Hipster Sweet #1: Potica

First stop on our trip through epic taste amalgamations of sweetness is numero uno of what I would like to call HIPSTER SWEETS! (You’ve probably never heard or them). The way I see it, what says Portland more than the random and the eclectic morsels which are criminally underrated? Thus I give you Potica.

Potica, brought to my attention by Joe Pastry Food Blog, is a Slovenian dessert in origin. In essence it is sweet bread that is rolled with some kind of yummy filling. People over the years have used everything from poppy seed paste to cooked apples and from nuts to jam, some blasphemers have even taken it the savory route filling it with things like chives, eggs and bacon (the horror!). But I digress. This little doozy of a pastry is a fear to be reckoned with.

Joe Pastry calls this versatile treat “a roll that knows no borders,” commenting on the fact that different interpretations of this dish have come up throughout Europe, changing ever so slightly from one country to another. What remains to be seen is if this peasant food of Slovenia will stand the test of time (or should I say taste of time) and maintain a spot in our recipe books as well as our stomachs.

Photo courtesy MakeAWhisk

So now, in true Portland fashion, let’s revive this lost art of bread rolling. Lets’ put this dish on the Endangered Dessert List and bring it back to life one yummy loaf at a time. What better way to show our uniqueness than through a pastry that can be filled with practically anything (I can see the marshmallow Potica’s now. We can call it the Michelin Man! Oh the naming possibilities). So come on Portland, we already love doughnuts, why not give its Slovenian cousin a try?!

Find an epic yet basic recipe here, and make it your own!

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

I’d Like a B.C.C. on the Rocks, Pronto

Hello all you sugar lovers out there! This week I decided to take a recipe for Hazelnut Cappuccino Cupcakes that I featured a few weeks back and pull it apart and put it into something new and epic: adult beverages. Yep, that’s right, we’re goin’ there! Because who can honestly say that a Baileys Coffee Cake (B.C.C.) martini doesn’t sound good?! 

The arsenal

This recipe is simple, delicious, and still gives you the kick of sugar and caffeine you were looking for. Just start by grabbing some Baileys Hazelnut Irish Cream, any kind of Cake flavored vodka (I used Smirnoff), iced coffee, and a shaker full o’ ice.

Mix it all up!

Next just measure 2 oz. of Baileys, 2 oz of the iced coffee, and .5 oz. of the Vodka into the shaker. Close the lid and shake to your hearts content!

Once shaken, strain into a glass of your choosing and voila! Bingo bango drinko! You have now recreated a cupcake in a glass of hazelnutty goodness! See, wasn’t that simple?

Shaken, not stirred

The link to the original drink recipe that I toyed with can be found at  TheBar.com which provides a plethora, nay, a cornucopia of useful drink making tips and recipes.

Always remember to drink responsibly, and most of all, as Ron Burgundy once said, stay classy.

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

A Moment in the Spotlight: Putting Bakeshop on the Map

A flurry of news activity is bringing Portland bakery, Bakeshop, into the limelight. After two articles written in the last week there is no question that Bakeshop’s business is booming. With the necessity for sweets on Valentine’s Day last week the already formidable little shop became even more packed with the last minute crowd of lovebirds.

Bakeshop’s delicious treats. Photo courtesy of Bakeshoppdx

In a feature story last week by the Los Angeles Times, writer Alice Short compiled a through list of must taste bakeries and sweets shops here in Portland. While it is unclear what inspired Short to write about Portland considering her living and writing a state away, she did cover quite a few highpoints here in the Rose City.

Among these was Bakeshop, a tiny little bakery in North East Portland that is most commonly known for its products that can be found anywhere from Floyd’s Coffee Shop to Salt and Straw. But as popularity rises for their signature Figgy-buckwheat scone many people are venturing down to the hub of the process; the little storefront on Sandy Boulevard.

Kim Boyce, owner of Bakeshop. Photo courtusy of Bakeshoppdx

Kim Boyce, owner of Bakeshop and California native, was inspired to come to Oregon in search of a place where her creativity could flourish through food while her children could grow up in a unique Portland neighborhood.

