The Tax Refund Party: Bananas Foster Cookies

All good bakeathons must come in threes (See Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Housewarming). For my final sugary trick, I decided to attempt to transform a typical cookie into a thrilling homage to the greatest thing to come out of New Orleans aside from Bounce Rap- Bananas Foster (I must figure out how to make a bounce rap dessert or I will consider my life a failure.). Previously, I converted the brown sugar and cinnamon packed alcoholic banana dessert into cupcakes and créme brûlée, so really cookies were the final frontier (Ok. that and pie!). Would my guests approve of my take on a beloved treat, or would they throw their plates on the ground in protest?


Bananas Foster Cookies
Servings: 12
Time: 35 minutes (including making caramel)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp bourbon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla bean ice cream
Bourbon caramel sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
3. Mix in the bananas until well incorporated then add the milk, vanilla and bourbon.
4. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and blend well. Note: the banana will dull the cinnamon flavor somewhat, so you might want to add more to balance it out.
5. Place tbsp sized amounts of batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-14 minutes or until the bottoms start to lightly brown.
6. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for two minutes then cool them on wire racks.
7. Prior to serving, heat up in a microwave (10-15 seconds) then top with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of bourbon caramel.

The hardest part about making banana cookies is always getting the texture right. I decided to use my snickerdoodle with some slight alterations in hopes that it would hit that perfect crispy texture I was looking for. In order to do this, I added some bourbon and replaced sour cream with bananas while relying on the brown sugar and cinnamon goodness that already existed in the cookies. Opening the oven resulted in the most ridiculously amazing aroma as the bananas and bourbon immediately lit up my nose. The cookie itself had an outstanding banana and cinnamon flavor, but wasn't crispy like I had hoped it would be (one day I'll figure this banana thing out). This shortcoming actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the soft cookie served to replicate the delicate banana from a traditional bananas foster dessert.

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

From Food & Wine

Servings: More than enough for double the cookies

Time: 15 minutes

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup bourbon

The portion of this charred on my stove is not as appetizing looking (nor does it smell as amazing).

1. Bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, periodically swirl (but do not stir) until an amber color forms (about 10 minutes).
2. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the cream in a slow, steady stream (be careful a lot of steam will be given off). 
3. Let cool for 1 minute then stir in the bourbon. 
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute while stirring.
5. Freak out that the mixture has boiled over and is now sticking to your stovetop. Spend the next 30 minutes frantically trying and failing to remove it.
6. Breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it still tastes quite delicious (what's in the pot not what's stuck to the stove. That just tastes kind of burnt.).
7. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. When ready to serve, you can heat it up by microwaving it over medium power in 30 second increments.

The caramel sauce was far more liquidy than I would have imagined when I think of caramel, but it worked nicely for a lighter finish to the dessert than a thick, super-rich caramel would have. The bourbon really comes through to produce a sauce that could easy go on other desserts like bread pudding.

Cafe TH owner, Minh, eats dessert like he cooks (read: like a total boss). Whoopie pies and bananas foster cookies at the same time!

What started out as a wild shot in the dark turned into one fantastic dish that came closer to my favorite New Orleans dessert than I ever could have imagined. The hot, cold, hot combination of the cookie, ice cream and bourbon caramel was something that would have easily fit in at an actual restaurant (and produced one of my favorite pictures yet. Although, I think a banana chip garnish would make it even more awesome.). The real star of this decadent cookie was the bourbon/vanilla combo that permeated throughout each component. The true entertainment, however, came from me turning super serious as I tried to prep each dessert when requested by my guests. Presentation was key, and I was determined not to fall short (as disappointment would likely lead to my banishment from Cafe TH and subsequently starving to death). I am extremely proud of how this dessert turned out, and it was another fantastic and unique addition to go along with the Fiery Red Hot Red Velvet Cupcakes and Strawberry Whoopie Pies. Fortunately, all the calories were completely negated by the copious amounts of Kinect dancing we did at the party (Yup, I'm pretty sure that's how nutrition works.).

