Captivating Cake

 There is one thing in the culinary world that will always be true. You never stop learning and growing as a culinary artist.  And that is exactly what it is, an Art.  Especially when it comes to cake.  There are so many possibilities and mediums you can work with, butter cream, fondant, gum past, pulled sugar. 

For this post I am highlighting the beautiful work of a close friend.  She is not a culinary artist, but she is an artist for sure!  Her work is beautiful and inspiring.  She motivates me to be more daring, to reach a little further in my passion.  So for this I thank you Acacia Tanner.

Popping up Pansies

During the winter months I crave warm things like, soups, fresh breads, and hot chocolate, with cookies to dip in it.  Nothing warms me up inside as much  as these things do. So over the winter we eat a lot of this stuff.  Today I want to feature a delicious Cheddar Potato Soup, with fresh baked olive oil Rosemary Bread and some wonderful little Vanilla Shortbread Pansy cookies with hot chocolate for dessert.   

    

    Potato Cheddar Soup

8 servings.     45 minutes cook time.

4 large Potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 large Onion (finely chopped)

2 TBS. Garlic (minced)

8 cups Chicken Stock 

2 cups milk or half and half

3 cups Sharp Cheddar

1 cup   Cheese wiz

1 TBS. Hot sauce

1 strip. Bacon

1 TBS. Butter

In a soup pot on medium heat melt butter then sauté onions until transparent. Then add garlic and let cook for a minute or two.  Add your potatoes, chicken stock, milk, and bacon.  Let simmer until potatoes are very soft.  Add in the cheeses, and hot sauce.  Let cook and thicken then using a stick blender or regular blender blend up half the soup leaving a few potato chunks for texture.  

      

    Rosemary Hearth Bread

1 loaf.         3 hours cooking time

 1 cup warm water (100-110 F)

• 1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
• dried rosemary, and kosher salt for sprinkling

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit  10 minutes  to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about  5 minutes , adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour .

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about  45 minutes .

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with butter and sprinkle with dried rosemary and kosher salt

6. Bake on preheated stone for  20-25 minutes  until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

 Vanilla Short Bread Cookies

24 cookies.        30 minutes

• 1 cup Butter (softened)
• 1 cup  Sugar
• 1 TBS Vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 Egg White
• 1/4 cup sugar for sprinkling 
• 25-30 pansies

1. With your hands crumble together with your hands the butter, sugar, flour and vanilla, until it resembles fine crumbs.

2. Press all the dough together and roll into a 1/8 inch thick circle and cut out your cookies using a cutter of your choice.  I used a fluted 1inch cutter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Just until light golden in the bottoms.  Let cool for 30 minutes

3. Then using a pastry brush dab a little egg white on the cookie and place pansy on cookie the brush tops of flower with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.