The Ninja Baker - #easy recipes

Café Zinfandel Cake & Pinot Noir Quinoa, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 21:59:41 +0000

Dad played a decorated war hero, General MacArthur on NHK TV. (The PBS of Japan.) In real life, medals never dangled on my father’s chest. Yet, he’s always been my hero. His gentle spirit and generosity continue to influence and inspire me. More times than I care to recall, he drove me to the train station so I could catch the right train to make it on time to school.

A content kitty cat catches up on the news with Dad.

Dad also wrote numerous forgive-my-daughter’s-tardiness notes to my homeroom teacher. Spoiled? Maybe a little. However, when all my friends were getting color TVs free and clear; I had to sign a ten-term contract. No kidding. 1. I will cheerfully turn off the TV when instructed. 2. I will cheerfully finish my homework before TV. 3. I will cheerfully…You get the picture. And, yes, I’m that old that I remember the advent of color TV!

Baking for Dad is a privilege...I do believe I inherited my sweet tooth from him!

Fond memories of Dad are popping up as I prepare for the #SundaySupper Father’s Day Feast. (Please scroll down for details on how you can take a seat at the virtual dinner table at Twitter.) Dad loves fine wines and chocolates. (Who doesn’t?) Vivacious strawberry, raspberry and watermelon flavors color Gallo Family Vineyards’ Café Zinfandel. As Zinfandel pairs especially well with chocolate, I chose the wine for my Café Zinfandel Cake.

Delightful berry flavors of Cafe Zinfandel frolic in a traditional white cake.
The chocolate is also zapped with the light 'n lovely Gallo Family Vineyards' wine.

In addition to a chocolate frosting splashed with Zinfandel, chocolate syrup was drizzled into the cake batter. Alas, it stayed at the bottom of the bundt. (I’ve corrected my recipe. Swirl some chocolate in after pouring half of the batter into the bundt pan. Then, drizzle a little more at the end.) The good news is that Café Zinfandel adds depth and berry sweetness to plain white cake. The chocolate ganache-like frosting also benefits from the zip of Café Zinfandel.

Pinot Noir Quinoa

I admire and sometimes practice the philosophy of Eat Dessert First. However, a practice of a bit of protein before sweets is probably better. Fortunately a bottle of Gallo Family Vineyards’ Pinot Noir was in reach. The medium bodied wine plays well to deep flavored meats and mushrooms. So, I cooked up a quick, easy (and delicious!) Pinot Noir Quinoa before indulging in the Café Zinfandel Cake.

Café Zinfandel Cake

Everyday white cake is transformed into sophisticated sweetness with the addition of wine. The chocolate in the cake and in the frosting also flirts well with the Café Zinfandel.

Adapted from the white cake recipe on the back of the King Arthur cake flour box.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 ¾ cups cake flour
1 2/3 cups superfine sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup soft unsalted butter
4 large egg whites
1 whole egg
½ cup Café Zinfandel
½ cup heavy cream
Pink food coloring
Chocolate syrup

For the chocolate ganache frosting:

½ cup heavy cream
9 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Café Zinfandel
1 tablespoon strawberry jam

Directions:

1. In a kitchen stand mixer, whisk all of the dry ingredients on slow speed for 2 minutes.
2. Drop in pats of butter and combine until the mixture is crumbly.
3. Beat in the egg whites followed by the whole egg.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Zinfandel and cream.
5. Slowly add the Zinfandel cream mixture to the mixer bowl.
6. Sprinkle a few drops of pink food coloring into the batter. On medium-high speed let the beaters combine all ingredients until fluffy. (About 3 minutes.)
7. Pour ½ of the batter into a well-greased and panko breadcrumb covered bundt pan. Drizzle in chocolate syrup. Cover with the remaining batter and swirl in more chocolate syrup.
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a chopstick (or skewer) emerges clean when inserted into the center.
9. While the cake cools, in a small sauce pan combine ½ cup of heavy cream, 9 ounces of chopped dark chocolate, 2 tablespoons of Café Zinfandel and 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam. (Double this recipe if you want to completely cover the cake.)
10. Drizzle the ganache frosting onto the cooled cake. (You can also use a clean paintbrush reserved only for food use to paint the frosting onto the cake.)

