First Anniversary! - Lavender-Honey-Cardamom-Lemon Dark Chocolate Tart and Paper Blogoversary!

Today, Foodiva's Kitchen is 365 days, 178 posts, 92 followers, 31,481 visitors and 2255 comments old. Wow! 1 year old, my Paper Blogoversary. Who would’ve thought a year ago that I would come to know of this new word that’s not yet officially in any dictionary – Blogoversary? And who knew when I began Foodiva’s Kitchen that writing this blog would impact my daily life and the way my family eats in ways I hadn’t even envisaged?

The Brangelina of Polvorons - Blackberry, Black Sesame, Coconut-Lavender and Raspberry. Also Giveaway!

In order to have friendship you must look past the color to the soul, because within the soul lies a rainbow of many colors

~ Lyman Frank Baum

About a month back, I introduced you to the joys of Polvoron, a crumbly shortbread widely enjoyed in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and the Philippines. It's crafted with milk powder, butter, flour and sugar, and delicious when eaten with coffee, tea, or alone as a snack. On my last post about these delectable little sweets, I added three different ingredients as flavorings - matcha (green tea), chocolate and red dragonfruit.

This time round, I wanted to experiment a bit more with other flavors and came up with these winning 4 (or 5): blackberry, raspberry, black sesame and a combination of coconut and lavender. I'm not ashamed to make this confession - I prefer making polvorons to macarons. Like good guys vs. bad guys, the former's more reliable, no eggs need to be aged, no ovens need to be turned on, you can make them whether rain or shine and best of all, no tearing-out-hair sessions need occur when the feet don't form. Polvorons, in fact, don't have feet and always turn out the way you envisage them to be!

Orange-Lavender Cupcakes and A Teaser

To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony.

William Henry Channing

So, today's the second last day to the end of 2010. The year seems to have gone by in a flash, and I don't even know where to begin to take stock of all the things that have happened in my small universe. Our lovely, young cat and an equally lovely, elderly grandmother have passed on to a worldlier world. Two close girlfriends are (separately) expecting their first child. I've transcended from the shiny rungs of the corporate ladder to the CEO-ship of my own household in a matter of 24 hours (yeaaayyy, no regrets). I've climbed hills, ran two 10K races, been to Whole Foods and back - not on the same day, I hasten to add.

And then there's this blog. I started this blogging thing not because I really, really love to cook, but because I really, really like to write. There, that's the truth. With so much time on my hands and not much strategic thinking to be done, I didn't want my brain cells to flounder and die... so when by chance I stumbled upon the enchanting Orangette earlier this year, I was hooked. Who doesn't want to write like Molly Wizenberg? Food blogging it was! 

The rewards of this simple decision? I've gained:

• more creativity in the kitchen (to the joy and sometimes, dismay of friends and kin) 
• more technical skills (food styling, lighting, Photoshopping)
• more new words/ingredients (muffcakes, squash blossom)
• access to a whole, wide, wonderful world of food blogs
• best of all, many new friends - kind, supportive, helpful and extremely talented friends who are my fellow bloggers and readers! 

This whole experience has been nothing close to what I had imagined and more rewarding than I'd ever anticipated - in fact, everyday I count my blessings with my fingers and toes until I run out of them. The digits, that is, not the blessings.

So today, on the second last day of the year, I made these Orange-Lavender Cupcakes to share with another one of my greatest blessings, my real-life friends. I liked how the fluffy batter cooked into a pillowy soft, gently floral and citrusy cake - the most wonderful cupcake real estate you can possibly sink your teeth into. And oh, that sticky orange glaze dripping down the sides had us all licking our fingers and smirking like the cat that got the cream ;-).

Before I move on to the recipe, here's the teaser. Lately, I've been preoccupied with this giddy, little publication and guess what? I'm giving it away! Come back again tomorrow if you want it....oh, I know you do.

These recipes will make your head spin!

Orange-Lavender Cupcakes
Makes 12-15 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Lavender Sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

Cake Batter
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons grated or finely shredded orange zest

Orange Glaze
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup sifted icing sugar
3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 165C/325F. Make the lavender sugar first by grinding lavender and sugar in a grinder until well blended.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the lavender sugar, caster sugar, butter and vanilla on high speed for about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed.

