Moo Dang that was good…

So I stole that blog title from my friend Becky. But I think it may have been at least partially my idea. So whatever.

Once a month or so, I get together with some friends for an international dinner. We pick a country, and each bring a dish. I usually bring dessert. Because that’s how I roll.

This week, we were doing Thai food, and I made this yummy mango sticky rice.

I’ve never done rice for dessert. But the recipe seemed pretty simple. Boil some short-grain rice (I used jasmine) for about 15-20 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed. While that’s happening, break out the mango. I like to use the Martha Stewart technique for mangos, which involves cutting it away from the core, then making skinny slices and scooping them out with a “sharp spoon.” Um, Martha, what is a sharp spoon? Isn’t sharp the antithesis of a spoon. You and your crazy moon language, Martha. But whatever, it worked. For the most part.

Also while your rice is cooking, you mix some coconut milk with sugar and a dash of salt. Bring to a slow simmer. And just a warning. Coconut milk doesn’t boil like anything I’ve ever worked with. It starts to rumble, then sends up giant, splattery bubbles. So when you hear that rumbling, begin to stir it. Once you get a good boil, dump it into the pot with your cooked rice. Stir together, and place a lid over the pot, letting the rice soak up the coconutty goodness. Yum.

Ah, then came the serving part. I LOVE plating food! I found the cutest little bowls at Target that were perfect for this dish. They were small, and kind of Asian looking. Oh, and they were cheap. It was the perfect trifecta of awesome.

Once the rice is cook/room temperature (after about an hour), I heaping quarter cups of the mixture into balls, and put them in the bowls. Then, you make a coconut sauce with more coconut milk, sugar, and corn starch. Drizzle over the coconut, to your taste. Finish off with the mango, a few sesame seeds, and some toasted coconut. I also served this with coconut sorbet. So light, fruity, and yummy!

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice (I used jasmine rice)
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I used light)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 mangos, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Toasted coconut (for garnish)
• Coconut ice cream (optional)

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the rice cooks, mix together 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; remove from heat and set aside. Stir the cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture; cover. Allow to cool for 1 hour.
3. Make a sauce by mixing together 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the corn starch in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
4. Place the sticky rice on a serving dish. Arrange the mangos on top of the rice. Pour the sauce over the mangos and rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toasted coconut. Serve with coconut ice cream if desired.
   

Lemon cake

Wow. I can’t believe it’s been nearly a month since I posted on here. And that last post was really a cheating post, since there was no actual recipe.

I don’t even know if anybody’s even reading this blog anymore. Which is sad. Because this lemon cake that I’m posting today is INCREDIBLE. I love lemon desserts. But if I’m going to spend time zesting lemons, and my fingers in the process, I want to taste lemon. I don’t want a hint. No pansy lemon desserts here. I want every bite to burst with tart lemony goodness. And that’s exactly what this cake did.

You start with a bag of lemons. I’m not even kidding. I think I used nine lemons in this cake. Six of them, you zest.

Is there anything sadder than a bunch of zested, naked lemons? But when I put that zest in with my batter, my word, the smell was amazing. I wish I could put that smell on this blog. Because it? Was amazing!

Oh, and I got to use my new KitchenAid. I love that thing. I would marry it, and have its babies if I could. Wait, is that weird?

OH, and another thing. I discovered a baking secret. It’s probably not really a secret, but whatever. Have you heard of powdered buttermilk? I love this stuff! I always buy buttermilk, then can’t use it fast enough, and end up throwing half of it away. But powdered buttermilk is just that. You mix the powder with water, and use it in place of regular buttermilk. How did I not know about this?

See this guy? He’s my new best friend.

Okay, mix mix mix, stir stir stir, dump in the bundt pan. You could also do this in two loaf pans, but I just think bundt cakes are so darn pretty!

You pop the cake in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. I know that’s a big gap, but I live in Colorado, where there is no oxygen, and cakes do weird things. So, I usually start peeking in the oven pretty early (I don’t open the oven door, so quit your yelling at me about letting out the heat. Sheesh.)

Just a few minutes before the cake is ready, you mix up a lemon syrup. Cut apart some of those poor naked lemons, and squeeze ‘em. After I squeezed the lemons, I noticed that they kind of looked like little mouths.

But I absolutely DID NOT talk to my lemons. That would just be crazy.

Here’s my lemon grave yard. I told you there was a lot of lemons!

After the cake is a nice golden color, and a toothpick comes out clean, carefully turn it out onto a plate, and poke it all over with a toothpick, or a fork. Then, carefully pour the lemon syrup all over the cake. This part kind of got tricky. The cake didn’t absorb all of the syrup, so it kind of pooled onto the plate, and cemented the cake in place. So, I actually did this on some wax paper, let it cool there over night, then peeled it off in the morning and put it on a plate.

The last step is the glaze. Mix more lemon juice with powdered sugar. Carefully pour onto cooled cake.

Seriously? I think this was the best lemon cake I’ve ever eaten. Try it…you won’t regret it. Unless you don’t like lemon desserts. And that would just be un-American. And sad for you.

Lemon Cake
Adapted from ”Barefoot Contessa Parties!” by Ina Garten, and smittenkitchen.com

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans or one bundt pan, and line the bottoms with parchment paper (no parchment paper if you’re using a bundt pan).

2. Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, and lemon zest.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter evenly between loaf pans or one bundt pan, smooth tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

4. Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.

5. When cakes are done, carefully Invert them onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon lemon syrup over cakes. Let cakes cool completely.

6. For glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar and remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cakes, and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides.