Commencement Cookies Otherwise Known As Baking with Bacon

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

candied-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies

It’s time for some graduate school graduation goodies!

One of my college friends is graduating from his master’s program at Westminster Choir College this weekend so I drove down to Princeton with some of these tasty morsels. Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies.

Inspired by his love of bacon and his intense love for the chocolate chip cookies from Binghamton’s cafeteria, these cookies are chock full of semisweet chocolate chips and candied bacon.

candied-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies

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Dance & Dessert

RASPBERRY ROSE LOAF CAKE

raspberry-rose-loaf-cake
One of my cousins is a high school senior about to go off to college. I can’t believe she’s already an adult! 

We drove out to the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts to see her last spring show. We hadn’t seen her dance since a performance of the Nutcracker in Manhattan many years ago. (I think I might have only been in middle school then!)

She was featured in three of the five upperclassmen pieces. Because she had solos, I was super excited to get some great photographs. I brought my usual lens, long lens and even some extra batteries just in case. Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed. Apparently the school takes professional photos of the performance to sell. Grrr…

frank-sinatra-school-of-dance

I might not have gotten any good shots but she certainly got a lot of flowers! In addition to bouquets from friends, my father brought a dozen roses. I however figured she would have plenty of flowers so I went with a rose water scented cake instead.

Originally we planned to take a train into the city so I needed to make a small cake sans frosting. A large cream cake decorated with chocolate ballerinas isn’t easy to transport but a mini loaf drizzled with white chocolate is definitely doable.

raspberry-rose-loaf-cake-white-chocolate

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The Initial Udon

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Udon Soup

spicy-lemongrass-chicken-udon

Spring may have already sprung but the weather is still cold enough to warrant Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Udon. Warm and comforting, this soup is good all year long but is best served on chilly nights when you can fully appreciate it.

My dad and I often order udon noodles at Japanese restaurants but never make them at home.

Lemongrass is a flavor my family loves but never has at home.

I like enoki mushrooms in ramen at restaurants but never have them at home.

What better way to embrace these ingredients than to meld them together in flavorful soup?

Happily, these ingredients were inexpensive.

Four stalks of lemongrass = $0.30

One pack of large enoki mushrooms = $1.99

One pack of dried udon noodles = $1.50

Thank you 99 Ranch. You may have just opened but I’m officially adding you to my usual rotation of Asian grocery stores. (Don’t worry Asian Food Market and H-Mart, I still love you both!)

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Chickpeas, Spice Ease and Five C’s

Chicken Chickpea Curry with Cashew Butter and Coconut Milk

 
cashew-chicken-chickpea-curry
Curry is one of my favorite takeout meals, especially Thai Red Curry and Panang Curry, but it’s something I rarely make from scratch. However my mother had some leftover cashew butter that she didn’t know what to do with so a five C curry it was— Chicken, Chickpea, Cashew Butter and Coconut Milk Curry!

Actually there are another two C’s if you count the cardamom and coriander seeds. I figured I would try my hand at making curry paste this time so I picked up some whole spices at the Asian grocery.

It was fun, although it would have been far easier if I had a mortal and pestle to grind the toasted spices. I suppose I managed well enough with a plastic ziplock bag and a glass.
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One Year Blog Anniversary!

LYCHEE GUAVA ROSE CAKE

lychee-guava-rose-cake

It’s been a whole year since Allspice & Ally went live― can you believe it? I sure can’t.

It’s been a year full of recipes with a summer of five different strawberry cakes, broken fridges and Psych-inspired Cinnamon Pie. I discovered mushrooms aren’t so bad (sometimes) and how to make cauliflower taste like junk food. And how to turn lots of junk food into one crazy cake. I rode on a lobster boat, visited Gettysburg, became a level 33 Pokemon Go trainer (yes I still play) and hosted Halloween and Valentine’s Day parties.

From my (in)Famous Curry Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Cake to this Lychee Guava Rose Cake, thank you for being here!

Now onto the cake

For my first blog anniversary, I wanted to do something special so I decided I would use rose water for the first time. Along with a homemade guava gel and lychee fruit, this is a cake perfectly suited for a special occasion.

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Got Milk(s)?

PLANTAIN TRES LECHES CAKE
 
plantain-tres-leches-cake

Cookies dipped in milk too basic for you? (blasphemy!) Try cake soaked in many milks― a.k.a tres leches cake for those of you who haven’t tried this Latin American favorite. My twist on this well-loved recipe? Plantain Tres Leches Cake.

Sliced plantains, pan-fried in sugar and spices, cover the bottom of a light sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and 2% milk. Topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with a combination of cinnamon and allspice, you’ll be digging into this cake with a spoon.

Some recipes use a butter cake but many prefer a sponge cake. Various online sources claim a butterless sponge is more authentic but whether this is true, I’m not sure. Without butter or oil, the lightened batter is able to better absorb all that liquid without falling apart.