Tip: Scrape the bowl often to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the yummy mixture.

Pinot Noir Quinoa

Every bite of this Pinot Noir infused quinoa tastes like wholesome goodness. The flavors of the shiitake mushrooms and vegetable gems of the earth blossom with the berry infused Pinot Noir.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups Pinot Noir wine + additional ½ cup for soaking the mushrooms
8 small shiitake mushrooms
6 slices bacon, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped Japanese daikon radish
½ cup chopped carrot

Directions:

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in Pinot Noir for 30 minutes. Then drain and slice into slivers.
2. Pour the quinoa, water and wine into the bowl of a rice cooker or a medium size pan. Add the mushrooms, bacon, daikon and carrots.
3. Set on regular white rice if using a rice cooker. If you prefer the stovetop method, bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 15 minutes and fluff. (The quinoa should display a golden band around the kernels.)

Click here to find the nearest bottle of Pinot Noir and Café Zinfandel. So you can spend a little more on your Father’s Day present, here’s a link for a Gallo Family Vineyards coupon.

Gallo Family Vineyards

For more delicious details about the Gallo Family Vineyard offerings, visit their website. Or say cheers at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Here are a few more Café Zinfandel and Pinot Noir inspired recipes:

Father’s Day Salads and Main Dishes:

Avocado and Quinoa Salad by Ruffles & Truffles
Baked Lentil Chilaquiles Casserole by Shockingly Delicious
Barbecue Chicken with Pinot Noir Blueberry Sauce by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Chicken in a Caramelized Onion Wine Sauce by Family Foodie
Filet Mignon with Mushrooms and Pinot Noir Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatballs by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Southwestern Zinfandel Glaze by Cooking On The Ranch
Jambalaya Kabobs by Foxes Love Lemons
Man Burgers Stuffed with Pinot Noir Caramelized Onions by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Marinated Flank Steak by The Foodie Army Wife
Mushroom Topped Pinot Noir Burgers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Pinot Noir Glazed Salmon by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Pinot Noir Mushroom Reduction Sauce with Grilled T-Bone Steak by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Red Wine Meatball Subs by Momma's Meals

Father’s Day Sweets and Treats:

Angel Food Cake Smores Skewers by Melanie Makes
Cafe Zinfandel Cake & Pinot Noir Quinoa by NinjaBaking.com
Cherry Pinot Noir Pie by girlichef
Chocolate Decadence with Cafe Zinfandel Whipped Cream and Raspberry Sauce by Desserts Required
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake by Magnolia Days
Pinot Noir Dark Chocolate Truffles by Alida's Kitchen

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Wishing you hearts and wine goblets brimming with happiness on Father’s Day and always.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaking.com Sweets on Pinterest.

Tags:

#GalloFamilyVineyards

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookies, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 21:45:41 +0000

American peanut butter symbolizes comfort for me. I always spied a jar in my grandmother, Nona’s pantry on summer visits to Colorado. At age five I learned English from my cousin Sarah in Colorado. I remember Nona hovering with a plate of peanut butter topped graham crackers.

An Elementary & Delicious Equation:
Peanut butter + Sugar + Eggs + Cherry Chips = Scrumptious Cookies!

Later, Dick, Jane, Spot and the Bobbsey Twins also assisted with my studies of English. (Do young kids still read these books?) By the time, Nancy Drew mysteries made their way into my hands, my stepmother was on the scene and stocked our Tokyo pantry with American peanut butter. Buried deep in my father’s reading chair, I’d dip graham crackers into Skippy and marvel at the clever detective work of Nancy Drew. (I was in awe of her cool convertible, too.)

