Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis

Well now doesn’t that just sound fancy—Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis. We’re stepping it up and putting on our fancy pants over here at The Busty Baker! Sort of..

Until very (very) recently, I had no idea what panna cotta really was. I’d heard of it. I’d seen it around the interwebs. But it just sounded very classy and probably way too complicated to make. So I paid no attention to it, because, hello—I’m lazy. I don’t want to work harder than I have to. (Let's just call it low-key instead of lazy, shall we?) But you want to know a secret? Panna cotta is totally simple. And totally delicious.

Think of it as pudding meets Jello, all dressed up in pearls and a pretty dress. This isn't your lunchbox pudding cup. Smooth and creamy, speckled with vanilla bean seeds, and served up in a fancy glass, it’s an elegant dessert at the end of a meal. And the Blueberry Coulis? Dark and dramatic on top of pure white, it’s the perfect accent to the panna cotta. And no one has to know coulis (pronounced coo-lee) is just a fancy name for blueberry sauce.

I mean really, what sounds more classy and impressive: Panna Cotta with Coulis? Or Vanilla Pudding with Blueberry Sauce? I think we all know which one is more likely to wow and woo.

Both the panna cotta and the coulis can be made ahead of time, so you have plenty of time to pretty yourself up for your Valentine’s date night and enjoy a fabulous dinner, followed by a divine (and totally stress free) dessert!

Strawberry Peach Jam

I seem to be living a very eco-hippie life right now. Not really by choice either. My 16-year old car has recently taken to overheating to the point of smoke pouring from under the hood, and with my very limited (non-existent) budget, she’s been sidelined in the parking lot in favor of taking the bus to and from work every day. Yay public transit. And then there’s my washer. My free, hand-me-down, probably older than I am washer I acquired from a lady at work who was moving and couldn’t take it with her. After what I assume was a long and productive life, it’s finally given up. It doesn’t spin anymore, so there’s no real washing going on. With no way to get my clothes to a laundromat (because I’m NOT taking them on the bus), I’m hand washing my clothes in a bucket. Luckily my free, hand-me-down dryer from yet another coworker is still going strong, so the neighbors don’t have to see my unmentionables hanging out on my back patio to dry.

So I figure, while I’m embracing this forced hippie life, why not dive in even further. Let's take up canning! Because obviously, I needed a new hobby. (Right.) Now trust me, I had no interest in canning. At all. The thought had never even crossed my mind. But then I made my own barbecue sauce. And then Boyfriend raved so much about it, he wanted to give some to his brother and coworker for them to try.

It’s one thing to make a batch and put it in my fridge to use. I have a very high tolerance for expiration dates (I mean, those are really just suggestions, right? As long as it smells fine..), and if I make myself sick, well it’s my own fault for being stupid. And it's fine to give it to Boyfriend who used it on nearly everything almost immediately. It’s a completely different thing to give it to someone else who may or may not use it in a timely manner. And I don’t want to kill anyone with spoiled food. So I started Googling how to can homemade barbecue sauce. And found out just how easy it really is. Boiling water, a big pot, and some Mason jars. That’s really about all you need. Obviously there’s a bit more to it than that, but if you’ve got those, you’re nearly ready to can!

After my first BBQ attempt, I was hooked. I wanted to can everything in sight! With my aversion of all things veggie, the next obvious step was to make jam. Lots of jam. Blackberry, strawberry, cherry.. Jam, jam, jam! And it’s all so easy! I may never, ever buy jam at the store again. At this very moment, I have 4 different types of hanging out in my pantry. Which is perfect, since I'm living on a PB&J budget with my hippie ways.

Making and canning jam isn’t as scary as it seems. I went from thinking about canning, to reading books about canning, to actually canning my own jam in the course of an afternoon. 1 afternoon! The next morning I had toast and jam for breakfast. My own jam. That I made. Jam that spread just like Smuckers. And tasted just as good! If I can figure it out in my tiny little kitchen (and win a 1st place Blue Ribbon at the Ohio State Fair for my first attempt at Cherry Jam!), I have all the faith that you can too.

 

I wish I could go into all the details and specifics of the canning process for you, but honestly, I don’t really know them all. Which is why I haven’t progressed much past jam. (And because of that whole veggie aversion thing.) I will say that it’s very important to know the difference between water bath processing and pressure canning, and which you should use for your creations. Water bath processing is simply boiling the jars in water for a period of time. This method of processing is fine for fruit based products, such as jam, because the majority of fruit is high in acidity, which bacteria generally don’t like to hang out in. Boiling the jars will kill off what bacteria might still be hanging around. Pressure canning requires special equipment that uses pressure (obviously) to heat the jars to a temperature higher than boiling. Unlike fruit, veggies are generally low in acidity, which makes them perfect playgrounds for all kinds of yuckies that can make you sick. To kill the bacteria and prevent spoilage, you need heat that’s well above temperatures that boiling alone can reach, which is where the pressure canner comes in. There’s a bit more to canning than that, so I definitely recommend doing a little research before diving headfirst into it.

