Blog Page

May 11, 2014 Breakfast

Happy Mother’s Day! // Peach Scones with Bourbon Glaze

It’s mother’s day! Which means every one of you should do something nicer than usual for your mom today. I’m lucky to be able to see my parents almost every week, something that I appreciate far more than I would ever have guessed at the end of high school when I couldn’t wait to flee the state of Massachusetts. It’s so nice to have an escape from the day-to-day only a short-ways a way, somewhere I can spend quiet afternoons outside (in a yard!) and sit down to family dinners with my parents, little brother, and Trevor. Although lots of other parts of the country (and world) appeal to me as destinations, the biggest deterrent to moving somewhere else permanently is being away from my family. Who knew I’d turn out to be such a momma’s girl?

On my visit home yesterday, I brought my mom a batch of these scones, baked fresh that morning, because she really likes scones. We used to go to high tea for special occasions when I was little, and although I couldn’t bring my mom a personal waiter in black tie for the day, I could bring some sweet and flaky baked goods. These particular scones are peach and Bourbon flavored, because not only is my mom sweet and loving and adorable, she’s also a lot of fun, and never one to turn down a margarita or a glass of sangria at the end of a summer’s day. I love that we can now share a drink (and a cackle) and gossip about family and work and friends while rocking back and forth on the porch swing. It’s easy to be friends with my mom.

These scones are quite different than others that I’ve had – whereas I usually think of scones as being a bit dry and crumbly and best served with gobs of jam and cream, these are more like flaky bites of pie crust, already soft and moist and flavorful without the addition of any condiments. I think the crumbly kind of scone has a lot going for it, namely its affinity for jam and cream, but these are a welcome addition to my ever-broadening definition of scones. One thing to note – don’t skip the Bourbon glaze, it’s essential for bringing out the best in these little pastries.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mother’s out there, but especially to mine! I love you, mom.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Peach Scones with Bourbon Glaze

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated via The Vanilla Bean Blog. Makes 10-12 scones.

2 c. flour
1 TBS baking powder
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
12 TBS butter, frozen
1/2 c. creme fraiche
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. diced frozen peaches (in 1/4 inch cubes)
1/4 c. heavy cream for brushing
1 TBS turbinado sugar for sprinkling

For the glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp heavy cream
4 tsp Bourbon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, 2 TBS of sugar, and salt until evenly combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together creme fraiche, vanilla, and eggs until evenly combined.
Grate the frozen butter over the large holes of a box grater. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture, and use your hands to toss the mixture until all the butter pieces are fully coated with flour. Add the creme fraiche mixture to the butter and flour and use a spatula to stir just until flour is fully moistened – avoid overmixing.
Lightly flour a work surface, and dump the dough onto it. Knead gently just until it forms a loose ball. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the ball into a 12 inch square, then fold the dough in thirds. Fold in thirds again in the other direction, leaving you with a tall, 4 inch square. Place on a plate and chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, until cold to the touch.
Once dough is chilled, return it to your work surface and roll out into a 12 inch square. Sprinkle the diced peaches over the surface, pressing them down lightly into the dough. Roll the dough into a log (like a jelly roll), then use the rolling pin to flatten the log into a 4 inch by 12 inch rectangle. Cut into 5 or 6 rectangles, then cut each rectangle in half, resulting in 10 to 12 triangular scones. Place scones on prepared baking sheet, and brush each generously with heavy cream, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 18-25 minutes, until scones are golden brown on the top. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, 4 tsp of heavy cream, and Bourbon until smooth. Glaze should be a good drizzling consistency. If it’s too thick, add a splash more Bourbon; too thin, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. Once the scones are cool, use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the scones in thin lines. Let set for 10-15 minutes, then serve.

May 9, 2014 Travel

Ecuador Travelogue: Cotopaxi

Salasaca Market

On the road from Baños to the final destination of our trip, Cotopaxi, we made a quick but memorable stop in the market town of Salasaca. Otavalo is the most famous market town in Ecuador, known for it’s enormous Saturday market, but it’s a good two hour drive north of Quito, and since our route kept us South of Quito, we jumped at the opportunity to make a quick stop in Salasaca when our guide suggested it. The small town square has perhaps a dozen or so vendors, but the goods (and the prices) were amazing, and we promptly spent all of our remaining cash on thick alpaca blankets ($20 a piece), colorful woven hammocks ($26 for the biggest size), hats, and alpaca sweaters. The quality of everything we purchased is high, the colors beautiful, and the women selling us the blankets were lovely and appreciative of our purchases. After reading more about the Otavalo market after our trip, I’m glad we passed through Salasaca instead – whereas Otavalo seems to have become a tourist destination with all the accompanying tourist junk for sale, Salasaca provides a more authentic and more intimate market experience. Hacienda Santa Ana

An extra suitcase worth of blankets in tow, we finished our drive from Baños, through the town of Machachi, and up a very long and very bumpy road to Hacienda Santa Ana, a beautifully restored hacienda-turned-inn right on the edge of Cotopaxi National Park. Santa Ana was our highest-end accommodation for the whole trip, and we luxuriated in the thick down comforters, the large couches by the stone fireplace, and the general atmosphere of elegant coziness. It’s a small inn on a huge property that once belonged to the Jesuits, and the decor still reflects its rich religious history. Shortly after we arrived (well, actually, shortly after our horseback riding adventure which happened immediately after we arrived), we were greeted with a canelazo, a warm clementine, cinnamon, and aguardiente cocktail that will almost certainly be making an appearance on this blog the next time it’s cold and gray. This and other little touches – hot water bottles to take to bed with us, gorgeous period furniture, a plentiful supply of hot tea, and walking through the grounds to say hi to the llamas – made our stay at Hacienda Santa Ana very pleasant. My only caution about staying at Santa Ana: it’s a long drive back to town, so be prepared to eat all your meals at the inn. Dinners were satisfying and tasty but not particularly inspiring, sort of overpriced but not exorbitantly so considering the fact that it’s the only option. It wasn’t a problem and wasn’t a highlight for us. All things considered, I’d highly recommend staying at Hacienda Santa Ana. Horseback Riding at Santa Ana

