Porkkanalaatiko: Finnish Carrot and Rice Casserole

I've recently discovered the simplicity and nutritious cooking of Finland. This hard to pronounce main dish is an easy crowd-pleaser that won't leave your pants tighter. The dish makes about 8 servings, each at 150 calories. I chose to make this dish because of the big bag of carrots that were drying out in my fridge that I had to use before Christmas. I love the vibrant color of this dish. The only thing I would change is adding more carrots and pureeing them fully instead of just using the immersion blender.

Ingredients you'll need:
1 cup white rice
1 pound of baby carrots (about 42 of them)
1 egg
1.5 cups milk (separated)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
Butter (the recipe calls for this, but I didn't use it and used Pam to grease the casserole dish)
Breadcrumbs or broken-up cornflakes for a gluten-free dish (optional)
Casserole dish

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Cook the rice (use 2 generous cups of water) and cover with a lid to keep the moisture
3. Boil the carrots until when poked with a fork they split in half. You can't really cook them too much, but cooking them too little will make it difficult to puree.
4. Once the carrots are done, strain the water and pour 1/2 cup of milk into the carrots and blend with an immersion blender or food processor.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together one egg. Then add 1 cup of milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir.
6. Combine rice and carrot puree into the medium mixing bowl with the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until just combined.
7. Grease (or spray with Pam) a casserole dish and pour the mixture into the casserole dish and cover. The recipe calls for breadcrumbs, but if you're gluten-free you can use cornflakes or just leave them off. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
8. This step is decorative, as many Finnish recipes are. Use a serving spoon and turn it so it is convex and make three rows of indents into the top of the dish. (Optional)
9. Leave in the oven on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Cheesecake

An iconic flavor of the holidays, gingerbread is a bold flavor often seen in the form of cookie men or cookie houses. Today, I have used it in a cheesecake with a gingerbread cookie crust. It’s perfect for Christmas dessert and it will put you in the holiday spirit because it fills the whole house with a great gingerbread smell!

First, start off with making the gingerbread cookie crust. Here are the ingredients you will need for the crust. Keep in mind that the portions are a little weird because this is an recipe from gingerbread cookies cut into fourths. Feel free to quadruple the recipe and use the rest of the dough for making extra gingerbread cookies!

-A little less than 1½ cups all purpose flour

-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

-A little less than half a teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon ground ginger

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-A little less than half a teaspoon ground cloves

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-1/2 cup softened butter

-1 cup packed brown sugar

-1 egg white

-A little less than half a cup of molasses

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, salt, and baking soda together.

Beat the brown sugar and butter on high speed in an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg white and beat until combined. Pour in a little less than 1/2 cup molasses. Then reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the flour mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After an hour has passed, take the dough of the refrigerator and roll until it is ¼ of an inch thick. It should look like one big gingerbread cookie. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 6 minutes.  Then bake for about 12 minutes until crisp but not dark. Be careful, the cookie bakes quickly and burns easily! Watch it carefully.

 Once the cookie is out of the oven, let it cool briefly.  Break the cookie into chunks and place into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Measure out two cups of the ground cookie and combine with ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and ½ the way up the sides of the springform pan. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of tin foil. Bake about 10 minutes or until set. 

Once the gingerbread crust has set, it is time to start the cheesecake filling. Below are the ingredients needed for the filling:

-2lb cream cheese

-1½ cups granulated sugar

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-4 large eggs at room temperature

-1/4 cup molasses

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon ground ginger

-1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/2 tablespoom to 1 tablespoon lemon zest (I like having a bit more lemon flavor in my cheesecake so I zest 1 large lemon)

Begin by beating the 2 pounds of cream cheese in a mixer for about 3 minutes until it is fluffy. Add the 1½ cups sugar and vanilla and beat together. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the eggs one at a time and combine well after each addition. Beat in the molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan with the cooled gingerbread crust.

Reduce the oven temperature down to 325 degrees. Bring some hot water to a boil in a pot on the stove. Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour the water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until the cheesecake has set but the center is still wiggly. The baking should take about an hour. Take the springform pan out of the roasting pan and let cool on a rack. After cooled, let refrigerate uncovered overnight.