If you’re into the book reading thing, I highly recommend Canning & Preserving with Ashley English. This is the one I read nearly cover to cover before I started. It’s easy to read and understand, especially that science-y part about the pH levels (high vs low acidity). And of the 6 books I got from the library on canning, this is the one I liked the most. There’s also the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, which is written by the experts of all things canning, so you know they know what they’re talking about. If you’re more into the web surfing thing, check out the Ball website for quick reference on the basics of canning, as well as tons of recipes to get you started. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and jam!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

There’s nothing like a wrapping your hands around a steaming mug of hot chocolate on cold winter days, each sip spreading warmth through your entire body. Wrapping up in a blanket on the couch with a mug and a good book? Heaven. So why not share a little bit of happiness with those around you this holiday season?

Making your own hot chocolate mix is incredibly simple; throw all the ingredients in a bowl and stir! With most of the ingredients probably already in your pantry, in the long run making your own will save you money—one batch makes 16 servings! Plus, knowing that you’re drinking something completely homemade just makes it extra special. Top it with some homemade peppermint marshmallows and you’ve got yourself the perfect winter drink.

The marshmallows are a bit more involved, but well worth it. I’ve been eating handfuls of marshmallows by themselves! Floating on top of my cup of cocoa, they’re the perfect cool bite in my warm drink. Not a peppermint fan? Substitute the peppermint extract for the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean, and you’ve got the perfect vanilla bean marshmallows.

Now that you’ve got the mix and the marshmallows, it’s time to share! Fill a small treat bag, disposable piping bag, or Ziploc bag with 1/3 cup of cocoa mix, top with a handful of marshmallows and tie with a pretty ribbon. Put your single serving cocoa package in a nice mug or tumbler, and you’ve got a great gift for a neighbor, boss, or teacher! Or fill a jar with cocoa and marshmallows for more than a single serving!

And don’t forget the gift tag to go with it! I made these cute printable tags just for you! Print out on cardstock, punch a hole and tie it up with festive ribbon!

Click here for downloadable and printable pdf file. (Tags will print 3-inches by 5-inches)

How do you warm up during the cold winter days?

Extra Crispy Apple Crisp

Apple season is winding down as we get closer and closer to the flavors of the holidays, when even pumpkin is an afterthought behind peppermint and gingerbread. But before we say goodbye to apple, I thought I’d share one more yummy treat to send apples off with a fond farewell—a good old fashioned apple crisp.

While we picked apples, Boyfriend kept insisting I make an apple crisp for him. His one requirement for this apple crisp? Make it with tons of topping, because the “crisp” is the best part. After apple braids and handpies, I finally got around to making his crisp with the last few apples I had.

With double the crisp topping, you could barely see the apples on the bottom of my pan! But I have to say, Boyfriend is right. That topping is amazing. I’d eat an entire pan of just the crisp if I could.

I brought it over to Boyfriend’s still warm from the oven and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. He actually kept pausing his video game to take another bite! I left it with him to finish off, but ended up making a tiny loaf pan sized crisp for myself the next day because I wanted more. I guess I really am an apple convert now. So long, apples. I'll definitely be seeing you again next year.

Brown Butter Bourbon Peach Cobbler

I am so ready for summer to be over. I’m sick of stifling heat and smothering humidity. I’m tired of 90 degree days. I’m done with feeling like I need to shower again as soon as I step outside, even though I’ve just showered a half an hour ago. I hate having to stop and think whether I even put deodorant on today, because it sure isn’t working anymore if I did, since I’m covered in sweat. I’m done. with. summer. The only thing I’ll miss—all the fresh fruit.

After a marathon, late-night, mad rush of baking for the fair last weekend, I thought I’d have a little baking hiatus for a week or so to let myself recover. By Tuesday, I was already itching to get back in the kitchen. I just couldn’t decide what to make. I thought about muffins, but wasn’t really feeling it. I didn’t want to do cookies or cupcakes again. Then my mom dropped off 3 fresh peaches from Lynd’s Fruit Farm—problem solved! Peach cobbler it is!

I’m not a fan of baked fruit. I don’t like the squishy texture of it. So I generally shy away from baking things like cobblers and pies and such. But peaches are one of my favorite fruits. So I thought I’d give it a try. After browsing through peach cobbler pictures on Tastespotting, I saw one that said “brown butter and bourbon” in the description. SOLD!

I’ve never made a cobbler before (check that off my 30x30 list!), so I had no idea how easy it was to whip up. No mixers. Staple pantry ingredients. Dump it all in a pan and bake. Who knew? Despite my aversion to baked fruit, I gobbled this thing up in no time! Serve it still warm with a scoop of melty ice cream—it's amazing. It’s buttery and gooey, with just the perfect cinnamon spice, and a bit of a nutty flavor from the brown butter and bourbon. I’m still weirded out by the squishy fruit, but I’ll get over that, because I’d definitely make this one again.