Plantain-Tres-Leches-Cake-Milk-Bath

No milky mess here.

A self-saucing cake, yes. But never a milky mess.

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Some Super Bowl Sunday Spice

Vegan Thai Tofu Enchiladas

 
Thai-Tofu-Enchiladas
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone!

Are you excited for the game?
The half-time show?
The commercials?
The food?

Chicken wings, nachos, pizza and the like are all good options but I whipped up something special this year, Thai Tofu Enchiladas.

Super Bowl LI is in Houston so Tex-Mex fare seemed appropriate and because I’m an overachiever (or maybe just plain crazy), I figured why not throw in a little more fusion.

Y’know, go for the whole enchilada.
Sorry, I know that was corny.
Get it?
…Because corn tortillas…like the corn tortillas that you use to make enchiladas…are you laughing yet?

Okay, now that I’ve sufficiently filled my daily food pun quota, I’ll stop.

So onto Thai Tofu Enchiladas and what makes them different from traditional enchiladas.
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The Kitchen Sink of Cake

JUNKIT CAKE
GANACHE COVERED CHOCOLATE MALT CAKE
WITH LAYERS OF FUDGE + SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING + PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(plus caramel kettle corn, malted milk balls, crushed peanuts, ritz crackers, potato chips)

 
chocolate-malt-cake

If this cake doesn’t scream sugar rush, I don’t know what does.

My brother just got his braces off so what better way to celebrate than with a cake chock full of all the treats he couldn’t enjoy for the past year or so. Gooey fudge, sticky caramel corn, crispy potato chips, crackers and peanuts along with hard-as-rocks malted milk balls and two types of frosting― creamy peanut butter and salted caramel.

Oh and four layers of chocolate malt cake.

All covered with chocolate ganache.

Are you going into a sugar coma yet?

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A Summer of Strawberry Cake (September)

STRAWBERRY & CANDIED FENNEL CAKE

Strawberry-Candied-Fennel-Cake

Welcome to the fifth and final month in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. The strawberry plant I got in May has long ceased fruit production but my craving for cake has not. I’ve already posted about Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry CakeStrawberry Mango Shortcake, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake and Strawberry & Apricot Almost Japanese Cheesecake so I figured it’s time to go big and bold. Or rather, bigger and bolder.

Hello Strawberry & Candied Fennel Cake.  I’ve been waiting for you 

I may not be enthusiastic about my birthday but I’m pretty great at other people’s, I must say. I conceptualized this cake months ago for my mother’s birthday and have been patiently awaiting September to serve her this crazy confection.

Strawberry-Candied-Fennel-Cake-Cream

And I’m super happy to say it was worth the wait.

As the only person in my family that likes anise and licorice, I figured my mother would enjoy a fennel-flavored birthday cake.  Although I had never cooked with fennel before, I knew it had a similar flavor profile so I didn’t think I would be so taken with this cake.

This sweet, fruity, creamy cake with a touch of warmth from the candied fennel.

Oh fennel, like the popular girl inevitably falling for the bespectacled shy guy in a high school movie, you’ve won me over.
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Achin’ for Aachen

BAKED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

Baked-Chicken-Schnitzel

As the summer heat gives way to cool autumn breezes, so ebb my cravings for light salads and water ice. Forget pumpkin spice— I want chicken noodle soup and spinach lasagna and all manner of hearty foods as cozy as the snuggly sweaters I can’t wait to wear.

And now that I’m thinking of hearty food, you know what I’m in the mood for?  

German food.

One of the last German restaurants I went to was in Germany a couple years back with one of my best friends Ellie. During our European adventure, we took a day trip to Aachen, a border-town with a long tradition of spas that can be traced back to the Romans.

Aachen, Germany Read more

A Summer of Strawberry Cake (August)

Strawberry & Apricot Almost Japanese Cheesecake

strawberry-apricot-japanese-cheesecake

Welcome to month #4 in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. Summer may be coming to an end but the hot weather sure isn’t. If you want something delicious but not too decadent, you’re in luck.  This Strawberry & Apricot Almost Japanese Cheesecake is just rich enough but will still keep you in shape for swimsuit season— provided you don’t eat the entire cake!

If you’ve never had Japanese cheesecake, you need to run out to an Asian bakery right away. I haven’t had Japanese cheesecake in quite a long time but it isn’t the sort of dessert you easily forget. Unlike Western-style cheesecake, Japanese cheesecake is light and fluffy. Rather than dense and sinfully rich, it’s pillowy soft with a hint of tangy cream cheese.

Honestly, I may just prefer Japanese cheesecake on texture alone.