When ready to serve, run a sharp knife under some hot water and cut the edge of the cheesecake away from the springform pan. Then unhinge the springform pan from the cheesecake. Sprinkle with cinnamon on top for decoration. Enjoy!

Zesty Lemon Vanilla Holiday Cupcakes

I love the lemon zest in these cupcakes; it really gives it an unexpected vibrant flavor. I made these for a holiday study group and everyone really enjoyed them and asked for the recipe-so here it is!

The cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup softened butter at room temperature

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Zest of one large lemon

The icing:

1lb box of powdered sugar (3¾ cups)

¼ cup of milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup butter 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 cupcake cups with paper liners.

Zest the lemon and whisk with 1½ cup flour,  1½ teaspoons baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until well combined.

Beat the 1/2 cup butter and 2/3 sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined. Then beat in the vanilla extract. In additions, alternate adding the milk and the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture.

Fill the cupcake liners evenly and bake for 20 minutes until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool before frosting.

Beat 1lb powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/3 cup softened butter in a mixer until creamy and fluffy.

Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes and decorate with christmas sprinkles!

Happy Holidays and happy baking! 

Cinnamon Apple and Raisin Bundt Cake

Perfect for breakfast or with tea for a snack, the bundt cake freezes well and can be stored for up to a month. Its a great cake to bake for the holidays and its guaranteed to be eaten in a day or less. Be sure to check the end of the blog for some fun variations to this recipe! 

Ingredients

- 3 ½ to 4 cups of peeled and diced apples (gala or pink lady work well)

- 2 ½ cups flour

- 1 cup sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1 tablespoon vanilla

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon allspice

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Special tools:

- bundt pan or angel food cake pan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the apples, dice them, and set them aside. Place the raisins in a ceramic bowl and heat water in a pot until it boils. Pour the boiling water into the bowl with the raisins and let the raisins absorb the water.

Beat the 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Mix 2 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon allspice and 1 of the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together then add it to the beaten mixture.

Drain the raisins and let sit in the bowl to cool briefly. Combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the apples and toss gently to coat. Mix the raisins and cinnamon coated apples in with the beaten mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Spray your bundt or angel food cake pan with cooking spray or butter and then coat with 3 tablespoons flour. Tap the excess flour out of the pan and pour your mixture in.

Bake until a toothpick or knife come out clean and the top is golden brown, about 40-55 minutes depending on the pan you use. Take out and let cool in the pan. 

Variations:

-       add 1 tablespoon dark rum to add a hearty flavor

-       make an icing with 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or 

    cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Drizzle on top for an extra

    sweet treat.

Strawberry Cheesecake...in a cookie!

Love strawberry cheesecake? This is a way to share the taste of cheesecake with all of your friends without a plate or fork. And the best part is that it is so easy. I made these with my friend for a potluck and they were a huge hit. People kept coming up to us and telling us how much they tasted like the real thing.

Ingredients:

-½ cup cream cheese, you can use the regular or the whipped cream cheese. The whipped gives the cookies a more “cake- like texture” and the regular gives it more of a “pound cake texture. I used the whipped cream cheese.

- ½ cup of softened butter and room temperature, do not melt it in the microwave it will make the cookies fall.

- 1 cup flour

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 strawberry preserves

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cream cheese together until combined. Begin to add the sugar in increments until the mixture is fluffy. Then beat in a whole egg.

In another bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Then add it to the cream cheese mixture and stir well.

Drop the mixture by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet (no need to grease it, the cookies will come right off). Stir the preserves well and swirl on top of the cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden. The cookies will be sticky, gooey, and oh so yummy!

You can use this same recipe to make other fruit cheesecake cookies. This recipe works well with raspberry and blackberry preserves. If you want an extra challenge, you can try making the preserves yourself! Follow this simple recipe:

Take 2lbs of strawberries cut into fourths and crush them until you have 4 cups of mashed strawberries. Place mashed strawberries into a saucepan with 4 cups sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Then increase to high heat and bring mixture to a boil until it reaches 220 degrees. Then refrigerate. Be sure to put in sterile jars if saving preserves for later.

                                                                      Happy eating!

