March 31st, 2009
Hey Everyone! Sorry for the two week hiatus, I was on spring break. The week leading up to spring break was a flurry of activity as I tried to get my school work finished.
The week off was delightful. I spent it sleeping in late, lazily drinking coffee, visiting friends and family plus hanging out with J as much as I could when he wasn’t at work. It was really relaxing! I needed to just sleep and destress.
I made fortune cookies. They turned out fairly well. A little cracked when I would fold them but I got better with practice. Many of the recipes I looked added flavor with an extract other than vanilla. I did not do this but in the future I would. The cookies seemed a little bland to me. They were also a little greasy so that after a few days the grease bled through the fortunes. I would recommend eating them quickly. I enjoyed making them. I used a recipe from Tea Time, which is pretty much identical to the one I found here.
Fortune Cookies
(adapted from here; also check out this blog for other ideas)
Makes about 16 cookies.
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water
1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a silicon baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl (make sure to sift, this is important so it doesn’t get lumpy). Stir the water into the flour mixture.
4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter. Do only about 4 at a time. When you take them out of the oven, they will harden quickly so you can only do a few at a time.
6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (12-15 minutes).
7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand (Use a piece of parchment paper to protect your hand). Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
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March 17th, 2009
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!!! Chicago is known for its crazy St. Patty’s Day celebration! On Saturday, they dyed the river green… I went down with my friend and saw it the first time… it was really, really green… here are some photos…
I recently made falafel…it turned out bright green. That’s what I get for eyeballing the amount of cilantro and italian parsley. Since I’m not a fan of corn beef and cabbage, it seemed fitting for St. Patty’s Day. At least it is green! I used the following recipes for the falafel, tabbouleh, and tzatziki sauce. I baked the falafel at 350 for 20 minutes, turning them over half way through, rather than frying them. Anytime, I try to fry something, I tend to start a small fire. Plus it is healthier that way.
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March 14th, 2009
Happy ∏ Day! In elementary school, I wanted to be a math teacher. Math was fun and I’ve always loved teaching. Growing up, I would often make my little brother play school with me. I set up a chalkboard in our playroom. Found some workbooks so he had homework. And I would teach him. He learned his letters and then we moved on to simple addition and subtraction. I know, you are all feeling sorry for him. What good sister gives her brother HOMEWORK? Is she sick? or just down right evil? haha! well, my brother is now kinda a math genius so I would like to think I played a little part in that…
Eventually, I decided against becoming a math teacher but I still love math. Many of my friends are math geeks, so in their honor, I wanted to join in the Pi Day celebration with my Thin Mint Fudgey Ice Cream Pie. This photo may not be the best. The pie was difficult to cut but it was delicious. I altered my Mom’s Marvelous Mocha Pie recipe, using Thin Mints instead of Oreos as the crust. It was so fudgey! I wish it wasn’t all gone! Happy Pi Day!
Thin Mint Fudgey Ice Cream Pie
(adapted from Marvelous Mocha Pie)
20 thin mints, crushed
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 quart of ice cream (your choice- I used chocolate fudge swirl), melted to a spreadable consistency
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Mix the crusted thin mints and butter together. Press into a pie pan.
2. Spread the ice cream over it.
3. Freeze for an hour or until firm.
4. In a saucepan, bring chocolate, sugar and butter to a boil over medium high heat.
5. Gradually add evaporated milk and cook until thickened.
6. Cool and add vanilla.
7. Pour over the ice cream and return to freezer until set.
P.S. Aren’t Thin Mints the best when they are frozen? What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
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