In an interview with the Oregonian Boyce gave her followers a taste of what inspired her to open the shop, and what makes them unique. Her creations, which she started making in her basement when money was tight, were a whole grain alternative for the growing nutrition-conscious Portlanders who became her biggest fans. Starting as a predominantly wholesale business, Boyce was able to get her foot in the door at a variety of Portland businesses, which has flourished into over twenty clients who are supplied by her shop regularly for sweets.

As their notoriety grew they opened up a storefront on Sandy Boulevard in an attempt to give customers the options they wanted. Boyce clarified that she wanted to keep the space small in an effort to remain mostly wholesale yet “have this really special front counter where we get to interact with customers face-to-face.”

With the attention that has surrounded them in this last week’s news it will be interesting to see what becomes of this little gem of Portland in the future. Who knows where we’ll see the Figgy-buckwheat scone next.

Soy Hazelnut Cappuccino, please

After a long night of studying and an early morning class what sounds better than a nice big cup of coffee? A cupcake with coffee IN it!!! I mean, who doesn’t love cupcakes? So today’s journey is into the world of tiny cakes and yummy frosting! What better way to represent Portland than through coffee? It’s what we’re known for isn’t it? So I took that idea and ran with it. I wanted to showcase Portland’s non-seasonal offerings in the form of cupcakes.

Hazelnuts. Duh.

This time of year can be rough and what better way to combat that than with a shot of caffeine? Espresso to be exact. But then I started to wonder what exactly I could pair with this espresso flavor to make it even more delicious and it hit me: hazelnuts! Of course! No one ever thinks of these underrated cousins of peanuts but they were the perfect piece to the puzzle of my cupcake quest.

So this is when I searched the internet for anything I could find, and low and behold I found it! The perfect recipe for hazelnut cupcakes with espresso butter cream. From that point I just had to make it and see if it was as amazing as I hoped it was and damn. It was spectacular. The recipe, while simple enough, has resulted in an unforgettable experience. Unforgettable mostly because there are gobs of frosting all over both my kitchen walls and my shirt (damn you, shallow bowls!). But it was all worth it.

The frosting that is securely glued to almost every surface of my kitchen

It turned out to be just the sprinter(spring/winter) treat I was hoping for. So check out this recipe and try it for yourself. It’s affordable and easy yet accessible all year round! Even try substituting the instant coffee with Stumptown and make it even more Portlandy!

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

Lemon, Lemon, I’m in Heaven

What better way to end the night than with a yummy forkfull o’ pie?! This week I had the chance to sit down and do some recon on Random Order Coffeehouse. While I was there I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a slice of their award winning pie, and oh my, was I glad I did.

On the recommendation of a staff member I decided to try out the seasonal favorite of the moment, the shaker lemon pie. When I hear lemon pie I usually think yellow gelatinous goo with too much sugar, but I was delightfully surprised to find just how different their pie was.

The view from the pie case (how pies see the world)

It was made with fresh meyer lemons, and guess what?! You could even see the lemon slices in the pie! Instead of an over-sweet mess of blah there was a bang! hi-ya! zing! right in the taste buds. Now, my friends, this pie is not for someone with the faint of heart. All those with acid reflex or without a healthy love for bitterness need not try this baby. Yet what it lacks in straight up sweetness, it doubles back in hard core flavor.

Vanilla Sugar Salted Caramel Apple Pie. Photo courtesy of Random Order Coffeehouse

It being only one of the many pies made daily at Random Order, there is guaranteed to be a little something for everyone, from banana cream to Oregon berry. Adding to the appeal is there amazing hours, open till midnight on most nights. Perfect for those late night cravings or the all-night study sesh. I can’t think of a better treat than good pie, good drinks (they serve grown up drinks too), and some good company. Yum-me.

Want to make this pie yourself? Here is a recipe from Jeri Ryan of the Huffington Post to get you started!

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

White Trash Picnic: Late Night Doughnuts and Milk

So I know that there is a massive debate among doughnut lovers as to whether the tasty treats should be qualified as a breakfast food or a dessert. I’m gonna go out on a limb here as say damn right they’re desserts! They are the epitome of sweet, the mother of all things inventive and the food of a generation — the Voodoo generation that is. That being said, these little bundles of sugary dough have come to represent much more than breakfast here in Portland — they each are their own statement, showing that doughnuts can be both as individual and kooky as you desire, ranging from your typical cake doughnut (a favorite of old people and vintage doughnut enthusiasts) to the Cock-N-Balls doughnut offered by Voodoo doughnuts.

