crackers, and butter with a spatula until just combined.  Press equal amounts into two pie pans.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Allow to cool completely in a coonhound-proof receptacle (like the microwave).

*Yes, you can use store-bought graham crackers.  But before you do, I recommend that you read what Jenni has to say at the link I provided.  I adore her recipe and her perspective, which can be applied to so many other foods (hence why the pretzels was the only non-homemade item in this recipe, although if I'd have had time.....  

For the chocolate pudding:

• 8 large egg yolks (the fresher the better)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter (or your favorite local pumpkin porter - buy local; it tastes better)
• 2 1/4 cups organic cream
• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar; set aside.  

Place a 3 quart saucepan on the stove and whisk together the porter and cream.  Heat over medium to medium-high heat until hot but NOT boiling.  

Remove from heat and stir in chocolate.  Once the chocolate has melted, whisk in the egg and sugar mixture, drizzling only a little at a time (you don't want to have scrambled eggs here - that would be horrible).  Then, whisk in the cornstarch and return to the heat.  

Stir over heat until the mixture has thickened.

Pour the chocolate mixture immediately into the cooled pie crusts.  Put the pies in the refrigerator, and allow them to set completely before moving on to the next step.

For the marshmallow topping, you're going to make a half batch of pumpkin marshmallows.  If you want, you can use the rest of the can of porter as part of the pumpkin water.

As usual, this recipe was practically stolen from Jenni at Pastry Chef Online.

• 1/2 cup cold water mixed with 1 Tbsp chilled pumpkin puree
• 2 1/4 Tbsp powdered gelatin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (confession: I always use a full tablespoon)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup pumpkin spice syrup
• splash water

Combine the "pumpkin water," salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and stir to combine, being careful to get rid of any lumps.  Set aside.

Bring sugar and syrups - and the water-  to a boil.  Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 244° (the soft ball stage).  

When the syrup mixture reaches about 235°, turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to low or medium low.

As soon as the syrup reaches the proper temperature, remove and pour into the mixing bowl, continuing to whisk on low/medium low.  

Gradually raise the speed of the mixer.  Continue to whip until the mixture has about tripled inside (read: you're fearful it will overflow) and it starts to come off the sides of the bowl in small threads.

Using a large spatula liberally coated with pan spray or olive oil, pour the marshmallow cream into the pie pans, right over the chocolate pudding, carefully spreading it out evenly (as necessary).  Take a pause to lick the spatula before throwing it in the sink.

Place the pies back into the refrigerator until the marshmallow topping is set.
Before serving, bust our your creme brulee torch and have a go at the topping, making sure to get it a lovely, rich brown.  Allow the pie to sit for a few minutes in case it got a little melty.
To slice, use a large serrated knife that has been sprayed with olive oil.  It may be necessary to wipe or wash off the knife between slices; the marshmallow IS sticky.
Enjoy a slice with your favorite pumpkin porter or glass of milk.

Full disclosure: my love for Four Peaks Brewery and its beers is my own opinion, and while I'd love for them to shower me with free Peach Ale, they have not compensated me for my words at all.  I am happy to rave about them because they make a solid product, and I adore buying locally.

Pumpkin All the Mallows!

I have a confession.

I do not like pumpkin.

I don't like pumpkin pie.  I don't like pumpkin lattes.  I don't like pumpkin ice cream.

Pumpkin: blech.

But aside from Husband and myself, most people I know look forward to the first day of Starbucks pumpkin latte season fall like it's Christmas in order to get their mitts on some pumpkin goodies, which are then hoarded like Gollum's Precious.
Who am I to rain on the pumpkin parade?
As such, when my favorite group of food bloggers decided to get together for Pumpkin Week, I needed to get on the bandwagon.

So naturally I decided to make pumpkin marshmallows.

Now, if you'll allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment...
*clears throat*
The pumpkin marshmallows you can buy at any local grocery store do not have any actual pumpkin in them.  What they DO have is "natural and artificial flavors" as well as Yellow 5, Red 40, and more.
Mmm-mmm-mmm.  Yellow five.... My favorite.

Not that I am touting my marshmallows as a healthy food by any stretch of the imagination.  But I'd like to think that a candy made with real pumpkin and no artificial colors is at least a teensy bit better on the scale of Things That May or May Not Kill You Someday if You Eat Too Many of Them.

I'm pretty sure they also taste better.

Most of the pumpkin marshmallow recipes I've found whip in a bit of pumpkin puree at the end of the mallow-making process, and while that will certainly bring the pumpkin flavor out, I felt like I needed to ensure that the flavor had some serious depth in order to appease the pumpkin lover's palate.  To get that, I used both a "pumpkin water" as well as a pumpkin spice syrup, which can also be swirled into your morning coffee.  This method might take a bit longer to make, especially when compared to those store bought Pillows of Horror, but in the end, my happy taste testers can verify that this is a mallow worth its spice.

