Orange-Poppy Seed Scones

Lately I've been developing some breakfast pastry recipes for my summer restaurant job here on MV and one of my favorite things to make are scones. But not those dry as sand scones, no sir! These Orange-Poppy Seed Scones, adapted from a CIA recipe, are moist and have a tender crumb structure with some crispy bits on the edges. They're loaded with Vitamin C from all the citrus zest and a healthy dose of Dutch Blue Poppy Seeds.

Dutch Blue Poppy Seeds, you ask? Well, Virtual Potluck has joined forces with Savory Spice Shop in developing a few new recipes using their products. We each have an entire shop section and mine was seeds; this was were I fell in love with their Dutch Blue Poppy Seeds. I'm the one that goes for the poppy seed bagel 9/10 times at the coffee shop, so it seemed natural I'd bake with them!

Poppy seeds come from a yellowish brown opium plant native to the Mediterranean. They have been cultivated since the 6th century for the seeds, but also for opium, the narcotic that comes from the unripe seed. These mature seeds do not have narcotic properties. Nowadays these tiny blue gray seeds are mainly produced in Holland and Canada.  Poppy seeds have a nutty tasting flavor and are mainly used in baking. They are popular in breads, cakes, rolls and cookies. Although poppy seeds are difficult to grind, try dry roasting them first, then buzz them in a coffee grinder or spice mill. To make a paste, soak the seeds in water for 2-3 hours and then process in a blender with a touch of the liquid. Refrigerate or freeze poppy seeds to maintain freshness.

-Savory Spice Shop

Each Virtual Potluck member had a different set of spices to play with, so make sure to stop by Cookistry and check out the round-up post of recipes and giveaways! More spices, more chances to win!

Orange-Poppy Seed Scones with Citrus Glaze

Adapted from "Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America"

Makes 8 large scones

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 3/4 cup bread flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange extract

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/4 cup sliced dried apricots

1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon milk

to decorate: orange zest, poppy seeds

1 cup powdered sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

orange zest

1. Stir together sugar, flour, baking powder, and vanilla salt. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk milk and lemon juice until it "curdles". This takes about 2 minutes. Add orange extract, poppy seeds, and apricot slices. 
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together. You can do this in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, but using a dough whisk is a faster and easier way to go! 
4. On a baking sheet fitted with plastic wrap, place dough and naturally form into a circle. Cut into 8 slices and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. I found it easier to cut after 30 minutes in the freezer.
5. To bake: Preheat oven to 350F and place frozen scones on greased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with orange zest and poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown.
6. To make glaze, stir together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and orange zest. Glaze scones and serve! You can always serve glaze on the side as well. 

 

Thanks to the generous folks over at Savory Spice Shop, we're giving away a spice gift set for one lucky Cooking with Books reader! It's a fantastic set of spice blends that you can add to everything from popcorn to grilled steak! Entry Guidelines: leave a comment for each action done, as well as a contact email.

• Tweet: Love Spices? Enter to win a spice gift set via @nella22 & @SavorySpiceShop http://bit.ly/INFblt
• Head on over to the Savory Spice Shop Facebook page and post on their wall your favorite spice
• Follow Savory Spice Shop on Twitter
• Follow Cooking with books blog via Google Friend Connect (right-hand side bar)

Connect with Savory Spice Shop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SavorySpiceShopOnline 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SavorySpiceShop

Disclaimer: Savory Spice Shop sent Virtual Potluck members spices to test and develop a recipe with, free of charge. My opinions, as always, were based on product testing and tasting!  US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by Savory Spice Shop. The contest ends Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 23st via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

My Experience with the Cooler Cleanse

As you all know by my tweets, Instagram pics, and Facebook statuses, I did the 3-day Cooler Cleanse last month and today I'd love to share my thoughts on the cleanse, the flavors, how I felt, and my feelings before, during, and after it. 

What's the Cooler Cleanse you ask? A cleanse of course, composed of raw, gluten-free fruit and vegetable juices, as well as a few nut milks that provide your body with much needed nutrients, as well as pure energy. It helps rid the body of toxins and gives it a much needed time to focus on itself rather then having to digest endless amount of food. The 3 days were each composed of 6 juices each day, taken every 2 hours or so. Below is an overview of the 18 juices I received!

