Category: Menu

Flavor Story

Cheese Pizza : A pull actually worth eating

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‘You hungry?’ I asked, one lazy Saturday afternoon, ruffling my kid’s messy mop. An innocent question, but not really. With a preteen, it’s Russian Roulette.
‘Yeah…’ Child replies, and then with an intensity that came out of nowhere, ‘But, like for pizza, you know? With a really good cheese pull.’
I blink. ‘Cheese pull?’
‘Yeah, you know …’ Child mimics biting into a slice of pizza and pulling away and there’s imaginary cheese dangling in the air.
‘Um…’ I literally had no idea what else to say. I’ve made a 1000 pizzas. This is not a brag or an exaggeration; I worked at my dad’s pizzeria for most of high school and college. What the beans is a cheese pull?
Hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a thing, I retreat to my office to do a little research. And that’s when the rage started. The cheese pull? Yeah, it’s a food stylist gimmick. Which turned into a Tic Tok meme. I HATE Tic Tok. And Memes.
‘Child!’ I yell from my office.
‘What?’ She pokes her head in.
I spin around, jabbing my finger at the screen. ‘It’s just a gimmick! It’s not a real thing.’
Child, not quite sure how hot the water is yet, sticks her toe. ‘Yeah, but that’s what I’m craving …’
My right eye twitches. Child tenses, squares shoulders, and sticks out chin. Child is brave.
‘You know what mimics good pull, Child? Elmer’s glue,’ I hiss. ‘You want I should make you THAT!’
‘Uh …’ But it’s too late. I’ve already swiveled around in my chair, muttering. It’s turned into a thing.
Child quietly retreats to the safety of the lair – double barriers this time – as I hear the distinctive click of the closet door.
So I did what any mildly unhinged, emotionally activated parent would do: I built a cheese pizza worth pulling. Not for the camera. For my sanity. And Child, too. I guess.

Cheese Pizza

Special Equipment

  • Pizza Screen
  • Parchment Paper
  • Box Grater (recommended)
  • Casserole Dish (recommended)

Ingredients

  • 1-12 inch Pizza Crust
  • 1/4 cup Rustic Tomato Sauce
  • 1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
    • *Brand Matters! Alert: Purchase a brand made in Italy, such as Galbani’s or Grande.
    • *Function Note: Milky, salty; gooey and stretchy when melted. The backbone of the cheese pull.
  • 1/4 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded
    • *Function Note: Nutty, buttery; softens the blend and adds creamy depth without overpowering.
  • 3 slices Provolone Cheese, torn
    • *Function Note: Mild tang, nut and butter undertone; bridge between mozzarella’s softness and parmesan’s punch.
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
    • *Function Note: Sharp, salty, and savory; finishes the pie with umami and browning power. Doesn’t melt – it punctuates.
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

  • Using your box grater, place it inside the casserole dish. Grate 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Next, grate about 1/2 cup of fontina.
  • Drizzle the olive oil on your pizza crust and spread around with a pastry brush, if you have one, or the back of a spoon.
  • Dump a cup of your mozzarella and fontina blend in the middle of the pie and spread outward with your fingers. Leave about a 1/4-inch edge of crust.
  • Grab your three slices of provolone and tear it with your hands. Layer it around the pie as evenly as you can.
  • Using a spoon, drop dollops of the rustic sauce on top of the cheese, again, trying to be even.
    • *Note: Don’t spread it! When I said dollops, I meant dollops.
  • Sprinkle the last of the shredded cheese over the pie to create a light seal over the sauce.
  • Bake the pie at 500 degrees in a traditional oven, or 450 degrees in a counter top oven with the convection setting on, for 10 minutes.
  • Pull the pie out, sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese all over the pie like an angel from heaven sneezing savory salt, and pop the pie back in for 1-2 more minutes to formally seal the deal.

Plating Notes

  • If ya broke, sprinkle some dried parsley.
  • If ya flush, rough-torn fresh basil leaves – fresh oil released from herbs is never not rad.

So I slide that in front of Child. The cheese pull was real, the flavor was there, and what turned into a thing? Yes. You want I should serve you that.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

The Angeleno: Sprawl, Pulse, Juxtaposition

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You know what Los Angeles and New York City have in common? You have to live there to get it. And in my case, ‘there’ is Southern California. Born, raised, never leaving. I don’t care how high the taxes get. Every once in a while, someone will say something to me, some out-of-state soul that’s from … not here, like, ‘California cuisine just means you guys add avocado to everything, right?’ This question betrays such a jaw-dropping level of cluelessness that I really think the creators of Baywatch owe every Southern Californian restitution for the reputation we now have to live with.

