la verveine

a little food blog

[la-verveine]

A mini carrot cake

Mini Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake: ½ cup all-purpose flour  1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon baking powder pinch of salt 2 tbsp pecans, chopped 2 tbsp raisins, chopped 1 large egg 3 tbsp vegetable oil ⅓ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup shredded carrot 

For the frosting: 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar dash of vanilla extract 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 4-inch round cake tin or an 8-inch square cake pan. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Add the pecans and raisins and set aside. 3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the carrots and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until all the flour is moistened and no white streaks are visible. 4. Pour batter into cake tin. If using the 8-inch square tin, the cake will be thin, which is easily stacked during frosting. 5. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes in the mini cake round, or 10-12 minutes in the large square pan. Remove from oven and loosen cake from pan. Cool on a rack while you make the frosting. 6. For the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and combined. Add the icing sugar a little at a time and mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. (Takes some muscle if using a spoon! But doable.) 7. Slice the round cake into 3 layers OR cut square cake into 4 small squares. Stack each layer with frosting in between and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 15 minutes and frost the final layer. 

[la-verveine]

Holy Grail of Pumpkin Muffins

really, like, the holy grail of pumpkin muffins. These taste exactly like Panera Bread pumpkin “muffies,” except so much better because you know what went into them. 

Notes: When fresh, these are perfectly soft and lofty, lighter than a store-bought muffin. On the 2nd day, they’re somehow even better and softer than the first. Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients 1 cup plain flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ginger pinch of salt ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark are both fine 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs ⅓ cup milk 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (or 225g which is about 1/2 of a 15oz can)

For the topping: Mix together 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp white sugar

Preheat your oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs, milk and puree until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Divide the muffin batter among the muffin cups, filling the cups nearly all the way to the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping evenly over the batter.

Place muffin pan in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 375F and bake another 5-10 minutes. Check that the muffins are baked all the way through by sticking a toothpick, clean knife or wooden skewer into the center of the center muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are ready to be taken out. 

Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes, but remove from tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 

[la-verveine]

weekly things

Haven’t done one of these for a while, but these flourless oaty peanut butter cookies look like just the thing for when the weather cools down

on that sweet note, I’ve been meaning to try out these simple vegan brownies via Minimalist Baker, as well. They look fudgy and rich, but I’ll have to try it to believe it. 

23 Things I Wish I’d Known At 23 — a list that really, really works for me

[la-verveine]

Things that delight

a lovely log of things on toast via the blog, Oh Dear Drea

a blueberry rhubarb bread pudding with brandy

overnight bircher muesli with broiled peaches - praise the Lord it’s summer, and that means cold oats for the oat-crazy and sweet, tree-ripened fruit

a two-ingredient dairy-free strawberry milkshake 

in the theme of pink foods, this raw buckwheat cashew cream with ‘superfood’ ‘granola’ is totally delightful to look at and probably tastes pretty good, too

I’m in the midst of unpacking my room (although I’ve lived here for basically 2 weeks already) and am thinking of ways to decorate. Got my eye on this wrapping paper as repurposing it as faux wallpaper for a small section of my bedroom. Rifle Paper Co. is the bombdotcom.

[la-verveine]

breakfast ice cream sandwich

When I was much younger, when we were still living in the back of and above our drugstore in Pennsylvania, my mom used to make a special weekend breakfast for me. She would split a big, fluffy Sam's Club croissant and warm it in the toaster oven for a few minutes until the insides were soft and the outside just slightly crisp. Then, she would fill it with one or two small scoops of storebought vanilla ice cream. Stuffed inside the warm croissant, the ice cream would begin to melt. The first bite was more liquified ice cream and croissant. As I bit toward the center of the leveled-up ice cream sandwich, the texture was much improved - soft croissant and semi-firm ice cream that yielded under my teeth.

[la-verveine]

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

I really like this ice cream place. I’m by no means a connoisseur of anything, of any food, Vietnamese, French, Italian, or of coffee beans, fine dining or wine. I definitely don’t know anything technical about ice cream; I just know what tastes good to me and which places make me want to return again and again when that particular hunger occurs. Tucked away, on East 7th St. in the East Village is the brick-and-mortar location of the Van Leeuwen buttery yellow ice cream truck that can be spotted around town and in Brooklyn. 

