5 Minute Cake

Yesterday I opened up my inbox to something truly incredible: a forwarded mass email that I actually wanted to read. My aunt had sent along a recipe for "5 Minute Chocolate Cake," an individual sized cake that bakes for 3 minutes in the microwave. I had come to believe that microwaves were only good for reheating leftovers and making popcorn, but I was pleasantly surprised to pop open the door after 3 minutes and find a moist, more than decent cake for tonight's dessert. For those late night chocolate cravings or times when you just don't want to put a lot of effort into dessert, this recipe is one to remember.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)

1 small splash vanilla

Directions:

(1) Mix dry ingredients in a microwave safe mug.

(2) Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

(3) Microwave on high for 3 minutes. NOTE: Place a plate under the mug to avoid messy cleanup if the cake overflows.

(4) Allow cake to cool. Put out onto a plate if desired.

NOTE:

I was missing a few ingredients, so I improvised to make the cake work. I didn't have any eggs, so I used 1/4 cup of crushed blackberries to act as a binding agent, and 1/8 tsp of baking soda as a leavening agent. I also only had about 1 tbsp of cocoa, so I added 1 tbsp of instant coffee in its place.

Pizza

I love pizza, and I especially like making it at home because I'm a fairly picky eater. For a long time I was looking for that perfect pizza dough recipe, one that would make a wonderfully thin, springy pizza with a crisp crust. And a few months ago, I found it - THE recipe.

This recipe calls for a slow rise in the fridge over several days to improve the flavour of the dough. However, instant yeast must be used for this method, and I prefer active yeast, so I skipped the whole fridge thing and let the dough rise traditionally in a warmed oven a couple of times. To modify the recipe, I used 2 tsp of active yeast, activating it in warm water (instead of ice cold) with a couple spoonfuls of sugar in it. I mixed the dough in a Kitchen Aid mixer, which makes the whole process ridiculously easy and results in a perfectly soft and elastic dough.

I also made the pizza sauce, not following any particular recipe, just adding what I wanted to the pan. I briefly fried some sliced onion and garlic in a couple glugs of olive oil, then added a tin of whole San Marzano tomatoes, a bit of white wine and a bay leaf. I let that simmer away, then pulsed it a few times in a blender with fresh basil from the garden, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar. I can't wait until our tomatoes are ripe so that I can use them future sauces.

The recipe made three balls of dough, so I froze the two I didn't use. For toppings, I just used what we had in the fridge/garden: grilled zucchini, leftover chicken, feta cheese, fresh basil, and chopped spinach from the garden. I baked the pizza at 425 degrees F until it was golden brown on top, about 12 minutes. Everything I've read says that pizza should be baked at the highest temperature possible, but in my experience, if you're not using a pizza stone (which I wasn't), the super hot temperature crisps the crust and browns the cheese before the interior of the pizza is fully cooked. 425 degrees was perfect, and the pizza was just right.

Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

I've been wanting to make fried zucchini blossoms for some time now, and last night I finally got around to it. They're fairly simple to make, but best of all, they are completely and utterly delicious.

Here's a simple recipe:

Ingredients

2/3 cup flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

Enough cold water or club soda to make a wet batter

Fresh zucchini blossoms, cleaned and with the stamen removed

Feta or goat cheese

Any combination of herbs, spices, garlic, etc.

Directions

(1) Put about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a small pot and place over low heat. The oil will be ready for frying when it reaches 350 degrees F, or when a small amount of batter rises to the top and fries.

(2) Use enough cheese to fill the blossoms, and mash with the flavourings. I used basil and garlic. Stuff the blossoms with the cheese mixture.

(3) Whisk up the batter. Dip the blossoms in the batter, ensuring they're completely coated.

(4) When the oil is ready, use tongs to place one blossom in the oil. It should bubble up and fry like crazy.

(5) After a couple of minutes, flip the blossom over with the tongs to ensure it completely fries. The blossom will be done when it's lightly golden all over.

(6) Put the blossom on some paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

(7) Let cool a couple of minutes before eating.