So, let me pull you in closer – so I can scream in your ear – ‘Southern California is fusion!’

Bright, alive, cars flowing through the arteries of Greater Los Angeles. Connecting people from all over the globe to the urban pulse; food trucks lined up and down the streets of DTLA, LBC, Inglewood, Koreatown, Hollywood, Pasadena, Glendale, and Santa Monica on a Saturday night, feeding us because you know we’re drunk and need something to soak up that booze, mamacita! Hell, yeah, I want extra kimchi on my pork belly tacos to go with my elote that I got from that other truck! Or, summoning talent from the world’s culinary capitals to spin up inspired dining scapes surrounded by the choreography of the Theater District or the curated calm of Beverly Hills.

But I get it, you are reading this from … not here. And that’s ok. You just make this little pie of mine, throw on a movie that pulls you deep into our vibe – Drive, Heat, LA Confidential, or Mulholland Drive – and taste the juxtaposition. And guess what? There ain’t one damn slice of avocado on it.

The Angeleno

Special Equipment

  • Pizza Screen

Base Recipe

Toppings

  • 1 lb Hot Italian Sausage, ground or in casings
  • 1 Anaheim Pepper, chopped
  • 1 Red Onion, sliced

Preparation

  • Follow the base recipe, everything is the same, including pulling the pie out and grating the parmesan cheese over the pizza and baking it for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Topping order does matter, believe it or not. You always start with the flat meats first – pepperoni, salami, ham, then move on to bulkier items – crumbles like beef or sausage, mushrooms, chopped peppers – and finish off with smaller, lighter toppings such as diced onions or sliced olives.

    Anchovies stay in the low boy and are placed on last while you try not to gag. Plastic forks, rosary water, and burning sage help. Or, just get friends that don’t like anchovies on pizza.

Plating Notes

  • Garnish with crushed red pepper, it pluses the whole thing. Scouts honor.

This post is dedicated to the victims of the Los Angeles Fires. To the families who lost homes, memories, and pieces of themselves in the smoke. To the neighborhoods that burned and the ones that held their breath. To the first responders who moved toward the heat while we fled. And to every Angeleno who looked up at an orange sky and still found a way to feed someone, comfort someone, or keep moving.

We are LA. Sprawling, pulsing, grieving, rebuilding. And still cooking.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Pizza Crust: Surprisingly hard, until it’s not.

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I’ve been making pizza in one form or fashion for years. My first job was actually making pies at Round Table Pizza, so I felt like I knew what I was doing when my kid asked me for pizza a couple weeks ago. No problem, I thought, I’ll even go back to my roots and pick a pizza screen instead of using my beat up old baking sheet from IKEA.

And then the problems started. The first crust was fused to my pizza screen. More research. My second crust kept snapping back and wouldn’t stick to the parchment paper. More research. My third crust was unevenly distributed so it was undercooked in the middle. More research. And, finally, FINALLY, I nailed the bake. Jesus.

Pizza Crust

Special Equipment

  • Parchment Paper
  • Pizza Screen
  • Rolling Pin
    • *Note: I tried twice to stretch this dough with my hands. You know when I started to make progress with my bakes? When I started using my rolling pin. Don’t be a hero.

Ingredients

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Store-bought dough
    • *Note: This post is about baking technique, but if you want to make your pizza dough from scratch, here’s the recipe I use.

