Train Ride

When Barbie and Miike come to town one thing the kids love is the TRAIN RIDE!!

We love Pappie Mikie

We rode the train up to a park in San Mateo.

Chloe's 1st birthday

Andrea's family came over for a great birthday feast celebrating

Chloe's 1st and Spencer's 13th birthdays.

Barbie was able to come to town and help us find some yummy cakes.

Chloe had a cute banana cake.

And Spencer had a chocolate cake with piano keys on it. It was cool.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the dinner so nice.

Chocolate Molten Cake

1 cup flour
1/3 cup coco powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Combine above ingredients.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoon melted cooled butter
2 teaspoon vanilla

Add above ingredients to dry mixture. Pour into buttered souffle dish.

Boil 1 1/2 cup water
add 1 cup brown sugar and
1/3 cup coco powder

Pour into mixture in souffle dish

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
-From Martha Stewart's tv show

Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

deep dark chocolate cheesecake Bon Appétit | October 2006

Makes 12 servings. Jeanne Thiel Kelley Crust 24 chocolate wafer cookies (from one 9-ounce package) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted Filling 1 9.7-ounce bar Scharffen Berger 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate,* chopped 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Scharffen Berger) 4 large eggs Topping 3/4 cup whipping cream 6 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate,* chopped 1 tablespoon sugar Bittersweet chocolate curls *If unavailable, substitute another high-quality bittersweet chocolate. For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground; blend in sugar. Add melted butter and process until well blended. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature

or filling:
Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight.

For topping:
Stir cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour. Do ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Egg Rolls

-from Cook's Illustrated #79

Filling
3 cups minced napa cabbage
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound ground pork
6 tablespoons minced scallions
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon garlic minced
2 egg whites, beaten

square gyoza wrappers (packaged)

1. Toss cabbage and salt in colander. Let stand 20 minutes; press cabbage gently to squeeze out excess moisture. Combine cabbage with all other filling ingredients. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
2. Place large spoon full of filling in wrapper and fold as shown on package. Moisten final edge with moist finger and finish wrapping.
3. Fry in deep fryer asap.

Rich and Tender American Dinner Rolls

-From The American Test Kitchen cookbook

It's important to keep the pieces of dough cover while rounding them into rolls; otherwise they will quickly dry out and develop a dry skin.

1 1/4 cups whole milk, warm

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, beaten

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for counter top

2 tablespoons sugar

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoon) instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, the yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Wisk the milk, 8 tablespoons of the butter and the egg together in a medium bowl. With the mixer on slow speed, add the milk mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute.

2. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If, after 5 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. ((I don't recommend this- wetter dough is better-I think))).

3. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. ---OR----- you can place the dough in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours. If you do this, let the dough set at room temperature for 30 minutes before going on to step 4.

4. Divide the dough into 24 even pieces and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keeping the other pieces covered), round them into small balls. Space the balls evenly on a parchment-lined backing sheet and wrap loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have dearly doubled in size (they will touch slightly) an the dough springs back slowly when indented with a finger, 30-60 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and bake until golden, 20- 25 minutes. Let rolls cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm.

Alternative make ahead method:

After laying the shaped rolls on a baking sheet in step 4, cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls for up to 16 hours. Before baking let them sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.