//Deliciously simple, simply delicious

Sometimes the most flavorful desserts require minimal ingredients, preparation, and time to make. This exquisite lavender goat cheesecake comes to mind. It's an incredibly versatile recipe, as well: you can serve it as a dessert "nightcap" following a summer evening meal; or you can omit the eggs and use the batter and berries as filling for crepes or for pancakes. You can even use the lavender syrup in lieu of table syrup for waffles.

Lavender Goat Cheesecake with Fresh Berries
Dish No. 4 of 6 for The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites

For cake
11 oz fresh goat cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
6 large eggs, separated
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 pint blackberries
1/2 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and dust it with granulated sugar; tap out the excess.

Put the goat cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks, two at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.

In a separate mixer bowl, place the egg whites and whip on medium speed until a soft peak forms. Using a spatula, gently fold in the whipped whites into the goat cheese batter. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then top with berries.



For lavender syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup loosely packed lavender
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water

In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar, lavender, lemon juice and water. Once the syrup comes to a boil, remove it from heat and strain it. Cover the syrup and allow it to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Using a dry pastry brush, spread the syrup over the cake and the berries. Optional: sprinkle dry lavender onto the cake.

//Good to the last drip: Blueberry Pecan Sticky Buns

There's a note at the bottom of the recipe page that says "Sticky buns are best eaten the day they are baked." Well, OK. You're twisting my arm here, Martha Stewart, but I suppose I can bring myself to follow this direction. But only because last week I had the unfortunate luck of buying a sticky bun that turned out to be as chewy as taffy and as dry as cardboard. It came from a reputable nearby bakery, too! I was mighty surprised at the bun's supbar quality, and vowed to make a better batch for this week's berry fest.

Blueberry Pecan Sticky Buns
Dish No. 3 of 6 for The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

For Dough



1 cup warm milk (110° F)
2 envelopes active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk; stir until dissolved. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and 4 Tbsp butter; beat on low speed until butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the yeast-milk mixture; mix until dough just comes together. Add the eggs and yolk; mix until just combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at the bottom of the bowl. Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds. Wrap well with plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible. Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush. With a short side facing you, evenly distribute the remaining butter over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third over as you would a business letter, followed by the remaining third. This seals in the butter.

Roll out the dough again to an 18-by-10 inch rectangle, then fold dough into thirds as described above; refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat this process 2 more times.

Refrigerate dough, tightly wrapped in plastic for at least 4 hours to overnight.

For Buns



3 1/3 cups pecan halves
2 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cup plus 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
All-purpose flour, for dusting
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh, whole blueberries

Let dough stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Generously butter two 6-cup jumbo muffin tins. Chop 2 cups pecans, and break the remaining 1 1/3 cups in half lengthwise, keeping the two groups separate. Pour 3 Tbsp corn syrup into each muffin cup, and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Divide halved pecans among the muffin cups.



On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to an 18-by-14 inch rectangle, about 1/4 in thick. Using a spatula (offset, or regular), spread the sour cream over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Dust the sour cream with cinnamon, and sprinkle with chopped pecans, remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar, and the blueberries. Roll up the dough tightly lengthwise to form a log about 3 inches in diameter, and trim the ends using a serrated knife. Transfer log to prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the over to 350° F.



Using a sharp knife and a sawing motion slice the dough crosswise into 12 rounds, about 1 1/2 inch thick, and place in prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until 1/2 inch above cups, about 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to the oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until buns are dark golden brown, about 40 minutes.



Immediately turn out the buns onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Replace any pecan halves that have fallen off. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. "Sticky buns are best eaten the day they are baked."

//Raspberry-Peach Cobbler with Earl Grey Biscuit Topping

Raspberry Peach Cobbler with Earl Grey Biscuit Topping
Dish No. 2 of 6 for The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites
(an adaptation of a cobbler recipe found in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

For Cobbler
2 pints fresh raspberries
1 1/2 lbs yellow peaches, pitted and diced
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup instant tapioca
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp plus a pinch of salt

For Drop Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 bags of Earl Grey tea
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 cup milk



Preheat oven to 375° F, with racks in the center and lower third. Lined a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, toss together the raspberries, peaches, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, and pinch of salt; stir to combine. Let stand about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Divide the filling among six to 8 10-ounce baking dishes, or pour into a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.



In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and Earl Grey tea. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining.



Pour in the milk; using a rubber spatula, fold milk into the dough, working in all directions and incorporating crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Using a large spoon, top cobbler filling with dollops of dough, leaving a 1-inch border.