Pumpkin Marshmallows
adapted from Jenni Fields's Pastry Chef Online

• 4 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
• 1 cup cold water mixed with 2 Tbsp of chilled pumpkin puree (the "pumpkin water")
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup (or honey or rice syrup)
• 1 cup pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below)
• splash water
• powdered sugar/corn starch mixture in which to toss the marshmallows

Combine the "pumpkin water," salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and stir to combine, being careful to get rid of any lumps.  Set aside.

Spray a 9X13 pan with either pan spray or coat with oil (I use my Misto and olive oil).  Line the pan with plastic wrap, and then coat the top of the plastic wrap with oil.  Coat completely with your powdered sugar and corn starch mixture.  I've played around with how much, and what I've found works well for me is to coat completely and then tap out the excess.  This makes, for me, a less clumpy end product.  Set the pan aside.

Bring sugar and syrups (and a splash of water) to a boil.  Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 244° (the soft ball stage).  

When the syrup mixture reaches about 235°, turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to low or medium low.

As soon as the syrup reaches the proper temperature, remove and pour into the mixing bowl, continuing to whisk on low/medium low.  

Gradually raise the speed of the mixer.  Continue to whip until the mixture has about tripled inside (read: you're fearful it will overflow) and it starts to come off the sides of the bowl in small threads.

Using a large spatula liberally coated with pan spray or olive oil, pour the marshmallow cream into the prepared pan, carefully spreading it out evenly.  Take a pause to lick the spatula before throwing it in the sink.

Sift the corn starch-powdered sugar combination over the top of the marshmallows, making sure that you can't see any of the shiny mallows under the snowy powder.  Allow to sit, uncovered, for several hours or overnight.

Once the marshmallows are set, invert the pan over a large cutting board.  Use the plastic wrap to easily remove the marshmallows from the pan.  Cut into one inch cubes, tossing each in more corn starch and powdered sugar before storing in an airtight container for about a week (or however long the mallows last). 

I did try out the marshmallows with a bit of cinnamon with the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture, but I felt that this made the flavor lean too heavily in favor of cinnamon, but if that's your jam, you get down with your bad self.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 15 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or more, if you like - I like)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium to medium-high heat while the sugar dissolves.  Continue to heat until the mixture reaches a boil.  Turn heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly (to a syrupy consistency).  Cool to room temperature, and immediately strain through a very fine mesh sieve or even cheesecloth.  Set aside until ready to use.

Now, a major shout-out to my girl, Megan, an affirmed pumpkin aficionado. Last month, as I started to work on the recipe, I sent her my first batch of both the syrup and the marshmallows.  In addition to helping me determine the proper balance of flavors in the syrup (I had my suspicions, but it helps to talk to someone who actually partakes in pumpkin lattes....), she also told me that her husband Ben had been putting the marshmallows in his coffee, so there's THAT.  You're welcome.  Thanks, Megan, for helping me get a syrup that is neither too sweet nor too spiced, but one that puts all the flavor of fall into whatever medium you like best!

Can't get enough pumpkin?  Then you're in luck - the Theme Weavers are at it again, so just peruse through these recipes to get your fill, and then come back for more!

• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Kirsten - Comfortably Domestic)
• Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Loaf (Beka - Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Pumpkin-Hazelnut Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter (Jeanne - Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Pumpkin Pie Macarons (Carrie - Bakeaholic Mama)
• No-Bake Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Caramel Cones (Megan - Wanna Be a Country Cleaver)
• Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto (Shanna - Pineapple and Coconut)

And later this week, we also have:

• Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Icing and Candied Pepitas (Anne - From My Sweet Heart)
• Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart (Kat - Tenaciously Yours,)
• Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting (Mads - La Petite Pancake)
• Pumpkin Mousse with Candied Squash (Lauren - Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Pumpkin Kiss Cookies (Kirsten - Comfortably Domestic)
• Savory Pumpkin Tart (Madeline - Munching in the Mitten)
• Pumpkin Scones (Beka - Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Pumpkin Ice Cream (Monica - The Grommom

Raspberry Marshmallows - Served Two Ways

Ever since I made that batch of lemon marshmallows back in February, I've been obsessed with them.  I mean, OBSESSED.  I can't stop thinking of fun, delicious flavors to try out.  So far, I've also managed to make:

• chocolate stout mallows (for St. Patrick's Day)
• orange mallows (not enough orange flavor, but I'll be playing around with this one)
• strawberry mallows (same as above)
• apple cinnamon mallows (tasty now, these will be amazing in the fall)
• piña colada mallows (for a review of them, check out Kat's post here)

The rest of my list will keep me playing with corn syrup and gelatin for the next two years at least.  So you should probably go out and buy stock in said corn syrup and gelatin now before the share price quadruples.
It shouldn't really come as a surprise, then, that this round of Theme Weavers shenanigans sees me adding raspberry marshmallows to the list.  Happy Berry Week, everyone!

Truthfully, marshmallows are not difficult to make.  They require sugar, heat, a candy thermometer, and a little patience.  And a spouse who doesn't mind that your kitchen is a cloud of powdered sugar for about 24 hours.  Once you get the procedure down, then it's a matter of experimenting with those different flavors.  As you may guess, I'm not a fan of adding artificial flavors to my foods, so if I'm going to make a flavored marshmallow, that flavor needs to come from The Real Deal.
The two traditional ways to have mallows are, of course, the s'more and atop hot cocoa.  While the former is a fantastic summer - and year-round - treat, just the thought of hot cocoa at this time of year makes me want to melt.  The good news is that The Internet has a summery option that was the inspiration for the milkshake below.
I hope that you decide to try your own hand at marshmallows; you'll see not only how easy they are but also how much more tasty than their factory-made counterparts.

