Thursday, January 6, 2011

Rosemary at Night

Dinner-ish, 2011

Chris is working late. I bought a roast chicken and made some beautiful homemade stuffing with fresh fennel and apples for dinner. It's all still in the kitchen. This cake I baked, actually it's more of a bread, outshined everything else. So here I sit, around 9:30pm, quite happily, with my glass of milk and my slice of Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. Actually, it's almost gone now. I know the photograph is a little homely, but trust me, it's really good. It's dinner-ish, if you believe in cake (or is it bread?) at 9:30pm equates to dinner. I originally saw this recipe in Kim Boyce's Good to Grain and was intrigued. I was reminded of it when I saw the Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks version on Pinterest. Have you played around with Pinterest yet? It's kind of fun. I also saw a B&W photograph of Sawyer while I was there. Remember him? I miss Sawyer. If you are curious, there's a link to my 'pins' over there in my right margin. I made some changes to the recipe, of course. Here's my version.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake (Bread)

2 1/4 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur)
3/4 cup raw sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for top crunch)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
1 cup olive oil (I used Greek)
3/4 cup skim milk
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped fine
3 ounces extra dark chocolate (I used one bar of Scharffen Berger 82% Cacao), chopped rough

Preheat oven to 350º
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk dry ingredients (this might seem a little strange, but I found it to work well). In a second medium bowl whisk eggs and add olive oil, milk, and rosemary. Whisk again. Add wet ingredient to dry and fold gently until all dry ingredients are moistened. Add 3/4 of the chocolate and fold until evenly incorporated. Pour batter evenly into pan and scatter remaining chocolate on top, pressing chocolate bits gently into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar on top of batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and skewer inserted in center comes out clean. I followed Heidi's suggestion and finished it beneath the broiler for a minute (just a minute, it goes fast) to caramelize the sugar.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson, which was adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce.

33 comments:

  1. he he... we are SO lucky, we're (only) into the beginning of the final season... yes, cherishing every second, not necessarily for sawyer, he's kind of popping to us in the commercials all of the time... have to admit we ff (the commercials!).
    oh, and bon appétit.

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  2. As you may remember, I fully endorse a glass of wine with a chocolate cupcake for dinner, so this seems like a perfect way to dine.

    I'm going to try this gluten-free - I'll let you know how it goes...

    (oh Sawyer....)

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  3. Well, as I believe a large slice of cold apple pie at 10am constitutes breakfast, I see nothing wrong with cake for dinner at 9:30. other than I could no way eat dinner that late :)

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  4. Cake for dinner? Dinner-ish? My kind of post :) I'm madly in love with Kim Boyce and this recipe has been on the top of my list to try. Thank you.

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  5. i wanted to give this recipe a try for a few weeks now - but i think our rosemary is frozen under all this snow and i have to wait for spring...

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  6. The flavors of this cake are so familiar. They remind me of home, Greece (sigh).

    I have never heard of pinterest and just linked to your page. I like it! You have a link to one of my recipes, thanks Denise :)

    Need I say a single word about Sawyer? Oops, I just did ;)

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  7. Where would we be without you to tip us off to so many good things?

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  8. I miss Sayid. A friend asked who my Fave Fives were and Sayid was right on up there. Sawyer is too, but Sayid is just such a bad a$$.

    I feel bad for woolf though, as I hated the way the show ended.

    I've been intrigued by olive oil cake for awhile now - you're not helping! :o)

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  9. The Herbfarm (all local) restaurant in Washington put this easy version out. No chocolate, alas.

    http://www.theherbfarm.com/dining/1234_RosemaryCake.html

    I'd probably add a little salt.

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  10. I could do that for dinner... in fact, I just might. Thanks for the recipe Denise :^)

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  11. Rosemary and chocolate? I'm there!

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  12. this sounds really delcious! thanks for the recipe!

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  13. I must admit I have never used raw sugar in a cake batter before. I have been drilled with the "beat the caster sugar till dissolved" method. I use raw sugar all the time; but have never entertained the thought of using it in a cake. So many interesting facets to this recipe. And you almost sound like you are apologising for the "homely" photo. Don't. It's perfect just as it is.

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  14. Sounds and looks delish...I will definitly try this.

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  15. Oh, my, I thought that was a bit of chocolate melted into that "homely" (not!) cake---I believe I would like rosemary at night. thanks for this!

    unfamiliar with pinterest--until this moment. It does look like fun.