Surrounding Voodoo’s culture of oddity and deliciousness is a subculture of late night eaters of all ages, trekking to the downtown or Sandy Boulevard locations. When I was 18 myself and a group of my friends started a tradition that would stick with us for years. We initiated the White Trash Picnic (WTP). The festivities included a late night drive downtown, the purchase of doughnuts and milk at Voodoo, and a brief walk down to the waterfront to consume, chat and gulp our way through our spoils. There was something about that deep fried dough that brought us together, and still does to this day.

The moral to this story is simple, freedom is power. Our independence fueled our desire for something new, and our uniquely different tastes each found a doughnut to fit our needs. Whether that was through the Grape Ape or, my favorite, the Bacon Maple Bar (or as we call it, the Baple Bar) we were together, enjoying some local deliciousness among the glitz and glam of downtown Portland.

Lemon Oat Bourbon Cake Doughnuts. Photo courtesy of Chasing Delicious.

So here’s the deal, this time of year begs for a White Trash Picnic, and for those of us unable to make it downtown, or too poor to eat the prices at Voodoo, let’s make our own doughnuts! I was inspired by a recipe for Lemon Oat Bourbon Doughnuts from renown food blog, Chasing Delicious. So, in the true Portland spirit, lets make our own White Trash Picnic in the comfort of our own soggy backyards!

Forever yours,

Oh My Ganache

Top 10 PDX Dessert Date Spots

And now, with no further ado, I give you the holy grail of all things sweet for your sweetie here in Portland. Some days we’re just in the mood to skip dinner and go straight to dessert and these places won’t steer you wrong. Each one is uniquely different and perfect for a memorable date night.

Whether you’re looking for the ideal anniversary spot or an unforgettable first date, there is a place to suit your needs. Also, with prices ranging from cheap(!!) to moderate there is no need to fret over money. So next time you feel like indulging in some sweet desserty goodness with your honey just remember I’ve got your back!

Your’s Always,

Oh My Ganache 

Lemon³: Bitter is Better

Do you ever have those days when you just can’t seem to fight your cravings? I thought so. Me too! And this week my taste obsession was oddly LEMONS! Maybe my body was suffering from a lack of vitamin C, or maybe my taste buds just needed a zing. Either way, I had to have me some lemons.

The tough thing about lemons, though, is you can’t exactly just take a bite of one and eat it like an orange (if you can you are a BOSS). So I got thinking, what could I make with lemons? After a week filled with lemon chicken and lemon heads I decided I wanted to do something new. Something epic-ly delicious.

I decided to make lemon cake, but not just any lemon cake — the lemon cake to end all lemon cakes. I like to call it the lemon soaked lemon jello lemon cake but that name’s a little long to lets call it Lemon³ Cake (Three times the lemon!)

It is seriously the most simple recipe ever, consisting of a box of store bought lemon cake mix, a package of lemon Jello mix, eggs, water, oil, lemon juice and powdered sugar. Its so easy a boy could do it! (Just kidding guys, I know you can cook too)

Your ingredients

Start out with the lemon cake mix and add the jello, 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup veggie oil. Beat for 3 min. Then add 4 eggs and beat another 3 min. Put in a large cake pan of your choice and pop it in your oven preheated to 350°. Let bake for 40 min and voila! Cake! But we’re not quite finished yet. Take 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 cups powdered sugar and mix until dissolved. Poke little holes in the cake while it’s still warm with a tooth pick  and pour that lemony goodness all over it. It will soak into the cake and glaze the top of it.

And that’s it! You now have a delicious lemon cake that will seriously zing your socks off! Yay lemons!

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

Can I Have S’more Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars

So here’s the thing, this crazy bipolar weather we’ve been having is majorly confusing my brain. One minute its warm and sunny, the next its dreary, cold and wet. I can’t take it! With the end of the school term coming so soon all my poor little brain wants is summer. NOW! So naturally, what goes better with summer than s’mores?! (The correct answer here is nothing). So there I was, whining about the fact that it was too rainy for a bonfire when wham! I found it. The S’more bar. Seriously, it’s crazy to me that I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

So much ooey gooey goodness!