Preparation

  • Drizzle 1 tbsp EVOO into a bowl.
  • Remove your dough from the package and plop (yes, that’s a technical term) into the oiled bowl. Roll it around to get your dough-baby nice and lubed up (also a technical term, just probably not this industry.)
  • Cover the bowl in plastic and let the dough rest at room temperature for no less than 30 minutes. Ideally an hour. Pour a glass of lovely, watch your stories. Relax. Everyone will eat … eventually.
  • Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
    • *Note: If you have a convection oven, use the 450 degree setting with the convection fan on.
    • *Another Note: You can pre-heat earlier if you want, I just live in a warm climate so heating up my house is not rad.
  • Once the dough has rested, pour another glass – it’s ok, we know you finished the first one, gah-head – and sprinkle all purpose flour all over the counter.
  • Plop your dough onto the counter.
  • Sprinkle your spouse-wrangler, :::cough:::, rolling pin with flour as well.
  • Roll your dough out into approximately a 12-inch circle.
    • *Note: This isn’t your drafting class. Don’t focus on shape, focus on an even thickness of the rolled-out dough. About 3/4 of an inch will do.
  • Poke your dough with a fork in a few spots to prevent it from puffing up.
    • *Alert!: Do NOT do this step with your dough on the screen.
  • Spray your pizza screen with non-stick and cover with a piece of parchment paper.
  • Slide your rolled out dough on the screen.
  • Bake for 6 minutes.
  • Once the par-bake is complete you are ready to move on to the next step, pizza brilliance.
  • Slide the parchment paper out from under the crust, brush it with EVOO, cheese, sauce, top with ingredients, and slide that bad boy back in the oven for 12 minutes.

If you can nail the crust, I promise you that the rest is easy. You have a blank canvas awaiting your benevolence, or your revenge, depending on whether the chores were done without you nagging.

Nom On, Vino Goddess. You’ve got this.

~Crunchy

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

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I found myself pondering this year how to construct a well-balanced cookie tin. I had a lot of people to give gifts too that I don’t see often so I felt a well-designed cookie tin was a safe bet. But how to make it balanced with the right flavors of Yule? As I prepared my list, I realized that what I was missing from my usual rotation was acidity. I needed a cookie with the bright, sweet-tart notes of a winter berry. What’s more winter berry than cranberry? After much exploration, this little 2-bite tartlet was born. It’s no sugar plum, but I watched a video on how to make those and that was insane.

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the cranberry curd filling

  • 1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
  • Note: If you can’t find fresh, sub for 2 cups of frozen
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For the tart shells

  • Sugar Cookie Mix
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg

For the garnish

  • Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

For the Cranberry Curd

  • To a medium sauce pan, add the cranberries and orange juice.
  • Over medium heat bring to a boil until the cranberries start to pop.
  • While the cranberries are cooking, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  • Using a rubber spatula, crush the cranberries and continue stirring and breaking the berries down until you get a paste.
    • *Note: Some curd recipes call for straining, but I personally like my curd a little bit chunky.
  • Turn off the heat and let the cranberries cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the custard mixture to the cranberries and whisk until combined.
  • Return the pan to a medium heat and whisk until the sauce thickens.
  • Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and gradually add the softened butter while whisking until the butter has fully melted and the mixture becomes a curd.
  • Place the contents in a sealed 1-gallon plastic bag and refrigerate for one hour.

For the Tartlets

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray Mini-Muffin Pans with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix sugar cookie mix, the egg, and softened butter with a rubber spatular until a soft dough forms.
  • Using a #40 disher, scoop and form 1.25 inch dough balls. Place each ball into a mini-muffin cup.
  • With the base of your spatular, press an indentation into each dough ball.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove tartlets from the oven and repeat the indentations into the center with your spoon or spatula.
  • Allow tartlets to cool inside the tin for 20 minutes to firm their shape.
  • Using a baker’s straight or off-set spatula, loosen the tartlets from the tin and transfer to a cooling rake.
  • Allow tartlet shells to cool for at least 30 minutes.

For assembly

  • Remove cooled cranberry curd and snip the edge of the bottom of the bag to create a space to pipe out the curd.
  • Pipe the curd into each shell so that it creates a little over flow, but try not to smear the edges of the shells with curd. If you do, use a small spoon to clean up the edges.
  • Garnish each tartlet with 3-4 mini chocolate chips.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers.

This recipe will make approximately 36 cookies. Given the slightly more advanced techniques and call for special equipment, this tartlet may seem daunting. I wrote it up for the most consitent results, but the only equipment you can’t do without is a mini-muffin tin. You can cool your curd in a bowl in the fridge and use a small spoon to full the tartlets, you can loosen the shells with a butter knife, and you can scoop and make the dough balls with your own two hands. I hope you won’t be afraid to try it, the results will be delicious and the lucky recipients will be impressed by your efforts.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Santa’s Third Shift: Mint Cocoa Pancakes

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Do you even wonder if Santa work’s the night in shifts? If he’s got to make his rounds all over the globe in 24 hours, I’m thinking he must. Either way, I checked with Mrs. Claus and she assured me this is her main squeeze’s favorite thing to come home to after his busiest day of the year. Why not treat your own little elves (or gremlin’s) to this delicious stack of pancakes first thing in the morning? These pancakes blend three quintessential flavors into one, simple dish: Hot Cocoa, Peppermint, and Marshmallow. Coze-to-the-ee!