(Although its calorie-saving nature is definitely a bonus!)

strawberry-apricot-japanese-cheesecake

And my strawberry-apricot version will save you even more calories because it uses less cream cheese and less eggs than most recipes. For that reason, I’ve characterized it as “almost Japanese cheesecake” rather than a proper Japanese cheesecake.

No worries. With its swirls of apricot jam and sliced strawberries, my take on this dessert is still wonderfully airy.

And what’s more wonderful than a sweet airy cake?

Almost-Japanese-Cheesecake-Surprise-Collage

A sweet airy surprise birthday cake!
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A Summer of Strawberry Cake (July)

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY CAKE

Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Cake

Welcome to month #3 in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. If you’ve already checked out my Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake and my Strawberry Mango Shortcake, it’s time for a bit of chocolate. Although in the case of this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake, you’re in for more than just a bit of chocolate.

Are you excited?

I thought about making this cake for my birthday but baking your own birthday cake seems a little odd— especially if you’re not even having a party. Or am I the only one who thinks that?

So if someone in your life is a big fan of chocolate, strawberries and chocolate covered strawberries, this could be their perfect birthday cake.

And it doesn’t even have any food coloring. (Although if you want a more vibrant pink, feel free to use coloring.)

Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Cake

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The Patriotic Cauliflower

Buffalo Cauliflower Casserole

Buffalo Cauliflower

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! Hopefully your local fireworks haven’t been rained out and you’re enjoying plenty of barbecue favorites. While it’s hard to beat the classic hamburger and potato salad combo, I’ve whipped up a little something different this year— Buffalo Cauliflower Casserole.

It’s a red, white and bleu dish! 

With just the right amount of spice from homemade buffalo sauce, this cauliflower is highly addictive. Perfect for serving with fresh veggies and rolls.

(And if you’re feeling a tad lazy, it’s even good straight from the refrigerator. Although my favorite way is to eat it piping hot with celery sticks. Crisp celery and melty cheese— what more could you want?)

Buffalo Cauliflower Casserole
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A Summer of Strawberry Cake (June)

Strawberry Mango Shortcake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Strawberry Mango Shortcake

Welcome to month #2 in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. Since summer had just begun, last month I shared my recipe for Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake but because the weather is heating up, I figured I’d give you a little taste of the tropics for June. Strawberry Mango Shortcake anyone?

Strawberry shortcake is one of my all-time favorite cakes. The crumbly shortcake, the juicy strawberries, the fluffy whipped cream, indescribably good. And I don’t even usually like whipped cream!

Like I mentioned last month, my family only eats strawberry shortcake every few years for my father’s birthday or Father’s Day because he doesn’t like chocolate. Occasionally we’d have fake strawberry shortcake at fundraisers or restaurants— otherwise known strawberries and canned whipped cream on angel food cake or any other kind of vanilla cake.

Strawberries and whipped cream on cake does not a strawberry shortcake make. A proper shortcake is made with a shortened dough resulting in a crumbly, biscuit-like cake. Calling a plain vanilla cake with strawberries a strawberry shortcake is like calling a waffle cone full of ice cream a Belgian waffle à la mode.

But never fear, when I say shortcake, I mean shortcake. And this shortcake happens to be made with puréed mangos for a tropical spin on a classic dessert.

Strawberry Mango Shortcake with Coconut Whipped Cream

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Taking Time to Smell the Roses…and Cake

VEGAN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE W/ SALTED CARAMEL PECAN RIBBON

vegan-german-chocolate-cake
 
Do you know what today is?

It’s National German Chocolate Cake Day! And Rose Day at Colonial Park in Franklin, NJ.

(Bet you didn’t guess either of those, did you?)

colonel-park-rose-garden

If you can’t make it out to see the roses, don’t fret— you can still celebrate by baking yourself this twist on a classic German Chocolate Cake.

Running through this lightly sweetened vegan chocolate cake is a ribbon of homemade salted pecan caramel. Sandwiched between the three layers is a gloriously sticky coconut milk frosting along with more caramel, pecans and toasted coconut.

vegan-german-chocolate-cake

And if that isn’t enough flavor for you, throw in some chocolate chips between the layers and top the cake shards of pecan brittle.

I repeat, glorious.

german-chocolate-cake-pecan-brittle

A word to the wise, don’t line your circle pans with wax paper. It works for carrot cake but not so much for this cake— unless you enjoy scraping wax paper with a variety of sharp implements. Use very well greased parchment paper instead.

vegan-german-chocolate-cake

 
Onto the million dollar question…

Did German Chocolate Cake originate in Germany?
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A Summer of Strawberry Cake (May)

MAPLE BALSAMIC ROASTED STRAWBERRY CAKE

Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake

I’ve always associated strawberry cake with summer. I guess it makes sense because strawberries grow in the summer but it goes beyond that. Maybe it’s because my mom only baked strawberry shortcake every few years— usually reserved for my dad’s birthday in May or Father’s Day in June.