So I went searching for the perfect s’more bar recipe because really, how could I resist? That’s when I came across an amazing food blog called Willow Bird Baking. This awesome little site was home to a TON of great recipes. Honestly, it made it hard to choose one. But I was on a mission, and Willow Bird’s creator Julia had my back with an awesome recipe for Gooey S’mores Bars that I just had to try out.

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about whether these tantalizing creations would taste like the real thing, but after experimenting (meaning indulging on one of those bad boys) I can truthfully say that the spirit of s’mores is alive in these nifty little bars. So just because it’s dark, gloomy and awful outside doesn’t mean we can’t have a little pre-summer fun! So break out some PBR, rustle up some of these s’more bars, and light a candle and huddle around it in mock bonfire fashion. While the “fire” might not keep you toasty, the s’mores will surely be tasty so eat up!

Yours always,

Oh My Ganache

Gooey S’mores Bars: 

Recipe courtesy of Willow Bird Baking

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff

The Real Sweet Tart: Tangerine Tart with Vanilla Shortbread

Let’s be honest people, one can never have too much shortbread in their life. It’s just one of those things that never lets you down. No matter how much you fudge up the recipe, somehow it always seems to turn out just right. Maybe that’s just because it’s 90% butter, but still, I think that last 10% is pure magic!

So this week, because I’m tired/lazy/mentally burnt out, I decided to take advantage of this simple easy dessert while adding a little somethin’ somethin’ to keep it interesting. And that is how I came to make the Tangerine Tart. While roaming the internet for inspiration I came across a recipe on this awesome little food blog called Butter Me Up Brooklyn. This award winning site is full of amazing recipes and I highly recommend perusing their library of recipes.

Can’t go wrong with a shortbread crust!

What caught my attention was a recipe for a tangerine tart with a vanilla bean shortbread crust. HALLELUJAH! I honestly had never experimented with tangerines in desserts so this sounded like the perfect blend of ease and excitement!

So there I was, collecting my ingredients when I saw my least favorite yet favorite thing on the list: vanilla beans. While these little suckers never disappoint in the flavor department, they cost as much as a new pair of shoes! And you know I love me some new shoes, so I thought nay! I will not buy you, you little pods of flavor filled gold! So, I tweaked the recipe ever so slightly to meet my monetary budget (does this mean I can buy new shoes?).

One word: yum!

After compiling my ingredients I went to work, and this recipe took me about 30 min total to make. It was simple, fast, and, of course, delish! I substituted the missing vanilla beans for a touch more vanilla extract and my taste buds definitely didn’t complain. For those wishing to amp up the recipe try adding a few drops of orange extract, or even almond (don’t mix em!) to the shortbread mixture. My only qualm with this recipe is that it needed a little more oomph so I recommend substituting half of the lemon juice with orange juice, so that sweet citris flavor isn’t overpowered by the lemony bitterness. So get baking!

Yours Always,

Oh My Ganache

Tangerine Tart with Vanilla Bean Shortbread Crust

Makes one 8-inch tart

Recipe from Butter Me Up Brooklyn

For the shortbread crust:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
one vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1/4 teasp. more vanilla extract)
one egg yolk
pinch of salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups flour

For the filling:
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed tangerine juice (from about two medium tangerines)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
juice from half a lemon (Try mixing with orange juice)
powdered sugar, for dusting

Make the crust: In a medium bowl stir together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, egg yolk, and salt until smooth. Add melted butter, mix until combined, then add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Don’t fret if it looks a little oily.

Press walnut-sized balls of dough evenly around the edges of an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom then crumble the remaining dough over the bottom of the pan, and use your fingers to press the dough into an even layer. Use a fork to lightly prick the dough (every few inches or so) and freeze for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the crust from the freezer and press a piece of foil very tightly up against the bottom and up the sides of the crust. This avoids the need for using pie weights! Yay! Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove foil and use a spoon to press back the dough if it has puffed up then continue to bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the filling: In a medium saucepan whisk together eggs, yolks, salt and sugar until smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in the tangerine juice. Add the butter and set the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to stir until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, or about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the juice from half a lemon. Transfer the curd to a small bowl until the crust has finished baking.

Bring it all together: Remove the crust from the oven and pour the tangerine curd over the warm crust. Smooth the top and bake for 5 minutes to set the curd. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack until the tart comes to room temperature. Chill for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar, slice into small wedges and enjoy.