3. Alternately, add flour mixture and sour cream to the batter, beating at low speed. Lastly, stir in the orange zest.

4. Spoon batter into cupcake or muffin tray about 3/4 full and bake for 30 minutes. You can also pour the whole mixture into a large loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before glazing.

5. For glaze, mix icing sugar with cooled, melted butter and enough orange juice to make a drizzling consistency. Spoon over the cupcakes, letting some of the glaze drip down the sides.

Safflower and Lavender Savory Loaf

It's really ironic that I have this food blog because although I've always loved to eat, cooking hasn't come easily nor naturally to me. The people who know me very well wouldn't automatically associate me with an apron or a whisk, or even a broom. I cannot recount many childhood memories of being in the kitchen, happily stirring something delicious on the stove whilst being imparted with useful culinary knowledge from some whiz-in-the-kitchen elderlies. Of course, I'd had plenty of opportunities to learn how to be a good cook, but being in the kitchen was for me a big, tiresome chore. My childhood was spent mostly outside my home, exploring the neighborhood and nature, being up trees, climbing up hills, swimming in rivers or the sea. Those are the things that made me truly happy. Ah well, they still do. 

It's a bit like being in an arranged marriage, this cooking business. I approached it with a certain amount of wariness to begin with, then got slowly used to it and finally, fell insanely in love. Now, being in the kitchen seems somehow normal. Like it was always meant to happen. Such has been the tumultuous history of my relationship with cooking.

Now, science is different. When our worlds collided (I was maybe about 11 or 12), it was love at first sight! I'm talking about grown-up science - chemistry, biology, physics - I loved them all, especially chemistry. My favorite teacher of all time was Mr. P, he taught us chemistry for 2 years. He was some kind of fierce but had a big, caring heart that overrode all his (fake) dictatorial acts. My classmates and I adored him to bits and his greatest legacy was probably to instill in us a passion for this fascinating subject of chemical reactions. Half the class went on to have illustrious careers in the medical, pharmaceutical or petrochemical fields, while the other half went on to other of life's possibilities (guess which half I'm in?). I'm pretty sure that all of us ended up being good cooks, though. The common denominator of those vivid and exciting chemistry lessons we all had with Mr. P probably benefitted us in ways we never, ever imagined.

Chemistry may well have landed me here, writing this blog. Except now the chemical components are (mostly) edible and the lab is my very own kitchen. Mr. P had passed more than a decade ago but I'm sure he oftentimes watches over me while I conduct my kitchen experiments, sharing some chemistry tips, his roaring voice circling in my head. From the bottom of my heart, thank you forever for your kindness and dedication, Mr. P.

Today's flowery recipe was another experiment that ended up rather well. A friend had recently mailed me some safflower (Turkish saffron) she'd bought at the Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey. The red-yellow florets are similar to saffron, but they're not thread-like nor as expensive as saffron. While safflower does when steeped give that lovely golden yellow color to dishes, the flavoring it gives off is much subtler than saffron. It is one of the oldest crops in mankind's history, with records of its use dating back to the twelfth dynasty of ancient Egypt (1991 BC). The fact that this spice has been in circulation for so long just intensified my curiosity to use it. Only, I had no idea what to do with it. Hmm.. I wonder what an Egyptian Queen would do in her kitchen with safflower? Wait, does she even go into the kitchen? :-}

I had dried lavender flowers left over from a previous International Incident Party recipe, so I thought it would be good to combine both flowers in one dish. It was a long shot, not knowing how the end product would taste like. I hadn't wanted to make anything sweet as my body could really do with a sugar-break right now, hence this savory but flowery-tasting loaf which really seemed like a breath of fresh air (literally)! It had been a while since I'd baked bread so I decided to have some fun with this one and send it to Susan's Yeastspotting.

I started by caramelising some onions and kneading these into the bread dough, followed by the safflower and lavender (separately, of course). I then took some Chinese chives or garlic chives which I rolled up inside the dough and finally stacked these rolled dough pieces up on top of each other inside a loaf pan. Asparagus would be good too if you don't fancy chives. The safflower and lavender dough rolls were arranged alternately in the pan and when the loaf was baking in the oven, the aroma it gave off was unlike anything I've ever smelled before! Can you imagine it... the sweet smell of roasted onions interlaced with the distinctive scent of lavender and a whiff of safflower?