The Fancy Dinner Party: Lemon & Bananas Foster Créme Brûlées

If there's one thing I've learned over the past year of cooking, it's that it's incredibly fun to play with fire (I'm waiting for a knowing is half the battle message from G.I. Joe). When Danielle invited us to her dinner party, I decided créme brûlée would be the most sophisticated way I could play with fire showcase my baking skills to enhance the evening. Never one to do things simply, I made two separate batches- one a delightfully zesty lemon version and the other a New Orleans spin with the fiery favorite bananas foster.


Lemon Créme Brûlée
Adapted from Food.com
Servings: 3-4 ramekins
Time: 4 hours (2 1/2 inactive)

Juice of 2 lemons
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for torching
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large egg yolks
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. Bring the lemon juice to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer until about 1 tbsp remains.
3. In a separate saucepan, combine the cream, lemon zest and sugar over medium heat. Stir occasionally until steam rises (about 3 minutes). Then remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Whisk the vanilla and egg yolks together in a large bowl until smooth.
5. SLOWLY add the cream mixture while whisking constantly. 
6. Mix in the lemon juice.
7. Pour the mixture evenly into several ramekins then put the ramekins in a baking pan. 
8. Fill the baking pan with warm water about halfway up the ramekins to help insulate them from the harsh heat.
9. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes until the custards set.
10. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
11. Sprinkle the tops with sugar then brûlée it with a handheld torch. Let the sugar harden for a minute.
12. Resist the desire to see what else you can set on fire.
13. Garnish with berries and serve.

As soon as you dig into the ramekin (which is one of my favorite words to say), you'll notice the bountiful but not overpowering lemon that helps separate this from any créme brûlée you've had before. It's finished off nicely by the berries, but it also goes splendidly with the bananas foster topping in case you forget to label them and accidentally mix up all the ramekins (but seriously what kind of idiot would do that...).

Bananas Foster Créme Brûlée

Modified from IHeartDessert and The Barefoot Contessa

Servings: 5 ramekins

Time: 4 hours (2 1/2 inactive)

1 extra-large egg

4 extra-large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar plus extra for torching

3 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp bourbon

2-3 bananas

Cinnamon

Light brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. Mix the egg, egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.
3. Scald the cream in a saucepan until steam starts to rise and tiny bubbles start to form on the sides.
4. SLOWLY stir the cream into the egg mixture. 
5. Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon and pour into ramekins about 2/3 full. Set in a baking pan.
6. Fill the baking pan with warm water about halfway up the ramekins to help insulate them from the harsh heat.
7. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes until the custards set.
8. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
9. Cover the tops with sliced bananas sprinkled with cinnamon.
10. Generously sprinkle on brown sugar and white sugar.
11. Carefully torch the sugars on top. Brown sugar will burn much more rapidly than white sugar.

You may notice some slight scorches from the fast burning brown sugar.

This was a solid addition to the dessert course, but it just didn't have the same pop as the lemon. The base is a standard and quite delicious créme brûlée, but the bourbon doesn't really show up. It's then elevated by a fabulous banana topping that makes it seem almost like the most incredible banana pudding ever. To make this even more awesome, I'd consider two alterations. The crispy sugar layer is somewhat disjointed due to the height variations of the bananas, so I would try to remedy this by adding a traditional brûlée layer prior to the bananas. Additionally, you could try to get even more of that incredible bananas foster flavor out by topping it with actual bananas foster (obviously, ignore the steps in the recipe that involve converting them to cupcakes, or go nuts and have cupcakes and créme brûlée to make you everyone's favorite diabetic friend).

Apparently I look super serious while torching, which is probably a good thing (at least for Danielle's kitchen's sake).

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it easy to make créme brûlée (assuming you have the spare time to let it cool, it's very little work). There's nothing like finishing off a meal by cracking in to that hardened sugar barrier to reach the rich and creamy center. Fortunately, there is one thing that manages to come close- watching Scotty shake off the extreme fullness to give us an important lesson in dancing. 