Raspberry Marshmallows
adapted from the wonderful Jenni at Pastry Chef Online

• 4 1/2 Tbsp powdered gelatin
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp cold raspberry puree (see note)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (preferably homemade)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup raspberry syrup (see note)
• powdered sugar
• corn starch
• freeze dried raspberries (you can find these at Whole Foods)

Pulverize the freeze dried raspberries using a spice grinder (our coffee grinder has been appropriated for this purpose).  Add the powder to a 1-1 mixture of the powdered sugar and corn starch; this will be your coating for the mallows.  I usually use about a cup of each, but I also tend to be coating-happy, hence the aforementioned 24-hour powdered sugar cloud.
Add the puree to the bowl of your mixer.  Bloom the gelatin by combining with with the puree, salt, and vanilla.  Make sure there aren't any chunks or clumps.
Spray a 9x13 pan with pan spray or olive oil (I like to use my Misto for this).  Make sure every inch is lubed up.
Line pan with plastic wrap.  Make sure that it's firmly pressed down and that there are no bubbles.  Spray/oil the now plastic-wrapped pan again.  This might seem like a weird step.  Trust me; there's a reason.  You're not just spraying an aerosol can for a contact high giggles.  Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with the raspberry powder-cornstarch-powdered sugar coating mixture using a fine mesh strainer or sieve.  Make sure you can't see the plastic wrap through the coating.
Set the pan aside, and turn your attention to the stove top.  In a large-ish, heavy sauce pan, combine the sugar and the syrups as well as a splash of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover the pan and allow to boil, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes.  Then, uncover it and monitor the temperature.  You need the sugar to heat to the soft/firm ball stage - above 235° F but not over 244°F.  Jenni suggests the higher temp, but don't let it get any hotter, or else you'll have to start over.  That would suck.
When the temperature reaches 240°, turn your mixer on to low or medium low; you'll need to use the whip attachment.  Because you're gonna whip it good.  Actually, you're going to whip it well, but I guess proper adverbs don't sell records.
Once the sugar-syrup mixture has reached 244°,  remove it from the heat and pour directly into the mixing bowl.  Be careful; this is hot (duh), so the speed should be low enough that nothing splashes out and burns you like that acid burned Harvey Dent in the second Christian Bale Batman movie.
Once you've added it all, turn up the speed to medium and allow to whip (good/well) for a few minutes before really cranking it up to top speed.  Now whip it into shape; shape it up - get straight.

I cannot discourage you from playing this while whipping the mallows into shape - in fact, I whole-heartedly encourage it, as I do singing along to it at the top of your lungs.  I'm pretty sure it helps the process.
But I digress.
You'll know you're done whipping when the mixture is about tripled in volume and it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl in slender, delicious threads.
Turn off the mixer, and pour the mixture into your prepared pan.  A very large rubber spatula, liberally coated with olive oil is helpful to get the remnants from the bowl to the pan.  The marshmallow cream should completely fill the pan.  Spray the top of the cream to smooth it out.
Sift the coating over the entire top of the pan, making sure that none of the shiny marshmallow surface shows through.
Now here's the really hard part.  Set the uncovered pan aside for several hours so that the marshmallows can set.  I like to make them in the evening so that they can set up overnight, and then I can have marshmallows for breakfast finish the process in the morning.  I also like to keep them in the microwave, but that's really because it doubles as a coonhound-proof food storage device.  Zooey doesn't understand that the marshmallows aren't for her.
Once the marshmallows are set, you can cut them into squares.  Giant, fluffy squares of deliciousness.  I've tried a pizza cutter, kitchen shears, and a serrated bread knife.  What works best for me is the knife. Now here's why the plastic wrap layer in the pan is so key.  To remove them from the pan, turn the pan upside down on a large cutting board, and then flip it over.  Then remove the plastic wrap, and voilà!  Your marshmallows are naked and ready for cutting.
Toss the marshmallow squares (or, if you so wish, liberally oil a shaped cookie cutter and make fun-shaped mallows) into the coating mix before storing in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.  However, if you make one of the two goodies below, they might not last 2 days.

Notes:
1) While fresh raspberries would be awesome, I prefer to use frozen organic ones.  Thaw them out and puree them, with the juice.  You may need to add a bit of water as well; you don't want it to be too thick.  If you have leftover puree, it's really fantastic on top of ice cream or in a salad dressing.  Or just chugged from the blender cup.  I've heard.
2) For raspberry syrup, you could make a simple syrup infused with raspberries or make a reduction of some raspberry juice (or all natural cran-raspberry juice, if you can't find just raspberry juice).  It's up to you.  For these mallows, I went with the latter, simply for convenience purposes (we had cran-raspberry juice in the refrigerator).