When my mom was planning this trip (thanks mom!), the one activity I was adamant that she include was horseback riding. I rode for a long time as a kid, but these days my opportunities to ride are very infrequent. We booked our ride for the afternoon we arrived at Santa Ana, but delays in the mornings and threatening weather had our guide worried about our choice. But I insisted. So as soon as we got out of the car at Santa Ana, Patricio, one of the chagras working at Santa Ana, handed us our chaps and ponchos, and we mounted up. It was raining lightly as we headed down the road, but I was still on cloud nine, chatting with Patricio using only my practically non-existent Spanish skills, and clopping down the cobblestone road. Trevor and my family were really just being good sports by coming along, but I was glad we were all there. At the end of the road, Patricio let us through a gate into the fields, and we rode through one of the coolest landscapes I’ve ever seen, giant tufts of dry grass clumped around our horses’ feet and the ragged edges of Ruminahui volcano in the background. I loved it. Things got a little hairy on our way back down – Trevor’s horse slipped down a muddy hill and rolled on top of his leg. Amazingly, he was fine, but it thoroughly freaked out my brother who decided that he would be walking the rest of the way home. Quite the adventure. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Cotopaxi Glacier

The main event of our time in Cotopaxi was, unsurprisingly, climbing Cotopaxi, the 19,000 foot tall active volcano that would dominate the landscape were it not usually shrouded in clouds. I’m exaggerating a little – we didn’t summit the mountain – but we did climb past the base camp and up to the edge of the glacier at 16,400 feet. Even after a week at elevations of 9,000+ feet, being at an altitude that high is really hard, and I’ve never felt my body turn so sluggish with such tiny movements. It’s overwhelming. It was also bitterly cold as we climbed through the clouds that were spitting hail and rain at us, but we moved slowly, drank lots of water, rested frequently, and pushed through. As we neared the glacier, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds once or twice, illuminating the fascinating landscape and the colors of the plains below, and even though my mind was foggy, the experience was amazing. After touching the glacier (or building a snowman on it if you were Trevor), we hurried back down, and after a quick lunch at Tambopaxi refuge, we all collapsed back at the hotel, much more drained than we had expected to be. I’ve always dreamed about serious mountaineering – climbing Kilimanjaro, McKinley, etc. – but this brief encounter with true altitude made me question if I’d really enjoy it. Quechua Farmers

On our last “tour” day we left Hacienda Santa Ana and made the long drive west to Quilotoa lagoon. On our way, we stopped at the house of two local Quechua farmers, to see their traditional lifestyle. The houses are really dugouts, covered with long sloped roofs of dried grass, and the Quechua raise guinea pigs and vegetables for local markets to make their living. Their farm, spread out over the sloping mountainside, gave Trevor and me serious farm envy, especially their huge onion bulbs and dark loamy soil. The family was very welcoming during our short visit, and the experience didn’t feel pretentious or awkward like others geared towards indigenous culture can. It was a brief stop, but very memorable. Quilotoa Lagoon

Quilotoa lagoon is a water-filled caldera about 2 1/2 hours southwest of Machachi. If you see it in a brief moment of sun, the water is a brilliant emerald green, but our encounters with sun in Ecuador were few and far between. The lagoon is stunning, and when you arrive, you can hike down the dirt road to the edge of the lagoon, where you can rent a kayak if you still have the energy. My family is pretty active, so we refused the offer to reserve mules for the trip back up (at $8 per mule, and you have to decide before you hike down), but oh man, climbing back up out of that crater might have been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Walking up the sliding sandy path, I was huffing and crying and counting my steps in sets of 50 just to get myself to keep moving. I don’t know if it was the altitude, or soreness from the previous day’s hike, or the fits of rain, or all three, but I felt pathetic, and the mules literally cantering past me every 20 minutes or so where like salt in the wound. It was a beautiful landscape, but my memories of the day are not overwhelmingly positive. On the other hand, Trevor and my brother and my mom were all totally fine climbing back up, so if you want to attempt it, go for it. Just trust your guide when he says that it’s not as easy as it looks from the top. After a quick lunch at one of the small hostels in town, we were back in the car for the long drive to Quito. If you’re planning a trip to Quilotoa, I’d recommend trying to fit it in on your way somewhere – we basically did an out and back, and it was a lot of time in the car. It looks like it’s about an hour off the main highway from Baños to Machachi/Quito, so if you’re headed along that path anyways, that would be the time to do it.

May 5, 2014 Dessert

Quarter-Century Celebration // Angel-Food Layer Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Although my 25th birthday was two and a half weeks ago, I’ve only just finished celebrating it, as per usual. This weekend we hosted a joint celebration at our house – the culmination of my birthday festivities and the kick-off of Trevor’s (one week from today!). It was a casual thing – grilled pizzas made-to-order and eaten on the porch, hot arancini dipped in tomato sauce to tide us over between pizzas, pitchers of mojitos, blackberry sangria, and a wealth of good beer. We managed to rally a crew to go out dancing afterwards, and it was a really fun night. I already like being 25; no quarter-century crises for me so far (I think I had mine when I was 21, anyway).