Juice #1 "Sweet Greens": As the first juice of the day, it pretty much woke me up. The taste is sweeter than I expected, with and herbaceous flavor under the sweetness.

Juice #2 "Watermelon & Lime; Pineapple & Ginger; Grapefruit & Mint":  By far, these were my favorite juice flavors and sipping on them inspired new flavors for me to add to my baking list. Watermelon & Lime was a burst of what summer tastes like, the Pineapple & Ginger had a spiciness and tart sweetness, and the Grapefruit & Mint was...minty fresh with a bitter tartness that was actually very pleasant.

Juice #3 "Essential Green": This is exactly what you'd expect from a green juice. A slight bitterness, it was one of my least favorite but definitely still drinkable. You'll definitely FEEL healthier after sipping on Essential Green!

  

Juice #4 "Young Coconut Water & Spicy Lemonade": Refreshing and naturally sweet, both of these were perfect mid-afternoon. I felt most hydrated after drinking the Young Coconut Water, and the Spicy Lemonade put a pep in my step! I've had a very spicy lemonades before, and most of them have an artificial lemon candy-like flavor. This was purely what a tart lemon would taste, with a touch of raw agave to balance it out.

Juice #5 "Essential Red": Consider this your early dinner, and it fills you up almost like a regular dinner. It's a hearty juice that blends the sweet apple and earthy beet, with a touch of lemon and the beneficial qualities of carrots.

Juice #6 "Spicy Hemp Milk; Almond Nut Milk; Brazil Nut Milk": I considered this my treat, my sweet dessert and my reward. My favorite? Hands down the Almond Nut Milk, laced with vanilla bean and blended with dates, it was almost too much to drink! It's thick like a milkshake and I loved it! The Spicy Hemp Milk was a close runner up, with Brazil Nut Milk trailing behind because honestly? Brazil Nuts are my least favorite nuts!

Three Days Before The Cleanse: I stopped drinking coffee, which meant removing 4 cups of caffeine from my diet. The smart way would be to slowly wean yourself off of it if you drink more than a cup, but I went cold turkey and paid for it the hard way. My first day off caffeine was awful: headaches and flu-like symptoms. The next day was much better, and after that I got used to not having coffee. I eventually didn't have coffee for an entire week. I also reduced red meat consumption, as per suggested by Cooler Cleanse and tried to eat more veggies. Sure, I had pasta the night before, but it was like a good bye moment. 

Day One: As with everything new, it was honestly the hardest day for me. After sipping on the first two juices, I went on a short 30 minute walk and after getting home, felt lightheaded for a good hour. The feeling woudn't shake, plus I started to feel nauseous so I decided I needed solid food. It hadn't even been 24 hours since my last meal! I had some sweet potatoes with cheese, and this small meal would be what carried me through each day. The day continued on, feeling much better after a small meal and my other juices.

Day Two: Other than a slight headache, this day went smoothly and for my small meal I tossed some canned tuna with greens and avocados. Adapting the cleanse to what my body needed made it work for me. 

Day Three: By the end of the cleanse, I was ready for solid food! Small meal this day was a salad with more avocados and quinoa, and the juices were being gulped only when I started to feel hungry (more or less every 2-3 hours). 

Results and Final Thoughts: What did I realize about my body and food intake? First of all, I'm not a mindless eater. I rarely snack much and just really rely on meals. I missed the act of cooking, and realized it was the way I timed my day as to what I was doing and cooking. What surprised me the most was the amount of energy I had, even without the caffeine in my system. I also felt great about what I was putting into my body and could feel it regenerating and taking in the nutrients, which I loved. As for weight loss, I lost about 4 pounds, but for me this was the least important result. The way I felt (after getting used to the juices), was a better result! 

Thanks to the awesome folks at Cooler Cleanse, we have one 3-day cleanse to give away. If this is something you've always wanted to try, here is your chance! Below are ways to enter, be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you do, as well as a contact email! 