Scotty shows his approval of the dessert with a traditional dance.

Still to come: I go even more overboard on dessert with peanut butter butterscotch cookies, and the rest of the dinner party dishes are shown along with even more shaking of tail feathers. 

Maker's Mark Cupcakes

My two favorite food groups: cupcakes and bourbon.

You may have noticed by now that I have quite the affinity for cupcakes, especially boozy ones (see Chocolate Stout, Blue Velvet with Limoncello Frosting and Bananas Foster Cupcakes). Recently, I made a point to stop posting about cupcakes so much leading to over a month between cupcake entries and a bad case of the DTs. With Kevin's new job starting it seemed like the perfect excuse to have a party solely for the purpose of me going on a baking spree (I mean congratulating him...), so I jumped on the chance and the result was some of the most glorious cupcakes ever (and some of the most fattening yet transcendent brownies. stay tuned for that) that bursted with an exquisite bourbony bite.

Maker's Mark Cupcakes
Recipe modified from Crave Cupcakes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Time: 45 minutes

Tastiest batter ever

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup and 2 tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Maker's Mark
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/6 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, allspice, salt and cayenne together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
4. Beat the eggs together then slowly add them to the creamed butter.
5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the wet ingredients while mixing at low speed. (Dry-> wet -> dry -> wet -> dry). Make sure not to overmix. You should finish the mixing by hand.
6. Fill cupcake liners ~2/3 full with the batter. Overstuffing as always will lead to dreaded muffin tops.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean. Make sure to turn once halfway through.
8. Pour yourself a finger of bourbon while you wait for the cupcakes to finish baking.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
10. Frost and enjoy (see below for frostings).

The cakes themselves were incredible and hardly needed frosting. Judging from the batter, I knew this was going to be a special batch, and they didn't disappoint. The allspice and cayenne paired magnificently with the bourbon in an impeccably moist dessert. But food isn't all about taste. Smelling is half the experience, and the soothing bourbon aroma makes your mouth water in anticipation.

Since I was only making one kind of cupcake, I wanted to make sure to have two (equally boozy) frostings for a little variety.

Cinnamon Bourbon Frosting

Originally appeared in Bananas Foster Cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Maker's Mark

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and bourbon together until light and fluffy.
2. Sift the powdered sugar and mix it in half a cup at a time until you reach your desired sweetness level.
3. Whip at high speed to remove any chunks and thicken.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour then pipe onto the cupcakes.

My new frosting gun came in handy.

Cream cheese frosting may be the greatest invention of all time (take that wheel and sliced bread!). I always try to think of another frosting to go with my cupcakes, but it seems ridiculous to settle for anything but the best. Previously, I made this cinnamon packed frosting for my bananas foster cupcakes, so I knew it'd go nicely with this somewhat similar cupcake. The cinnamon was in perfect harmony with the spices of the cake, and the bourbon helped reinforce the theme of the cupcakes.

Chocolate Bourbon Frosting

Modified from Allrecipes.com

6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tbsp butter

6 tbsp evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp Maker's Mark

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1. Sift together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and set aside.
2. Cream the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Alternate adding the powdered sugar mixture and evaporated milk. You can alter the consistency by adding more sugar or evaporated milk.
4. Mix in the vanilla and bourbon.

This frosting got a little too hard in the fridge, so it didn't pipe as nicely as I'd hoped.

I had never made a chocolate frosting before, so now seemed like the perfect time to experiment. The frosting itself was absolutely incredible with a marvelous consistency and just the right amount of chocolate taste. Unfortunately, on the cupcake it was a little overpowering and distracting from the cake centerpiece. Despite this, I know I will be using this recipe again with just some minor tweaking.

Now that would be quite the bender.

It might not seem like it, but this was actually a case of me showing restraint with my cupcakes as these involved no fillings or glazes (I fought the urge to candy some pecans for garnish). This was because there simply was no need for them. The cake and frostings were so flavorful and delicious that I didn't want anything else there to distract from them. The cinnamon cream cheese ones disappeared in what seemed like minutes and the chocolate ones were also a big hit. These are right up there with the bananas foster cupcakes as my all time favorite. Most importantly, they were a sublime way to celebrate my love of baking, wait, I mean Kevin's next step of that crazy thing called adulthood...