Mint Cocoa Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Bisquick
  • 1 package instant hot cocoa mix
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Mint White Chocolate Coffee Creamer
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (Milk or dark chocolate works, your preference)

Preparation

  • Heat a small, non-stick skillet. Leave at the lowest heat setting while you prep the batter.
  • Mix all dry ingredients first and then add in the wet ingredients.
  • Once you have a thick batter, fold the chocolate chips in last.
  • Increase the heat and spray skillet with non-stick spray.
  • Add 1/4 cup of batter and heat through. Once the surface looks bubbly, slide spatula under the cake and test. If it comes up easily, it’s ready to be flipped. *Note: Don’t rush pancakes. A common mistake is to only look for bubbles, when really what you are looking for is the spatula to slide easily under the cake without it breaking or sticking to the spatula. When the bottom of the cake is cooked it just naturally unbinds from the skillet. If you are burning the bottom layer before it unbinds, lower your heat.

Optional Toppings:

  • Peppermint Whipped Cream topping
  • 1/2 cup crushed peppermint baking chips
  • 1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows
  • Smucker’s Marshmallow Topping

My ratios listed will make two servings of 2 medium-sized pancakes. I don’t have a large family to feed, but if you do, the quantities can be doubled.

Happy holidays, and Nom On!

~Crunchy

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

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Is it just me, or did Starbucks destroy the fall in North America by creating the pumpkin spice rage? Pumpkin spice has become a meme that has taken over fall and you can’t swing a bag without knocking over 20 displays of products that are flavored or scented with pumpkin spice.

So I present to you the Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cake to pay homage to the real queen of fall: The apple. Moist, delicious, and infused with the rich, warm, mischievous flavors of toffee and nutmeg. With this recipe, I give you back fall with all its myriad notes that say goodbye to the summer heat and invite us to enjoy the bounties of the harvest in the cold months to come.

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

Special Equipment:

  • Mini bundt cake electric griddle
  • Optional: Bundt cake pan for full sized bundt cake

Ingredients:

For Cake Batter

  • 1 box spiced cake mix
  • 1 20-oz can apple pie mix
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs

For Toffee Glaze

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

For the Final Touch

  • 1 Package Heath Baking Bits

Preparation:

For Cake Batter

  • Mix together all ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl.
  • If you are using a mini Bundt cake maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using the device. For Dash, I had to make one cake at a time in 12-minute intervals. For each cake, I had to spray a little non-stick spray and fill the device 3/4 of the way full. The machine does not turn off on its own so you will need to set a timer.
  • If you are creating a full-sized Bundt cake, spray your pan with non-stick spray and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

For Toffee Glaze

  • Preheat a small sauce pan
  • Add the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar over medium-high heat.
  • Whisk the ingredients together over the heat while bringing to a boil.
  • Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 15-20 minutes until you obtain the desired, sticky consistency.
  • Using a silicon spatula, transfer the mixture to a cool measuring cup with a pouring lip.

To Assemble the Cakes

  • Once the cakes and glaze have completely cooled, drizzle the glaze on top of each mini-bundt cake.
  • Depending on your preference you can be liberal or conservative with the glaze, but I found for the best visual effect, be liberal in the center and as you work your way outward, tapper it off so it just drips down the sides a little bit.
  • Finish each cake off with a sprinkle of the heath baking chips while the glaze is still sticky.

These delicious cakes are great for sharing or making little gifts, but I can tell you what happened to them around my home – breakfast! It was a very fun substitute for donuts, fall-themed, of course. With something other … than pumpkin spice.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Mon Petit Parfait

People who will devour a gallon of ice cream in one sitting, eat a slice of cake the size of their head, or have three donuts for breakfast have always confused me. I just don’t have that kind of relationship with sugar. For me, whatever language you want to use – dolche, bonbon, a sweet – it should be that je ne sais quoi at the end of a meal or a long day; that breathy, little kiss goodnight.

