Daring Baker Challenge, March 2011; Mets la main à la pâte! Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

Never having come across a coffee cake like this with meringue, I was quite curious to see the result. I kept my filling very simple. I sprinkled a tiny bit of cardamon over the vanilla flavoured meringue and then added dark chocolate chunks over that.

This cake was amazing.. as someone had mentioned  early on in the Daring Baker's forum.. it was difficult to stop eating it once you got started. :)

Onion Soup

(4 servings)

It's the season for onions here in Texas so I decided to make a pot of soup. I just sprinkle cheese on top before broiling and skip the bread because I dislike how it seems to become soggy regardless how well I toast it beforehand. I'd rather have a nice fresh roll or crusty piece of bread on the side instead.

I had some sherry on hand and decided to give that a try..  I thought it was quite good and will use it again if I happen to have some.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 large sweet onions, sliced (about 3 3/4 lbs)
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup dry sherry
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

fresh crusty rolls or bread for serving

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the garlic. Fry for about a minute.

Lower the heat (I turned it quite low) and add the onions. Stir to coat with the oil and garlic, cover the pot and cook for about 2-3 hours or until the onions have sweat and turned brown.

Pour in the broth, sherry and vinegar. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Combine the cheeses.

Place 4 oven-proof bowls onto a cookie sheet and ladle the soup into the bowls. Divide and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of each bowl.

Broil in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the tops brown and bubble.

Serve immediately with fresh crusty rolls or bread.

Tart Key Lime Squares

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(about 9 squares)

Two pound bags of key limes were on sale this week and I couldn't resist making these squares. They are very easy to make...  you just need a bit of patience to squeeze all of those tiny limes.. but the effort is well worth it.

I add a couple of pinches of ground ginger to the graham crust because I love how that plays off the lime. The squares were so good...  creamy, tangy and quite tart... I had to fight the urge for seconds.

Daring Cooks Challenge March, 2011; ¡Me Encanta Perú! - Papas Rellenas

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Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenges us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra.

I decided to skip making the Ceviche de Pescado primarily because I was too lazy to try and figure out where I could get absolutely the freshest fish/seafood here in Dallas. I imagine it would most likely have involved quite a bit of driving.

The Papas Rellenas however did not disappoint; they were delicious!

Garlic Shrimp

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(2 servings)

Things have been a bit hectic for me this weekend and I have been pressed for time. The garlic shrimp and asparagus came together very quickly for a delicious meal.

Roasted Asparagus

(2 servings)

1 lb fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Snap off the fibrous ends of the asparagus and reserve for another use such as soup stock.

Drizzle the oil over the asparagus and season with the salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes.

Serve.

Borscht, Beet Soup

(4 servings)

I love this soup! It's simple to make and very tasty.

Pierogi with Potato & Cheese Filling

( 24-36 dumplings, depending on size)

I grew up in Edmonton which had a large Ukrainian community, and learned to make these when I was still a teenager. Pierogi were serious business; a friend's mum once wrote me a "sick note" so I could skip an afternoon of school to help her make a huge batch, lol.

These dumplings are usually boiled, then coated with butter and served with fried onions and /or crispy bacon bits and sour cream.

They come with a variety of fillings. The popular one in Edmonton contained mashed potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese. Others were filled with sauerkraut or meat, and then there were the dessert pierogi filled with cherries, blueberries, saskatoon berries or plums.

For the New Year there were tiny ones filled with mushrooms which were placed into soup bowls with hot borscht ladled over them. My mouth waters just thinking of those.

I double this recipe and freeze most of the ones I make. Just place them on a lightly floured cookie sheet after they are filled and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. At that point you can bag them for further freezing. When you are ready for the frozen ones, just drop them straight into the boiling water; don't defrost them.

Buttermilk Biscuits

(8 biscuits)

I like making biscuits in the food processor, mainly because the chilled butter gets cut into the flour very quickly. Half a cup of butter is a lot, but I have tried making these with less and haven't liked them as much.