Of course, homemade marshmallows are fine on their own as a complete meal snack.  But they are made even more heavenly when combined with other wonderful goodies, like these s'mores and milkshake.  The s'mores aren't really a "recipe" - most people know how to make s'mores (except for that one crazy woman on that Jeff Foxworthy baking show who didn't even KNOW what a s'more was - WHAT?), so I've basically explained the assembly steps (although that is probably obvious from the photos, huh?).  The milkshake is, in a word, brilliant.  If you use enough of the mallows, you'll really be amazed at how the toasted flavor comes out.  And since I can't wait until winter comes to enjoy a beverage with mallows floating on top of them, this is the perfect way to stay cool and get my cocoa fix.

Raspberry S'mores

Place 2-3 fresh, organic raspberries on top of a graham cracker.  And by the way, since you made your own marshmallows here, you might as well make some homemade graham crackers.  Too hard, you say? Well, if you can make a pie crust or a chocolate chip cookie, you can make graham crackers.  Try Jenni's graham cracker recipe.  I did, and I regret nothing.
On top of the raspberries, place a Ghirardelli dark chocolate and raspberry square (if you really don't like dark chocolate, you can use the milk chocolate version, but since dark chocolate has nutritional benefits, and we're using fresh fruit and a whole wheat flour-based graham cracker, basically I'm telling you that this is a health food).  Have another graham cracker at the ready.
Toast your marshmallow.  You could do this in the broiler if you wanted to, but homemade mallows have a lower melting point, so we usually bust out the crème brûlée torch.  Plus, Husband likes to set things on fire with the torch, so this is a fun activity for the whole family.  If you DO use the broiler, do NOT walk away; watch the mallows carefully.  Place your toasted mallow on top of the chocolate immediately, and add your top graham cracker.  Smoosh down, being careful of gooey deliciousness that will attempt to escape the confines of the cracker.  Devour.  Repeat as needed.
You may notice that in these photos, the top graham cracker is falling off the s'more.  It's true.  These guys are so big that you're going to need to unhinge your jaw and inhale them like a python, but in truth, you're going to make a mess of yourself regardless of how daintily you may try to enjoy a s'more.  Embrace the mess, people.  Just make sure you have some wet wipes at the ready before you do any of this.  Also a glass of water.  Maybe just sit outside and have the hose ready for when you're done.  Whatever.  It's summer, right?

Chocolate and Toasted Raspberry Marshmallow Milkshake
adapted from this version of Spike Mendehlson's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

• 2 cups chocolate ice cream (if you have the room, make your own - since my freezer is full up of frozen edamame and seafood stock, I went to Udder Delights and got their version)*
• 1/2 - 1 cup fresh milk (depending on how thick or thin you like your shakes)
• 8-10 ounces raspberry marshmallows plus a few more for garnish ( I maybe used 12, just for good measure)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• handful fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Toast the marshmallows (see the comment above about the lower melting point of homemade mallows).
Toss the toasted marshmallows, vanilla, ice cream, and milk into the blender and mix until the marshmallows are fully incorporated.  Pour into glasses and garnish with the raspberries and remaining marshmallows.  Drink immediately.
These would also not suck with a shot of Chambord or Godiva liqueur.  I'm guessing.  I don't know.  It's just a hunch, which you may or may not want to test for the purposes of science.  Just remember to drink responsibly if you choose to take this route.

*Another delightful ice cream flavor that you can use is a white chocolate raspberry, for (hopefully) obvious reasons.  Vanilla would also work well in a pinch; after all that's what the original recipe calls for.

Thanks for sharing Berry Week with us.  If you haven't had the chance yet, please check out the other incredible berry recipes from the other Theme Weavers:

• Fresh Strawberry Pie from Kirsten (Comfortably Domestic)
• Berry Sangria from Mads (La Petite Pancake)
• Annie's Blackberry Cake from Jeanne (Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Summer Berry Terrine with Mascarpone Whipped Cream from Anne (From My Sweet Heart)
• Vanilla Gelato with Peach-Blueberry Compote and Honey Whipped Cream from Lauren (Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Strawberry Smash from Kat (Tenaciously Yours,)
• Strawberry Basil Sorbellinis from Megan (Wanna be a Country Cleaver)
• Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast from our newlywed, Haley (The Girly Girl Cooks)
• Gluten Free Papaya-Berry Crisp from Monica (The Grom Mom)
• Black Raspberry and Cherry Pie with a Gluten-Free Crust from Christina (Buffy and George)
• Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream from Theme Weavers newbie Shanna (Pineapple and Coconut)
• A Pacific Northwest (PNW) 75 from Beka (Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Cherry Clafoutis from Madeline (Munching in the Mitten)

Now, before you go, tell me - what flavor of marshmallow would YOU like to snack on?

Something Savory in a Sweet Week

Hi, internet friends!  It's Caramel Week!