I’m not vegan, but I have this theory that dairy makes me feel “bad,” so I opt for vegan whenever I can. Vegans are not getting second rate stuff at Van Leeuwen. The offerings are absolutely on-par with the regular options, and possibly better than some dairy ice creams on the scene. The vegan salted caramel is more intensely salted caramel than the full-of-dairy sea salt caramel flavor. The banana nut really tastes like banana bread. Cold, creamy banana bread, replete with chopped nuts, like the stuff you buy from the sidewalk bake sale. Peanut butter chip pairs well with the salted caramel, tempering the nutty taste of the nondairy milk base, which is more noticeable in some of the flavors. They are maybe not as creamy and fatty as the dairy flavors, but melt smoothly on the tongue. 

If you get a cone here, the second scoop is always perched precariously atop the first because, I assume, the shopkeeper’s are taught to scoop near-perfect round balls of ice cream for aesthetic reasons. That’s fine and all, but more than once did I almost suffer cone-to-floor tragedy at VL. Getting your scoop in a cup is a good way to go. 

The interior is a cheery, warm space awash in wood paneling. It’s particularly roomy for a dessert spot in the East Village, compared to places like Chikalicious Dessert Club and Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. During the day, it’s a great place for some respite from the busy streets. They also offer various espresso, coffee and tea drinks, plus pastries if ice cream at 9am isn’t quite your thing. 

[la-verveine]

Made a simple olive oil cake with orange and thyme for Mother’s Day this year. Recipe via Lingered Upon. 

This recipe is very similar to the cake found at the East Village espresso shop, abraço. Their cake is simple, but also shockingly good and very pleasing. If I remember right, it has a slight hint of almond extract or vanilla as well. My cake is slightly less sweet, which qualifies it as breakfast food. But it has that similar moreish quality of abraço’s cake, which is absolutely heightened by the crackly crust that forms during baking. I’ve made it with vanilla and almond extract before and would recommend doing so if you make it. You can also add or substitute lemon zest for the orange. I like the brightness of lemon in this cake. 

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed

zest of 1 orange

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup olive oil

Recipe directions at http://lingeredupon.blogspot.com/2013/01/olive-oil-cake.html

[la-verveine]

Your good-to-go homemade marg

Margarita, via epicurious.com, makes 1 serving

In a shaker, stir together 2 tsp granulated white or light brown sugar and 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, just about 5 seconds of stirring. Add in 1 tbsp of orange liqueur like triple sec or Cointreau (if you fancy), 1.5 shots (~2 oz) blanco tequila and 1 cup of ice. Shake, shake, shake, strain into cup with ice (and salt on the rim if you like). Bottoms up!

[la-verveine]

Banana Tahini Muffins

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp flaxmeal + 6 tbsp water 1 tbsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp tahini 3 large bananas, mashed 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 2/3 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 4 tbsp toasted white sesame

Topping: extra toasted white sesame seeds

Step 1: Smash bananas! Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Step 2: Whisk the flax, water, tahini, milk, vanilla, and banana purée until smooth. Step 3: Whisk in brown sugar until fully absorbed and no lumps. Step 4: Sift dry ingredients into the liquid. (Add dry ingredients in 3 parts so it is easier to mix into wet without leaving clumps or overworking the flour.) Step 5: Line a nonstick, greased pan with wax paper. Add batter. Step 6: Coat top with the extra toasted white sesame seeds—these add an earthiness to the bread. Step 7: Place in 325-degree oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Step 8: Test the muffins for doneness with a toothpick. It is done when the toothpick comes out clean. Step 9: Remove from oven and let cool in tray for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack and cool for another 30 minutes.

[la-verveine]

weekly eats (from the past month)

Coffee shop chewy ginger cookies that are so so spicy, I want to cry tears of happiness. 

Lots of carrot-parsnip baked veggie burgers, because they’re healthy and they taste good. 

Steak salad with blue cheese, tomatoes, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette - killer “wishful-thinking-it’s-summer” salad!

Peanut butter on toast. Like, for breakfast and dinner. In the same day. #studentlife #lazyasfuq

Avocado, simply halved and drizzled with soy sauce or a scoop of gochujang—perfection is best left unmodified. Can I mention also that these were perfect-as-fuq avocados? Which was a surprise because they were so soft, I thought they’d be overripe and brown and ugly inside. Nope. Just the bright green of heaven’s lawn. 

[la-verveine]

different cookies...vegan. nut-free.

or chocolate, cherry, and oat tahini cookies via this recipe from Eating Bird Food. 

Here’s what I did:

Mix together 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp warm water in a small bowl and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It should start to gel up as it sits.