Okay, enough of a trip down memory lane for this Ninja Baker. Is peanut butter a comfort food for you? Creamy or crunchy? Love to hear about your childhood faves.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookies

When flipping through O, The Oprah Magazine recently, you can bet I clipped a 3 ingredient recipe for peanut butter cookies. I reduced the sugar, added cherry chips and baked up slightly smaller versions. Peanut butter sings in every blissful bite! And the cherry on top is, well, the cherry chip! (Dark chocolate chips may crown my next batch of peanut butter cookies.) More good news - the cookies are gluten-free!

The peanut butter cookies are my contribution to this week’s 5-ingredients-or-less theme at the #SundaySupper get-together at Twitter. Delighted to have you join the conversation. Please do scroll down for details and more sweet and savory delights. Alice Choi of Hip Foodie Mom hosts. (Alice is indeed hip on how to have great fun and concoct gorgeous meals and desserts.)

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookies

This recipe is dedicated to multitasking jugglers of time who deserve a delicious break! Imagine dipping a big spoon into peanut butter. Now imagine tasting the full flavor of that wonderful PB in cookie form with a burst of cherry....You may find this 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookie climbing to the top of your to-do list!

Adapted from a recipe at Oprah.com

Ingredients:

2 cups crunchy peanut butter
2 cups sugar (reserve ½ cup for sprinkling on top)
2 eggs
1 cup cherry chips

Directions:

Mix together the peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Add the eggs.
Fold in the cherry chips.
With a mini ice cream scoop (or tablespoon measuring spoon) drop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Flatten with a shot glass covered in sugar. (Slightly dampening the bottom of the glass helps in making the sugar stick.)
Freeze overnight.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.
When the cookies come out of the oven, place on the cooling rack.
Immediately garnish each center with a cherry chip.

Makes 80 small cookies.

Note: Baking times may vary depending on the liquidiness - the oil content - of your peanut butter.

Appetizers, Salads and Starters

Chicken and Spring Greens Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Tuna, Burrata and Black Olive Salad from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Salmon and Cucumber "Noodle" Salad from girlichef
Yogurt Dill Vegetable Dip from Melanie Makes
Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Summer Salad from My Healthy Eating Habits
Fennel Citrus Salad from An Appealing Plan
Kale-Had-a-Hard-Day Salad from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Guacamole Deviled Eggs from Ruffles and Truffles
Tomato Soup from Run DMT
Wasabi Cream Cheese Ham Salad from Neighborfood
Latkes with Smoked Salmon and Caviar from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Sides and Accompaniments

Candied Apple Jelly from What Smells So Good?
Grilled Steak with Garlic Cumin Rub from Cooking Chat
Homemade Ricotta from Seduction in the Kitchen
Indian-style Roasted Cauliflower from kimchi MOM
3-Ingredient Beer Bread from Take A Bite Out of Boca
Potato Pancakes (Reibekuchen) from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Main Dishes

Smoked Turkey Panini with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil Pesto from La Bella Vita Cucina
Slow Cooker Turkey Half Breast from Nosh My Way
Easy Crock Pot Pulled Chicken from Flour On My Face
Lemon Basil Carbonara from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Garlic Butter Shrimp from Savvy Eats
Easy Beef Stroganoff from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
Smothered Pork Chop Cups from Having Fun Saving
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas from Supper for a Steal
Chicken with Olives from Noshing With The Nolands
Salmon with Tiger Dill Sauce from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Greek Chicken Burgers from Country Girl In The Village
Crock Pot Beer Chicken from Our Table for Seven
Chorizo and Potato Frittata from Small Wallet Big Appetite
Chicken and Potato Bake with Meyer Lemons from Cravings of a Lunatic
Chicken Asparagus Roll-ups from The Dinner-Mom
Spaghetti Squash with Simple Red Sauce from Momma's Meals
Tropical Salsa Chicken from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Strawberry Red Wine Glazed Salmon from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Baked Asparagus and Eggs from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Grilled Caprese Salad Sandwich from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Beef Short Rib Bourguignon from Food Lust People Love
Beans and Egg Sandwich from Basic N Delicious
Honey Almond Salmon from Family Foodie
BBQ Foiled Chicken from Meal Diva

