I found this wonderful Pistachio  Cardamom Cupcake with Rice Pudding recipe on Vanilla Garlic.  The name alone conjured all kinds of delicious thoughts.  Pistachio.  I love pistachio!  Cardamom.  I love Cardamom!  Rice Pudding.   I love rice! 

I never tasted these ingredients together.   Who heard of rice pudding in a cupcake?  Not me.  But it sounded like something I wanted to try, for sure.

I started out with the rice pudding, which took much longer to make.  I loved how it turned out nice, sweet and creamy.  Then I prepared the cupcakes.  The aroma of the cardamom and vanilla filled the kitchen transporting me  to a magical place.  Made me do my happy dance. 

The cupcakes tasted delicious.  While some family members and I liked the combination of rice pudding in a cupcake, others didn’t.  So, they ate the plain cupcakes.  I have to say that the cupcake with the rice pudding tastes best when eaten a short time after it comes out of the oven.  Delicious!  I know I’m repeating myself but the cupcake really was delicious.  I took a bite, closed my eyes and savored all the flavors dancing on my tongue.

I made these Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes with Rice Pudding in honor for my friend who just celebrated a birthday.  Happy birthday month, Nancy!   Besos desde New York! 

Paz

Pistachio  Cardamom Cupcakes

Vanilla Garlic

Makes 12 cupcakes/ 350 degree oven

What you’ll need:

1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs

¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

½ cup of whole milk

¾ cup of unsalted, unroasted pistachios

1 cup of flour

2 teaspoons of ground cardamom

2 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

What you’ll do:

1-  Cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure complete mixture.

2-  Place pistachios in a food processor and chop until finely ground.  All the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder until pulse once or twice to mix.

3-  Add the mild and vanilla extract if using it to the butter mixture.  Mix wll.  Add the pflour-pistachio mixture and mix until blended.

4-  Place into cupcake papers, and bake for 16-20 minutes, unitl a cake tester comes out cloean (no crumbs) in a 350 degree oven.  Let cool on a wire rack.

5-  Cut out small cone shapd pieces of the cupcake and scoop the rice pudding into the little cupcake potholes you’ve made.  Cover with chopped pistachios.

Rice Pudding

Mastering Simplicity

Serves 4-6 (enough for cupcakes, plus a lot more for snacking!)

What you’ll need:

¾ cup of long grain rice

1 bay leaf

5-6 cups of whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 cup of sugar

large inch of salt

What you’ll do:

1-  Place rice in a small sauce pan with the bay leaf and two cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then drain.  Transfer rice and bay leaf to a heavy 3 quart pot.

2-  Add 4 cups of milk, the sugar, vanilla bean, and the salt.  Place over very low heat, stirring occasionally until milk has been absorbed by rice, about an hour.   Rice should be tender and rice should be creamy.  Add another 1 or 2 cups of milk and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.  Stir often to prevent the bottom from burning.  Revove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pistachio Cardamom cupcakes without the rice pudding.  Some preferred that.

Yikes!  I had to shell A LOT of pistachio nuts but it was worth it.  I love pistachio nuts. 

Most New Yorkers call pigeons ‘Rats with Wings’.  But I’ve developed a new admiration for these birds.  I’ve  found that they are intelligent and true survivors in the city.  A little cautious, the pigeon above posed for me to take its photo.  Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

Hot chocolate with whipped cream

I mentioned in an earlier post that Elizabeth (The House in Marrakesh) and I stopped at the Viennese inspired café at Neue Galerie.  It reminded us of Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners.  The café serves authentic Viennese specialities, traditional Austrian dishes, and patisserie like strudel and Linzertorte.  An extremely cold day, we both ordered hot chocolate with whipped cream.  Mmmm!  That certainly hit the spot.   Elizabeth ordered ham on country bread with crispy crusts with mustard spread.  Very delicious. 