The Theme Weavers have gotten back together for a week chock full of ooey-gooey goodness, so I hope that you brought your sweet tooth and are stocked up on butter.
As a kid, I wasn't a fan of caramel.  This may be shocking to you, but bear in mind that what I knew as caramel were those horrid store bought too-chewy caramel candies.  It was only when I got older that I discovered the diversity of truly good caramels and caramel sauces.  Then I was introduced to salted caramel, and my world changed.
To be perfectly clear, anyone who says that salted caramel has jumped or will jump the shark and I can NOT be friends.  Salted caramel is not a fad.  It is a balanced flavor Way of Life.
As much as I love the salted caramel cupcakes at TopIt Cupcakes, the salted caramel apple pie I made for Thanksgiving (two years in a row) by Four and Twenty Blackbirds, and Megan's salted caramel sauce that I have been adding to my Greek yogurt for this entire last week, when we planned caramel week, I knew that I needed to do something that wasn't a dessert.
Partly because I wanted to be "practical," and partly because it was a great excuse to have our friend Dani over for dinner two weeks in a row (she's coming over next week for our Kentucky Derby themed dinner), but mostly because I knew that if I made a dessert, I would end up eating The Entire Thing.  And that's not really working with my current plan of eating better right now.
Enter pork.
Pork is a fantastic partner with caramel; it lends itself to a variety of sweet-ish fruit pairings well, so I knew that working with a pork tenderloin would be the way to go.
Now, let's backtrack for a second to take a closer look at my love of salted caramel.  That it is salted is what makes it genius.  That salt balances out the sweetness of the caramel, which can sometimes be cloyingly overpowering.  Yes, salt can enhance the sweetness of sugary goods (this is why we add it to baked goods), but in enhancing it, that sweetness is tamed.  Simply put, more taste buds are able to come to the party in your mouth.
What I wanted to have, then, was an even bigger party, one in which all the taste buds were mingling and jumping fully clothed into the pool.  I had my salty and sweet, so I was on a mission to bring in the sour, bitter, and umami.
The perfect balance, I found, was a peppercorn-crusted pork tenderloin over a shaved brussels sprouts and apple salad, all drizzled with a soy-caramel sauce.
But first, in the spirit of Theming All the Things and because appetizers, baked brie with apples, hazelnuts, and tamari-caramel sauce.

If you haven't made baked brie, run - don't walk - to the store, get yourself the best brie you can possibly find, and do this.  You're welcome.
All you have to do is plop that wheel onto a baking sheet (the rind is edible), poke a few holes in the top with a sharp knife or fork, put it in a 350° oven, and bake to melty deliciousness.  Then sprinkle whatever you want on top.  In this case, you're seeing some apples that were sauteed in a touch of butter and cinnamon sugar and some of those roasted hazelnuts.  All of this was topped with that modification of Megan's salted caramel sauce I mentioned earlier (I used a tamari syrup instead of corn syrup and didn't add as much salt at the end).

Perfect on just about anything (or simply conveyed to the mouth on a spoon), we downed this atop gluten-free bagel chips and almond crackers.

And now back to the main course.
I followed the recipe for the tenderloin's soy-caramel sauce with only a few modifications:

• I didn't add ginger.  It has no place in my house.
• I went with a red onion.  We had a white onion, but the red onion was needing to be used, and we love the flavor that it offers.  I chopped it pretty roughly so that we could get some big ol' bites.
• I used tamari instead of soy sauce for a fuller, saltier flavor and for the gluten-free option.
• I added more mustard.  Because mustard.
• Since the sauce was a bit thin, even for a dressing, I added a splash of cream and let it simmer while the pork finished roasting.

For the salad, The Husband was kind enough to shave the brussels sprouts finely.  In that effort, we decided that the mandolin I bought just for that purpose wasn't intended for brussels sprouts, no matter what the user guide said.  However, the experiment with potatoes went well, so I'm certain weekend lunches until the end of time will now include homemade chips/waffle fries.  Not complaining.
To the sprouts I added thinly julienned apples that I had tossed in lemon juice (partly to keep from browning and partly to add another sour component) and roasted, chopped hazelnuts.  That's it.  It was as simple as could be.  As the pork rested (roasting in an oven must be exhausting), I drizzled the warm dressing over this so that the sprouts would wilt just slightly.  I still wanted the crunch of the green as a contrast to the tenderness of the pork.
Once the pork was rested and sliced, the medallions were plated over the salad, and yet more dressing was drizzled, this time with plenty of those roughly chopped red onions.

This whole plate on a fork at at time is greater than the sum of its parts.  When each mouthful has the sprouts, apples, hazelnuts, pork, onions, and sauce, all of the taste buds are engaged.  Additionally, the different textures of the sprouts, the pork, the hazelnuts, and sauce (plus the wine/bubbly that we had) all serve to enhance the different elements that lend themselves to a beautiful mouthfeel.  Honestly, even though I didn't make dessert (see also: we filled up on brie), this really left us wholly satisfied and craving nothing more.

But if you're still in the mood to satisfy your sweet, tooth, fear not!  The rest of the Theme Weavers have whipped up such an amazing array of delicious caramel treats that you'll be setting out the butter and checking your sugar supplies to make all of them.

Yesterday, we introduced the week with some dynamite eats:

• Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic showed us how easy it is to make dulce de leche in the slow cooker.
• Beka at Kvetchin' Kitchen made a caramel apple pie (already established as one of my favorites).
• Mads of La Petite Pancake made a caramel and banana bread pudding.

