In My Kitchen: January 2015

Happy New Year, 
and welcome to my kitchen.

In my kitchen:

Two enthusiastic anthurium celebrate the New Year in the window bay by opening new flower buds; bright spots of color that provide a tropical contrast to our cool and stormy Pacific NorthWest weather. Currently sunrise arrives around 8 a.m. and sunset is scheduled near 4:30 p.m., though the afternoons seem masked with a misty gray filter. During these shortened days I really appreciate the plants' glow and constant indoor cheer.

In my kitchen:

We finished the last of the Christmas cookies, candy  and Mango and Peach Mini Bundt Cakes; their tempting presence has been replaced by an inviting array of fruits and vegetables. Other produce like tender baby bok choy, kale, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, ginger, fresh herbs and salad greens are hanging out in the fridge. I look forward to some healthy salads, salsas, sauces and stir fry opportunities. 

New additions to the kitchen include: 

...RL's charming Santa mug gift from Hilary. Notice the handy opening designed to hold cookies, plus the accompanying flavor-popping, vanilla-frosted, peppermint-sprinkled Oreo cookies. The mug works best if you are left handed: go ahead, ask me how I know this detail.   

...my nautical-themed package of brightly-colored tea towels, charming fish snack plates with carrier, and practical anchor-shaped tea infuser. These will add a pop of color to the boat galley.  

...a U.S.-produced six-pack of tangy apple cider delivered by Laci. Eons ago I fell in love with Canadian hard cider, a refreshing alcoholic beverage that can pack a sneaky wallop if you drink it like a soft drink. Unable to find a comparable product in the U.S. I confined my cider-drinking to our summer trips. All that has changed and hard cider is now a fast-growing U.S. alcoholic beverage component. (link) Today craft breweries abound, hooray!! Rumor has it that a family member is aging her first batch of pear cider; I volunteered to taste test.

In my kitchen:

This pepper grinder is almost as much fun as some toys. It runs on four (yes, four!) AA batteries and lights up your plate as it grinds peppercorns into coarse flakes. We first saw this grinder in action in a restaurant's dark dining room. What a practical way to avoid a too-heavy coating of freshly-ground black pepper! Instantly intrigued I pestered queried various local kitchen shops, but none carried the device. Finally I searched online and AmazonFresh came to the rescue, delivering several grinders along with my grocery order. Now I have extras; one for the house kitchen, one for the boat galley, one for a gift, one just because... 

While organizing kitchen drawers I rediscovered an unused box of individual salt and pepper shakers, neatly tucked away with my stash of white linen napkins. I wonder if these cuties will ever get any use if the electric grinders are available. Why are they still in the kitchen? I haven't hosted a large-group dinner party in ages, but rationalize that the glass shakers don't take up much storage space. Did I intend them as photo props? or do I just like owning them? 

Flavored salt has earned more shelf space in the spice cabinet, joining the various smoked paprikas. We both love smoked salt as a finishing seasoning; just a pinch provides such a big flavor pop. Hmmm, charcoal grill-smoked salt could be an interesting, warm weather DIY project later this year.

...and that's a little bit of what's in my kitchen. 

Each month Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial invites bloggers to share posts about what's in their kitchen. I discovered Celia's blog and the IMK group last month and loved a quick peek into so many kitchens from around the world. Click over and visit some of the IMK bloggers, I think you will enjoy this fascinating international group. 

Mango Peach Mini Bundt Cakes

... the boozy version.

Photo: bundt cake for brunch - oh, yes please!

Here it is, the first week of the new year, a time to focus on healthy eating, renewed exercise and all of the usual resolutions... eventually. But first I had to bake this sweet dessert treat for us to enjoy with Hilary at one last holiday celebration. Isn't there a rule somewhere that dictates gooey desserts at Christmas?!

An ordinary yellow box mix cake was transformed by a 3-ounce package of mango pudding mix and a cup of Peach Schnapps. The first bite of this tropical delight was definitely boozy, but in a good way. Mango and peach flavors registered but were subtle, the drizzled glaze was sweet but not cloying. After that first taste we decided to forgo freshly whipped cream and enjoy the mini cakes plain; they were just that satisfying. 

There was a small process problem during the baking: too much batter in each cup. "Never apologize, just carry on" ran through my head as I watched the batter overrunning each of the six mini bundt cups in the oven. (Note to self: evidently the recipe for 1 large bundt cake is sufficient for 7 or more mini cakes). Oops! It's a good thing I had a cookie sheet under the bundt pan to catch any overflow and save me from a messy oven cleanup. Each little cake sported a wide muffin-top (which ended up as its base) that was crunchy. I neatly trimmed the overhanging edges and used a skewer to poke holes in those crusty tops to encourage syrup absorption; it worked. 

I had planned to serve three cakes and freeze the remaining three for future desserts. Hil and I split a cake, and that left four irresistible little treats... that never made it to the freezer. Midnight snacks and late morning nibbles polished them off. How does that happen so quickly? 

Christmas cookies are gone, the "good" chocolate is finished and the Boozy Mango Peach Mini Bundt Cakes are just a memory. It might be time to return to healthier eating, fresh fruit desserts for example, but I don't regret one delicious bite of any of them. 

Mango Peach Mini Bundt Cakes

1 box yellow cake mix

3-ounce package instant no-cook Mango pudding 

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup Peach Schnapps

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

Oil or spray with cooking spray each cup in a 6-cup mini bundt pan. There will be enough batter to fill additional muffin tins or mini loaf pans.

Mix all ingredients together, spoon or ladle into prepared pans, filling each cup 3/4 full, and bake in a preheated oven as directed on cake package. Use a cake tester to check "doneness"; no crumbs should adhere to the poker.

Glaze

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water 

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Peach Schnapps

Bring butter, water and sugar to boil; stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat to add Schnapps (it's a safety issue). 

Pour the glaze over cakes while still warm from the oven. Slowly spoon about half of the glaze over the cakes while still resting in pan. Then invert the cakes onto a large, flat plate or cookie sheet and slowly add the rest of the glaze. 

Cool the cakes and serve at room temperature. Or wrap and freeze to hold for future use.