It is a bit more labor intensive than many other cakes but I’d happily core strawberries and make fresh whipped cream throughout the summer for shortcake.

Although I imagine eating strawberry shortcake weekly isn’t too healthy. How about monthly? That sounds reasonable, no?

Speaking of monthly cake, this post kicks off my Summer of Strawberry Cake series where I’ll post a new strawberry cake recipe every month from now until August.

Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake

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A Passion for Truth and Cinnamon

PSYCH-INSPIRED CINNAMON PIE

Pysch Inspired Cinnamon Pie

If you’re craving some cinnamon pie but don’t want to hang out with the unusual patrons of the Sawmill Diner, you’ve come to the right place. While I have zero desire to visit the fictional town of Dual Spires, the cinnamon pie in this episode of Psych— c’mon son.

What kind of cinnamon enthusiast could say no to a slice of that?

Pysch Dual Spires Cinnamon Pie

This episode of Psych paid homage to another television series, Twin Peaks. I’ve never watched Twin Peaks, so most of the references went over my head. When I read more about this episode online, I was blown away by the sheer number of allusions the writers made.

It probably would have been more fun if I was familiar with Twin Peaks, but I enjoyed the humor in Dual Spires at face value. And the ever-present cinnamon pie definitely didn’t hurt.

From the moment Robert “Bob” Barker suggests “a cup of the best piping hot apple cider this side of the Mississippi and a slice of cinnamon pie so good it may just bring tears”, I was hooked. I had never heard of cinnamon pie but from the way Shawn and Gus devoured slice after slice, I’m sure it was delicious.
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Star Wars Day “Chewy”bacca Bars

Star Wars Day Cookie Bars

COOKIE BARS WITH DRIED CHERRIES + SALTED CARAMEL + CHOCOLATE BARK

Happy Star Wars Day everyone! Have you seen the new Star Wars movie yet? Okay, technically it was released back in December but it’s comparatively new.

I liked Episode VII— it was a fun movie albeit somewhat safe.  With a predictable storyline and a fair number of plot holes, it wasn’t anything revolutionary.  However it stayed true to the original series so it still gets a thumbs up from me.

Border Dessert 3

In honor of Star Wars Day, I made these “Chewy”bacca Bars. Get it? Chewie and chewy.

Does laughing at my own jokes make me a dork?

Oh well. If you can’t entertain yourself, who else will? Read more

The Implosion of My Mushroom-Averse Mind

MAPLE BALSAMIC STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH HAVARTI + WALNUTS + SPINACH

 

 

Maple Balsamic Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Havarti, Walnuts and Spinach

 

I’ve never liked mushrooms.  Combine the unappealing idea of eating fungi along with a rubbery texture and “earthy” taste (i.e. a polite way of saying they taste like dirt) and now you know why I never particularly dug these decomposers.

Did I think they looked cool?  Of course.  I always liked the shape as you can probably tell by the drawing below.

Cartoon Toadstool
This is the cartoon toadstool character I created when I was 10 or 11 years old. Am I aware the name Señor El Toadstool makes no sense? Yes. And before you ask, yes I was a weird kid.

I always found mushrooms to posses an unusually alluring aesthetic.  Some sort of odd combination of funkiness and beauty.

C’mon, a naturally growing circle of mushrooms is called a fairy ring so I can’t be the only person with mixed feelings about these fascinating organisms 

Recently I’ve tried to be a little more open minded and have done some experimentation with mushrooms.  Culinary experimentation only, thank you.

In July, I had some sesame flavored enoki mushrooms in ramen.  In September, I made an apple-goat cheese risotto with both dried porcini and fresh mushrooms.  And just last week I posted the recipe for my cremini mushroom mac ‘n cheese.

But mushrooms were never the main component of any of these dishes.  It was time to cast the humble mushroom in the lead role.

And boy, was I surprised. Read more

Brunch Ready Pancakes in a Jiffy

PANCAKES WITH PEARS CARAMELIZED IN FIG PRESERVES + ORANGE HONEY TARRAGON BUTTER

Pancakes with Pears Caramelized in Fig Preserves

Wow, two of the first five recipes I’ve written here on Allspice & Ally use fig preserves.

You’d think I’d be a huge fan of figs but you’d be wrong.  I’ve never actually tasted a fresh fig…

My mom used to give me store bought fig bars for snack time during Chinese School.  Nine year-old me used to buy 50¢ Pringles from the snack cart instead.

And I’m not alone.  Last time I reminisced about fig bars and Chinese School aloud, my brother exclaimed fig bars are not cookies! with more emotion than he usually expresses about most things.

Sorry mom, neither of your offspring appreciated the snacks.

Border Dessert 3

I still don’t love fig bars but I do enjoy these fluffy pancakes. Served with pears caramelized in fig preserves and orange honey butter, they’ll start you off to a great weekend. Read more