Today I'm teamed up with my friend Carrie over at Bakeaholic Mama; she's made some amazing Milk Duds brownies - mmmmm... caramel and chocolate....mmmmm....

And don't miss out on the rest of this week's caramel craziness:

• Tomorrow Jeanne of Inside NanaBread's Head and Kirsten are tag teaming their recipes -  chocolate-coated alfajores with salted vanilla bean caramel (Jeanne) and traditional alfajore sandwich cookies (Kirsten), our friend Haley over at The Girly Girl Cooks is sharing her Almost-Famous Fairground Caramel Sauce, and Lauren from Climbing Grier Mountain has made my heart race with dulce de leche milkshakes.
• Thursday, do NOT miss Kat's caramel corn sundae at Tenaciously Yours, nor should you miss the butterscotch pudding from the newest player in the Theme Weavers, Christina from Buffy and George. Beka is also back with a luscious red wine caramel sauce.
• For Friday, Madeline at Munching in the Mitten baked up a gorgeous caramel cake, and Megan from Wanna be a Country Cleaver has pear caramel mini cheesecakes
• Finally, Kirsten will be wrapping things up for us on Saturday with a DIY dulce de leche coffee creamer in which I am VERY interested, while Katie of The Hill Country Cook has a salted caramel pie (WHAT!?!?!?).

I hope that you enjoy reading through all of these wonderful recipes as much as I do, and please, let me know - what's your favorite caramel-based recipe to make?  If you don't cook with caramel, have you ever had a caramel sump'n-sump'n at a great restaurant?  What was it, and where was it?

The Mouse Project

Earlier this month, 12 blogging friends and I surprised our friend Jeanne with a virtual birthday party.  It was a blast, especially because Jeanne was so not clued in to what we were doing that Kirsten, our fearless leader in this endeavor, had to text her to tell her to get her arse on the computer after an entire morning of radio silence (the full story can be found here).
But since it was her 50th birthday, and 50th birthdays only come along once in a lifetime, we decided to Go Big or Go Home.
And thus, The Mouse Project was born.
It started rather innocently.  Jeanne posted this tutorial of how to make cute little felt mice and told a funny story about how she and one of her sisters left an entire army of mice at another sister's house.  Once our own birthday shenanigans got started, all of a sudden, we decided that we needed 50 mice.
And then things got crazy.
We upped the ante and starting sending out cryptic tweets under the hashtag #TMPWatch2013 (which, for some reason, I can't pull up on the Twitterverse).  For a while, Jeanne didn't notice, but when she did, it got even more fun when Kat ran interference with a gem of a red herring, posting a picture of some embroidery that she allegedly did.  We told Jeanne that it was a virtual "stitch n' bitch," that the "TMP" in #TMPWatch2013 stood for "The March Project," and we were able to continue all of our shenanigans under the guise of both successful and failed crafting attempts.
These mice are super fun to make, and since they go relatively fast, they're darn addictive, too.  I had started with Mousadora, who arrived in February with the OKMH package that I sent to Jeanne at that time.  She had no idea that this was just the beginning.  Forty-nine mice later (one horrible cat-related tragedy led to the demise of #50), we were off to the post office.
During the week of her birthday, it literally rained packages at the NanaBread house.  And to make sure that she didn't open any of them until all packages had been received, we added a few embellishments to the boxes.

I had so much fun making mine that I had to name each of them and give them a bit of a back story.  I'd wanted to post this earlier, but then real life got in the way.  But now I have some more time, so I'd like to introduce you to the crew.  To see the entire army of felt rodents that invaded Texas, click here.

Arisa, Purveyor of Potted Mouse Plants
There actually is a plant called the mouse plant, so named because the flowers look like the have little mice tails.  The scientific name: Arisarum proboscideum, hence the name Arisa for this little sweetie.  Her thumb is as green as her fur, and she likes nothing more than puttering around in her garden, which has both gorgeous blooms and an abundance of all things mouse-edible.  Rain doesn't bother her, but heaven forbid she find an aphid among her beauties.

Mouse-a-Bunga
A total beach bum, this dude just came from the ocean, sporting his own towel and a pail full of shells he picked up for his collection.    When he's not ripping killer waves or sculpting amazing sand castles, he's noshing on a lobster roll or a big bowl of chowdah.
Gnarly, dude!

Mousy Gras
Don't even ask where she got those beads.  She's a party girl if I've ever met one, and she had a bit of fun on Fat Tuesday, if you know what I mean.  It's likely she spent the first day of Lent nursing a hangover with some coffee at Cafe Du Monde.  She loves costume parties and always comes with her own mask, just in case.

Dr. Pellet, Mouse-troenterologist
Age 50 is the AMA guideline to begin colon cancer screenings (except in the case of family history, like me), so I wanted to send Jeanne someone who would be a good reminder that this is an important milestone.  Who better than her own personal physician?  The good doctor comes with an awareness bracelet and pin, so once Jeanne gets herself screened, she can pass along the message to others.  Someday, we will make the need for raising awareness a thing of the past, and someday, our actions will bring an end to this terrible disease.