Everything was delicious, but the culinary highlight of the evening was undoubtedly this gorgeous cake that Trevor made – three layers of homemade angel food cake, spread with strawberry jam, an airy whipped cream cheese frosting, and mounds of fresh berries (best when swiped through the frosting on the top of the cake). It was stunning to look at and dreamy to eat, sweet and light and perfect. And it only took 20 egg whites to make. Now I just have to come up with something that tops it for next week.

Past Birthday Posts:
2013: Triple Lemon-Cake with Lemon-Mascarpone-Cream Cheese Frosting
2013: Sparkling Strawberry Sangria
2012: Mom’s Birthday Waffles with Strawberry Sauce

Angel-Food Layer Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe based on The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts. Serves 12.

For the angel food cake:

290 grams cake flour
200 grams confectioners’ sugar
400 grams granulated sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
800 grams large egg whites (roughly a score of eggs [editorial note: that means 20])
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

8 oz box cream cheese
2 ½ cups of heavy cream
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c. sugar

For the assembly:

¾ cup jam of choice (I used strawberry)
1 pint strawberries
½ pint blackberries
½ pint raspberries

Instructions for cake:

Sift together cake flour and confectioners’ sugar. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together salt and cream of tartar.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Separate egg whites (really make sure you don’t get any yolk in there), and add salt to them in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip using a stand mixer (or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.) Beat on low until foaming, gradually raising the speed of the beaters while adding the granulated sugar in batches. Beat until stiff, foamy peaks are achieved.
Add vanilla and gently fold in. Fold in the flour and sugar mixture in in several additions, being careful not to mix too vigorously, as the batter will deflate.
Pour batter into two 9-inch springform cake pans and two 6-inch springform cake pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and firm to the touch. Do not grease the pans – the pans need to be ungreased so that the cake can climb up the sides and get that nice airy texture.
Invert the cake pans on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge when the cakes are cool and carefully unmold. Run a knife between the bottom plate and the cake before attempting to remove the bottom plate.

Instructions for frosting:

Mix cream of tartar, sugar and vanilla into cream cheese. Gradually add heavy cream and whip until it is the consistency of dense whipped cream. Chill until

To assemble:

Place the first large cake on a plate, and spread jam on the top of the cake. Spread frosting on top of the jam. Put each additional layer on with jam and frosting on top, leaving the last layer jamless.
Frost the rest of the cake, and artfully arrange berries on top. And add a flower. Put additional berries on slices. Can’t have too many berries.

May 3, 2014 Recipe

Monthly Fitness Goals: May // Warm Arugula Salad with Maple-Mustard Dressing

April’s goal was my least successful so far. It turns out that cumulative goals are much easier for me than daily goals, where you have no room to recover from a bad day and make up for it later. 8,000 steps a day seemed like an easy target, but weekends in particular – my sore spot to begin with – proved much more challenging than I expected. Some of the 11 days that I came in under 8,000 I’m excusing myself for: there were a few days where we spent all day outside in the garden, and although walking up and down a hill with watering cans and shoveling compost for hours may only count as 5,000 steps, it’s certainly more active (and exhausting), then taking a walk through the park. Other days I think my tracker app was a little glitchy – like when it thought I slept at the liquor store and drove for the entire 15 minute walk to the train. But really, I don’t want to make too many excuses. I just didn’t quite succeed, and I need to recognize that.

But failing doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a good goal – on the contrary, it means it was a hard goal and therefore a great goal. There’s no point in setting your sights too low. So although I have a new official goal for May, I’m not taking the 8,000 steps off my list, either. I know I won’t get it every day, but having it in the back of my mind makes me so much more conscious of how active I’m being, and even on the days that I fell short, I made an effort to get out at lunchtime, or walk through the park on my way home. So I want to keep doing that, and I’m considering ordering a real tracker to help with the technological frustration piece. Although, the idea should be the movement, not the number. We’ll see.

Moving forward… it’s May! How on earth did that happen so fast? I think my problem is that I spent so much of January, February, and March yearning for the next season, and then you get here and realize that the year is almost half gone. I’ve been doing a good job keeping up with my running, getting faster and feeling better, and I’ve been toying with the idea of making this summer another racing season (it’s been over a year since my last race). What I haven’t been doing so well with is my cross-training: I’ve only been to ballet twice in the last six weeks and I’ve completely abandoned my Nike Training Club strength workouts. And once you stop doing those, it’s really hard to start from scratch again. So that’s my goal for May, to work that stuff back into my routine, without letting the running slip either. Specifically, I want to do 180 minutes of NTC workouts this month: ideally, I’ll be building in 15 minute sessions to the end of my runs, but in case that isn’t working out for me, I can also do more intense 45 minute sessions once a week. I know the first few sessions are going to be killer, but it will be so satisfying to feel toned again.

As for this month’s healthy recipe, Trevor and I are arguing about what to call it because I wanted to call it a “bounty bowl,” which he insists is vomit-inducing (his suggestion: “It’s A Fucking Salad, Get Over It.” So crass, that boy.) As you can see, we’ve compromised with Warm Arugula Salad (boring). But it doesn’t matter what you call it – what matters is that the maple-mustard dressing is so addictive, I would eat anything that you put underneath it. That said, I highly recommend this particular combination of ingredients: spicy arugula, warm crumbled Italian sausage, wheat berries, goat cheese, and roasted asparagus. It’s got spring freshness and zip from the arugula and asparagus, but with the warm sausage and wheat berries it’s hearty enough for chilly nights.