Brush dough with cream. Transfer baking dishes to prepared baking sheet; bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until biscuits are golden brown and juices are bubbling, 50-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

//Dinner by Candlelight: Halibut cheeks over chard with a cherry-balsamic reduction

Usually, often, most of the time, I have enough self-control pulsing through my body that I will first photograph what I've made, and then, only after I'm sufficiently satisfied with the pictures, will I dig in.

Tonight was not that night.

It was the cherry-chocolate balsamic reduction (ladled over sauteed halibut cheeks and roasted chard, of course) that prompted me to pick up my knife and fork mere seconds after I had set the plates down on the dining room table. The curiosity of wanting to know what the sauce tasted like overwhelmed me to the point where photographing the meal didn't even enter my mind. It was only after I had used the remaining chard leaves to sop up some of the sauce, and then used my index finger to wipe the plate clean of cherry pieces and halibut flesh, that I even glanced in the direction of my Canon camera.

I can't say I was all that upset.

Cheeks-Chard-Cherries
Dish No. 1 of 6 for "The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites"

For Chard:
1 bunch of rainbow chard, stalks trimmed and cleaned.
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 300° F. In a shallow baking dish, mix together the rainbow chard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before placing the dish in the oven, cut the temperature down to 250° F. Roast the chard until the leaves just begin to wilt. Be careful not to brown the pretty stems too much! Pull the dish from the oven and dress the leaves and stems on plates.

For Halibut cheeks:
2 six oz halibut cheek portions
Flour and butter for dredging
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the halibut cheeks from the butcher paper, butter them, and dredge them in flour. Heat the 2 Tbsp of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil spreads enough to coat the base of the pan, add the halibut to it. Wait 6 minutes before flipping it. Wait another 6 minutes, and then plate the fish on top of the rainbow chard immediately.

For Cherry-Chocolate Balsamic Reduction:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup (scant) flour
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
15 ripe red cherries, pitted
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp dark chocolate chunks
1/3 cup olive oil
Zest of half an orange

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to brown, add the flour and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the balsamic vinegar, pitted cherries, brown sugar, chocolate chunks and olive oil. Stir until well-combined; then reduce the heat to a low simmer. If necessary, thin the sauce with a little extra vinegar. Before spooning it over the halibut, grate the orange zest into the pan.

//The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites

Who's got fresh picked berries and cherries in her refrigerator? ME.

Late this Spring, my mom introduced me to the idea of going to "pick-your-own farms" to get fresh berries. She went berry picking with her friend Judy, and together they brought back 6 pounds of ripe 'n' ready blueberries. 6 pounds! Then, during my last flight to Portland, I sat next to a computer programmer who was particularly knowledgeable about the pick-your-own farm scene. He also told me about Sauvie Island Farms, and said they had some of the best pick-your-own produce in the Portland area.

These 2 separate events caused me to go "Hmmm. Maybe there's something to this pick-your-own berry thing." I floated the idea of going berry picking to Mr. Professional Nerd, because I thought it'd be a fun date to go on, and also because there isn't any form of reliable public transportation that goes out to the island. He agreed to drive me to the farm, and even offered to help me pick berries... so long as I paid him in berry-themed food. I agreed to the terms of the deal.

Mr. Professional Nerd and I, we're a Super Awesome Berry Picking team! 2 hours = yielded several pounds of berries. I'm a pick-your-own convert now. The fields are just 20 minutes from home, the berries are a piddly $1.75/lb, and they are vastly superior — taste, texture, size — to anything you'd find at the grocery store. The raspberries are especially delicious, and HUGE (roundest section of the berries are about the width of a nickle!). I'm a very happy lady right now.

In keeping my promise to Mr. Professional Nerd, I'm going spend the entire week making meals and desserts that have berries and cherries in them. I've decided to call this cooking fest "The Bounty of Blissful Berry Bites." Check the blog each day for new updates.

Gotta run back to the kitchen!

//Happy Muffin Day!

To celebrate the arrival of the Oregon's cherry and blueberry season, I made...

Cherry-Berry-Choco-Walnut Muffins

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup candied walnuts (your own, or store-bought — this is the recipe I used)
3/4 cup dried blueberries
3/4 cup pitted red cherries



Before you begin, you're going to want to pit the cherries and soak the dried blueberries in hot water. The water will cause the blueberries to plump during the baking process. Preheat oven to 375°. Position rack in center of oven. Butter and flour dust 1 standard size muffin tin.

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the cooled butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.