Preheat the oven to 350F and prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Toast 1/4 cup rolled oats and 1 tbsp of sesame seeds in a dry pan until they start to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine 1 cup tahini paste, 1/2 cup maple syrup, flaxseed gel, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, salt and baking soda, and a dash of vanilla extract. Fold in the toasted oats and sesame seeds, 1/3 cup unsweetened dried cherries, and 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate. Spoon tablespoon-sized scoops of cookie batter onto the prepped sheet tray and baking for 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the tops have set. Let cool on trays for 5-10 minutes otherwise they’ll be too soft to move. Eat the cookies. With tea. Or whatever you like. 

[la-verveine]

weekly finds

Words to make your mouth water:

roasted strawberry milkshakes - these might (probably) taste better than the version from my childhood, then acquired from the drive-through of the golden arches.

brown butter bourbon spice cookies - I think I just died.

olive oil cake always gets me. everytime. this one is flavored with bright grapefruit and has chocolate chunks thrown in for good measure. Because when has that ever gone wrong?

Out + about in NYC:

There’s a rosemary hazelnut chocolate chip cookie at Bakeri in Brooklyn, and it’s definitely calling your name. If that doesn’t do it for you, well, there’s a case full of goodies like raspberry crumb bars, lemon bars, shortbread cookies, freshly baked breads, iced lattes and more + the most adorable wallpaper and furniture. And all the banging ladies who work here wear a sorta Rosie the Riveter get-up. You’ve never been to a place this hip before. It feels, looks, and smells like your grandmother’s house, if she was anything like the grandmother of idyllic Western tradition. 

[la-verveine]

Spotted: Vanilla Pound Cake with Rhubarb-Pear Compote / https://daisyandthefox.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/vanilla-pound-cake-with-rhubarb-pear-compote/

[la-verveine]

Super awesome carrot cake

‘That’s kind of maybe healthy, or just less unhealthy.

I tried making this with a cream cheese filling, but that element needs some tweaking (although is a really great idea and tasted amazing anyway). The cake itself, I realized, it fantastic on its own and would be great to use as the layers in a more traditional layered carrot cake. Don’t skip adding a cream cheese frosting of your own. I like more cream cheese than butter, but that’s my personal preference. Recipe below! / Carrot Cake: 

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour  

3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg  

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup finely shredded carrots (6 oz) 

1 large egg 

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 

1/4 cup olive oil or neutral vegetable oil 

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8-inch cake pan and lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess, and set aside.

2. For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat the eggs, sugar and shredded carrots together until blended. Drizzle in the oil and applesauce and stir until thick and creamy.

4. Add the dry ingredients, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. 

5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

6. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and Averie Cooks 

[la-verveine]

wednesday links 4/1

zomg it’s April 1st; also it’s Easter Sunday this weekend so here’s a bunch of carroty treats for rabbit-people

glazed carrot cake oatmeal cookies? basically portable carrot cake

carrot graham cracker layer cake - aka carrot CRACK cake

I’m gonna whip up a loaf version of this carrot cream cheese swirled bundt cake for Easter weekend

For good measure—triple cinnamon coffee cake, say what??

[la-verveine]

I ate brownies for breakfast

They had whole wheat flour in them, so it’s okay, right?

Find the recipe I used below ~

Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies adapted from Sprouted Kitchen who adapted it from David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert

5 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Whole Foods’ brand chips) ¾ cup sugar (I used raw sugar because...that’s all I had) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I omitted this because...I couldn’t find my bottle) 2 large eggs, at room temperature (I used cold ones...) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat) 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (because why not...I wanted to use the whole bag up)

+ a handful of chopped walnuts for good measure and a pinch of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper, with the excess folded over the sides (*Definitely don’t skip this step*). Lightly grease the foil or parchment with baking spray or butter. 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the chocolate and stir on low heat until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until it is no longer dry. Add the vanilla and eggs, stirring until it appears a homogeneous mixture. Add flour and stir *energetically* for 1 minute (I stirred for 60 strokes) Batter should lose its graininess and become smooth, glossy and pull away a bit from the sides of the pan. Stir in nuts or add-ins if using. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a spoon or spatula. Bake about 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set. (Always better to under-bake than over-bake brownies!)

Let cool completely in the pan (or throw in the fridge overnight - cold brownies are good) then lift out holding the excess flaps of the foil or parchment. Use a long, serrated bread knife to cut the brownies, cleaning the blade between each cut. 

Makes 12-16 servings

[luckypeach]

“The voucher redeemed a single-topping personal pan pizza and not using that single topping would be a waste.”

Rachel Khong on the BOOK IT! program and the extraordinary promise of a Pizza Hut personal pizza.

[la-verveine]

I like this short piece on growing up American in an immigrant family.