Past Fitness Challenges

January: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March: Run 40 miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites
April: Walk 8,000 steps a day; Recipe: Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Maple-Mustard Bounty Bowl

Serves 2.

2/3 c. wheat berries
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 bunch thin asparagus
2 TBS olive oil, divided
sea salt
1/3 lb. hot Italian sausage
4 c. fresh baby arugula leaves
2 oz. soft goat cheese
2 TBS mustard
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS maple syrup

Add the wheat berries and the chicken broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cover pan, and simmer for 40-50 minutes, until wheat berries are tender. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the stem ends from the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus into 2-inch lengths, then toss with 1 TBS olive oil and sea salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast until bright green and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and squeeze the sausage into the pan in small pieces. Break up further with the back of a spoon, and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through and browned all over, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the salad. Toss the arugula with the wheat berries, roasted asparagus, and warm cooked sausage. Divide between two bowls, and dot each bowl with 1 oz. of goat cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, and remaining 1 TBS of olive oil until smooth. Drizzle the dressing over the salads and serve.

April 30, 2014 Asian and Indian

Book Club: Eating with the Chefs // Indian Butter Chicken

The Book: The newest cookbook on my shelf is Eating with the Chefs, a photography-driven book that documents the family meals served at the world’s greatest restaurants. The goal of the book: to take you behind the scenes, into the kitchens and after-hours, to experience the “family life” of the people who make these restaurants run, and the “honest, simple food” they make for each other outside of the dining room. From the pillars of America’s modern dining scene (The French Laundry, Chez Panisse, Blue Hill at Stone Barns), to the international innovators that have been making global headlines for the past few years (Noma, Attica, Mugaritz), you will get a little taste of the experience and flavors of each restaurant, without needing to hop on a plane and fly to Denmark/Australia/Spain (as nice as that would be if you could). Like all of Phaidon’s books, Eating with the Chefs is gorgeously designed, an art book as much as a cookbook, if not more. The pages are thick and matte, the text sparse, and the stories are told primarily through the gorgeous and subtle photographs of Per-Anders Jorgensen, the book’s creator. The restaurant stories and recipes are found interspersed between the pictures in text “inserts,” further emphasizing the focus on the photography. It’s a book you’ll want to leave out on the coffee table. As for the recipes themselves, between the seemingly universal unwritten rule that family meals should be straightforward and comforting and the immense talent and creativity of the chefs cooking them, the 50 recipes included in this book fall right in the sweet spot of how I love to cook.

The Food: As soon as I saw the recipe for Indian Butter Chicken in Eating with the Chefs, I knew it had to be the first recipe I tried. I’m forever on the hunt for recipes that accurately approximate my favorite Indian takeout dishes, but making good Indian food requires such a thorough study of cooking techniques and knowledge of Indian pantry ingredients that it can be a real challenge. I’ve had good success with recipes like these Pea and Potato Parathas and this Pakistani Chickpea Pulao, but none of them have been “takeout-y,” by which I mean over-the-top rich and spicy and addictive. As you might expect from one of Australia’s pre-eminent chefs, this recipe hit all the right notes of great Indian food – creamy, spicy, salty, savory – and was perfectly balanced. I’m really excited to have added this one to my repertoire, and if the other recipes in the book are as dead-on as this one was, I’m going to have a lot more dinners in my rotation.

Recipe Shortlist: Basque-Style Garlic Soup; Emmer Wheat Foccaccia; Quark Pillows with Corn and Grilled Peaches; Holiday Cannelloni; Squab Torte; Roast Chicken with Apple and Onion Confit and Pommes Mousseline; Lentil Stew with Pork Ribs; Quay’s Green Chicken Curry; Chocolate Ripple Cake

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Eating with the Chefs from Phaidon, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Indian Butter Chicken

Recipe from Eating with the Chefs. Serves 2.

1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 lb. 2 oz. skinless chicken breasts or thighs
3 TBS butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 TBS grated fresh ginger
1 TBS whole cumin seeds
1 small cinnamon stick
1/3 c. canned diced tomatoes
1 fresh red chile, seeded and sliced
1/4 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1 TBS ground almonds
3 sprigs fresh cilantro, to garnish
salt to taste

Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, salt (to taste, approximately 1/2 tsp), garam masala, and ground cumin in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour over the chicken, making sure chicken is fully coated, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
When ready to cook, melt the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds, and cook for 3 minutes, until spices are fragrant and onions are lightly browned.
Add the cinnamon stick, diced tomatoes, and sliced chile to the pan and season with salt, then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and it’s marinade to the pan and stir to combine, then cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Stir in the ground almonds and cook for a final 5 minutes. Serve with rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.

April 28, 2014 Travel

Ecuador Travelogue: Baños

Town of Baños

We spent the third leg of our trip to Ecuador in Baños, a small town nestled between mountains that’s a hotspot for adventure tourism and hippie expats. It has a laid-back party-town vibe, and it was definitely the most touristy stop on our trip, but not in an obnoxious way – it’s a town where tourism just feels like a lifestyle. There’s a lot to do in and around Baños: hiking, biking, rock climbing, rafting, ziplining, etc., and we only got a small taste of the town and the adventures it has to offer in our two days there, but I would definitely go back for more. Right after arriving we headed to the town hot springs, which were super-crowded and a little grungy, but with very hot pools and a gorgeous view of the waterfall running right next to it. I found the springs a little stressful because they were so busy, but for an entry fee of $2, it’s worth giving them a try. After a quick soak and a shower we headed to dinner at Casa Hood, where I was surprisingly excited to eat “gringoized” food – I had a plate of fried eggs with potatoes, black beans, salsa and avocado, basically my ideal meal at any time of day or night. They also had real espresso drinks and a smoothie bar – I was tempted to go back in the morning for a green smoothie, but figured the fresh fruit juice at our breakfast buffet was probably enough sugar for one morning. Trevor was still really sick at this point and sleeping in the hotel, so we didn’t linger for too long, but it was a fun little restaurant.