Desserts and Beverages

Flourless Chocolate Cake from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
4-Ingredient Butterscotch Peanut Butter Marshmallow Sweets from Shockingly Delicious
Vanilla Bean Honey Ice Cream from The Foodie Army Wife
Coconut Crusted Chocolate Ganache Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
3-Ingredient Nutella Truffles from URBAN BAKES
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Squares from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Nutella Ferrero Cupcakes from Brunch with Joy
5-Minute Strawberry Sherbet from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Best Ever Coconut Macaroons from Hip Foodie Mom
Chocolate Orange Ice Cream from Gluten Free Crumbley
Orchid Panna Cotta from Manu's Menu
Oreo Cookies and Cream Fudge from Alida's Kitchen
Golden Oreo Rice Krispies Treats from Pies and Plots
Vanilla Pudding from Magnolia Days
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites from The Weekend Gourmet
Coconut Cream Mango Mousse from Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Peanut Butter Buckeyes from Peanut Butter and Peppers
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookies from Ninja Baking
Raspberry Pina Colada Ice Cream from Try Anything Once Culinary
Avocado Milkshakes from The Texan New Yorker
The Ginger Sass Cocktail from Nik Snacks
Baked Custard Cups from Soni's Food

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Bites of Peanut Butter Bliss

Wishing you the comforts of hovering angels and grandmothers.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

gluten-free peanut butter cookies recipe

#SundaySupper

4 ingredients or less

#easy recipes

Chinese Chicken, Slow Cooker #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 06:00:00 +0000

All the hope and promise of a new year awaits…May blessings beyond your imagination greet you, dear reader, with the dawning of 2014.

It is definitely a Happy New Year in the Ninja Baker’s kitchen. 2014 has delivered a slow cooker to my doorstep. Just in time for this week’s slow cooker themed #SundaySupper! (For more details about this weekly gathering around the virtual dinner table at Twitter, please scroll down.) Cindy, a professional chef, is our hostess with the mostest. (More of her cooking savvy can be found at Cindy's Recipes and Writings.)

Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken:
Zapped with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and a zing of red pepper flakes.

Chicken is my husband’s favorite go-to protein. So my first meal in the slow cooker had to be chicken. Chinese chicken. Seventeen plus years in Tokyo has my taste buds wired to accent any meat with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Luckily my New Jersey bred husband agrees. His polished bowl and accompanying “very good” lets me know that I’ll be repeating this recipe again soon.

Do you have a favorite chicken or slow cooker recipe? Yes? please share!

Chinese Chicken

Adapted from Cleverly Inspired, I added and deleted a few items from the original recipe. Only organic ingredients were used as I was catering to the health conscious crowd – my husband.

If you like a thicker sauce, after five hours, take out the chicken and add one tablespoon or more of cornstarch. Then warm up the chicken with the thick sauce for another five minutes.

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 10 pieces
Sea salt and black pepper
1 cup honey
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ teaspoons chopped garlic
½ teaspoon chopped ginger
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped celery
1 small red pepper, sliced
1 small green pepper, sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker.
Whisk all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the chicken.
Note: Coating a measuring cup with cooking spray lets the honey slide out of the cup into the bowl.
Cook on low for 5 hours.

Ease into 2014 with these great slow-cooker and crock pot ideas from the Sunday Supper Group!

Whet Your Appetite

Whiskey Bacon Onion Jam from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Orange-Fig Jam from girlichef

Simmering Soups, Stews, and Side Dishes

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Low-Carb Chunky Beefy Vegetable Soup from Yours And Mine Are Ours
Beef, Wine and Mushroom Soup from Noshing With The Nolands
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup from Foxes Love Lemons
Beef Stew from The Foodie Army Wife
Pot Roast and Portabello Stew from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Slow Cooker Black Bean and Polenta Stew from Mama's Blissful Bites
Turkey Stew from Magnolia Days
San Antonio Chunky Chicken Stew from The Weekend Gourmet
Pumpkin, Chickpea & Lentil Stew from Take A Bite Out of Boca
Slow Cooker Chickpeas from Shockingly Delicious