Mint Juleps with Mint "Caviar"

The shrimp and grits I made with Courtney wouldn't be complete without a nice Southern drink that makes you wish you were sipping it on your back porch during a hot summer's night.

Mint Juleps with Mint "Caviar"

Servings: 1

Time: 2 minutes

4 fresh mint sprigs

1 shot of bourbon

1 tsp powdered sugar

2 tsp water

Mint "caviar" (see below)

Ice

1. Dissolve the powdered sugar in water then add and muddle mint leaves.
2. Pour in the shot of bourbon and ice.
3. Spoon in the "caviar".

The only way I could have enjoyed this drink more was if I was sitting at the Kentucky Derby in a white suit stroking my giant white mustache (ok, I've never seen anyone in the South actually do that, but it seems like it'd be awesome).

Mint "Caviar"

Science!

Time: 10 minutes

200 mL low calcium water (not from tap)

Fresh mint

1.6 g sodium alginate

2 drops Green food coloring

250 mL water

1.3 g calcium chloride

1. Prepare the calcium bath by mixing 250 mL water with the calcium chloride. Shake to dissolve and refrigerate it.
2. Boil the fresh mint in the low calcium water for about 10 minutes until the water changes color.
3. Mix the mint water, food coloring and sodium alginate in a blender until all the alginate has been incorporated.
4. Using a syringe, slowly drop the mint mixture into the calcium bath.
5. Collect the spheres in a food strainer and rinse with low calcium water.

They only taste a little bit like toothpaste!

This mint "caviar" is a type of spherification, which is one of the pillars of molecular gastronomy. The ingredients might be chemicals, but don't worry, they're safe for consumption. You can find them at specialty stores like Surfa's or order them on Amazon (for much cheaper). 

Basically, a spherification is a thin gel encapsulating a liquid. Think of them kind of like a really neat gusher fruit snack. When the negatively charged alginate bond with the positively charged calcium ions in the water, the various polymers of alginate are pulled closer together to form a dense gel network. 

List of things to NEVER do again: look up "gushers" on google image search.

The reverse of this process can also be done to give large "ravioli" like spheres. For this to work, you enrich your liquid with calcium and then dip it in an alginate bath. Both of these techniques can be tricky and take a lot of practice. pH plays a large role, so not all juices will form spheres on their own.

Thus endeth the science lesson. Feel free to wake up now, wipe the drool off your desk and treat yourself to a mint julep.

Cupcake Saturday Part I: Bananas Foster

Yesterday was my second foray into the delicious and manly world of cupcakes with my friend Jenny. Jenny was a fellow chemistry grad student at UCLA and bakes about twice a week. She is one of the best teaching assistants out there, so she was a natural choice to teach me all about proper baking techniques and show me the error of my flour packing ways.  For our first cupcake, we decided to use the New Orleans favorite dessert Bananas Foster as inspiration.

Note: All parts of the recipe are adapted from Food.com. This makes 24 cupcakes.

Bananas Foster Mixture
Time: 5 minutes

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas, halved and chopped
3 tbsp bourbon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter over medium heat then stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon until dissolved. (Note some of the butter fat will rise to the top. This is normal.)
2. Add the bananas and cook until tender (about 1 minute per side).
3. Turn off the burner and add the bourbon and vanilla extract. From a safe distance (read: with a long match) light the mixture and stand far away. It should extinguish in a few seconds. If like mine your mixture won't catch on fire, then boil off some of the alcohol over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove the bananas and set aside to cool. Store the sauce for use later as a glaze.

My failed attempt at lighting alcohol on fire. I'm a bad chemist. 

The only hard part about making the bananas foster mixture is keeping from eating it all, so you still have something to put in your cupcakes. Again, I substituted bourbon for the traditional rum.  This recipe also works great topped with ice cream (a la my Bourbon Peaches Foster) if you don't feel like going through all the trouble of making cupcakes.