In another large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients, along with the cherries, blueberries and candied walnuts, into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Again, apply the 15 strokes method when mixing.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter (the muffin cups will be full). Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

//Labor of Love: Recreating the Pretzel Croissant

Once upon a time there was a bakery in the Brentwood/Santa Monica area called The City Bakery. And this bakery once sold pieces of happiness in the form Pretzel Croissants for $3.75 a pop. Now, these croissants... they were these amazing multi-layered, butter-bursting, sesame-dusted, salty, crispy-caramel-colored puffs of utter ecstasy. People came from far and wide to get these croissants fresh off the cooling racks each morning and throughout the afternoon. I was one of those individuals, and did I travel far to get them.

These croissants were better than any of the ones I had in Paris two years ago, so much so that during my first trip to the bakery, I went back inside and got myself another one. I remember it being really hard not to eat the second croissant right then and there: I finally had to break down and eat some Reese's peanut butter Easter eggs to take my mind off of it. (I lead a difficult life, I'm aware.) The best part about the experience was the fact that if I gave the pastry the slightest pinch, melted butter seeped out from the layers. That's right, the croissant oozed butter! So it wasn't the most heart-healthy thing to eat. But it was a croissant! IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE. Oh, it was so good. So very, very good.

And then one Saturday, City Bakery went bye-bye. Shuttered. No more. It didn't bother me all much because I'd already made up my mind to move away from Los Angeles, but I imagine it left a void in the hearts of each one of the bakery's fervent devotees. A void once filled with the arterial plaque that developed from having ingested too much butter, but a void nonetheless.

There still exists a City Bakery in New York City, and they still serve Pretzel Croissants, and I'm sure they'll gladly UPS you however many croissants $20 gets you. But there might come a time when you wake up and want a Pretzel Croissant before the day is over, and you happen to live on the other side of the country. Should that ever happen to you, I've got just the recipe for you.



Pretzel Croissant
(an adaptation of Martha Stewart's croissant recipe, found in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

2 cups cold milk
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 lbs (about 4 1/2 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting
4 oz (scant 1 cup) pastry flour (if you don't have pastry flour, mix equal halves of all-purpose and cake flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 oz fresh yeast, crumbled
1 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 3/4 lbs (5 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Enough kosher salt and white sesame seeds to sprinkle over the dough before you place it in the oven

Helps to have:

A pastry scraper
A pizza roller
A ruler
Baking sheets with edges to prevent melted butter from running off while the croissants are baking



For the dough:

Pour the milk and honey into a 1-quart liquid measure cup, and stir to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together 1 lb 6 oz (about 4 1/14 cups) bread flour, pastry flour, sugar, yeast and salt; stir to combine. Add the milk mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together, about 2-3 minutes.

(Chef's note: Keep in mind that salt kills yeast, so I always add the salt to the bottom of the mixer, and put the yeast on top of the flour. It's also really important that you have a dough hook because other attachments won't mix the ingredients as thoroughly.)

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 45 seconds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the butter package:

Lay the butter sticks side by side on a piece of plastic wrap, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 oz of bread flour. Pound with a rolling pin until flour is incorporated, and roll into an 8-inch-square. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove dough package from the refrigerator; place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 16-by-10 inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, with a short side facing you; keep the corners as square as possible. Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Remove butter package from refrigerator, and place it on top of the dough package. Starting at the far end, fold the top half of the rectangle over the butter package; repeat with the bottom half, there will be some overlapping. Flip the dough over, so the seams are face down. Proceed to roll the dough so that the butter integrates itself into the dough package. You will want to roll it out again to a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Then fold the dough in third like a letter.

This completes the first of 3 turns. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.



Repeat rolling and folding as above 2 more times, starting with the flap opening on the right, as if it were a book, and refrigerate at least 1 hour between turns. After the third and final roll, refrigerate one more time, 6 to 8 hours, to overnight.

Later than day/the following morning, turn out chilled dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to a 30-by-16 inch rectangle. Using a pizza wheel or pastry cutter, cut the dough in half lengthwise to form two 30-by-8-inch rectangles. Stack one piece of dough on top of the other, lining up edges. Using the pizza wheel, cut dough into triangles, each with a 4-inch base. Cut a 1-inch slit in the center of the base of each triangle. Place triangles in a single layer on a clean work surface.

To shape the croissants, stretch the two lower points of each triangle to enlarge the slit slightly. Fold the inner corners formed by the slit toward the outer sides of the triangle, and press down to seal. Using your fingertips, roll the base of the triangle up and away from you, stretching the dough slightly outward as you roll, the trip should be tucked under the croissant. Put the two ends toward you to form a crescent. Transfer crescents to two parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until very spongy and doubled in bulk, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°, with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Lightly brush crescents with beaten egg and sprinkle with kosher salt and sesame seeds. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the croissants are puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.


The Chef, with the aforementioned Pretzel Croissant, the day before City Bakery closed in April 2009.