Lavender Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Molasses

I decided to try this panna cotta because it has a lot of interesting flavors that come together to create a relaxing texture and taste with a modern and exotic twist thanks to the lavender molasses and jelly layer. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It takes quite a bit of time, so make sure you’re in the cooking mood before beginning. This is not an easy recipe, but it is SO worth it once you taste it or serve it to your friends. Enjoy!

The ingredients you’ll need:

2 cups whole milk

2 cups cream

2 tablespoons Lavender buds

5 teaspoons gelatin powder

8 tablespoons cold water

1/3 cup honey- I used California Blueberry honey which gave it a nice flavor

½ cup and 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 whole pomegranate

4 cups pomegranate juice: usually one glass jar full

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Other materials:

-Porcelain ramekins or some kind of mold. I used measuring cups and even clear glasses for a modern flare.

-Flavorless cooking spray

-Squeeze bottle for molasses

-Deep Sauce Pan with a tight fitting lid

-Strainer or cheesecloth

-Wooden Spoon

-Spatula

Start off with 2 cups cream and 2 cups whole milk in a sauce pan and add the 2 tablespoons of lavender buds and bring to a simmer stirring often with a wooden spoon. Once the cream-milk-lavender mixture has reached a simmer, take off heat and cover with a tight fitting lid and let steep for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread the 4½ tablespoons gelatin evenly over the 6 tablespoons cold water and let bloom for 5 minutes.

Once the lavender mixture has steeped for 8 minutes, take out the lavender buds by means of a strainer or cheese cloth and return the cream and milk to the saucepan. Add the 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons sugar, gelatin that has bloomed for 5 minutes over medium heat until gelatin and honey have dissolved completely. Take off heat and let cool briefly. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir evenly.

Prepare your molds by spraying them with a flavorless cooking spray and pour the panna cotta mixture into the molds. Place the molds into an undisturbed refrigerator for 3 hours.

While your panna cottas are setting in the refrigerator, you can being preparing the pomegranate molasses. Take 3½ cups of pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ cup of sugar and combine in a saucepan. Let simmer on low heat for 80-90 minutes depending on how thick you want your molasses. If you are looking for more of a syrup, cook for 60-70 minutes. Stir occasionally with a spatula to scrape the sides of the sauce pan and cook evenly. Do not let boil and do not cover the mixture because the evaporated water will collect on the lid and fall back into the mixture and take longer! For molasses, the mixture will reduce down to a cup or so and will not seem like molasses until it cools so don’t worry if it doesn’t seem to be thickening enough. After time is up, let cool in the sauce pan briefly and pour into squeeze bottle to cool but do not cover it until it is completely cooled.

Now take your whole pomegranate and slice it in half and begin spooning out the seeds and store in a Tupperware for later use.

After your lavender panna cottas have set, you can begin making your pomegranate jelly layer. Pour ½ cup of pomegranate juice in a sauce pan. Combine ½ teaspoon of gelatin and 2 tablespoons cold water and let bloom for 5 minutes. Bring juice to a simmer. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, take off heat and let cool. At this point, you can add red food color if you want a more dramatic. I didn’t add food coloring because I liked the organic and natural color of the pomegranate. It is VERY important that you let the mixture cool until right before it starts to solidify because otherwise it will melt the panna cotta when your pour it ontop. Once cooled, pour evenly over the panna cottas and return to the refrigerator for another 4 hours.

You’re almost done! After four long hours, take the panna cottas out of the molds. The best way I have found to do this is using a very sharp knife and carefully cutting the panna cotta from the mold on one side and letting gravity do the rest. Make sure you place the panna cotta on the plate where you want it because it is very hard to move it after it is removed from its mold. Then take the squeeze bottle and decorate the panna cotta and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds. Phew! Done! Here’s my finished product.

I also tried this recipe again and when plating, I took a spoonful of honey and made a streak on the side of plate. The color of the honey complemented the richness of the pomegranate. Feel free to share your modifications! Enjoy! 

All things pink...

Welcome!
I plan to use this blog to post some of my favorite recipes with how-to guides. In the near future, I will post my reviews on cooking ingredients and tools. The purpose of this blog is to post things that are fun, pink, and have to do with baking. The reason that is it called "baking pink" is because I started baking to raise money for breast cancer research and that has fueled my oven and desire to bake. I hope you enjoy what I post! Thanks!