Main Courses

Football Sunday Teriyaki Pulled Pork from Family Foodie
Slow Cooker Apricot Jalapeno Pork Chops from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
Vegan Slow Cooker Hoppin' John from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Slow Cooker Coffee Glazed Brisket from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Chipotle Honey BBQ Ribs from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Crockpot Country Style Pork Ribs from Cooking On The Ranch
Slow Cooker Jerk Pork from Curious Cuisiniere
Slow Cooker Beef Daube Provencal from Momma's Meals
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore from The Dinner-Mom
Chicken and Broccoli from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Tacos de Lengua from The Texan New Yorker
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken & Black Beans for Tacos from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Chinese Chicken from The Ninja Baker
Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches from Neighborfood

Wishing you delicious time with family and friends to sip and savor the new year.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Have Your Cake and Eat Veggies, Too

NinjaBaker — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:23:51 +0000

Déjà vu, flashbacks of Mother saying, “Eat your vegetables!” is harder to avoid these days thanks to Dr. Oz, Mrs. Obama and others. But why not have your cake and eat veggies too?

Japanese Sweet Potato (Photo Credit)

The Japanese sweet potato, commonly known in America as yam, provides a plethora of benefits including anti-inflammatory agents, cancer fighting properties and a host of other goodies. Click here for the full scoop.

In Japan, street festival vendors often sell the sliced up sweet potato in a sticky syrup coating with sesame seeds. I was delighted to see an incorporation of this tradition in cake whilst visiting Japan’s most popular recipe site, Cookpad.com. At the Toiroro’s Kitchen food blog, I discovered a recipe entitled For Lovers of Sweet Potato: Satsuma Potato Cake. (Satsuma is located in Kyushu, one of Japan’s southern islands.)

Sweet Potato Cake

The original recipe is here. The Google translation is here. Grammarians may have a fit but the information is pretty clear. Just in case though, I’ve jotted a few notes for those of us in the USA.

Set your oven to 338 degrees Fahrenheit
The batter yields a 6x4 loaf plus 3 cupcakes

Now, for grams to cup conversions:

Approximately ¼ cup milk
1/2 cup butter
a little less than 1/3 cup of sugar
a little over ¼ cup flour

As written and translated:

Small to medium American yam/Japanese sweet potato
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of rum
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Also, Toiroro’s Kitchen instructs bakers to sift the flour and baking soda 3 times

Japanese Sweet Potato Cupcake

The cupcakes were moist and sweet with the tiny crunch of sesame seeds. However, the loaf cake was a little too moist for this Ninja Baker. Three minutes in the electric oven helped but the cupcakes were still better. Next time I’ll bake the loaf for 45 minutes instead of the prescribed 40 minutes.

If you are a sweet potato purist and insist on a down-to-earth presentation,
Magnolia Days’ Renee, an award-winning food blogger and southern belle, has an out-of-this world Sweet Potato Casserole for #SundaySupper.

Rather than potatoes, perhaps you are aiming for more greens in 2013. Well, take a look at this: Chocolate Zucchini Bread! It’s created by award-winning chef and owner of Recipeland.com, Happy Zhangbo. This beauty is chocolaty, moist AND got a thumbs-up from my most honest, forthright critic – my husband.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ninja Baker Notes:

Bake the bread for 65 minutes (instead of 60.)
Melt 2 ounces instead of 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate.
Add 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Cake Spice.
Also, add a generous cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Use at least ¼ cup of organic coconut palm sugar in the 1½ cups of sugar.

Love, zucchini, and chocolate baked together
equals all the good things of life in one loaf.

If zucchini and chocolate is a concept that’s hard to swallow, please direct your attention to La Bella Vita. Roz, an Italian aficionado, offers up authentic Italian-style Zucchini Blossoms with Tomato Sauce.

But even purists like carrot cake, don’t they? These mini cupcakes got the
ultimate compliment from the husband, “Very tasty.” (He slipped three right off the cooling rack even before frosting.)