• Visit the Cooler Cleanse site and share one thing you learned
• Follow Cooler Cleanse on Twitter
• Follow Cooking with Books on Twitter
• Tweet: Ever wanted to try @CoolerCleanse? Enter to win a 3-day cleanse and read about @nella22's experience! http://bit.ly/HFBm1t #giveaway

Disclaimer: Cooler Cleanse was provided free of charge in order to facilitate this review. No monetary compensation was received. Before doing any cleanse or detox, consult with your doctor. US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by Cooler Cleanse. The contest ends Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 23st via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen

illy MonoArabica Coffee Package Giveaway

IACPNYC was a whirlwind of meeting new and old friends; of eating as many calories as possible in one day; of running up and down 8 flights of stairs because sometimes the elevators were full or just didn't come in time. Other than the fact that I LOVED my job at IACPNYC, the one thing that kept me going, walking, running, tweeting....was sipping illy coffee throughout the day.

On the 8th floor of the Millennium Hotel, the Hospitality Suite catered to recharging our batteries, both literally and physically. A station of illy coffee was set up and ready to serve us as many espressos as we needed during the day, with no judgement (I did excuse myself on the day I had 7 espressos....just because it was getting to be a little TOO much!)

So it brings me great pleasure to be able to share my addiction passion for illy coffees. Thanks to the generous folks at illy, we're giving away their MonoArabica Whole Bean Coffee Package which includes three (3), 8.8oz single origin, whole bean cans: Guatemala, Ethiopia, Brazil.

From Top Left: Amanda Hesser enjoying illy coffee; the illy coffee cans; our ever so nice barista; and yes, I sweetened my espresso with @ScharffenBerger Milk Chocolate!

Single-Origin Arabica Coffees Found in the illy Blend:

Brazil. Guatemala. Ethiopia.  Escape to far off places that spark the imagination with each sip of new illy MONOARABICA™ coffee. Explore the individual taste and distinct aroma of each single origin Arabica coffee, found in the legendary illy blend, each highlighting the singular style, culture and flavor of these distinctive geographic regions. These sustainably-grown coffees, hand selected and expertly roasted by illy, awaken the senses and satisfy your curiosity while offering you a pleasant escape from the ordinary.

Click on the giveaway link, like illy on Facebook, and win this fabulous set of illy coffee!

illy Giveaway
Details & Disclaimer: One entry per person, must have valid Facebook account to participate. The "Facebook like" is the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by illy USA. The contest ends Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 16th via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. I was not compensated for this post, and am sharing it because I love illy!


Click on this link to enter (To keep track of entries, please leave a comment below!)
Enter to win the illy MonoArabica Coffee Package!

Connect with illy!

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/illy
Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/#!/illyusa 

Website: http://www.illy.com/

Marshmallow Madness!

After you make your first homemade marshmallow, you will NEVER go back to those artificial ones that come in a plastic bag! And after you get your hands on Shauna Sever's new cookbook all about marshmallows, you might spend endless weeks making marshmallows in all shapes, colors, and flavors! 

Marshmallow Madness!, recently released on Amazon and bookstores in your city, is by Shauna Sever and printed by Quirk Books; she is best known for her delicious blog "Piece of Cake".  Her approachable personality and simple recipes create confidence in first time bakers. She'll bring you in with her casual and knowledgeable voice, and take you step by step, in this case, in making the best tasting marshmallows you've ever tasted!

When I received my review copy of Marshmallow Madness!, my hands started squishing the puffy book. Creatively bound in puffy material and a book cover filled with colorful mallows, it invites you to peruse its pages and find just the right recipe for you. I decided to recreate her Key Lime Pie Marshmallows, light green mallows with bright lime flavor and added crunch with a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs.

A dessert all in itself, these marshmallows are the type of creative genius you'll find in her book. Other recipes I'll be trying: Malibu Marshmallows, Maple-Bacon Marshmallows, and her Mango-Chile-Lime Marshmallows! Also, you can check out #marshmadness and see what other bloggers made!

Thanks to the generous folks at Quirk Books, today I'm sharing Shauna's Classic Vanilla Marshmallow recipe, a great starting point for those making marshmallows for the first time. Mastering this recipe will let you experiment with more flavorings by adjusting the extracts you add! But that's not all! Like I said, Quirk Books are really generous tweeps and are giving away THREE puffy copies of Marshmallow Madness to three Cooking with Books readers. Scroll down to enter!

Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

Reprinted with permission of Quirk Books from "Marshmallow Madness" by Shauna Sever, 2012

Makes: About 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch mallows

THE BLOOM
4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
1/2 cup cold water

THE SYRUP

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt

THE MALLOWING

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Classic Coating plus more for dusting

Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

WHISK TOGETHER the gelatin and cold water in a small bowl and let soften for 5 minutes.

