Vegan Egg Nog (and our trip!)

Hi everyone! I'm back from my birthday trip and ready to be blogging again! In case you missed the previous posts, I've been on a trip with my husband to San Francisco and then Seattle to visit my sister for my 30th birthday. That's three flights in one week. Let me say that again so it can really sink in. That's three flights in one week. This girl hates, hates, hates to fly so this is really saying something.

While we were in San Francisco we ate at a vegan restaurant named Millennium twice. Don't roll your eyes. This place was so, so good. Everything they made was incredibly gourmet and I would have never known anything was vegan if we hadn't asked. One of the dishes we ordered were the crispy oven fries with herb aioli that tasted like it was from the heavens. We asked the bartender about them and she let us know they used silken tofu as the aioli base and everything on the menu was completely vegan. We were both shocked. It was the best aioli I've ever eaten. The restaurant only advertises itself as "vegetarian" so they don't scare people off since their food is so delicious no matter what your diet usually consists of. We were so impressed by everything we ate that we ended up buying the restaurants cookbook and I cracked that baby open right after we got home and whipped up their egg nog.

Again, I was really impressed. I don't love traditional egg nog to begin with but I have always wanted to. I 'm not too crazy about the richness or that funky noggy taste. The elements I love are many: the cinnamon, the creaminess, the nutmeg and froth, (the bourbon *wink*) and then inevitably, you remember the main thing in egg nog...the calories! This version is much lighter than the regular, yet still thick with all the great flavor and froth with a fraction of the guilt. A whole cup is only 159 calories with 6 grams of protein to boot. Get ready for a tall, creamy glass. You know your going to make it. :) But first...

Let me show you around San Francisco! Seattle needs it's own post entirely, so we'll just start here with the first leg of our trip.

Our hotel, the Westin St. Francis in Union Square

View from our room

Me downtown

In front of the tree in Union Square

True story: We ate fresh dungeness crab for 2 1/2 hours straight one day at Fisherman's Wharf. Here's Jeremy with one of our plates. He's laughing because a sea gull had just crapped on the forehead of the guy behind us who was on the phone and seemed to not really care. I don't think he knew how bad it was.

Around The Wharf

Alcatraz is in the background behind the boat

We went to this cute place named Cafe De La Presse three out of the four mornings while in SF. They had the best chocolate croissants I have ever had. Delicious!

We drove up to Napa one day to eat at Thomas Keller's Bouchon and Ad Hoc. We were hoping someone would cancel their reservation at The French Laundry that night because we were first on the wait list for a reservation, but as our Hertz rent-a-car guy told us "no one cancels at The French Laundry. If people's flights get canceled they rent cars and drive to their reservations". Probably kind of true. We didn't get in. But we did get a picture in front of it!

In Napa

Ad Hoc- It was just good. Not great.

I know this is along post for one day, but stick with me just a wee bit more. I wrote the following on the plane ride from San Francisco to Seattle:

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Two-scary ass plane flights later and totally worth it. I am flying right now, actually. I'm blogging in an effort to take my mind off of free falling out of the sky. Up till now, every time the jets would slow and become more quiet; every time my stomach would sense the slightest sea-sicky movement, I was fully alert and conscious and sure we were going down. However, thanks to my blessed friend Mary, (first name: bloody) it is easier to get through. My first flight from Denver to San Francisco I was a nervous wreck. I refused to drink as it was a morning-ish flight and I was afraid I'd be too tired for all the "partying" I was sure was ahead of me that night. Turns out we went to a vegan restaurant, I had one glass of wine, watched a half an episode of "Last Man Standing" and was in bed by 8:15pm. Sadly, I'm not kidding.

Crap. The jets just slowed, my stomach dropped and I am certain death is imminent. I am such a pansy. Anyway, this flight I am taking a much better approach to coping with my fear. I am armed with Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts" as my guide for truth, and hard alcohol for my nerves.

I am excited that when we land in twenty minutes my sister will be there, smiling with that beautiful face of hers, and when the first words out of my mouth are "Kaylee, I'm drunk" there will be no judgement.

We are gearing up for landing now and I just opened up my window (no thanks to my pilot who forgot to mention we were flying by it) and saw this!

Mount Ranier in all it's glory! WOW! I read somewhere that this volcano would explode someday and kill everyone in Seattle. Of course I read that. Majestic non-the-less huh? Well, this is it. This leg of my journey had come to an end. Here's to alcohol and conquered fear!

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Speaking of alcohol, this egg nog would be fantastic spiked. Just sayin'.

Vegan Egg Nog

adapted from The Artful Vegan by Eric Tucker with Bruce Enloe

Makes 4 cups

12 ounces silken tofu

1 very ripe banana

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1 cup almond milk, or soy milk, or rice milk (for nut-free)

1 cup rice milk

1 1/2 cups soy milk

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth and frothy. Ladle into cups and sprinkle nutmeg over each serving. Store refrigerated for up to 2 days.