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  16. This is my kind of bread, no doubt! Many thanks! And my rosemary still is living beneath a good food of snow. Amazing.

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  17. I've been eyeing this recipe in Good to the Grain for a while now...

    I haven't yet checked out pinerest - I'm worried about having one more distraction (already I have too many!). Sounds like fun, to be sure.

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  18. I must say that sounds perfectly delicious...must try it...must~x

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  19. Oh, and made even more perfect by resting on your (I'm pretty certain) own hand-made plate. Plus...milk out of a mason jar? Yes, please.

    What a delicious evening. And I love the title of the post, too.

    Happy 2011, dear!

    xoox
    -maria

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  20. woolf, Lucky you, your Lost world has not ended yet. Enjoy the journey.

    mosey, I'll have to try your chocolate cupcake and wine pairing next time. I hope gluten-free works. Let me know.

    kate, I'm a believer. I ate apple pie for breakfast the last time I visited my mom.

    Megan, I'll have to try this again with Kim's original ingredients. I've never baked with spelt flour. I look forward to tackling some of her other recipes in the book too. I returned it to the library and I'm thinking I might need to own a copy.

    WSAKE, No fresh rosemary... Bummer. It's a must. Spring is not too far off.

    Stacy, Well, what a very nice thing to say. Thank you.

    Magda, I've saved your Warm Puy Lentil Salad with Smoked-Trout, Ricotta Cheese and Grapefruit on Pinterest because it looks beautiful and delicious. I really need to make it. Thank you for posting the recipe and images.

    elizabeth, I know what you mean about the ending...

    cookiecrumb, I know I'd like the easy no-chocolate version as long as I replace the chocolate with a couple of their garnish suggestions (preferably fresh fruit and whipped cream). Thanks.

    Janis, I highly recommend it.

    Zia, I hope you are pleased.

    Jenn, Enjoy.

    Mariana, Believe me, I'm no professional baker. I used raw sugar simply because I had raw sugar on hand. I loved it, but if you know caster sugar usually does the trick for you, you should keep with it.

    Camilla, It is a treat, especially with the extra dark chocolate.

    Nancy, I'm really enjoying Pinterest as a great place to save images (and links) I like.

    Julia, This does seem like something you'd like. If you make any tasty changes, please report back.

    Lecia, I know what you mean about distraction. I try not to peruse Pinterest too often and think of it more as a place for organizing things I like and want to return to one day. It allows me to keep all of these images and links in one space. I think I'm starting to sound like an ad for Pinterest...oh my.

    t, It's so easy and so good. You must give it a try.

    Maria, Yes, it is one of my handmade plates. You noticed! I just might have to return to pottery one day soon. I do miss it, especially the hand building. Yes, milk in Mason jar too. You are the observant one!

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  21. Ah, this looks so yummy! I've been meaning to try an olive oil cake recipe, maybe I'll give this one a go.....

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  22. i just came across a recipe for rosemary & olive oil shortbread. and now your recipe seems like a little reminder. yum!

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  23. I'm sort of at a loss you can even question whether cake at 9:30 constitutes dinner. I don't think I want to know the person who would consider otherwise! This cake by the way, looks and sounds amazing. Printing it off to try very soon.

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  24. i saw that book (Good to Grain) and was very much attracted to it... this confirms my suspicion that it is a great book indeed! What a great idea to combine store-bought chicken with home made stuffing! Never heard of Pinterest before...heading over it now.

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  25. Maggie, I was pleased, but I would like to try baking it with the addition of spelt flour (in the original recipe) next time.

    Katrina, If your rosemary shortbread is anything like the rosemary shortbread I received as a gift several years back, you will be pleased. They were so incredibly good. Happy baking.

    Rachel, I hope you like it. You've really inspired me with the recipes you've pinned on Pinterest lately.

    Amelia, Yes, Good to the Grain, homemade stuffing, Pinterest...all good. I need to visit and see what you've been up to in your kitchen lately.

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  26. My goodness this sound delicious, dinner and dessert all in one!

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  27. Anne Marie, I did enjoy it. I'm in the mood to bake another, but I depart tomorrow, so... Soon.

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  28. oh i am loving on this recipe. and the photo!
    xo

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  29. i just made this cake with much success! everyone LOVED it. I'm really enjoying this cookbook. I love it when a recipe actually comes out looking like the picture.

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  30. jeffrey, So glad you enjoyed it. I do need to give this one another go, with Kim Boyce's original ingredients.

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  31. never heard of rosemary cake before but sound so good. I love rosemary. will try to make it oneday

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