  

Yes, there definitely is a difference between cooking and kitchen chemistry. This loaf was a pure joy to make and even better to eat. I had so much fun making this, and I know that's exactly what Mr. P would've wanted!   

Safflower and Lavender Savory Loaf

Ingredients:
• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup lukewarm milk
• 2/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 heaped teaspoon safflower (Turkish saffron)
• 1 heaped teaspoon dried lavender flowers
• 6 stalks Chinese chives (garlic chives)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Method:

1. Lightly grease a 25 x 10cm (10 x 4 inch) loaf tin. Sauté the onions in hot olive oil until soft and light golden. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the yeast, salt, pepper and flour. Stir in the cooled sautéed onions. Make a well in the centre, add the water and milk and knead with your hands or using a dough hook attachment to form a soft dough. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Take another portion and knead in the safflower. To the second portion, knead in the lavender flowers until fully incorporated.

4. Place each dough in separate, lightly-oiled bowls. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Punch each dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough portion into a flat, rectangular shape. Place 3 stalks of Chinese chives along one long edge, and start rolling the dough forward into a cylinder, wrapping the chives inside it.

6. Cut off both ends of the chives protruding out of the dough, and slice roll into 12 equal pieces. Repeat this process for the second dough.

7. Alternating the safflower and lavender doughs, arrange 6 pieces of each in the prepared loaf tin (so 12 pieces altogether). Brush with some melted butter, then top with the remaining slices of dough. Brush tops with melted butter. Cover with oiled clear film and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 190C/375F for 40-45 minutes.

8. Brush tops with more melted butter as soon as the loaf comes out of the oven. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack.

IIP: Lavender-Black Sesame Éclairs with Dulce De Leche Crème Mousseline

When I read 'Lavender' as the theme of this month's International Incident Party, I thought, Uh-oh... I'm in royal trouble. Lavender falls into the 'exotic' category of ingredient to me, mainly because it is virtually impossible to get here in Brunei. I haven't even come across lavender tea being sold here, let alone the real deal! (We do have a variety of lavender soaps and toiletries to choose from, though. I guess we just like to smell fresh and flowery, just like grandma's pillows!).

Being as lavender-deprived as I am, the last time I'd come across this ingredient was when I was sipping a soothing cup of tea in Hong Kong, about six years ago. I brought home boxes of the stuff, and consequently friends and family had to endure a rather long period of being presented with lavender pound cakes and cookies - until the last of the purple flowers were used up. So when the need for lavender suddenly came up, my mind flashed back to Hong Kong. Luckily WL, my friend of nearly 2 decades - actually, she's my sister from another mother (and father) - lives in Hong Kong. She very generously DHL-ed me some lavender tea which arrived a few days ago, just in time for the party! In hindsight, the courier cost was much, much more than the actual price of the tea, so this gesture reminded me who my real friends are. Thank you, WL! If only it is possible to DHL these eclairs back to you, you know I will...

For this party, I had my mind set on making éclairs, sweet lavender-infused ones. Not lavender in the filling nor the topping but in the pastry itself. Lavender gives out that distinctly heady scent and flavor, so I wanted to be careful not to overdo it, otherwise my éclairs would taste a bit like my deodorant (not that I ever ate/licked my deodorant, mind you). Then, when I bought some black sesame powder (to use in a health drink), I thought, why not break the convention a little? Yes.... black sesame éclairs with a hint of lavender - nutty and floral in one bite.  Wait.... how about a dulce de leche crème mousseline as a filling? Dulce de leche in my book contains three of the so-called Seven Deadly Sins (greed, lust, gluttony), so whenever a recipe includes it, you know it's going to taste sinful! I also made my dulce de leche the lazy man's way. Who has 2-4 hours to wait? Popped the condensed milk in the microwave for about 24 minutes, and presto! That's sloth for you.