We arrived at the café early and it was a good idea because a short time later, it became crowded.  Hours later, a line formed to dine at there.  Next time, I’ll make sure to go there with a big appetite.

Paz 
 

Open ham sandwich on country bread

 … on a cold day.

Have a great week, everyone.

Paz

Outside the Neue Galerie

(A stately Louis XIII-style Beaux-Arts styled building)

Okay:  So, it is not Monday.  I know.  ;-)  I’m sorry I’m very behind with my New York Monday post.  Life got in the way of my blogging, unfortunately, but here I am.  Better late than never, right?

This week I got to meet fellow blogger Elizabeth of The House in Marrakesh.  By the way, her blog and that of Maryam’s, My Marrakesh, have been mentioned in the March 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler — Marrakech Destination Guide.  Very exciting!  Congratulations, ladies!

So, we went to the Neue Galerie on Fifth Avenue, a museum that showcases early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design.    At the moment, paintings and drawings by Gustav Klimt are on display.  The museum includes a bookstore, design shop and two Viennese cafés.  Of course, we stopped at the cafe, as we wanted the experience, like the ones we always see on Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners.  I’ll tell you what we ordered in another post.

Continue to have a good week, everyone.  It’s almost Friday!  Yay!

Paz

Inside

Stairway leading up to the Galerie

On a roll, after making Kaiser Pancakes, from my Austrian cookbook, I decided to try another recipe.  This time, I made Steinkogler Gugelhupf — an Austrian cake.  This was interesting for me to make, since the recipe called for the use of  yeast.  I thought one used yeast only for bread.  Hmmm…  Well, I followed the instructions, used the yeast and watched my concoction rise, before putting it in the oven. 

Instead of one large cake pan, I used a pan with individual cups.  That way, everyone could have his/her own small cake, instead of a slice.  I liked the way it turned out.  Very nicely molded cakes. 

The cake had a interesting taste to it.  I’m not sure how to describe it — a hint of cornbread taste? I don’t know.  However, the confectioners sugar gave it a sweet taste.  I’ll have to ask Angelika how it’s supposed to taste.

In the meantime, a few weeks ago, I watched The Sound of Music (for the billionth time).  If I had to make something for the Austrian family in the movie, I’d make them this cake and hope that they’d like it.  

Now, for those of you who are familiar with the film, sing along with me:

Raindrops on roses,
And whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles
And warm woolen mittens.
Brown paper packages
Tied up with string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream colored ponies,
And crisp apple strudel.
Doorbells and sleighbells
And schnitzel with noodles,
Wild geese that fly
With the moon on their wings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I’m feeling sad.
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad!

My Favorite Things  (The Sound of Music)  — Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Hey!  Maybe next time, I’ll make schnitzel with noodles (what’s schnitzel?), as mentioned in the song, or crisp apple strudel… Hmmm…  It’s one of their favorite things!

Paz 

Gugelhupf before I sprinkled with powdered sugar

Steinkogler Gugelhupf

Imperial Austrian Cuisine by Renate Wagner-Wittula

Ingredients

150g (5oz) butter

100g (3 1/2 oz) sugar

6 egg yolks

350g (1lb) flour

approx. 250ml (8 fluid oz) milk

30g (1oz) yeast

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

butter to grease pan

flour for dusting

almond slivers

confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

Combine yeast, a small amount of warm milk, a pinch of sugar, and 1 Tbs. flour in a mixing bowl and keep warm.  Then melt butter in pan and stir until foamy.  Now, mix in the sugar, egg yolks, flour, milk, pinch of salt and the yeast mixture — stir vigorously until the batter forms bubbles and no longer adheres to the sides.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold in.  Grease a Gugelhupf mold with butter, dust with flour and sprinkle in the almond slivers.  Pour in the batter, cover and let rest in a warm location.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 340-350°F (170-180°C) and bake the Gugelhupf for about 1 hour, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

The von Trapp Family

The Sound of Music (1965)

Some time ago.

Have a great week, all!

Paz