Hotel La Floresta

During our short time in Baños we stayed in Hotel La Floresta, a modest but comfortable hotel on the edge of town (it’s a small town). The rooms were simple but comfortable enough, and I liked our little balcony with its woven hammock. The hotel had an open courtyard design with a beautiful interior garden, and it was really pleasant to sit in one of the alcoves and chat – in fact, we did just that with a bottle of wine and a few surprisingly good local cheeses instead of going out to dinner our second night. Like everywhere we stayed, breakfast was plentiful and delicious, the fresh fruit juices and strong coffee (always served with cocoa!) being a highlight. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for reasonably priced but still comfortable accommodations in town.

Route of Waterfalls / Ruta de Las Cascadas

The highlight of our time in Baños, and perhaps even of the entire trip for me, was the bike trip we took along the Route of Waterfalls. It was a gorgeous morning, the only truly sunny day we had for the whole trip, and the views the whole way were absolutely breathtaking. The biking is a little precarious, since you’re biking along the shoulder of a busy two-lane highway for about 70% of the time, so it’s not for the faint of heart. I’m not a very confident biker, though, and I never felt unsafe – so I think as long as you’re expecting to be on a busy road, you’ll be fine. And when you’re off the road, on an old cobbled path that winds along the edge of the mountain, it’s amazing. It took us about 3 hours to do the whole thing, stopping frequently to take in the views of the numerous waterfalls you pass, and for a longer break to take a cable car across one of the larger gorges.

El Pailon del Diablo

At the end of the Ruta de las Cascadas you reach the big attraction – El Pailon del Diablo, a huge, beautiful waterfall that’s been built up with staircases and wooden bridges so that you can get right up close to the pounding falls. We spent about an hour hanging out at the waterfall, which is reached by an easy walk down a well-maintained path (and left by a not-so-easy walk back up). It was really an awe-inspiring sight, and worth the short trip from Baños even if you aren’t up for the biking portion. A little town has sprung up around the waterfall, and we had a late lunch at a little hotel/restaurant in town called Miramelindo – I had potato and avocado soup with chocho salsa, a fresh blackberry milkshake, and a giant burrito, and it pretty much hit the spot. After lunch, we threw our bikes and ourselves in the back of a canvas covered flatbed truck for a ride back to town, which was far more harrowing in my opinion then being a biker on the road.

El Virgen

We didn’t get to do much hiking while we were in Baños, but I did convince my parents and Trevor to get up early our last morning and hike the 600+ steps up to the statue at El Virgen. Two friendly stray dogs decided to join us on our walk and impressively made it all the way up and back down again without leaving our side. I’m not really a dog person, but these had to be the friendliest and least needy stray dogs ever. It made for a memorable walk. It’s not the prettiest hike, but it’s certainly a good way to get your heart pumping and there is a great view of the town and surrounding mountains at the top. If you want, you can continue your hike from the statue and loop around to some other viewpoints around the town, but we had to get back for breakfast and our next adventure.

Ziplining at the Canopy

On our way out of Baños towards Cotopaxi, we stopped for one last jungle adventure: ziplining at a place called The Canopy, which was about 20 minutes out of town and well up the mountainside, but doesn’t seem to have a web presence I can direct you to. Heights are not my strong point, but I convinced myself that I would at least try it – since there were 6 different segments of the route, crossing back and forth across the river with short hikes in between, I knew I could stop after the first two short segments, if I wanted. I actually felt really safe – the equipment and cables were seriously heavy duty and the guys helping us were really cautious and obviously knew what they were doing. Still, I didn’t love the short segments, so was pretty sure I wasn’t going to love the 500m segments, so I designated myself the official photographer while my family and Trevor finished the course. If you’re into ziplining, this is definitely the place to go – much more pleasant than the terrifying-looking one that we rode by on our bikes!

Papallacta Hotsprings

We actually stopped at Papallacta on our way from Quito to the Amazon, before we made our way to Baños, but the climate there was much more similar to Baños than the Amazon, so I’m including it here. Papallacta is a small village with natural hot springs, and there’s a very clean, very nice resort at the top of the town. We spent a few pleasant hours lounging in the pools, enjoying the tropical landscaping, and admiring the views of the surrounding mountains. It’s a really cool spot, and well worth the $7 admission fee. We also enjoyed people-watching: there was a really fun group of tiny old Ecuadorian ladies plus one little old Ecuadorian man who were just having the time of their life. If you’re driving along the road from Quito to Tena, or even looking for a day-trip from Quito, I’d definitely recommend Papallacta. The drive there is beautiful, too.

April 24, 2014 Dessert

Graeter’s New Flavors // Tahini Caramel and Sesame Brittle Sundae

A little while ago, Graeter’s reached out to me I’d asked if I was interested in trying out their new ice cream flavors – three new “A Little Less Indulgent” varieties, and four new gelatos. To be perfectly honest, I’d never heard of Graeter’s – they’re more of a midwestern brand and we have plenty of great creameries in New England – but I said yes anyways, because, well, I really love ice cream. Like, more than most people, I think. I didn’t make any commitment to writing about the new flavors, but after my first few bites, I knew I would have to share, because it would have been a crime not to. It’s really good stuff. I’m a particular fan of the Salted Caramel Truffle Gelato, which I savored two spoonfuls at a time, straight out of the pint, every night for a good two weeks. It’s fabulously soft and creamy and richly flavored, and although I’m not sure I could swallow the $10/pint cost of ordering it online, if I ever see some in a store near me, I’m stocking up immediately.

