Ringing in the new year. I brought coffee cake.

2014. Dang. Hey. 

Last year, I wrote about a flippin' delicious apple cake that still leaves me drooling. 

This year, a sour cream coffee cake that is no stranger to the food blogging world. It's moist and just sweet enough to appeal to adults and children alike. 

I brought slices of the cake to my family's annual new year celebration. Before our typical lox and bagel breakfast and traditional tteok guk lunch, we ate bites of the coffee cake with our coffee. There were "mm's" all around.

I made it a second time after my grandparents requested some more hunks. 

I made it a third time so my mom could bring some to a potluck and I could bring some to a friend. 

Three times in a week and a half. This cake is dangerously simple. And though it is essential for the cake to be cool before slicing into clean cuts, please take some forkfuls when the cake is still warm. Actually, scratch that. You must take warm bites of cake. You must.  

Happy new year, everyone. May 2014 be your sweetest year yet. 



Click through for the recipe! 

Summer's ultimate treat

When the temperature peaks, the only thing I want is pat bing soo (팥빙수). Cold, creamy, sweet, chunky. Pat bing soo takes on a variety of different flavors and textures due to the range of ingredients that compose it.

pat || 팥|| sweetened adzuki beans

bing soo || 빙수 || shaved ice

It is typically served with a bowl of shaved ice + huge dollop of pat + dduk (떡, Korea's mochi) + a drizzle of condensed milk. Simple. However, now, cafes and restaurants have been adding oodles and oodles of toppings, like ice cream, fruit, and cereal.

I spent a heaping portion of my summer in sweltering Seoul this year and tried to indulge in pat bing soo as much as I can. Alas, I only had it 6 times or so. My favorite? A milk bingsoo at Cafe Oui in Gangnam. A mountain of shaved, sweetened milk. A small bowl of pat. A few pieces of dduk. It is a simple but satisfying treat. The shaved milk reeeeally makes the difference. It is slightly sweet and very fluffy.

I tried to recreate it.

Tried.

My milk ice wasn't as fluffy and I couldn't help but add some fruit and almonds.

This is my first time making pat bing soo. So, it's not the most perfect recipe but it is oh-so-delicious. Please give it a try on the next sweltering hot day. You'll thank me.

Thanks, cupcakes, and an award!

Spring break has been a mishmosh of carrot cake testing (the best carrot cupcake recipe is at the bottom of the post!) and college rejections. Despite all the bits of happiness, I feel lucky because I have a great support system and lot of love surrounding me. As corny as this all sounds, I'm very, very thankful.

So, to the few bloggers who have written me kind emails and left sweet messages, thank you, thank you, thank you. Your words mean the world to me.

And tada! My first blog award. Thank you, Irene!

Speckled green

I dream of Italy and its scents, its flavors, its energy.



I roamed Milan for a few hours, my eyes grazing the façade of the Duomo di Milano. I had some pizza and bland gelato. I watched a British T.V. show with a smoky Italian voice over. I slept in a small bed, with stiff sheets, in a small room, in an outdated hotel. Then, I hopped on a plane to go back home with sweet memories of London, Paris, and Lausanne, but none of Milan.



That was my only experience in Italy, unfortunately.



I still dream of Italy, and of its parmesan and focaccia, olives and espresso, risotto and bucatini. Until I stumbled across Heidi's recipe for biscotti al pistacchio, I never thought much of Italian desserts. Gelato is okay. The tiramisu cakes I've eaten are cloying and have much to be desired. And then came these cookies! My lacking, short trip has given me an incentive to go back for the art, the culture, and, now, the desserts. 

~~~
Pistachio-Almond Cookies
(Biscotti al Pistacchio)

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
~~~

I made some significant changes to the recipe. First of all, I didn't have that many pistachio nuts. I did have some almond meal so I subbed that in. I wasn't digging the lemon zest with the pistachio nuts. Turning to a spice that never lets me down, I added cinnamon. Chewy, aromatic delights. 

150 g. shelled pistachio nuts, roasted and unsalted
100 g. almond meal
1/2 scant c. granulated sugar
2 t. honey
3/4 t. vanilla extract
1/2 heaping t. cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Grind the pistachio nuts in a processor with 1/4 cup sugar until the nuts become "pebbly." Add in the almond meal and pulse a few times to combine. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add the honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the egg whites. Add the rest of the sugar. Take heaping teaspoons of the dough and plop into powdered sugar. Roll gently to form a ball. Lay on a parchment lined cookie sheet, an inch apart from each other. I had 24 cookies on one sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly raised. It is hard to see under the powdered sugar but Heidi says "until they are golden." I took out my sheet after 17 minutes of baking.

