Summer has arrived!

Our garden has been pretty pathetic this summer.  A tomato here and there.  One giant zucchini that grew overnight.  Today was the first day I actually had to take a couple of bags with me to carry everything.

Not quite enough cucumbers to make a batch of pickles, but I bet I can get a batch or two (or four) of zucchini bread from those monsters.

Boston Cream Pie

David's birthday was last weekend and in keeping with tradition, the kids and I made him a cake.  As usual, David never got around to telling us what kind of cake he wanted, so the kids decided on a Boston Cream Pie since 'daddy loves the donuts'.

A Boston Cream Pie is really a sponge cake, with pastry cream in the middle (think chocolate eclair) with a chocolate glaze on the top. I haven't made on in a long time and had to start searching through my cookbooks to find the recipe I used (yep, it's been that long).  Since I knew slicing one cake in half would be dicey, I wanted to find a recipe that was for 2 round cake pans.

Since the original glaze I used was not very sweet, I searched online to find a different on to use since I knew the kids wouldn't like it.  We also had a bit of trouble getting our cake out of the pans, so it isn't all that pretty to look at.  Turns out you can't glue a cake together with glaze like you can with frosting!  Regardless, it was declared delicious and Christopher decided 'we are the best bakers EVER!'

Boston Cream Pie

Source: Cook's Illustrated and Kraft

 

The cake is easier to cut if it has been chilled for a couple of hours

 

Pastry Cream

2 cups half-and-half  

6 large egg yolks  

1/2 cup sugar  

pinch table salt  

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour  

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into four pieces  

1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise OR 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt  

3/4 cup milk  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter  

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract  

3 large eggs  

1 1/2 cups sugar  

 

Glaze

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Pastry Cream: Heat half-and-half in medium saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Add flour to yolk mixture and whisk until incorporated. Remove half-and-half from heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add ½ cup to yolk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to half-and-half in saucepan.

Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 8 minutes.  Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until bubbles burst on surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in butter. Scrape vanilla bean seeds and whisk in or add vanilla extract until incorporated. Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on surface and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and cover to keep warm.

In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip eggs and sugar at high speed until light and airy, about 5 minutes. Remove mixer bowl from stand. Add hot milk mixture and whisk by hand until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until tops are light brown and toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.

Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan. Run small plastic knife around edge of pans, then invert cakes onto wire rack. Carefully remove parchment and flip cakes back over.

Place one cake round on large plate. Whisk pastry cream briefly, then spoon onto center of cake. Using offset spatula, spread evenly to cake edge. Place second layer on pastry cream, bottom side up, making sure layers line up properly. Press lightly on top of cake to level.

Glaze: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is fully melted.  Mix in powdered sugar and add slowly add milk until desired consistency.  Spread over top of cake.  Keep refrigerated.

FIrst Day of School

First day of school for the kids was last Wednesday.  Madeleine is in third grade and Christopher started Kindergarten.  They settled long enough to take a few pictures and then they were off and running for the bus.  I didn't even get a hug or a wave good-bye!

It seems that they did learn anything in third grade on the first day of school.  They were busier in Kindergarten though!  Some of the highlights:

• They made me write my name over and over and over!
• They showed us how to check for feet in the bathroom, so you respect people's privacy
• You go out for recess all day long!
• The bus driver can drive as fast as he wants and he doesn't get arrested

It seemed he also learned how to catch a stomach bug.  Madeleine didn't miss a day of school until she was in second grade.  He missed his second day of Kindergarten!

Whale Watch

The kids and I went on a whale watch yesterday.  I've been on several and this one, by far, was the best ever. We went out of Gloucester (Gloss-ta) with 7 Seas Whale Watch and saw at least 25 Humpback whales as well as a couple of Minke.  Some of what we saw:

How fast they grow!

December 2010

June 2014

Minion, anyone?

Christopher's one request for his birthday this year was a minion cake. "It has to be a good minion and not a purple minion because purple minions are bad and I don't want a bad cake at my party!"

He informed me today for his sixth birthday he wanted a race car cake.  I'm sure he'll change his mind numerous time in the next 51 weeks.

Hot Cross Buns

One of the things I really miss, living so far from home, is being able to participate in some of our family traditions, especially around the holidays. 

Being half Italian and half Polish means I participated in a plethora of traditions growing up, most of them food related.  While I would love to follow the same traditions here, we are only a family of 4 and would most likely turn into a family of Weebles if, for example, a pan of lasagna showed up on the table for every holiday in addition to the main course.

So while I don't have pans and pans and pans of rising Babka dough locked away in my bedroom on Good Friday, we do always make these Hot Cross Buns.  They really are easy to do and both kids love them.  Madeleine has already asked if it was almost time to make those buns she loves so much.  Looks like one family tradition has been carried forward.

Who knows, maybe I'll also drag out my pizzelle iron that is gathering dust downstairs.  Wouldn't be an Italian celebration without a giant tray full of them!

Hot Cross Buns
King Arthur Flour
Yield: 1 dozen 

Buns
1/4 cup apple juice or rum
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants
1 1/4 cups milk -- room temperature
3 large eggs -- 1 separated
6  tablespoons butter -- room temperature
2  teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup light brown sugar -- firmly packed
1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
                        
Topping
1 large  egg white -- reserved from above
1 tablespoon  milk

Icing
1 cup  + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon  vanilla extract
1 pinch  salt
4 teaspoons  milk -- or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing

Lightly grease a 10" square pan or 9" x 13" pan. 

Mix the rum or apple juice with the dried fruit and raisins, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave briefly, just till the fruit and liquid are very warm. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

When the fruit is cool, mix together all of the dough ingredients except the fruit, and knead, using an electric mixer or bread machine, till the dough is soft and elastic. Mix in the fruit and any liquid not absorbed.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.

Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces, about 3 3/4 ounces each. A heaped muffin scoop (about 1/3 cup) makes about the right portion. Use your greased hands to round them into balls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.

Cover the pan, and let the buns rise for 1 hour, or until they've puffed up and are touching one another. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns. 

Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool. 

Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun.

Mean Mom

Yep, that's  me.  Mean mom.  I earned the title and I'll wear the badge proudly (there IS a badge that goes with it - right?).

The act that earned me the title?

I wouldn't let someone take 'thirds' of broccoli because he wasn't eating the rest of the food on his plate.