I decided to share this delicious new discovery with you in the form of a sundae. I mean, if the ice cream is “A Little Less Indulgent,” that just means you have an excuse to douse it in caramel sauce, right? This sauce is inspired by a dinner we had recently at Oleana, a Middle Eastern mezze restaurant in Cambridge that’s nearly impossible to get a reservation at (at least by Boston standards). We had a lot of delicious dishes that night, but the most memorable one for me was the dessert: Turkish-style Profiteroles with Sesame Cashew Caramel and Sesame Halva. It was amazing, and I couldn’t get over how addictive the sesame caramel sauce was, so I wanted to try making it at home. It ended up coming out just how I wanted to, so now I might have to make caramel this way all the time. Adding tahini to the caramel makes it that much more unctuous and satisfying, and it cuts the sweetness with its deep savory flavor. But as much as I love the sauce, I think the real star of the show might have been the Salted Sesame Butter Brittle, which I decided to make at the last minute to add crunch, and more sesame flavor. It’s a Ming Tsai recipe, and Ming Tsai is pretty much infallible in my eyes – this recipe was no exception. I was a little concerned by how opaque and soft the caramel mixture looked at first, and how long it took to color, but as soon as I bit into the hardened candy I knew I never should have doubted. It’s more like sesame toffee, really, and I made myself a little bit sick I ate so much of it. Lesson learned. Maybe. All together – the ice cream, the tahini caramel, the sesame butter brittle – it was a solidly delicious dessert.

In other news, my blog is going through some growing pains this week – I’m finally biting the bullet and switching over to WordPress.org – so bear with me as I make some changes. Hopefully I’ll be able to unveil a flashy new custom design in a few weeks, but until then be warned that it might be a bit messy. And, as I think through how my content might evolve, I would love to hear if there are recipes or post types that you’ve enjoyed more than others! Shoot me an email or leave a note in the comments and I’ll be super grateful.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a sample of Graeter’s ice cream free of charge, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Tahini Caramel and Sesame Brittle Sundae

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 TBS crumbled Salted Sesame Butter Brittle (recipe below)
2 TBS Tahini Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Assemble. Serve.

Salted Sesame Butter Brittle

Recipe from Ming Tsai. Makes 3 cups of brittle pieces.

3/4 c. white sesame seeds
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
sea salt

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add the butter and the sugar to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Melt over medium heat. Stir just to combine once melted, then stop stirring, and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in toasted sesame seeds until well mixed, then pour caramel out onto lined baking sheet. Spread the caramel to 1/8 – 1/4 inch thickness using the back of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over the top of the hot brittle. Let cool completely, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tahini Caramel Sauce

Inspired by Oleana. Makes 1 cup.

1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 TBS tahini

Pour the sugar into an even layer in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt and turn amber. At this point, gently stir the melted parts into the un-melted sugar a little bit at a time. If the sugar clumps, stop stirring for a minute to let it melt.
As soon as all the sugar is melted and amber brown, carefully add a little bit of the heavy cream, stirring as you do so – the cream will make the caramel bubble up violently. One bubbling subsides, add the rest of the cream in a slow stream, stirring as you do, and stopping if it bubbles up too high. Stir until caramel and cream are fully mixed, then remove from heat. Add tahini and stir until it is melted. Let cool slightly, then serve.

April 20, 2014 Cookbook

Book Club: Hungry for France // Pistachio-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Cream Sauce

Hungry for France: Adventures for the Cook & Food Lover

The Book: If you’re even a little bit of a Francophile, or have ever found yourself daydreaming of a vacation in France punctuated by long dinners in the countryside, you’re going to want to get yourself a copy of Hungry for France. A cross between a memoir, a travel guide, and a cookbook, with all three components tied together by a love of French food, this book will have you planning your next vacation and tomorrow’s dinner at the same time. The book covers 13 regions in France, alternating notes about the best inns and restaurants in each region with recipes inspired by memorable dinners in those same establishments. As a result, the recipes are hyper-local to their particular corner of France, with hearty dishes like Cheese and Bacon Tarts from the Alps, and fresh, warm-weather seafood dishes like Roasted John Dory with Tomatoes and Olives from Cote d’Azur. By separating the recipes into these regional sections, the author highlights the wonderful variety of French cuisine – from delicate cream-filled pastry, to rich duck confit, to grilled seafood dishes, to hearty alpine stews, it’s all here. I love the recipes that are included in the book – they present slightly unexpected but still traditional flavor combinations that sound highly craveable, the kind of dishes I’d order from a restaurant in a heartbeat. They aren’t the French “basics,” – they’re modern and interesting, but still quintessentially French. There are as many recipes for sweet dishes as savory, which is good, because the French do both so well that it would be a shame to leave either one out. Although I haven’t nearly finished reading all the notes about different restaurants and destinations, what I have read perfectly captures the romance and magic of travel, expertly intertwined with practical advice about where to eat, sleep, and drink in France.