I used half unsweetened vanilla almond milk and half soy milk for this recipe because I didn't have rice milk around. I'm sure the different milks give a more complex flavor. I don't recommend using just one. If you used all soy milk for example, it would taste pretty soy forward- which is not bad, but not optimal.

Stay tuned for part two of my trip. Seattle!

Overnight Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

I got the pictures back from our family photo shoot and I am thrilled with the results! Kel Elwood Photography is ah-mazing. Not only can she compose a photo but her editing is superb. I'm gonna share some of my favorite photos from the shoot below, but first let us talk about cinnamon rolls. But not just any old cinnamon rolls. Come hither, and let me tell you a tale about dough you make and let rise the night before so all you have to do it pop them in the oven the next morning when you are ready and voila, you have gooey, chewy, cinnamon rolls that taste exactly like Cinnabon. Exactly. I don't even think this recipe is a copycat. I think it's the real one. Like, for reals, reals.

Before they rise:

After they rise:

And the icing! The icing is to die for and tastes like sweet butter and cream. I really enjoy baking at night so preparing these is no problem for me. After the dinner mess is cleaned, the dishwasher is humming and my family is on the couch watching some TV before bed, I go to work-happily. The dough comes together in 5 minutes and then it's just a matter of kneading, filling and rising. I turn my oven on for a few minutes so my dough will have a warm place to rise. If you do it this way it cuts the rising time by a third or so. The temperature should be warm but not hot enough to cook anything. I usually turn the oven on at 350 for 2 minutes then turn it off again but keep the oven door shut. It never heats up past 200 degrees and stays nice and warm when I put the dough in. This dough rolls out easily making everything rather effortless. After you have rolled the filling in the dough and cut your cinnamon rolls, let it rise again in your warm oven. After they have risen, cover in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge. All that's left to do is bake the next morning.

Okay, The cinnamon roll recipe is coming, but now let me share some highlights from our photo session!

The sun was crazy bright:

I posted a lot of pictures but I had a hard time narrowing them down. Alright, now patience can be rewarded. Here is the cinnamon roll recipe:

Overnight Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Food Network magazine, Nov. 2009

makes 6 big rolls

FOR THE DOUGH

1 cup whole milk

1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast

1/4 cup plus 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the bowl

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE FILLING:

All-purpose flour, for dusting

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

FOR THE GLAZE

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Make the dough: warm the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat until it reaches about 110 degrees (or is warm to the touch, but not hot). Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar (don't stir). Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer. make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with a dough hook until thick and slightly sticky. Knead on medium speed until the dough gathers around the hook, 6 minutes. (add up to 2 more tablespoons flour if necessary.)

Remove the dough and shape into a ball. Butter the mixer bowl and return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover with a cloth hand towel and let rise until doubled, 1 hour 15 minutes. Or about 40 minutes if you use my warm oven method mentioned above.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle with the loner side facing you. Spread with the softened butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the far long edge. Mix the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the butter. Brush the un-buttered far edge with water. Roll the dough away from you in a tight cylinder and press on the long edge to seal. Cut the cylinder with a sharp knife to make 6 equal-size buns.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; place the buns cut side down in the pan, leaving space between each. Cover with the towel and let rise until doubled, 40 minutes. Or about 25 minutes if using my warm oven method. Cover risen buns with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for the next morning. You can also bake these right away if desired.

The next morning, take the buns out of the fridge, take the plastic wrap off and let them set at room temperature for about 20 minutes to take the chill off. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake buns until golden, about 35 minutes (check them at 30-you don't want them to overcook). Cool in the pan 15 minutes. meanwhile, make the glaze: Sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl, then whisk in the cream and melted butter. Transfer the buns to a rack and spoon the glaze on top while still warm. (I just glazed them in the pan).

I'm still on vacation until tomorrow. Wahoo!

From My Hometown To Yours

Hey Guys- Today I'm doing something a little different. I'm heading over to Henning In Love for a special guest post about the town I live in. If you ever wondered what it would be like to visit me in Steamboat, come by and check it out.

I was only supposed to blog about one day in Steamboat but there are plenty of other places we love and frequent weekly.

If you ever make it to Steamboat, here are my restaurant recommendations:

Breakfast:

Freshies

Creekside

Lunch:

Freshies

Winonas

Ciao Gelato

Sweet Pea (in the sumer)

Dinner:

Mambo Italiano

Rio Grande

Cafe Diva

Bistro C.V

Sweetwater Grille (in the summer)

Drinks:

Bellas Wine Bar

Slopeside (for an apres ski beer from their outside ice bar)

Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Fried Shallots

One word: delicious. This might be the most delicious soup I have ever tasted. Why? Oh, where to start. For one, it doesn't really taste like squash. Don't let that deter you if your a squash lovin' person though. This soup is a brilliant combination of squash, herbs and wine with the slightest hint of orange for sweetness. The cinnamon whipped cream on top is unsweetened, and a fun twist rather than adding cream directly to the soup, and coupled with salty fried shallots?! Good gracious, this is a must make.