Black sesame powder ground with lavender (spot the lilac flowers that escaped the blade)

This was my first time making crème mousseline and my work area ended up looking like a disaster zone because of all the splattering that ensued. But oh, it was so worth it! The pastry filling turned out looking like a smooth, rich buttercream yet it was wonderfully light in texture and sweetness, with the dulce de leche providing the right amount of caramelly, smoky flavor. I had some leftover chocolate ganache in the fridge so I drizzled that on the top of the éclairs as a bonus. I took one bite and there I was, elevated to my own personal heaven, completely dizzy from the new tastes and sensory overload. Lavender + black sesame + dulce de leche + chocolate = Absolutely speechless.

Express dulce de leche

 

 Dulce de leche crème mousseline

Tried an éclair with dulce de leche topping too. It was too much, way too much!

Once you try these, you'll never go back... y'know what I mean!

Thank you for hosting this fab party once again, Penny @ Jeroxie.com! For a peek at what the other lavender-inspired creations are, click on the participants' thumbnails below.

Lavender-Black Sesame Eclairs with Dulce De Leche Crème Mousseline

Lavender-Black Sesame Choux Pastry for Éclairs
1/2 cup black sesame powder

1/2 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (125g) unsalted butter

1. Blend the sesame powder with the lavender briefly or simply leave flowers whole. Mix sesame, lavender and flour together in a bowl until fully combined. Set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring milk, water, condensed milk, salt and butter to a boil.

3. Add the flour mixture to the pan in one go. Stir like mad with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, until the dough mass is dry and a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan.

4. Transfer to a large bowl and beat for 1 minute to release more steam. Add in about 2 eggs, one at a time and beating furiously after each addition, until the batter comes together and takes about 7 seconds to fall from the beaters.

Stir until you get Popeye-like arms!

 

Crusty bottom (the pan, not mine)

5. The number of eggs is variable (the original recipe says 4, but I had to adjust because the sesame powder makes the batter rather oily/moist and dense). You don't want a runny dough but neither do you want a dough that's too stiff because it won't rise well. That’s why you have to check your dough after the addition of each egg.

6. Transfer batter to a piping bag with a 2/3 inch plain tip and pipe out shapes to your parchment-lined baking sheet- about 4 inch rods for éclairs.

7. Bake in a preheated 400°F (205°C) oven for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350°F (177°C) and bake for at least 20 minutes more, until crispy. Don't open the oven door till at least the 30 minutes total cooking time has elapsed.

8. Once cool, they can be packed in ziploc bags and frozen for a month. Otherwise, keep at room temperature. However, once filled, they must be eaten immediately or they will be soggy.

Dulce De Leche Crème Mousseline Filling

1 2/3 cups whole milk

2/3 cup dulce de leche

4 large egg yolks

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons (5 leaves) gelatin, sprinkled over 2 teaspoons cold water

7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1. In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dulce de leche, egg yolks, and cornstarch until well-combined, then pour the boiled milk over this in a small stream while whisking constantly.

3. Pour this back into the saucepan and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add the softened gelatin, stirring until dissolved.

4. Cool for 10 minutes or so, to about 45°C (115°F), whisking every now and again. Add the softened butter in bit by bit, whisking after each addition. The cream will be satiny and smooth. Place a sheet of cling film flush against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I wanted to use mine rather pronto so I cheated and placed this in the freezer for about 15 minutes until it firms up!

Dulce De Leche (the sloth’s way!)

1. Empty a 400g tin of sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl.

2. Microwave on medium power for two minutes.

3. Remove from microwave and stir with a wire whisk. Be careful; the mixture and bowl will get very hot and remain that way throughout the process.

4. Microwave on medium power for another two minutes.

5. Remove and stir again.

6. Microwave on medium-low power for 16 to 24 minutes or until milk turns thick and caramel color, stirring every 4 minutes.

Caution: The condensed milk will bubble up ferociously, so make sure your bowl is deep and large.

Chocolate Ganache

150 (5oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and diced

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1. Combine chocolate and butter in a bowl.

2. Separately, heat cream and sugar over medium heat until bubbly at the edge. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and mix until smooth.

3. Cool for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Assembly:

To assemble the éclairs, match pairs of the baked and cooled eclair shells together. On one half, pipe the cream filling and top with the other half. Drizzle some chocolate ganache on top and serve immediately.