Mini Carrot Cupcakes with and without Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Ellie Krieger’s recipe from the Food Network is my go-to if I’m making carrot cake. (It’s also been one of my nieces, Jasmine’s faves.) As for frosting, Cook.com’s Honey Cream Cheese is a superb combination of sweet and tangy. Atop the carrot cake minis made with organic pastry flour, unsweetened organic applesauce, walnuts and carrots, it is indeed a “tasty” topping.

Hard to eat just one...But, you're getting your carrot quotient for the day!

Do you prefer your carrots in a savory dish? Jen of Juanita’s Cocina has a cheesy, Ritz crackery, carroty delight for you. Click here for her Carrots au Gratin recipe.

So, in whatever form you find them, as Mother always said,
“Eat your vegetables!”

Wishing you a 2013 filled with the perfect balance of savory and sweet.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker's recipes are also available at:

?Allrecipes.com:
The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Sweet Memories and Recipes

Bob's Red Mill:
Almond Oatmeal Apple Cookies

Bob's Red Mill:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Breakfast Cupcake

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Cheesecake Minis with Espresso Cream

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Glaze & Optional Lemon Peach Marmalade Filling

?LifeKraze

Tags:

vegetarian

#easy recipes

Japanese sweet potato

zuchinni

carrots/

Victory Flowers (and Fruits!)

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Two angels in the Ninja Baker's life,
niece, Eliza and sister-in-Law, Sharon.

Sandalphon, allegedly the tallest angel in Heaven, is the seraph in charge of fulfilling the prayers and wishes of earthlings. His height apparently helps him easily deliver the requests from this planet to the folks upstairs. Perhaps he’s like a basketball player who shoots prayers into the Divine’s inbox. And, maybe his brother, Metatron, assists him in writing down the wishes. According to the Kabbalah, Angel Sandalphon’s sibling is known as the celestial scribe.

Anyway, whether you believe in angels or ascribe to
12- Step Program philosophies that God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, a power greater than a Ninja Baker may have answered my not-so-secret prayers.

On August 12^th my position at a prestigious Japanese company was terminated. It was an answer to my prayers because my dream job had become a nightmare. Originally, I was hired to be the executive assistant to the CEO of the Americas. After three years, he was moved to New York. I was left in Los Angeles and soon became all the executives’ secretary. Then the company went to the Japanese government for a bailout and was told to declare bankruptcy and lay off 60, 000 people.

So, in the last few years, as people were laid off and more work and stress were piled on, my politically incorrect fantasies increased. My fantasy? Being a 1950s Betty Crockerish housewife who spends her leisure time pursuing creative activities.

And voila, now I am a stay-at-home wife who has a long to-do list of household chores and creative projects. When I’m not sending out resumes, my husband has enlisted my help to launch a new business selling art and photography prints to television and movie set designers. I’m also leaning into following the advice of many to start a side business selling sweets!

The Ninja Baker with her always ready assistant by her side.

Subsequently, our apartment is filled with Betty Crockerish aromas these days. David especially liked my three apple pies. Unfortunately, the first one set off the smoke alarm because it was dripping barley malt. (David wanted me to use the syrupy stuff as a substitute for sugar.) As I was scrubbing the oven it occurred to me that pies should probably be baked on cookie sheets to catch any drips. Also, for future apple pies, a top crust is probably a good idea.

Anyway, the next two came out of the oven with golden crusts and cute cutouts. (This is truly a victory for one who has never made the American tradition without supervision.) The success of the desserts probably had something to do with adhering more closely to the recipe of stellar baker, Jeanne. She is one those baking maestros who concocts her divine creations with “a little bit of this, a pinch of that.” So we are blessed to have her write anything down!

The Ninja Baker's version of Jeanne's Apple Pie

Note: Granny Smiths are the hubby’s faves so no Fujis were used. But I did sprinkle in some brown sugar. And glad I did. The tangy spike of the green apples, to my taste, does need a little sweetening. Last but not least, I discovered whether you use organic pastry flour or all-purpose, the following produces a perfect crust.