Eat warm (so good!) or room temperature. Store them in an airtight container for 2 weeks... I guess? I wouldn't know. I made them three days ago and only three remain!

Ah, February 14th, the ubiquitous holiday of looo-ve. Inspired by the impending lovey-doveyness, I made some raspberry macarons. 

Pictured above is a raspberry macaron heart, unfilled, slightly deformed but delicious, nonetheless. I used Tartelette's recipe and added crushed and sifted freeze dried raspberries. The batter itself was light pink and had dots of pink. When I slid the tray out, the once pink circles and hearts toasted into a light brown. I like them without the filling. They're sweet, chewy, and absolutely adorable. 

Whether you're spending it with your special someone or your friends, enjoy your day with some sweets! 

Here are a few of my favorites on the web:

:: hazelnut truffles 

:: perfect chocolate cake 

:: linzer heart cookies 

:: cherry clafoutis
:: dark chocolate, pistachio, and smoked sea salt cookies
:: profiteroles

xo, 

nicole

Apple cake brings new beginnings

January. The word seems so distant when it rolls off my tongue, even though I'm living through it right now. The last few months have been tough and rewarding, sad and fleeting. I'm living a fast paced life, each day seeming shorter than the last.

I baked a bit over the holiday break. A banana bread to use some molting fruit. A mediocre sour cream coffee cake to satisfy my cinnamon sugar craving. Mini gâteaux au chocolat fondant de Nathalie. Matcha macarons with cringe worthy cream cheese filling. Lemon macarons with tart lemon curd. My admiration for these treats were fleeting. They were sweet treats, a moment of "oh, that's good" but the "good" wasn't sustained. I'd forget about the bite just moments after. Nothing wooed me over until I baked this apple cake.



I thank procrastination and Jess from Sweet Amandine for bestowing this warm cinnamon specked, hearty cake with softened bits of apples, bursts of raisins, and crunchy walnuts upon me. Though it is January, I lean to this autumn cake. It is just that good. It wraps you up, keeps you warm and fed.

After school, my backpack bursting at its seams, my to do list growing longer and longer, I'd take handfuls of fruit (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, green grapes) and a thick wedge of this cake to my living room. Sitting in an arm chair, my feet kicked up on a window sill, I looked outside through my bay window, into the backyard. Greenery rarely impresses me. I was looking at trees but seeing the cake. It was a temporary remedy, at most, but a remedy nonetheless. For that moment, those ten minutes in that chair, I was safe and warm.

The bits of anxiety and the patters of panic would bite me once the work was started.

No one said high school was easy.



Click to get the recipe.

Almost gone

At the beginning of the summer, I thought the vacation was flowing out slowly, like a thick stream of honey onto a bowl of Greek yogurt. I was thankful and I took each day at a time. 

I've gotten an internship for the summer. I've been busy but I'm apprecitaive of the experiences I'm gaining. I've been in kitchen too. I've made a sweet potato hash and spicy cornbread. I can now proudly say that I've made a cheesecake (sans mixer). I have also made a couple more blueberry yogurt cakes, uber healthy carrot cake cupcakes, a batch of semi-failed maple pecan muffins. (I decided to be all healthy and swap all the oil for yogurt, half of the flour for whole wheat pastry. Tough but edible when extremely hungry.)

Now that my schedule has arrived, and college worries are piling up, I know summer will be closing after a blink of an eye. I want to savor the rest of August. See, eat, watch, read and do things I can't during my senior year. (All because of two simple words. College. Apps.)

And now, on to these pretty bars. These blueberry crumb bars are the reeaaaaal deal. Everyone in my household enjoyed them. "Let's make lemon bars next time," my mom said, after she praised the bars. They're pretty and delicious enough to trick someone into thinking they're complicated. While snickering to yourself, recite the recipe you've memorized. (I did.) 

Blueberry Crumb Bars 

Barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen  

I literally memorized the recipe! I've only made one, teeny alteration. Can you find it?

1 c sugar
1 lemon, zested
3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c cold, unsalted butter
1 egg
---
1/2 c sugar
4 t cornstarch
1 lemon, juiced
4 c blueberries

Preheat the oven to  375 and prepare an 11x13 pan. I used a rectangular glass pan that has "3 quarts" etched on the bottom. 

Combine the zest and the 1 c of sugar together. Mix well so that the zest is fully incorporated.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add the butter and the egg. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to incorporate. Press half of the dough into your prepared pan. 

Mix 1/2 c sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch together. Add blueberries and mix. Pour in the blueberry mixture. DO NOT LEAVE OUT THE PINK LIQUID! Sprinkle the rest of the dough on top of the blueberries. 

Bake for 40-60 minutes. My bars baked in 40; Deb's baked in 60. Cool before cutting.