I have a lovely little confection for you that you can whip up in less than 15 minutes and will promise you that lovely, little kiss goodnight. It’s light, delicate, and extremely versatile depending on the ingredients you have on hand.

Mon Petit Parfait

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Whipped Cream
    • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
    • 2 Tbsp Sugar
    • Chilled Stainless Steel Bowl and Hand Mixer Blades
  • Berries: You need to go fresh and seasonal. This is the first layer of your flavor that you will base your additional ingredients off of.
  • Herbs: Depending on what you are making, mint, basil, or lavender paste could provide complex additions to your parfait.
  • Texture: This is where you pair your flavor and things get really fun. Think cereals, crumbled-up crunchy cookies, or crumbled-up pie crust. The goal with this layer is a flavor that plays off the fruit, but a texture that juxtaposes the rest of the ingredients.

    Note: I don’t recommend cake or soft, chewy cookie crumbles because between the cream and the fruit, you might end up with a parfait that is less than exciting if you make all the layers soft. You really are looking for a flavoring pairing, BUT, a texture contrast.

Preparation:

  • Step One: In a small mason jar, cup, or glass, spread a layer of your freshly whipped cream. Layer it evenly on the bottom using a spoon.
  • Step Two: Next comes your texture. Crunch up your cereal or sprinkle in your granola or whatever you plan to use. Then add your layer of berries.
  • Step Three: Add another layer of cream, another layer of texture, and another layer of berries.
  • Step Four: Add your final layer of cream.
  • Step Five: Garnish with flair! I suggest a little topper of berries and a cookie to enjoy with your parfait.

Where can I cheat?

The heart of this dish is the fresh whipped cream, so please don’t cheat on that. It takes 5 minutes to make it and you have so much opportunity to infuse and layer your flavors by adding extracts to the whipped cream.

Baking your own cookies would be an amazing opportunity to further control the combined flavors of the finished product, but cookies from your store or local bakery will be perfectly delightful.

So what’s your favorite parfait, Crunchy?

Ingredients:

So there you have it! A very light, fresh, and delicious dessert you can whip together to delight your little one, delight your loved ones, or delight yourself.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

The Versatile Crepe: France’s anathema for anxiety

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I’ve been making crepes for many years and for some reason I have hesitated to write this blog post. I think my ‘piece de resistance’ was the year I made crepes stuffed with Rosemary Turkey Breast, smothered with Sherry Shallot Gravy and drizzled with Cranberry Coulis. The crepe, while a delightful pain in the ass to make, is at once both humble and elegant.

But, Crunchy, why would you call it an anathema for anxiety? That seems a little …. I don’t know … bombastic? A Hyperbole? Grandiose? Well, my love of my thesaurus aside, I’m not wrong. No matter how cranky and anxious I’m feeling, 45 minutes of highly focused, yet surprisingly ‘chillaxy’ ladling and swirling later, I hate the human race at least 40% less. The end result is a tangible batch of perfect crepes ready to be stuffed, folded, drizzled, and smothered in any number of other delicious and decadent ingredients.

The Versatile Crepe

Equipment:

Ingredients:

*Don’t be Cheap! Alert: The French live and die by the care, quality, and technique that goes into … well, just about everything they do. You will commonly find French recipes to have very few ingredients because every one of them count. For the Milk, please go organic. For the eggs, free-range organic. For the salt, it needs to be kosher. Finally, for the butter, choose a high-quality brand. Just do the best you can and remember that the money you spend on the ingredients will make a huge difference in the quality of your end result.

  • 420 ml or 1 3/4 cups Whole Milk. Reserve an additional 1/2 cup in case your batter becomes too thick. You may need to add a little more as needed.
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 190 g or 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter. Melt 6 Tbsps of butter for the crepe batter. Reserve the remaining 2 tbsps from the butter stick for greasing your pan.

Preparation:

As I have mentioned, I have made crepes many, many times. I distilled the essentials of the batter preparation in the order that you need to construct it, and it goes like this:

  • Milk, Eggs, Salt. Blend.
  • Flour. Blend.
  • Melted Butter. Blend.
  • Shove blender carafe into refrigerator for 60 minutes.