Jeanne’s Apple Pie

Crust:

3 cups flour

2 1/4 sticks butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Crisco

1/3 - 1/2 cup ice water

Add salt to the flour. Cut in butter and Crisco until it is the size of small peas. Add enough ice water for the dough to hold together. Divide in half. Wrap in plastic and chill overnight. Roll out dough to desired thickness.

Apple Filling:

12 Fuji apples

(The Ninja Baker needed only 5 Granny Smiths for each pie.)

3/4 - 1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Peel and slice apples in a large bowl. Toss with other ingredients. Pour apples into a prepared pie crust. Cut vents in the top crust for venting. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

I'd hold three thumbs up if I could for Jeanne's apple pie recipe!

?Time away from corporate life had lead me into classes for cake-decorating. And fun with dance classmate Betty's Fruit Tart.

The Ninja Baker's rendition of Betty's Fruit Tart

Betty’s Fruit Tart

Crust

1 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nuts (The Ninja Baker substituted wheat germ for those who have allergies. And it worked out just fine.)

Blend all of the above ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Betty likes to increase the measurements for the above ingredients for her tart pan.) Press the mixture into a 9” by 13” pan or an 11” tart pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.

Filling

2 packages of 8-ounce cream cheese (softened)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

If you only have one package of cream cheese, cut the above measurements in half. Rest assured your creation will still be beautiful. (Betty whips up half the recipe above and her tarts are always gorgeous.)

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and eggs until well blended. Then, pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Before placing the tart into the oven, decorate the top of the filling with sliced canned fruit (such as peaches and pears.) Fan the fruit into a circular pattern. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar (equal parts of spice and sweet) on top.

My buttercream sunflower perched atop a variation of Betty's fruit tart recipe.

This time I practiced my sunflower decoration and used fresh blueberries. But the cinnamon topping on peaches and pears sounds great!

The Ninja Baker's mini lemon cupcakes with pink drop flowers.

To practice my drop flowers, I made bite-size lemon cupcakes. Click on this link for cupcake-creations.com to see the recipe. The site’s frostings are fantastic, too. However, if you are planning to do any decorating, choose a buttercream… After much experimentation I realized my cake-decorating instructor was right. Recipes containing actual butter is not ideal for piping…Hear me whisper the name of the magical substance which helps flowers keep their form: Crisco! Maybe Minny, the renowned cook in the bestselling book and movie, The Help is right. Crisco is a wondrous substance. After all, “Crisco ain’t just for frying. You ever get a sticky something stuck in your hair, like gum? Crisco. Spread this (Crisco) on a baby’s bottom, you won’t even know what diaper rash is. Shoot, I seen ladies rub it under they eyes and on their husband’s scaly feet. And after all that Crisco will still fry your chicken.”

The Ninja Baker's mini orange cupcakes with orange and chocolate frosting circle almond toffee cookies.

However, for non-decoration frosting, background color as it were, light not-so-sweet icings like Martha Stewart’s lavender -spiked variety is a perfect choice. Certainly, FOX TV’s Bones’ peerless prop people, Ian Scheibel and Andy Amicangelo (pictured above alongside a photo of the cupcakes) seemed to delight in my vanilla cake avec lavender, adorned with buttercream flowers.

If you are a purist, however, and can easily survive without buttercream decorations, Julia Child’s (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) orange cake recipe (adapted by the Ninja Baker into cupcakes) was a hit with my friends Masuno-san and Akio-san. The frosting (from allrecipes.com) and the cake both call for quite a bit of fresh orange. (I also topped off some of the cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I used the recipe off the Ghirardelli cocoa container.)

Akio-san picks up an orange cupcake with Ghiradelli frosting while
Masuno-san sneaks an orange on orange mini cake.

Life does have its shares of twists and turns but as my Salsa teacher, says, “Dance into the stretches.” And as I chassé down the hall of the unknown, mostly, I’ve enjoyed heavenly flowers and fruits.

Wishing you only sweets when life springs surprises.

The Ninja Baker