STIR TOGETHER the sugar, 1/4 cup of the corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 240°F. Meanwhile, pour remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Microwave gelatin on high until completely melted, about 30 seconds. Pour it into the mixer bowl. Set the mixer speed to low and keep it running.

WHEN THE SYRUP reaches 240°F, slowly pour it into the mixer bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. Increase to medium-high and beat for 5 more minutes. Beat on the highest setting for 1 to 2 minutes more and beat in the vanilla; the finished marshmallow will be opaque white, fluffy, and tripled in volume. Pour it into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to smooth it into the corners. Sift coating evenly and generously over top. Let set for at least 6 hours in a cool, dry place.

Use a knife to loosen the marshmallow from the edges of the pan. Invert the slab onto a coating-dusted work surface and dust it with more coating. Cut into whatever size pieces you wish (a pizza cutter works great for squares). Dip the sticky edges of the marshmallows in more coating, patting off the excess.

Variation: Super vanilla-ize these mallows by adding a scraped vanilla bean or dab of pure vanilla bean paste along with the vanilla extract.

 Marshmallow Madness Giveaway!

To enter, leave ONE comment on this post telling me your DREAM marshmallow flavor. The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Three (3) winners will be chosen randomly. Prizes will be shipped by publisher. The contest ends Sunday, March 25th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern. The winner will be announced on Monday March 26th. 

Disclaimer: Quirk Books sent me a review copy of this book, but I was under no obligation to review or host giveaway.

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: Irish Soda Bread & Giveaway!

This week is a lucky week for you readers! I couldn't control myself and have not one but TWO fantastic giveaways for you this week. The first one was the True Lemon giveaway, so make sure to enter that one. The second one, I just couldn't resist. Nothing says St. Patrick's Day more than a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, so that's what we're sharing today. And not just any Irish Soda Bread recipe, but one from the brand new "The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook published by Oxmoor House. Scroll down and you can enter this weekend only giveaway!

Although I am a newbie to cooking in cast iron, it's something that's been around for MANY years and is now luring even more cooks, bought home cooks and restaurant chefs, to cook in cast iron. Lodge Manufacturing is the ONLY domestic manufacturer of the cast iron pan! Unbelievable that they've been making "America's Original Cookware ™ " since 1896. Well, what is better to accompany great cookware than a great cookbook to go with?

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook not only features 200 recipes and photographs from cookbook authors and chefs, but is a sort of scrapbook of memories for those sharing their recipes with us. Alongside most recipes is a small memory about the dish, who inspired it, and how long it's been in their family.

Other great chapters in this book includes one of the most important things about cast iron: how to care for it, renew, maintain, and cook from it for many years to come. This has been one of my ongoing studies because I started seeing rust on my pan lately. After reading the book, I took care of reasoning my pan with some fat and heat in the oven, and it's perfectly seasoned again.

You'd think cast iron is limited, but this book showcases the wide range of items you can cook and bake in it. Some chapters are: Breakfast, Cooking Outdoors, Cornbread (an entire chapter on it!), Desserts, Breads, and more. Today we're baking in my cast iron skillet and it's a delicious Irish Soda Bread!

Maggie Doherty’s Irish Soda Bread

Reprinted with permission from Oxmoor House

Maggie Doherty was cookbook author Peggy Fallon’s mother, who swore by cast iron when it came to her soda bread.   Makes one (9-inch) round loaf

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups raisins (preferably 1 cup

each golden and dark raisins)

2 cups buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

­1.     Preheat the oven to 375°. Generously grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet with vegetable shortening.

2.     Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; whisk gently to blend. Stir in the raisins to coat with the flour mixture. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk and egg; stir until a stiff dough forms. (Use a wooden spoon if you must, but the most efficient way to mix this soft, sticky dough is with floured hands. Alternatively, the dough can be mixed in a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.)

3.     Remove the dough from the bowl and mound it into the prepared skillet, roughly forming a round loaf. (Don’t be concerned that it won’t hold its shape; it will be corrected during baking.) Lightly moisten your hands with water to smooth the top. Using a serrated knife dipped in fl our, score the top with a large X, about 1⁄2-inch deep. (This will ensure even baking, and it will also scare away the devil, according to Peggy’s mother.) Bake until the loaf is golden brown with a firm crust and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 1 hour.

