Holiday Triumphs
Jan. 2nd, 2008 07:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minstrlmummrAmong the sugar-and-flour-free items I inflicted upon my fellow SCAdians a few weeks ago were two almost-original recipes, which I promised to share:
1) Spicy Pomegranate Jelly, adapted from the recipe for Knox Blox http://www.yumyum.com/recipe.htm?ID=4881 -- I steeped cinnamon, allspice and cloves in the juice overnight then added the juice of half a lemon and splenda equal to 1/4 cup of sugar. Adjust lemon and sweetener to taste.
2) Mendoza Cake (If the reference is unclear, check out the Wikipedia entry for "Dr. Zeus Inc.' then scroll down to parts 1.1.1, and part 8. 8). This was heavily tweaked from Elizabeth David's Flourless Chocolate Cake ( http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/2233,elizabeth_davids_flourless_chocolate_cake.phtml )
with no espresso, no brandy, more vanilla/sugar-free "French Vanilla" flavoring (I measure by the capful rather than teaspoons), splenda instead of sugar, 2/3 cup walnut meal instead of almond meal, and 6 oz of 71% bittersweet chocolate (which, in fact, does contain sugar 8/ ) plus 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (I use the "pre-melted" Nestle stuff). In order to get the "fudgy brownie" texture of which this cake is capable (I was five minutes too late with the last one I baked because I used a disposable aluminum pan), start checking it after 35-40 minutes of baking -- the tester's not supposed to come out clean. As far as the chocolate/sugar proportions, taste the melted goo before adding the eggs and see if it's right for you. My next project is to see if it can be made dairy and soy free (the "pre-melted" chocolate gives proportions of 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder to 1 Tbsp. "shortening or oil", so it should be possible to mix something up with walnut oil and substitute that for the butter in the recipe). Tum-te-tum-te-tum....8)
1) Spicy Pomegranate Jelly, adapted from the recipe for Knox Blox http://www.yumyum.com/recipe.htm?ID=4881 -- I steeped cinnamon, allspice and cloves in the juice overnight then added the juice of half a lemon and splenda equal to 1/4 cup of sugar. Adjust lemon and sweetener to taste.
2) Mendoza Cake (If the reference is unclear, check out the Wikipedia entry for "Dr. Zeus Inc.' then scroll down to parts 1.1.1, and part 8. 8). This was heavily tweaked from Elizabeth David's Flourless Chocolate Cake ( http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/2233,elizabeth_davids_flourless_chocolate_cake.phtml )
with no espresso, no brandy, more vanilla/sugar-free "French Vanilla" flavoring (I measure by the capful rather than teaspoons), splenda instead of sugar, 2/3 cup walnut meal instead of almond meal, and 6 oz of 71% bittersweet chocolate (which, in fact, does contain sugar 8/ ) plus 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (I use the "pre-melted" Nestle stuff). In order to get the "fudgy brownie" texture of which this cake is capable (I was five minutes too late with the last one I baked because I used a disposable aluminum pan), start checking it after 35-40 minutes of baking -- the tester's not supposed to come out clean. As far as the chocolate/sugar proportions, taste the melted goo before adding the eggs and see if it's right for you. My next project is to see if it can be made dairy and soy free (the "pre-melted" chocolate gives proportions of 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder to 1 Tbsp. "shortening or oil", so it should be possible to mix something up with walnut oil and substitute that for the butter in the recipe). Tum-te-tum-te-tum....8)
I haven't posted much the last ten days because in between working a full schedule (plus extra over the weekend), I was:
Christmas shopping (::::::raises right hand::::::: I swear I will never try to shop at both the mall and in Manhattan (with side trip to the store displays on 5th Avenue) on the same day again...) Virgin Megastore is My Friend 8), and there's a cool rock stone-and-jewelry store in the East Village. I indulged my inner Herd Animal by shuffling past the "Snow People" display at Saks' windows with a few thousand jostling strangers...that line is also optimal for viewing the Rockefeller Center tree. I understood why some people said it looked weird, because...it looked weird. Too much blue, not enough yellow and white. I think. I refuse to believe my fellow-travelers who celebrate other holidays felt flattered in any way by the alleged multiculturalism of Teh Weird Tree.
Travelling and Making Merry. I drove straight from work Christmas Eve. Traffic gradually thinned out as I trekked south. I found out what a truck stop looks like on Christmas Eve, groups of men looking for last-minute gifts. The selection was surprising and impressive. I <3 Cheap New Jersey gas. Car began stalling when idling at intersections. Mostly highway trip, so no biggie. I fell into bed, wrapped gifts before breakfast. Food was consumed, stuff was exchanged. I was happy to score a CD burner, since this means I can liberate purchased iTunes songs from my computer (CD burner cheaper than iPod or Nano...don't want a Shuffle, I'd step on it or something...). Other food was consumed -- I improvised an apple and almond stuffing for some baked squash...not bad, would taste again 8) Trekked back north for work on the 26th. Somewhere in between all that, I sampled a web-album of Early Christmas Music my sister windsingerbard put up for ten days or so. I'd post a link, but it's not up anymore. There are links to her long-term CD project on her profile page. She plays many of the accompanying instruments and dubs a lot of the vocals herself. ( I feel so lazy 8)
windsingerbard put up for ten days or so. I'd post a link, but it's not up anymore. There are links to her long-term CD project on her profile page. She plays many of the accompanying instruments and dubs a lot of the vocals herself. ( I feel so lazy 8)Drove more carefully and less often as stalling problem worsened. Discovered possible cause of stalling problem Thursday night when a rubber connector between a small plastic hose and a large metal engine contraption was found to be largely cracked. Spent Breathing Space Day Friday NOT listening to Piffarro at the Cloisters (sorry, shalmestere). Paperwork had to be submitted early for payroll, after which I took the car to the garage branch of a local Strauss store. Friendly helpful mechanic explained that one of the parts in question (the hose?) was called the "breather" and replaced the L- shaped connector with a T-shaped one with one branch the the "T" capped off. No charge. I know where I'm getting my maintenance done 8)
After the car got fixed, I went home and installed the CD burner and rescued George Carlin, Bill Cosby, some disco divas and several mellow 70's artists from inside my computer. Roger Miller's still in there -- gotta get him out soon.
shalmestere). Paperwork had to be submitted early for payroll, after which I took the car to the garage branch of a local Strauss store. Friendly helpful mechanic explained that one of the parts in question (the hose?) was called the "breather" and replaced the L- shaped connector with a T-shaped one with one branch the the "T" capped off. No charge. I know where I'm getting my maintenance done 8) After the car got fixed, I went home and installed the CD burner and rescued George Carlin, Bill Cosby, some disco divas and several mellow 70's artists from inside my computer. Roger Miller's still in there -- gotta get him out soon.
Today I vegetated. Also cooked some low-carb pancakes courtesy of George Stella. Then I worked out a little.
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Wow! Busy!
Date: 2008-01-04 01:56 am (UTC)The recipes sound wonderful! Now if I could figure out how to make springerle cookies low-fat....
Going to 12th Night Saturday?