The Food: The night I planned to test a recipe from Hungry for France for this review, I came home from work completely exhausted and almost defaulted to plain spaghetti for dinner instead, until Trevor rescued the evening and said he’d do all the shopping and cooking if I could stay awake long enough to take pictures. I readily agreed, and very happily sat at the kitchen counter enjoying a glass of Chardonnay while Trevor made a lovely dinner for us. This Pistachio-Stuffed Chicken with Parmesan Cream Sauce was relatively quick to pull together, but it had lovely, nuanced flavors from all the herbs and different liqueurs used, and made for a very elegant, restaurant-quality dish. We served it with a warm orzo and pesto salad for a perfect little dinner (and the leftovers were just as good for lunch the next day). I particularly liked that the recipe used both vermouth and grappa in it – all the alcohol cooks off, but the flavors remained distinct. It will definitely be a repeat dinner dish in our house, and I can’t wait to try other recipes from this book.

Recipe Shortlist: Green Asparagus with Chorizo Vinaigrette; Nanterre French Toast with Honeyed Nectarines; Golden Endive and Chard Gratin; White-Wine Steamed Mussels with Andouille Sausage; Curried Pork in Cider Sauce; Hot Buckwheat Rolls; Hazelnut-Crusted Goat Cheese with Rhubarb-Raspberry Compote; Hot Chartreuse Souffle; Truffled Eggs en Cocotte with Prosciutto Toasts

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin’, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Hungry for France free of charge from Rizzoli, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Pistachio-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Cream Sauce

Recipe from Hungry for France. Serves 4.

1/4 c. milk
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 thick slice white bread, crust removed
3 TBS olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 c. dry vermouth
1/4 c. finely chopped roasted, salted pistachios
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
2 TBS grappa
1 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. heavy cream
3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBS butter
fleur de sel (or sea salt) for finishing
chervil sprigs, for finishing (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat milk with thyme, bay leaf, and garlic over medium heat, just until bubbles appear around the edge, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and strain into a shallow bowl. Add the bread and let stand for 10 minutes, turning once. Drain and squeeze dry, then finely chop and transfer to a medium bowl.
In a medium frying pan, heat 1 TBS of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in vermouth and cook until nearly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Scrape half of the shallots into the bowl with the bread, and add the chopped pistachios. Reserve the other half of the shallots for later.
Using a sharp knife, cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each chicken breast. Use a spoon to stuff a few TBS of the bread and pistachio filling into the slit of each breast, and pinch together to seal.
In a large frying pan, heat the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until hot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Check to be sure chicken is cooked all the way through by cutting into the center of the fattest breast. However, try not to overcook the chicken as it will dry out fairly quickly. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside.
Add the grappa to the reserved shallots in the medium frying pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Very carefully tilt the pan and use a long match or lighter to ignite the vermouth. When the flames subside, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, cooking until reduced to half a cup , about 4-5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced to half a cup, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and butter until both are fully melted. Transfer to a blender and process until frothy.
Ladle the sauce into the bottom of 4 bowls and top each with a piece of chicken. Finish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and a few sprigs of chervil.

April 17, 2014 Food

An Easter Appetizer // Duck Fat Toasts with Quail Eggs and Asparagus Pesto

A few weeks back Trevor and I were raiding the North Andover Market Basket on a trip home for cheap meat and ethnic produce (think yuca, hot peppers, plaintains), basically grabbing everything that’s particularly overpriced at Wholefoods and throwing it in our cart. As we strolled the aisles, I saw a container of tiny, spotted quail eggs, and for some reason had to have them. I had no idea what I was going to cook with them, but they were so delicate and pretty I knew I wanted a good reason to photograph them and share them here.

Since then, every time I open the fridge the quail eggs are staring at me, questioning me. What will you make with us? Hard-boiling quail eggs seemed way too tedious for me, although I’m sure you could make an adorable plate of deviled quail eggs if you’re the patient type (the internet confirms, and with caviar nonetheless). Baking seemed inappropriate, as the whole point is their tiny cuteness, and who wants to convert “2 large eggs” into quail eggs? Basically, the only option that was both visually appealing and non-tedious was frying them, so that’s what I decided to do, although really, that only limits the recipe choices to things you would put a fried egg on, which isn’t limiting at all.

Since Easter is just around the corner, and eggs, particularly tiny spotted ones, are a harbinger of spring and new life (plus these quail eggs mostly just made me crave Cadbury Mini Eggs), the rest of the recipe evolved into something that would be a pretty appetizer for Easter brunch. Inspired, too, by our recent trip to Au Pied de Cochon’s Sugar Shack in Montreal, where practically every course involved duck fat, I unearthed our giant vat of duck fat from the freezer. Baguette was sliced and crisped in the duck fat, basil and asparagus were blended into pesto, and the tiny eggs were fried in the duck fat drippings. A few slices of Trevor’s home-cured guanciale (which, to be honest, I haven’t tried yet, due to fear of botulism) rounded out the springtime spread. The resulting toasts were pretty, seasonal, finger foods, that crunch and smush when you bite into them in a very satisfying way. If you’re looking for something to put out with the champagne this Sunday that will have everyone licking their fingers, consider these.

I should probably call out right now that I realize this recipe is a little bit ridiculous. Plain toast too boring? Add duck fat! Regular eggs too big? Find tiny quail eggs! Basil pesto been done? Add asparagus! But hey, sometimes what I want is food that’s quick and simple and sometimes I want something over the top and chef-y. And you know what? If you wanted to make this with big eggs, regular pesto, and full-sized slices of toast, it would probably be just as good. I do insist on the duck fat, though – it does magical things to toast.

Duck Fat Toasts with Quail Eggs and Asparagus Pesto

Serves 6 as an appetizer.