4.     Remove the bread from the skillet and let cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before cutting into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted, with or without butter.

Giveaway: Want to start cooking with Cast Iron?
Thanks to the generous folks over at Oxmoor House and Lodge, we have a great giveaway prize for one winner! You'll receive a copy of The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook and a 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge. See below on how to enter.


How to Enter (please leave a separate comment for every action done.)

• Head on over to Lodge Manufacturing and tell me what other piece of cookware you'd love to have.
• Follow Lodge Cast Iron on Twitter
• Follow Cooking with Books on Twitter
• Follow Cooking with Books on Google Friend Connect
• Tweet the following message: Enter to win The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook and 12 inch skillet via @nella22 and @LodgeCastIron! #giveaway http://bit.ly/A4DrUx

The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by sponsoring company, US mailing addresses only. The contest ends Sunday March 18th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern. The winner will be announced on Monday March 19th. This post is sponsored by Oxmoor House, and as always opinions are basely solely on my testing (and tasting!). No monetary compensation was received.

Orange-Lemon Loaf & True Lemon Giveaway

The one thing that keeps me going through the winter? The vastly available citrus. Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits, Tangelos, Clementines, and more! They add tartness to desserts, they brighten up a simple loaf cake, and ultimately just make winter bearable.

Welcome to the Virtual Potluck and True Lemon #citruslove! 

What's True Lemon you ask? True Lemon products are basically the essence of citrus fruits, dehydrated and converted into powder form. All True products are 100% natural with no artificial ingredients or sweeteners, preservatives,sodium or gluten. True Lemon's ingredients are the same as found in a lemon: Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Lemon Oil and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

This is a fantastic product to have around the house, not only for making drinks and cocktails, but as an added flavoring to your baked goods, as well as marinades, sauces, and seasonings in cooking.

True Lemonades comes in Original Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade. True Unsweetened & Naturally Sweet products include: Lemon, Orange, and Lime. They also come in handy shakers, perfect for shaking on guacamole!

After having developed a few recipes with the True Lemon products, my latest favorite is this Orange-Lemon Pudding Loaf, a perfect treat made with white whole wheat flour, a touch of sugar, fresh orange slices and laced in the batter, True Lemon.

Orange-Lemon Pudding Loaf

Makes 1-2 mini-loaves

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 packets of True Lemon

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 orange, peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
3. Whisk milk and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add egg, oil, and vanilla extract.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry. 
5. Grease a mini loaf and layer orange slices on the bottom. Pour batter into mold and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with a side of whipped cream.

Would you love to try True Lemon products in your own kitchen? Well you're in luck, because each and every one of us is giving away a True Lemon gift set that includes a box each of True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange, True Grapefruit, True Lemonade, True Raspberry Lemonade, True Lemon shaker, True Lime shaker and a t-shirt. Each and every of the following Virtual Potluck bloggers will be giving away the same awesomely citrus prize pack, so make sure to visit them as well:

Citrus Tea with Hibiscus and Goji Berries by Diabetic Foodie

 Spicy Lime Shrimp & Citrus Pickled Red Onion Salad by Cookistry

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries by Bite and Booze

True Citrus Zing Salad Dressing by Groovy Foody

Lemon Pudding Cakes with Raspberry Sauce by Thyme In Our Kitchen

Lemon Biscotti by Tara the Foodie

Quick Cinnamon Scrolls with Orange Fondant Icing by Farmgirl Gourmet

Guacamole & Shrimp Cocktail and a Key Lime Pie by 30AEATS  

Giveaway Rules and How to Enter (leave a separate comment for each action done!)

• Check out the True Lemon site and share what's one thing you learned.
• Follow True Lemon on Twitter
• Follow Virtual Potluck on Twitter
• Follow Cooking with Books on Google Friend Connect
• Tweet the following message: Join #citruslove by entering to win a gift box thanks to @TrueLemon and @VirtualPotluck! Enter to win:http://bit.ly/zpQbqz

The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by True Lemon. The contest ends Sunday, March 18th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, March 19th via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by True Lemon, and as always my opinions are based on personal recipe testing (and tasting!) No monetary compensation was exchanged.

