creatives fail and the really good ones fail often.



.steven kotler.

thank you steven, you've made me feel much better.

winter shortcake

looky here! it's a winter shortcake.
what constitutes a winter shortcake? there are 3 components. winter fruit, a heartier cozier biscuit, and cream.

these are whole wheat brown butter biscuits.
remember that new flour mill in town, Grist and Toll? i snagged a bag of their 'Sonora' whole grain pastry flour and used it to make these here biscuits.
(so light. so delicate. so nutty.)

they are good all on their own. eat one for breakfast with butter and an espresso. 

then later slice one in half, slice up some fruits, make the damn shortcake, eat the damn shortcake. 

it's pretty much a dessert hamburger that you eat with a fork.

See? Strawberry is not the sole dictator of the shortcake universe. 

Whole Wheat Brown Butter Biscuits

adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 cups whole wheat grain flour or white whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup (4 oz) chilled brown butter

3/4 cup heavy cream (or buttermilk)

1 egg yolk (save white to brush the tops)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

(optional: 1/4-1/2 cup dried fruit, candied ginger, etc)

sugar for topping

mix the dry ingredients in a bowl or the bowl of a food processor. cut in the butter with a pastry blender, bench scrapers (my favorite), a few pulses of the food processor, or even a fork. whisk together cream, egg yolk, and vanilla. stir into the dry mixture until a dough forms. transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead in the dried fruit if using). 

pat the dough into a disk about 1 1./2 inches thick. stamp out circles with a biscuit cutter, or cut into squares. transfer circles to a parchment lined baking sheet. refrigerate for 15 minutes (or put it in the freezer for 5 minutes). preheat the oven to 375 degreesF. brush the tops with the egg white and sprinkle sugar on the tops. 

bake for about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. 

Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar + small splash of vanilla 

beat til soft peaks

Fruits: 

blood orange/any citrus segments

blackberries

kumquat, sliced thinly

To Assemble: slice a biscuit through. place bottom half on plate. top with a few nice dollops of the cream. top that with a mix of your fruits. top it the whole thing with the other half of the biscuit. 

sharks!!!!

just kidding. it's a lake.

but i still think about them if i'm in a lake.
when i was a child i thought sharks could live in the deep end of pools.

happy friday

sundae: buttermilk ice cream. lime curd. toasted almond poppyseed cake

how many times can justin bring sexy back, really?
because he continues to seriously do it right. to the point where it's annoying.
i have a love/hate relationship with the jimmy fallon/justin timberlake bromance.
they know how much the world is ahahaha-obsessed with them together.
they'll do some new video and i'll scoff at the complete not surprise.

and then they'll be good and talented and i'll laugh.
and then i'm galled, because ah! they got me again.

so dammit justin. with your pop songs and your dance moves and your confident swagger and your random roles in respectable films...
8 years later and you really do continue to bring sexy back.

but today, in my book, you are not #1 in sexy bringing.
this sundae is.

not a swanky getaway in a nice hotel kind of sexy.
more like, gourmet camping trip sexy. a nice fire going, stars and shit.
and a sundae in a mug.

the mish mosh: buttermilk ice cream. lime curd. toasted almond poppyseed cake cubes.

Buttermilk Ice Cream

 from smitten kitchen

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cup sugar

8 egg yolks

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped and simmered with cream

pinch of salt

in a large heavy saucepan, combine the cream and 1 cup of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

in a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. 

remove cream mixture from heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks slowly, whisking constantly to keep eggs from curdling. continue slowly adding more to warm the yolks well, and then pour back into the cream, whisking constantly. 

cook over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. pour through a fine mesh strainer, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. press plastic on the top surface so a skin doesn't form and chill in the refrigerator, and then freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. 

Lime Curd (recipe here)

Almond Poppyseed Pound Cake (recipe here)


sundae: pile all into a mug and do it right. 

staycation

let's get in the car and drive an hour and stay in a cute house that isn't our own and pretend we are on a night's vacation.
we'll put on lorde and sam cooke, and eat cake, and take tequila shots.

it'll be fun.