In other news-

By the time you read this I will be on a plane to San Francisco on a super sexy trip with my wonderful husband, Jeremy, who planned it for my 30th birthday, which was Nov. 28th. Re-cap to come. We will live it up in San Fran for a few days, which is one of our favorite cities, then get back on a plane (nervously...I hate flying! But I love traveling, so what's a girl to do?) and head up to Seattle to visit my sister. I love that he surprised me with that in our itinerary. I miss my sis so much and I'll be super happy to see her and Seattle (finally). Don't know what were doing yet, but I know a trip to Molly Wizenberg's brick oven pizzeria, Delancey is in the cards. Stay tuned for all the juicy details, but for now, enjoy this ridiculously tasty soup!

Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and Fried Shallots

adapted from Anne Burell

Serves 4-6

Olive Oil

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1- inch cubes

2 cups white wine

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1 bundle thyme

2 bay leaves

1 orange, cut in 1/2

Peanut or other neutrally flavored oil, for frying

2 large shallots

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coat a large pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt, to taste, and sweat the veggies until they start to soften and are very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and potatoes and season with salt, to taste. Stir to coat the mixture with the oil and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.

Add the stock, thyme and bay leaves. Squeeze the orange into the soup and add both halves. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the squash is falling apart, about 35 to 40 minutes. * If the liquid level starts to get too low, water can be used to replace it.

Remove and discard the orange halves, thyme bundle and bay leaves and puree the soup with an immersion blender or a blender. If using a blender, cool the mixture for about 5 minutes and carefully add it to the blender. It should be very smooth and velvety. Check the consistency. If it is too thick add water to thin it.

In a saucepan heat about 1-inch of the oil over medium heat. Slice the shallots into thin rings. Just before frying, toss the shallots in the flour. Fry the shallots until they are crispy and brown. Remove to a paper towel and sprinkle immediately with salt.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until it holds its shape in soft peaks, then whip in the cinnamon.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with a dollop of the cinnamon whipped cream and fried shallots.

I got my family pictures back, so I'll be posting those very soon! Oh, and watch out for Thursday. I'm guest blogging over on Meg's blog for a segment called "From My Hometown To Yours" Where I'll show you all around my ski town.

Favorite Things Big Christmas Giveaway Winner!

It's Wednesday everyone, which mean I am announcing the winner of my Big Christmas Giveaway! It has been so much fun to host this giveaway and I just might have to make it an annual thing :) A few things before I begin.

1) I chose the winner via random.org. I typed in the number of comment received and it spit out a random number for the winner.

2) I immediately went to the blog to see who the lucky winner was. Only problem? When I hit the back button to the site to snap a photo of the winning number (to prove I'm no cheater) the result number was no longer there! So sorry about that. I'll take a picture BEFORE I check to see who the winner is next time. :)

Without further ado, the winner is: Hillary Baldwin

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"Hilary Baldwin said...

I also shared it on fb my profile is Baking Bad:) hbaldwin425@gmail.com"

Congratulations Hillary! I'll be emailing you for your address and your goodies will be arriving soon!

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Have a happy Thanksgiving everybody, and thanks for participating. I am especially Thankful this year as this package arrived yesterday:

Thanksgiving traditions come about in various ways. About five years ago my Grandpa invited a single fishing friend over to join our family for Thanksgiving. He also brought Sancerre (a bright and crisp white French wine, with a lot of green apple and grapefruit notes). I loved it so much and it complimented the meal so well that now it's a tradition and I only drink Sancerre on Thanksgiving. Everyone knows and it's a lot of fun. I look forward to it all year.

Perfect Pie Crust and "The Worm"

Most people find pie crust daunting but as my main gal Ina suggests, there are a few secrets that will change all that. First the butter, shortening, and water must all be very cold. Second, let the dough sit in the refrigerator (bakers call it "relaxing" the dough) for 30 minutes before rolling, and finally, don't stretch the dough when you're placing in into the pan. Follow these tips and you'll have delicious, flaky pie crust every time. I have pictures and step by step instructions so you can follow easily.

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.

With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.

Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Then you are ready to roll each piece into a circle for your pie!

Perfect Pie Crust

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, Ina Garten

makes two 10-inch crusts

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well floured board into a circle, rolling from the center of the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

You can also make this dough ahead of time. Wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Now what happens if you only need one of the pie crusts, instead of the two this recipe makes? Don't halve the recipe. Make the worm!! Not the most fetching name, but I promise, it's delicious. This is what I make anytime I have left over pie crust and it's my husband favorite. My Father-in-law's mother is famous for them.

The worm is a rolled out pie crust that has been smeared with a thin layer (about 2 tablespoons for a whole crusts worth) of softened butter, then sprinkled with a thin layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. See?

Next you roll it up and seal the ends

Then bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes and let cool. It's not the prettiest thing in the world.

Next, gently cut into rounds with a serrated knife (the worm will be doughy and soft in the center. This is what you want) serve on a plate still warm or at room temperature (cover to keep them soft). What a treat!

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for the winner of my Big Christmas Giveaway!