And now to let all your worries swirl away for 30 minutes:

  • Heat your crepe pan on low heat. You don’t want your crepes to burn so I suggest about a level 2.
  • Drop a sprinkle of water. If it sizzles you are ready to party.
  • Take your remaining 2 Tbsps of butter and grease a piece of paper towel.
  • Gently coat your crepe pan with the buttered paper towel. (Don’t be Lazy! Alert: If you just grease your pan with the stick of butter you will end up with too much and it will result in over caramelization.)
  • Quickly dip your soup ladle into the batter and pour a circle that covers 3/4s of the pan.
  • Immediately pick the pan up and rotate it in gentle circles, allowing the batter to spread and thin out to the outer edges of the pan. If you end up with any little holes you can dribble a little additional batter there.
  • The crepe will take less than a minute to cook. You are looking for the edges to just start to dry up. I like to gently test if I can slide my spatula underneath the crepe after about 30 seconds.
  • Flip the crepe over. Don’t be alarmed if you need to help it out a little with your hands. They are difficult to flip so don’t think of it like a pancake. I usually have to help the little dude out by readjusting it. Cook the second side for about 15 seconds.
  • Slide it onto a waiting plate.
  • Repeat the cycle for another blissful 30 minutes.

*Don’t be Distracted! Alert: Unless someone is bleeding or on fire and there isn’t another individual in the house who isn’t bleeding or on fire also that can deal with that situation, this is all you are going to be doing. Period. It’s just you, a heated crepe pan, carefully pouring, swirling, delicately flipping, sliding onto a plate. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

“Wait, why was I having a bad day again?” You’re welcome.

Ummm, What Should my Crepes Look like?
If you want to make a traditional crepe, it should be very thin and pale as the driven snow. Ok, maybe not the snow, but you get the idea. The reality is, butter browns. If your crepes have some color on them, fear not. They will still be delicious, I promise. But as you work your way through your batch, that is what you are looking for.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Chocolate Raspberry Pancake with Chocolate Ganache

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My daughter asked me to make her something pretty one Saturday morning close to Valentine’s Day and I came up with this lovely concoction. Deeply infused layers of chocolate offset by the brightness of raspberries? Both to the palate and the eyes, this dish is a treasure. I will warn you, it took hours to make and she won’t stop asking me to make it again, so be careful who you serve this to. They will be repeat customers.

Chocolate Raspberry Pancakes with Chocolate Ganache

Equipment

  • Medium-sized cookie cutter, in any shape you prefer
  • Cast Iron or non-stick skillet
  • Small sauce pan

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup *regular* cocoa powder
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
3/4 cups whole milk

For the ganache:
1/2 cup whole milk
5 oz semi-sweet, finely chopped chocolate
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

To plate:
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Powdered Sugar

Preparation

For the pancakes:

  • In a large bowl, sift together the flower, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. (What is sifting?)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, and the milk.
  • Once you have both the dry and wet ingredients prepped, mix the liquid ingredients in and stir the batter until it is moistened and lumpy.
  • Heat your non-stick or Cast Iron Skillet to medium heat.
  • Grease the pan with a liberal amount of butter.
  • Place your cookie cutter onto the skillet and pour the batter in. The batter is very thick and will form a dense cake. You will need to go medium heat and babysit it as this much thicker cake batter will take about 4-5 minutes to cook. Poke it occasionally to test if the batter is cooked through. When you are getting fairly clean pokes with the fork, gently slide the spatula underneath and flip the whole thing over, cookie cutter included, to keep the shape. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. You don’t want to burn it. The end result should poke clean, but be a decadent, gooey end result when you actually dig in.
  • When finished, transfer to a plate to let it cool.

For the granache:

  • In a small sauce pan, heat the 1/2 cup of milk, the 5 ounces of finely chopped, semi-sweet chocolate, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Whisk over lower heat until the sauce is smooth.

To plate:

  • Place the pancake on the plate and pour the chocolate sauce over the cake. If you want to get creative, you can drizzle the sauce on the plate as well.
  • Arrange the raspberries on the plate next to the pancake.
  • Sprinkle powdered sugar over the whole dish and serve.

Nom your besotted, fussy-patns on!

~Love, Crunchy

Santa’s Table: A Very, Merry, Yuletide

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We’ve all been there. The kid is looking at us with wide, glowing eyes and asking us if Santa exists and will he grant them their precious wishes. I’m still trying to encourage my cynical child to believe he does exist, so I have to bring my A-game. Well, if I had to stuff myself down a chimney (which I don’t have) and leave over priced toys for a kid I don’t even know … would I want to be sober for it? Certainly not.

