Inspiration: what is it? For me it is an ingredient I have had bumming around my pantry for a while. This week's inspired ingredient was dried fig. 
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This recipe just came to me while I was pondering how to use these whole, beautiful figs in a baked good. I wanted to use other flavours that would pair well with the figs, were reminiscent of the Mediterranean and were already on my shelf. 
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I made a simple pie crust, sweetened slightly, to wrap the figs in. Then I took some coconut butter, mixed it with brown sugar, lime juice and ground ginger, and spread it out on little rounds of dough. I topped the filling off with a single fig and wrapped them up. 
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I don't know if it was the dough itself or the size of my pockets, but the majority of them fell apart as soon as they hit the heat. The ratio in the filling between coconut butter and sugar was too low as well; I had oil dripping out of these and filling the pan. 
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The above was one of the successful ones. When I placed them on the sheet I had pictured them staying fully pinched shut, hiding the fig completely, but I quite liked the way the pastry just gently fell away, revealing the fig underneath. 
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These tasted much better the day after I made them. The filling lost some of the oiliness and the sugar became slightly chewy. I would really like to work with this recipe some more, especially perfecting the pie dough. There is at least one flavour element missing and I would like to find a way to add a little more color, even if it is as an embellishment. 


-Bizzle
 
This is going to be a short post because most people would not like to wax eloquent on their failures. I don't either necessarily, but I didn't want this picture to go to waste. 
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I also didn't want all my hard work to have been in vain either. Although 'hard work' in this case is open to interpretations. Anyway, on to the food. I was attempting to create dairy-free muffins for the sake of sharing to a class of eager playwrights, one of whom is allergic to milk. I admit I was a little frazzled whilst in the process of combining things and made a few mistakes. One of which was introducing lemon zest into the wet ingredients before the eggs. The other of which was assuming coconut butter would 'mash' in the same manner as real butter. One of these mistakes is the culprit for what is  seen here:
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That's right. Prematurely denatured egg pieces. Or, in rather more laymen's terms, my eggs curdled. At first I thought it was the lemon zest, but the more I think about it, the more unlikely that seems. But now I believe it was the small amount of coconut butter I had to melt in a timely fashion, aka microwave. Pouring hot oil into a mixture with eggs that hadn't been fully incorporated was an oversight on my part. But, in my defense, I've never baked with coconut butter before and I was nervous (there is a cute boy in the class I was baking these for). 
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Now because I said 'short' post I will leave you with just a few final thoughts. The muffins, despite their weird blotches of obvious egg, weren't too bad. Taste wise they were fine although they did leave the slightest oil aftertaste (afterfeeling?). I didn't take them to class because they didn't live up to my imaginary impress-upon standards but my roommates are enjoying them as we speak. 

There is a chance I will try again soon which will of course mean another post about them. In the meantime, non-existent readers (hello? are you out there?), I seek advice on baking with rock hard coconut butter. 

-Bizzle
 
Here at The Brooding Life... I have no hubby, no boyfriend, and no date with which to celebrate Valentine's Day. I just have a couple of roommates and a lot of time on my hands. Which is why I decided to do a little baking and make Banana-Coconut Muffins to munch on while we watch RomComs and the Olympics. 
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Now, I don't like my bananas ripe. I buy a bunch of green bananas, thinking that I will be able to eat them all in the very small time frame between just coming out of being green and before they start to brown. I always fail. Which is why our freezer is now home to an extensive collection of these brown beauties. 

One of my favourite things to eat made with these old bananas are my Mom's Banana Chocolate-Chip Muffins. She makes them for me whenever I come home from college and they are usually devoured within a few days. But today I didn't have any chocolate-chips. But Lord, did I have bananas. I also had some coconut lying around. 
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And thus a recipe was born. I threw together the mushed bananas, some coconut and the various quick-bread essentials. Although this time I included a new trick. I like dense food. But I also like light, fluffy food. Especially airy muffins. Which is why today I whipped the whites of my two eggs and then folded them in last, right before I tinned my mixture. I had an inkling this would help my muffins puff, and it did. 
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I didn't put a lot of sugar in this recipe because I am sick of overly sweet muffins. I also believe that Americans need to learn to cut back on their sugar intake, especially the processed stuff. Also, it totally justifies eating one with butter and honey on top, since there isn't a ridiculous amount already baked in. 
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So, Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Do something non-commercial for your love (or loves, or likes, or anyone you might appreciate) this year and bake for them. Remember, it doesn't have to be a complicated recipe or even a recipe at all. It can be a veritable hodgepodge of on-hand ingredients, as long as it's made with good intent. 
-Bizzle

This post is dedicated to my Mommy, whom I love very much. And who 'bought' me a nice, brand new, exciting set of mixing bowls from Williams-Sonoma for Valentine's Day. Thanks Mom, I love you. 
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