Hazelnut Chocolate Molten Cakes from La Tartine Gourmande

When I received "La Tartine Gourmande" by Béatrice Peltre, (or actually, when I picked up my mail and saw that I had received it!), I had been walking around Edgartown and decided to settle in for a coffee and a browsing of this gorgeous cookbook. To be honest, I spent the next hour sipping on my Mocha Latte and reading this book. I was enthralled by her words and the colors, styling, and simply delicious food made me hungry for more than a coffee. 

Béatrice Peltre is the author of the award-winning blog, LaTartineGourmande.com and this cookbook is  living proof that we eat through our eyes. Béatrice captures the brightness in fruits and vegetables, with the earthy tones of whole grains, making you just want to reach into the book and have a bite!

As her contents read, her recipes are "to inspire", and as I flipped through, I left a post-it in every recipe I wanted to try. More than half I can assure you. So how was I going to narrow down a recipe to make for the blog? I asked my husband of course! Ultimately it came down to the Beet and Quinoa Tabouli (which you can check out the link and see how Brian from A Thought for Food did it!) and these Hazelnut Chocolate Molten Cakes. Yeah, the quinoa didn't really stand a chance against warm, unctuous chocolate.

With the permission of the folks over at Roost Books in Boston, I'm sharing this recipe with you below. I've already made it three times (small batches), and one of the times used Almond Meal instead of Hazelnut flour, and it still worked out beautifully! Scroll below the recipe and enter to win a copy of "La Tartine Gourmande!

Hazelnut Chocolate Molten Cakes with Fleur de Sel

Excerpted from LA TARTINE GOURMANDE by Béatrice Peltre, (c) 2012.  

Published by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston.  

www.RoostBooks.com

Makes 4 to 6 cakes, depending on the size
You will need: four ¾-cup ramekins or six 2/3-cup ramekins

6 tablespoons (85 g; 3 oz) unsalted butter, plus more for the molds
Flour of your choice, to dust the molds
4 oz (115 g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
¼ cup (50 g; 1 ¾ oz) blond cane sugar
½ teaspoon fleur de sel
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (22 ½ g; ¾ oz) hazelnut or millet flour
1 oz (30 g) hazelnut-flavored chocolate, cut into 4 pieces
Confectioners’ sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Butter the ramekins, then coat them with flour and tap the excess out. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a bain-marie (see Basic Cooking Techniques, page 27, for instructions).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs with the sugar and fleur de sel and beat until the batter has tripled in volume and is light and pale in color; this will take about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and fold in the flour, then the melted chocolate-butter mixture, making sure to keep the batter light each time.

Divide three-quarters of the batter among the ramekins and add one piece of hazelnut chocolate at the center of each mold. Cover with the rest of the batter. At this point, if you want, you can refrigerate the cakes until you are ready to bake and serve them. If you do, bring them back to room temperature before baking.

Place the cakes in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes (if you bake 6 cakes, they tend to need 10 minutes only); remember that the less time you bake the cakes, the more gooey the inside will be. Remove from the oven and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. Flip them swiftly onto dessert plates or serve them directly in the ramekins. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve. A scoop of whipped cream or ice cream served with the cakes is a nice touch too.

"La Tartine Gourmande" by Beatrice Peltre Giveaway!

To enter, visit La Tartine Gourmande blog and leave a link to your favorite recipe there. The comment is the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by publisher WORLDWIDE. The contest ends Sunday March 11th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern. The winner will be announced on Monday March 12th.

UPrinting: Review & Custom Stickers Giveaway

In exactly 31 days, the #IACPNYC conference will start! A whirlwind of networking with colleagues, hugging of new and old friends, and learning from the best in the food industry.  In preparation for the conference, I've got a massive list of things that need to be done, ordered, dry-cleaned, and packed. On that list of ordering were business cards, since I am down to about 20 cards. One morning last week, I woke up to see an email that I had won free business cards from UPrinting via a giveaway I had entered. Now that's what I call perfect timing!!

Pin It 

While having my morning coffee, I quickly got to work designing my new cards and I can honestly say that it took me about 20 minutes to design and order, which I loved. The UPrinting site makes it easy to upload your designs, as well as providing their own. Type in a few things, center them on the card, choose some colors, and off you go! You can customize your cards by size and shape, as well as various other printing options. 