Cupcakes

Time: 15 minutes prep + 20 baking

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

3 eggs, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp bourbon

3/4 cup sour cream

Bananas Foster from above

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed butter until fully incorporated. Then add the vanilla, bourbon, and banana mixture. The bananas may still be quite large after mixing, so you can use a fork to mash them further if you like.
5. Now alternate adding the dry mixture and sour cream over low speed (1/3 dry -> 1/2 sour cream -> 1/3 dry mixture -> 1/2 sour cream -> 1/3 dry mixture). Scrape down the sides after each dry/wet cycle. Be careful not to over mix.
6. Using an ice cream scooper, fill a lined cupcake pan. Each cupcake should take up between 1/2 and 2/3 of the liner. Anything higher will give unsightly muffin tops.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean (note: this is a tricky toothpick tests because you might hit a moist banana). Be sure to rotate them after 10 minutes.
8. Let cool for an additional minute in the pan then remove to a wire rack.

The blog might be called My Mess Their Kitchen, but luckily this was her mess in her kitchen. Just wash it in the sink. It'll be as good as new...

The cake itself lies somewhere between a traditional cupcake and a muffin, which is pretty common for banana cupcakes. It was nicely moist and the occasional banana pieces were always fun to bite into. The only real change I might make is to put a little more banana into them next time to really emphasize the flavor.

Frosting

Time: 10 minutes

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp bourbon

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Sauce from bananas foster (above)

Banana chips

1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and bourbon together over medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar half a cup at a time and mix well. Stop when you reach the desired tanginess/ sweetness combo.
3. Glaze the tops of the cupcakes with the bananas foster sauce.
4. Pipe the frosting on in the desired shape.
5. Garnish with a banana chip.

Since they have bananas in them, they surely make a healthy breakfast...

The frosting is absolutely incredible. We went with 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar because we didn't want the sugar to completely overpower the cream cheese, and it worked wonderfully. The real star, though was the decision to glaze the tops of the cupcakes with the leftover sauce. We found that we kept tasting the mouth-watering sauce while we were baking, so it only seemed right to not let it go to waste (really a philosophy that should apply to anything containing bourbon).

If you look closely, you can guess which ones Jenny frosted. Additional frosting help was provided by my former labmate Xiaoming.

Of the four batches of cupcakes Jenny and I have made, these were hands down everyone's favorite. You get three fantastic layers of flavor as you bite into it from the frosting to the glaze and the cake itself. The bananas foster really comes through in all parts of the cupcake.  While I did think that the banana chip was a cute and tasty garnish to the cupcakes, I would like to figure out a way to add a little color to give them more visual pop. Any suggestions? 

Bourbon Peaches Foster

Every now and then my sister likes to present me with a secret ingredient. This week's entry was peaches. For my first foray into Battle: Peaches, I decided to look for inspiration from back home. One of the many culinary delights originating from New Orleans is the rumtastic Bananas Foster.  The same flavors go great with peaches, so it seemed like an easy choice. Since I love bourbon (the liquor and the street) far more than rum I decided to make a switch.

Peaches Foster
Epicurious Recipe
Servings: 2
Time: 10 minutes

1 large peach
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp bourbon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Ice Cream

1. Place your peach in boiling water for about 15 seconds. Immediately submerge it into ice water until it's cold to stop the cooking. This will allow the skin to slide right off.
2. Peel and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Discard the pit.
3. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. 
4. Add the peaches and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Be sure to flip the peaches.
5. Serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream.

It smells amazing too.

I actually said "Oh, God" to a couple of confused puppies when I tasted just the peaches. It got even better once I topped it with Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch. The only changes I made to the original recipe were swapping in the bourbon (and increasing its amount) and upping the cinnamon. The cinnamon still seemed a little overpowered, so I'd probably go even crazier with it next time. Now I need to make it back to Brennan's and try the original Bananas Foster.