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 c. cubed parmesan cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
10 thin stalks asparagus, woody ends trimmed
3/4 c. packed basil leaves
3-5 TBS duck fat
1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal into at least 12 slices
sea salt to taste
12 quail eggs
12 small slices guanciale or prosciutto (optional)
black pepper to taste

Make the pesto: add the garlic, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil to a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped. Add the asparagus and the basil and pulse until fully blended, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set pesto aside.
Heat 2 TBS of the duck fat in a frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add as many slices of baguette as will comfortably fit in the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining toasts, adding more duck fat as necessary to ensure that crisp, golden outside. Lightly salt the toasts with sea salt as soon as they finish cooking. Set finished toasts aside.
Lower the heat to medium-low, and let pan cool off slightly, before carefully cracking quail eggs into pan. Shells are a bit harder to crack then chicken eggs – using a knife may help you crack them neatly. Fry until whites are set, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a plate.
To assemble: spread a spoonful of pesto on each toast. If you’d like, top with a small slice of guanciale, then place one of the fried eggs on top. Grind a small amount of fresh black pepper on top. Serve within 30 minutes (you can make everything in advance except the fried eggs).

April 10, 2014 Dessert

CW Color Bakeware Giveaway // Strawberry-Bourbon Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Sauce

A few weeks back, Corningware reached out to see if I’d be interested in checking out their new line of bakeware, CWColor, and creating a recipe inspired by the fun new pieces in the line. Intrigued, and always on the lookout for dishes that can add a pop of color to my photographs, I agreed. I received four casserole dishes that nest neatly together: a small yellow dish, a medium-sized red dish, and two larger blue dishes (you can actually see the blue dish in my recent Maftool post, if you’d like). I really do like the colors – they strike just the right balance between brights and pastels, adding a fun, modern splash of brightness to my kitchen. I’ve been craving a good homemade dessert recently, so I knew that I wanted to use the dishes to bake something sweet, but still colorful and spring-like. Strawberries were the obvious choice, but I just made strawberry-rhubarb meringue pie a few weeks ago, so it needed to be more creative than that. Brainstorming with Trevor, he brought up the blueberry and white chocolate bread pudding I made last summer, and the idea quickly planted itself in my head and grew into this amazing strawberry-bourbon bread pudding with white chocolate sauce.

This recipe is one that gives a whole lot more than it takes. It’s quick to assemble – a few minutes to chop up the bread and the strawberries, a minute to whisk together cream, eggs and vanilla, a minute to measure out the sugar and bourbon and pour them over the strawberries, and two minutes while the pudding is in the oven to melt a little white chocolate for the sauce. All simple steps, but when you open the oven and pull out that bread pudding, redolent of bourbon and vanilla and roasted strawberries, and drizzle the warm white chocolate sauce over the top, even you will find it hard to believe how easy it was to make such an intoxicating dessert. Yes, it’s full of vices – booze and gluten and dairy and sugar – but it’s good to eat something sinful every once in a while.

Sometimes when I’m blogging late at night, which, let’s be honest, is most of the time that I’m blogging, I find myself standing in the kitchen bent over the island, with the only light in the room my photo lightbox, brightly illuminating whatever dish I’ve just finished photographing. My camera is put down on the counter, and I stand there, fork in hand, finally testing the finished product. I usually only take a few bites before kicking back into gear for clean-up, but sometimes, when I’m really tired, and whatever I’ve made is really good, and the light is directing all my remaining focus and energy into the little space between me and the food, I stand for what seems like forever, slowly taking bite after bite, pondering just how much I really enjoy food. Truly. It’s such a pleasure. This bread pudding was one of those dishes, a dish to savor. Who knew bakeware could create such inspiration?

Giveaway now closed! Congrats to Danielle Taj on winning!

Giveaway details: Corningware has offered to send one Katie at the Kitchen Door reader a casserole set of their new CWColor products. To enter, leave a comment below letting me know what spring baking you have planned this month. By entering, you are agreeing to the official rules as listed here:

~~No purchase necessary~~
~~Void where prohibited~~
~~One entry per household, and only entries answering the question above will be considered!~~
~~The sponsor of this giveaway is Corningware~~
~~The estimated retail value of the Corningware bakeware is $50~~
~~The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received~~
~~This contest is only open to U.S. Citizens over the age of 18~~
~~The contest will open today, April 10th, 2014 at posting time, and will close at 11PM EST on Thursday, April 17th, 2014~~
One winner will be selected randomly and contacted via email (so please leave an accurate email address!). If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, the winner forfeits their prize and an alternate winner will be chosen.
~~I will post the winner here by Friday, April 25th~~

Disclosure: I received product and compensation for recipe ingredients from Corningware in exchange for writing this post. I was not otherwise compensated and all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Strawberry-Bourbon Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Sauce

Inspired by Taste of Home. Serves 4-6.

3/4 c. heavy cream, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 c. 1-inch bread cubes, from a soft homemade loaf such as pullman or challah, about 1/2 lb. in total
2 c. quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. bourbon
butter for greasing the pan
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, the vanilla, the salt, and the eggs together in a large bowl until fully combined. Add the bread cubes and toss with the cream mixture until the bread is fully coated. Set aside and let sit for at least 15 and up to 45 minutes so that the bread soaks up the cream.
Toss the quartered strawberries with the sugar and the bourbon until well mixed. Set aside and let sit for 15-30 minutes until the berries are very juicy. Combine the berry and bread mixtures in one bowl and stir to thoroughly mix.
Grease a 1.5 qt baking dish with butter. Add the bread pudding mixture to the pan, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until bread is golden brown, custard is semi-set, and juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Pudding can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Just before serving, add the remaining 1/4 c. of heavy cream and the white chocolate chips to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, just until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour the warm sauce over the bread pudding.