Want to experience what UPrinting is all about? Here is what's up for grabs for one winner, thanks to the generous folks over there:

250pcs Customizable Stickers for one winner
2x3.5" 70lb Label Matte, Front only printing
4 Business Days Turnaround time
Free US shipping only

To enter, visit UPrinting and comment telling me which other service/product you'd love to try the most. The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. US mailing addresses only, entrants must be 18 years and older. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by UPrinting. The contest ends Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern. The winner will be announced on Sunday, March 4th.

Additional Entry Options

• Follow UPrinting on Twitter
• Tweet the following message: "I want to get a chance to win stickers from @UPrinting by joining @nella22's giveaway http://bit.ly/wYQSY7"

Disclaimer: “You should assume that the owner of this blog will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions.”

Banana Cloud & Nutella {#chocolatelove}

It's February, so chocolate is a must have in the house. We have it all over: in a kitchen drawer (half a bar of white chocolate and a bar of Pomegranate Chocolate from Texas); in the fridge (local raw, vegan Martha's Vineyard chocolate bars that need refrigerating); on top of the bookshelf (one white solid chocolate oyster and a decade of Dylan's Candy chocolate bars); on the coffee table (a clear jar halfway filled with Hershey's Kisses). I kid you not, those are real places right now in our home that house chocolate.

So when Junia told me about the upcoming #chocolatelove, it was obvious that I was in. And then I made something that had not even 4% of the amount of chocolate in the house. Crazy no? Oh, and I forgot to mention the chocolate in the pantry: powdered cocoa, a jar of Nutella, a jar of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Spread, etc. 

Since it's all about #love, I wanted to combine my most loved ingredients: Bananas and Chocolate! This is probably the simplest and most flavorful banana dessert I've ever made. A quick blend of bananas, maple syrup and eggs makes this a velvety custard that when topped with rich Nutella, is an indulgent dessert that you won't feel guilty about. I call it a Banana Cloud because of the texture: fluffy, soft and custardy. Just like I'd imagine a cloud tasting like!

Banana Cloud & Nutella

Serves 2-4

2 extra ripe bananas

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup

2 medium sized eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees.  Set out 2-4 ramekins on a baking sheet. (Amount of ramekin depends on size)
2. In a blender or using an immersion blender, whip all the ingredients together for 1 minute.
3. Pour banana cloud batter into greased ramekins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it creates a small dome. Carefully test for doneness because this is a very delicate dessert.
4. Serve with a teaspoon of Nutella while warm.

What's your favorite way to garnish with chocolate? Do you grate chocolate on top? Swirl in a batter? Sprinkle on cupcakes? Such a versatile ingredient that can be either the main focus or a small detail in a dessert! One of my favorite chocolate cookbooks is Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner by Peter P. Greweling and The Culinary Institute of America, which I definitely recommend! 

February is #chocolatelove month!

Please join in on the #chocolatelove fun by linking up any chocolate recipe from the month of Februrary 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #chocolatelove event!  The twitter hashtag is #chocolatelove.

Cohosted by: 

A Little Bit of Everything, Astig Vegan, Badger Girl Learns to Cook, Baker Street, Baking and Cooking A Tale of Two Loves, Baking Extravaganza, BigFatBaker, Bon a Croquer, CafeTerraBlog, Cake Duchess, Cakeballs Cookies and More, Cooking with Books, Creative Cooking Corner, Easily Good Eats, Elephant Eats, Georgie Cakes, Hobby and More, Java Cupcake, Kitchen Belleicious, Mike's Baking, Mis Pensamientos, No One Likes Crumbley Cookies, Oh Cake, Preheat the Oven, Rico sin Azucar, Savoring Every Bite, Simply Reem, Smart Food and Fit, Soni's Food for Thought, Sprint 2 the Table, Teaspoon of Spice, That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!, The Dusty Baker, The More than Occasional Baker, The Spicy RD, The Wimpy Vegetarian, Vegan Yak Attack!, Vegetarian Mamma, You Made That?

Remember to enter to win Guylian Belgian Chocolates, Chocolate Oysters, Not Your Sugar Mamas Raw Chocolate from Martha's Vineyard and a #love treat from Inedible Jewelry over at my Foodie Giveaway Extravaganza!