Enter The Nog. I’m not talking about the nasty stuff they sell in cartons at the grocery store that should not even be allowed to be labeled Egg Nog. There really out to be a law, that stuff is such a travesty. I am talking about the real deal. I prefer to make the Puerto Rican varietal that uses Spiced Rum called Coquito. And since I was going with the very merry nogmas theme for that jolly old fatty, I went with Egg Nog Snickerdoodles as well.

Santa’s Merry Nogmas Table

Let’s start with The Nog

A word of warning about The Nog. This is NOT a cheap dish to make. I never spend less than 100 bucks, but it is so. worth. it. Instead of polluting the ingredient list with a bunch of *Don’t be cheap alerts, I am just going to apply it to the whole list. Go organic on the dairy products, get free range eggs, get the top shelf booze, and get the highest quality French vanilla ice cream. They all affect the flavor. Egg Nog is a magical experience and you’ll only have it once a year.

Ingredients

  • 24 Eggs
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1 Quart Heavy Cream
  • 2 Quarts Whole Milk
  • 1 Liter of Brandy (British), Bourbon (American), or Spiced Rum (Puerto Rican.)
  • 1 Quart French Vanilla Ice Cream, softened.
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg (for garnish.)

Preparation

  • In one 5 quart mixing bowl and 1 1.5 quart mixing bowl seperate the eggs. I have tried many methods and the fastest way to do it is to crack each egg and use the shells to dash back and forth until the whites separate from the yolk. The yolk goes into the 5 quart bowl and the whites go into the 1.5 quart bowl.
    If you want to see how this method works, you can check out this video: https://youtu.be/t-OwbEy-Vxk
  • Once you have finished separating the yolks and the whites, add the sugar to the yolks. You will need to beat the yolks briskly with a wire whisk for 3 minutes. They should be thick and lemon-colored.
  • Next, you will fold in the dairy. Add the milk and cream. Keep whisking.
  • Now, this ingredient is really important. It’s what will have you muttering to yourself like Cap’n Jack Sparrow … “but, why is the rum gone?” Pour in the rum!!
  • And after that it’s time to fold in the french vanilla ice cream.
  • By now your arms should be pretty tired and you’ll be wondering why you read my blog or why you bothered engaging on this particular project. But don’t worry, you’re almost done.
  • It’s time to add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, bust out the hand mixer and whip them until they form soft peaks. This should take about 5 minutes. I have tried to do this by hand so many times. Don’t bother. I have only gotten the soft peaks with a hand mixer. I find it best just to accept one’s inadequacies and let the robot take over the world. If you don’t know what soft peaks are, here’s a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch/wMTxkDzBqSU
  • Now that you have your soft peaks, it is time to fold them in to the 5 quart bowl with the rest of the mixture. Folding is yet another technique that may be new to you. So check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skWSIFfIMqc
  • After you have finished all that, cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
  • The customary garnish is ground nutmeg. Just give each cup a sprinkle, and, well, Bob’s your uncle.

And now, the Egg Nog Snickerdoodles

I created a hybrid recipe that was essentially a cheat, but, after laboring over the Nog itself and my requisite peanut butter cookies (I mean, how would you even know it was the holidays if you didn’t have peanut butter cookies?) I ended up going with a route that made heavy use of convenience ingredients. The result was still quite yummy, so the peanut gallery told me.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pouch (17.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
  • Butter and eggs called for on cookie mix pouch
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp rum extract (but, why is the rum gone!)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup store bought egg nog

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Microwave the butter in a small bowl for about 30-45 seconds to soften.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix, the egg nog, 1/2 of the nutmeg, the rum extract, and the softened butter. Stir until a soft dough forms.
  • Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl to make your mixture to roll the cookies in.
  • Once the dough is done, roll the cookies into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • place on a greased cookie sheet. You will have to do them in batches, but keep the cookies about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake each batch for 7-9 minutes, until the edges are set.
  • Immediately transfer the cookies on to a counter or a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for 20 minutes. This is an important part of the baking process.
  • Wash, rinse, repeat!

So there you have it, Santa Clause’s Very, Merry, Yuletide table of goodies and salvation from sobriety on his longest and hardest night of the year.

Nom-Your-Jolly-Old-Saint-Nick-Self-On,

~Crunchy