A week in food

New York weather has been sucking, to say the least. Just a few days ago, the sun was beating down on us. On the hottest day, I decided to go to Upper East Side to do some errands. I came back soaking in sweat. I showered, slipped on a light dress, and made some watermelon lemonade via Smitten Kitchen. It was wickedly delicious. I normally dislike watermelon flavored anything (i.e. candy) but this was pleasantly light and refreshing.



Quinoa is my new best friend. Once washed thoroughly, it really does taste good with anything, including my favorite ginger miso dressing. There are specks of green peas and thin ribbons of carrots in this lovely pilaf (?) / salad (?). Not sure what to categorize this as. Recipe will be up soon.



I was feeling a bit, er, ambitious this day. I made vegan, baked falafel. I was feeling reeeeal good about my health until I dolloped on the tzatzki sauce. Oops. Recipe will also be up soon.



I've been wanting to try Molly's French yogurt cake since I first started reading her blog. Although the ingredients are simple, I never came around to make it. Um, this isn't it either. However, I'm pretty sure Ina based her recipe off of the traditional one that Molly makes. I add even less oil and more Greek yogurt. It came out wonderful. The cake was moist and the (fresh) blueberries added bursts of flavor and color. I stored it in the fridge for a snack the next day. I ate a slice and pleased with how it stood up. It tasted delicious cold as well!



THIS, my friends, was unexplicably amazing. Rich, dark, and intense would be the perfect words to describe this VEGAN CHOCOLATE SORBET. Yes, it's vegan. And yes, it is freakin' delicious. I used a natural cocoa with a bar of 85% Lindt chocolate bar. I dialed back the sugar by a wee bit, a teaspoon or so. I used the breaking-up-ice-crystals method because I'm too lazy to pull out my ice cream maker. (Yes, I know it's a great tool but I have the old one where you have to freeze the bowl. I have NO room in my freezer for a hunk of metal. A thin plastic Tupperware container- I have room for!) But anyway, even after not scraping it for hours, it came out rich and luscious. The texture is a bit weird for me but after a few minutes of melting time, the sorbet is creamy and soft and luscious and ohmygod delicious.



Like summer in your mouth. I just rummaged my fridge and counter tops for ingredients for a light lunch. Steamed stalks of asparagus, avocado slices, red onions slices, cherry tomatoes, frozen bread slice (toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic), garlic, onion, balsamic vinegar, EVOO. Oh, and a poached egg. I love poached eggs. Have I mentioned this before? If I haven't... I LOVE POACHED EGGS. I use the Danny Ahern method. It is foolproof.



Blueberry banana smoothie + New Yorker. Saaah-weet. A banana, ice cubes, a handful of blueberries, a couple of dollops of Greek yogurt, and a splash of milk all went into my trusty and loveably Magic Bullet. Whirrrrrrrr and bam! Instant breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner. Very healthy too. Awesome.

That's it, folks! My week in, basically, lunches and snacks. I have a few recipes (quinoa with ginger miso dressing, homemade falafel) and rants (Momofuku's cookies) and raves (Babycakes!) to share with y'all soon. So stick around. And until then, visit me at Blocks Mag.

chouqettes

Hello, spring. Hello, reader. Welcome to Kimchiburgers. Thank you for joining me here. All recipes from BREAD & SILK will be still up here.

I see and smell spring. The graininess of pollen, the delicate pink petals of cherry blossoms, the fishy scent of pear trees. Spring tastes like sweet and delicate desserts, like these adorable chouqettes.



I was inspired by Rachel Khoo from The Little Parisian Kitchen. She's a lovely British chef, living in Paris and cooking like a true Parisian. She made chouqettes on one episode and they looked absolutely delicious. Chouqettes are French pastries made from choux pastry dough, the starter for eclairs, profiteroles, and beignets. After a bit of browsing, I adapted David Lebovitz' recipe.



These delicate beauties are everything I want in a spring dessert. I dusted them off with powdered sugar before sliding the tray into the oven because I didn't have any pearl sugar. I sifted some sugar on top after they came out and even MORE after they have been sitting out for a bit. These chouqettes were delicious when hot, warm, and cold. Filled with peanut butter and raspberry jam, smeared with fig butter, drizzled with melted chocolate. Or you can follow tradition and stuff their little middles with sweetened whipped cream.


Chouquettes
Adapted from David Lebovitz
I used a cookie scoop that produced tablespoon sized dough balls. They expanded to become the size of a toddler's fist. I had some difficult with scooping because they started to melt and form spreading puddles. Don't wait too long before incorporating the eggs. I waited for fifteen minutes. No, no, just wait for a few minutes; you should be good.

_____________________________________
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup white whole wheat flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Read the instructions here.