Milwaukee!

Last month, Ian and I decided to get out of Chicago and go to Milwaukee for the weekend. Everything was in our price range and it was only a hop, skip and a jump away. So we took our little electric blue Zipcar up north to Wisconsin, where its official state motto is 'forward.' I kid you not. Wisconsin is so weird (I am looking at you cheese castle right across the border)!

Who knew what a cute little city Milwaukee was? There are so many breweries there, it felt like we were in Portland. I only got a few pictures, but we will be back.

Disclaimer: Most everyone tells you to visit the Lakefront Brewery when in Milwaukee. Don't. One, it isn't even near the lakefront, it is in some weird housing development off the beaten path. Two, they serve their beer in plastic cups, which is just wrong. Three, they only take cash and the atmosphere is college-esque. You have been warned.

Oaxacan Cinnamon Chocolate Macarons

I have recently become obsessed with food52.com. If the name didn't give it away, it is a blog all about food. Home cooks share and post their recipes, or adaptations of recipes for people to peruse at their own leisure. Since I am a lover of all things pickles, I was sold at 'Foodpickle,' an open forum for questions and answers on anything you might come across when cooking or baking.

Following, what seems to be my beginner's luck macaron, I attempted them again on three separate occasions with the same result: blech. There were ones that didn't rise, ones that weren't the right consistency and the list goes on an on.

For a party last weekend, I gave the Oaxacan Cinnamon Chocolate Macarons a go. The first batch failed miserably and were all grainy. The second batch, which I managed to salvage somewhat, had cracked. There were a couple good ones, but they cracked. They also didn't get the little feet they talk about around the edges.

There are various reasons as to why macarons crack; you overwhipped the whites, the heat was too high, the rack was too low, or you didn't stack two baking sheets when baking. This just goes to show that these delicious little French delicacies are complicated. I won't give up. Until next time, macaron.

First Anniversary

So, March 14th was the one year anniversary of Berger Bakes. To think it all started when Ian surprised me with Rose's "Heavenly Cakes" book, while walking around Chevy Chase, Maryland. It has been a busy month, but it has also been a busy year. Life is wildly different than it was a year ago, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Excited to see what another year of baking brings.

St. Patrick's Day

Chicago, ranked number two for festivities, celebrates St. Patrick's Day the weekend before the actual holiday. The all-day drinking affair kicks off with the dyeing of the Chicago River. It is unlike any green you have ever seen. It is frowned upon by true Chicagoans to go to the dyeing, but Ian and I were right there decked out in our green Pogues shirts. I have never seen so many public displays of debauchery. Young and old from far and wide come to celebrate their Irish heritage, or just partake in drinking green beer in the streets. I loved it!

It was freezing all morning, so when we got home I wanted to make something warm and sweet. I recently saw a recipe in the New York Times for healthy oatmeal blueberry muffins. They actually are healthy, and incredibly good. If you know me, you know I love all things oats. They are the best for breakfast, for baked goods, for dinner and so on. These muffins did not disappoint.

Pear & Almond Frangipane Tartelettes

After a failed attempt at macarons part deux this weekend, I opted for another favorite French dessert. Tarts. Ian and I have had so much chocolate lately (no complaints here), so I felt it was time for a fruit dessert. Tarts take some time to get the hang of, and I hope to make the classic Parisian fruit tarts all summer when everything is in season. It is an art getting the dough perfectly flaky and crumble free.

This morning, after scouring through all my baking books and not finding the exact recipe I was looking for, I perused my favorite blogs. As I was about to admit defeat, I looked no further than Tartelette. I have adored her blog for months, and after making this recipe, I am hooked. I am now coveting one of these on top of one of these. She has so many great macaron, ice cream, cake and tart recipes, on top of her awesome photography. So many blog crushes, so little time.

I followed her recipe almost exactly, but instead made mine with all-purpose flour. My pie weights have gone missing in all of my moves, so the next best thing is dried beans. Also, another trick I just learned is to roll your rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to cut off any excess dough. It works so well!

And the final product, which I have to wait an hour to eat so Ian can finish his studying. With a little whip cream, these will be fantastic. I hope.

Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day falling on a Monday, it really throws a wrench in my themed baking plans. Tonight, I made a simple treat for Valentine's Day: brownie sundaes. Homemade brownies and ice cream go together like pink and red. I used the recipe from The Modern Baker, and I think they came out pretty well. He tells you to cover them and let them sit for several hours, or overnight. There was no way. Fifteen minutes out of the oven I was already making my heart shaped brownies for sundaes.


Sour Cream Brownies
6 oz. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 ¾ c. brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs
½ c. sour cream
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ c. all purpose flour

• Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and sides. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
  
• Put the butter in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Let the butter melt, stirring 2 or 3 times, then allow it to bubble for about 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Gently shake the pan to submerge the chocolate in the hot butter and set aside for a few minutes so that the chocolate melts. Use a small whisk to mix until smooth.
• Place the brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in 1 egg on the lowest speed using the paddle attachment. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating smooth after each. Add the sour cream, salt and vanilla and beat smooth.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate and butter mixture. Mix in the flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  

These brownies got me thinking about other fun Valentine's Day treats I made pre-blog.

Linzer cookies (can't remember what recipe) from 2009:

Mini tartlettes, adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking, in 2010 with a chocolate ganache and raspberry topping. I was so glad only four turned out, I couldn't stop eating these.

So many memories. Happy to be celebrating four years together with my favorite Valentine. Happy Valentine's Day!

Birthday Lasagna!

It was Ian's birthday this week and instead of going out to dinner, I wanted to make him dinner and dessert at home. Dinner is more Ian's domain than mine, so I knew I needed to pick something hearty, meaty (I am not one for cooking with meat) and not labor intensive. He has told me before that he doesn't like lasagna because it is mushy and not very flavorful. What? It can't be. This needed to be corrected, so with that, I was off to the store for some major Italian food item purchases.

This recipe from epicurious seemed like the best option for numerous reasons. I like the idea of making it with turkey, I like mozzarella and I noticed the use of no boil noodles. If Ian thought his previous experience with lasagna was too mushy, I didn't want to take any chances. Turns out, no boil is the way to go. It was so good!

The reviews for the recipe said it was a little bland and to double the herbs and spices. This is definitely a must. I also used 1 lb ground turkey and 1/2 lb ground pork to give it some fat and flavor. The recipe calls for no salt, which seemed odd, so I salted to taste (Ian leans more towards the saltier side).

In addition to the lasagna, I also made what is now deemed Ian's birthday cake of choice. It happened through an accident, but he asks for it every year. A chocolate chip sour cream cake. Two things: for someone who hates white and fatty sauces (sour cream, mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce), he loves this cake; secondly, this all started in an attempt to make a chocolate sour cream cake and in a hurry, and not reading the directions carefully, I just threw the chopped chocolate in the batter. And so the chocolate chip sour cream cake was born. The Boston Globe has a pretty good recipe, so that is what I used this year. However, I cut out the cinnamon and sugar topping, made it in a cake pan and frosted it with vanilla buttercream. It is hard to screw up this cake because of all the delicious ingredients. Overall, it was a wonderful low-key birthday spent at home with good food, good wine and Indiana Jones.