Harvarti Marti
She's the life of the party!  My husband hates the fact that every single time we have havarti cheese in the house, I can't help but say, "It's a party with havarti."  The last time I did it, he seriously considered leaving me at the grocery store.  Yet he continues to buy the stuff.  Havarti Marti makes that saying ring true - she comes bearing gifts and never goes anywhere without an awesome party hat.

Duchess Emouseka
This is my favorite mouse that I've made thus far.  Walking through Hobby Lobby, I saw, thanks to HRH's keen eyes, a small patch of fake zebra fur, and I knew that I needed to do something with it.  I can't even sew a sarong for myself, so the Duchess got a cape and a hat to keep her warm during those cold Mousecow nights.  As a Duchess, she's used to the finer things in life, and she makes sure that she's always wearing a 20-carrot diamond somewhere prominent.




This was such a fun project, and the best part was being able to surprise a friend.  Bonus points that we were able to pleasantly surprise her, as you never know how someone will react to being suddenly beset with 49 felt critters.  I talk a great deal on here about how I run for me and that I am healthy for me, and blah blah blah, but at the end of the day, if I can do something for me by doing something for someone else, then, well, that's the Perfect Thing, isn't it?
What have you done recently that was a pleasant surprise for someone else?  What have you been inspired to do by someone else's generosity or kindness?

Fabulous, Fun Fifty!

It's NanaBread's birthday today!  Happy 50th, Jeanne!

Doesn't look a day over 3!

If you don't follow Jeanne on Twitter, you should.  She's a hoot.  I mean, seriously, folks.  Some of her stuff makes me LOL - IRL!

Jeanne's also responsible for herding all the cats who come together for our Theme Weaver recipe weeks and OKMH package exchange.  We'd be lost without her.  She's organized to a tee, which means I can never have her over to my house because I'm basically a walking hot mess.  Unless she wants to come and organize my house.  Then by all means, Jeanne, please.  Come visit.  Today.

Even though we've never met in person, Jeanne has become a close confidante, and I hope that everyone can claim at least one friend just like her.

Now, far be it from this group of blogging friends to let an opportunity for another round of shenanigans and cahoots pass us by, we actioned a birthday party worthy of all the time zones.  I just wish that we could have gotten together to let Jeanne blow out the candles on the cakes!


And speaking of cake, how about a nice big slice of Coca-Cola® cake?

This rich, sweet, moist cake is a Southern staple, and I got the recipe from my husband's step-mom.  It's not a recipe that is healthifiable; it is what it is, but if you're going to bake a special cake for a special birthday (for this is not a "I think I'll bake a cake on Tuesday" type cake), then there really isn't a need to healthify it.
I should also mention that this is the ONLY cake that my husband enjoys.  He has never been much of a sweets person, preferring fruit pies over most other types of desserts, but he will eat this cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if given the opportunity.  It's just that good.


Coca-Cola® Cake

• 2 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c margarine*
• ½ c shortening
• 3 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 c Coca-Cola®*
• ½ c buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs (beaten well)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ c small marshmallows
• ½ c margarine*
• 3 Tbsp cocoa
• 6 Tbsp Coca-Cola®*
• 1 pound box powdered (icing) sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cake:

Mix sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl.  In a pot on stove, heat margarine, shortening, Coca-Cola®, and cocoa until melted.  Pour melted mixture over flour mixture and stir well.  Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, vanilla, and marshmallows.  Mix together well (mixture will be thin).  Pour into a greased and floured 9” x 13” pan.  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Icing:

Heat margarine, cocoa, and Coca-Cola® to a boil, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat.  Stir in powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla.  Pour over hot cake (right into the middle).

This cake is better the next day (don't refrigerate it) to allow the icing to fully soak into the cake.  This is a very rich dessert, and even those with a massive sweet tooth will likely enjoy it more in smaller doses with a large glass of milk.

*A few notes - First, don't use Pepsi®.  It's not the same.  If you're a Pepsi® drinker, I won't judge you for your taste in soda, but go out and get a can of Coca-Cola®.  Second, don't use butter (I KNOW, OK?????).  That being said, traditional margarines scare the bejeebers out of me, so I use Earth Balance®, and it works fine.  You also don't want to use buttermilk subs (like vinegar and milk), although powdered buttermilk does work in a pinch.

Fun fact: while many people (including me) can tend to use the words frosting and icing interchangeably, they are, in fact, different.  Icings are usually thinner than frostings, which are thick and gooey.  This cake's topping is a bit thinner, and when it cools, it hardens just a little, becoming kind of shiny (ooooh, shiny...).  That it's boiled helps categorize this as icing - its consistency is much "runnier" than that of a buttercream frosting.

The more you know...

Now, it's not a real blogger party without lots and lots of other completely calorie-free delicious recipes, so please, grab yourself an aged Manhattan over at Kvetchin' Kitchen (you know, to quench your thirst) and then nosh on a few chips with guacamole from Tenaciously Yours, as well as some cheesy chorizo dip by La Petite Pancake.  The Nutella® turnovers from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver will go well with that drink, too, as will Munching in the Mitten's fig, fontina, and pecan flatbread.
Of course, a birthday party isn't a birthday party without booze ice cream and cake, and we have delivered.  Make room on your plate for an orange cream pie from Comfortably Domestic, mini key lime pies from Climbing Grier Mountain, coconut banana brownie pie by Bakeaholic Mama, a true Texan Dr Pepper cake with cooked flour icing by The Hill Country Cook, some tropical ice cream from The Grom Mom, and Mexican vanilla ice cream cones From My Sweet Heart.
Happy birthday, Jeanne!  I hope that this next year brings you many laughs and margaritas! XOXO
Oh, and don't forget to check back soon; we've got another surprise for our favorite birthday girl that we just can't wait to show off!

Pucker Up!

Growing up, one of my major objectives was to see how many marshmallows I could stuff into my mug of hot chocolate without sacrificing any of that delicious drink.  Since my mom tried to keep junk food out of the house, marshmallows were a rare treat anyway, usually reserved for the chilly holiday season, so I hoarded them, often sneaking a few from the bag and right into my maw when she wasn't looking.

The apple doesn't fall far, does it?
She's just more brazen than I was.

When the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was destroyed at the end of Ghostbusters, all I wanted to know is if there was a giant s'more making effort.  The lack of closure here still haunts me.
The first time I ever had Lucky Charms, in college, I was horrified at what qualified as a "marshmallow" and was kind of thankful I'd been ignorant of the horrors within the red box for my entire childhood.
As I've gotten older, I have marshmallows more and more rarely, partly because I have fewer occasions to partake in them, but mostly because I'm less and less enthralled with the mallows that are found at the grocery store.  While surely my taste buds have changed, I can't help but feel that the commercial marshmallows have gone further and further away from that treat the ancient Egyptians made from the marsh-mallow plant sap thousands of years ago (insert nostalgic sigh).
Cornstarch overload aside, I still yearn, each time I treat myself to a cup of cocoa, to fill the top quarter third of my cup with that sweet, gooey confection.
Since I'd been obsessing about marshmallows for a good while, when my group of blogging friends, whom I've affectionately come to call The Theme Weavers (prepare for the parody song soon) decided to see how many sweet confections we could put together in a week, I knew that I needed to try my hand at marshmallows.
The Internet let me know that I had made The Right Decision when, a few weeks ago, Jenni Field, the brilliant and wonderful personality behind Pastry Chef Online, hosted a Google+ hangout (think live webchat) on the art of these lovely candies.  Even though my old laptop kept freezing on me, I saw enough to let marshmallows emerge from the murky shadows of candy-making, giving me the courage to get in the kitchen.

I followed Jenni's recipe and directions (which are at the same time thorough and entertaining) carefully.  I cannot add anything helpful to that recipe, and all the credit of my success is due to my ability to follow Jenni's direction.
I need to point out, however, that I made two minor alterations to suit my needs:

1. Instead of cocoa powder, I added 1 Tbsp finely ground lemon zest into the water and gelatin mixture (whenever I use a lemon, I zest it and then freeze the zest, so I have a large stash that's nice and dry and easy to grind up in the spice grinder).
2. Instead of vanilla extract, I used my homemade lemon extract.

Obviously, I was going for a lemon theme.

After the syrup had reached the proper temperature and all ingredients whipping away (Watson, my KitchenAid, has never worked at full strength before, so it was a big night for both of us), I couldn't help it.  I had to taste.

Whip it good!

Right then I knew.

You guys.
These marshmallows are life changing.  Seriously.  They are going to change everything you ever thought you knew about marshmallows.

Oh, the lemon aroma and flavor is intense, and while I had dreamed of a lemon marshmallow, the citrusy flavor coupled with the marshmallow's texture was a little surprising at first.  But then I had a second third fourth marshmallow, and all was right with the world.  The bright tartness of the lemon balances that sometimes overwhelming sweetness that is The Mallow.

But what about fitting a whole bunch of marshmallows into my cup of cocoa?
The good news is that with these bad boys, I only need one.

While you're still reeling from all the mallow-y goodness, please make sure that you check out all the other amazing sweets made by my friends.  We've got us a sugar fix to please any size sweet tooth.

• Retro Raspberry Divinity - plus a baker's giveaway (Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Red Velvet Marble Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Icing (Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic)
• Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies (Beka at Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Mini Meringue Strawberry Pies (Katie at The Hill Country Cook)
• Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti (Madeline at Munching in the Mitten)
• Samoa Crack Dip (Carrie at Bakeaholic Mama)
• Avocado Peppermint Chocolate Mousse (Lauren at Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Cherry Garcia Chocolate Bark (Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver)
• S'Mores on a Stick (Kat at Tenaciously Yours,)
• White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (Mads at La Petite Pancake)
• Mini Chocolate Mousse Pies (Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic)
• Berry Smoothie Ice Cream Pie - plus another giveaway (Anne at From My Sweet Heart) - this post/giveaway will be up Saturday, so stay tuned!

Cakes, cookies, and cremes, oh my!  No matter what kind of sweet makes you cave, we've got it covered.