EVERYTHING NICE

Mexican Inspired Dressing

2012-01-31T10:33:00.002-05:00

I made this dressing for a taco-type salad the other day and fell in love. Its tangy with a kick and just perfect for a little Mexican flair to a meal. Didn’t get a picture, as it is not very photogenic. Also, in my opinion, the more lime you add to this the better. The salad I added this dressing to was a mix of red leaf lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, scallions and avocado. I also added some kidney beans (would’ve been better with black beans, but kidney was all I had) for some protein. Obviously chicken or steak would be great as well.

Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
½ teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie

2011-11-26T16:00:00.004-05:00

This is one of my new favorite pies. Practically a chocolate chip cookie in pie form.

Delish!

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie
Baked Cookbook

1 ball of classic pie dough (1/2 recipe)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon whiskey
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the whiskey, and beat the mixture on high speed for 1 minute.

Fold the walnuts and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.

Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the filling with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes (this will prevent the crust from browning too quickly). Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.

The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Ginger and Cardamom Cookies

2011-11-26T15:57:00.004-05:00

I really loved these cookies. They were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect, in my opinion. I also just love the look of the crackle cookies. They just look so rustic! The hint of cardomom was excellent, and who doesn't like cardomom?!

Ginger and Cardomom Cookies
SP Cookie Queen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 ounces crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use silpats.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. I ended up using ground cardamom because that was all I could find out here in the boonies where I live, but if you can find the pods that would be even better; you can then grind them yourself.

In a large bowl add the brown sugar and oil and mix till combined. Add the eggs and mix till combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. The mixture will seem a bit dry, but it will hold together nicely.

In a small bowl combine the granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. Set aside.

Scoop the dough into large tablespoon sized balls and flatten out the balls a bit with your hands, then roll in the sugar mixture. Place the cookies on a baking sheet 3-inches apart. Bake for 13 -15 minutes. Let cool on the pans. Don't wait for the cookies to be completely set when you pull them out and they will remain chewier.

Baked's Classic Pie Dough

2011-11-26T13:33:00.003-05:00

I figured I should post the dough recipe for all the Baked pies I've been making. Here it is. I really do like it, very flaky and buttery.

Classic Pie Dough
Baked Cookbook

Yield: 2 balls of dough, enough for 2 (9-inch) single-crust pies of 1 (9-inch) double crust pie

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup ice cold water

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together.

Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss the cubes in the flour mixture to coat. Put the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the pieces of butter are the size of hazelnuts.

While pulsing in quick, 4-second bursts, drizzle the ice water into the food processor through the feed tube.

As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, remove it from the food processor and divide it into two equal balls. Flatten to a disk and wrap each disk first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the disks until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.)

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

2011-11-26T13:23:00.005-05:00

I love pecan pie. I remember my grandmother making it, in true southern fashion. Some people say its way too sweet for them. But I love it. Let's be serious. When I saw this recipe in the Baked Cookbook, I knew I was going to have to try it. I brought it to Thanksgiving, where other people just loved it to death as well!

Please ignore the picture. Bad lighting.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Baked Cookbook

1 ball of classic pie dough, chilled
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup (6-ounces) semisweet chocolate

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding over any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup of the pecans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla and bourbon. Whisk again until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.

Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell. Slowly pour the filling on top of the chocolate chips. Arrange the remaining 1 1/4 cups pecan hales on top of the filling.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again.

Cool the pie on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

2011-11-26T13:19:00.004-05:00

I love several things about this biscotti. First, it has pumpkin. "nuff said.

Second, it is not too hard. I hate a super hard, crumbly biscotti.

And third, it has chocolate.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti
The Perfect Pantry

3-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat (silicone liner) or parchment paper, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices until well mixed. In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well, adding in the chocolate chips. The dough will be quite firm.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and form them into rectangular loaves about 3/4 of an inch in thickness. Mine ended up being about 12'' x 3'' each. Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are cracked on top and set in the middle, 25-30 minutes.

Let the loaves cool at least one hour, until almost completely cool. Slice crosswise into thin slices, 1/4'' to 1/2'' thick. Lay the slices on the baking sheets (they can be quite close together, as they won't spread) and bake for another 15 minutes.

Let the biscotti cool completely before dunking, or store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

2011-11-16T11:28:00.004-05:00

Yup, I'm still obsessing over pumpkin. Can't get that little orange vegetable out of my mind! (Is it a vegetable?! I'm not sure...)

These were a great cookie. Very mild pumpkin flavor, but just enough. The cookie was crisp and crumbly like a snickerdoodle but pretty light also. This meant that I could shove 7 in my mouth at one time. (Yes, I did that, and no, I am not marathon training anymore)

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Annie's Eats

For the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

2011-10-27T13:46:00.003-04:00

As per usual around this time of year, I am totally enamored with pumpkin. I bake with it, I put it in my oatmeal and I generally give it all the love I can.

Many moons ago, Ladyjaypee made some pumpkin bread when I was home for a school break. I couldn't get enough of it. Today, I enlighten you with that pumpkin bread. I halved the recipe as shown below and added chocolate chips because I got an extra large size bag from Costco and feel the need to add them to everything.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
All Recipes

1/2 of a 15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one large loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50-70 minutes in the preheated oven. Mine took about 70 minutes to completely finish cooking. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Healthy Pumpkin Cookies

2011-10-25T12:22:00.006-04:00

I have been so incredibly lazy when it comes to blogging lately! I have been baking, not at the same frequency I used to, but it has mostly been things I have already made and posted before. Or I'm just too tired from running my butt off to be bothered with photographing. But, for a split second one morning at 7am, after a 6 mile run, I found the will to photograph the last few of these cookies I had left. No natural light, so excuse the picture.

I really loved these cookies. They are almost like a Lara Bar with pumpkin. They taste chewy, probably from the dates, but are easy to put together as long as you have a food processor!

Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
Fun and Food Cafe

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates
4 tbsp honey

Take a baking sheet and roast your pecans for about 10 minutes, watching them carefully so they do not burn. you can also do this on a stove in a wok. or you can buy Toasted Pecans in the first place.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom and nutmeg to the ground meal and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, honey, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a large spatula.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the batter slightly. Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad

2011-08-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is such a great salad. Very appropriate to bring to work for lunches! Which is, of course, what I am using it for! I also added some extra veggies liked chopped carrots, tomato and cucumber. The "dressing" can be made according to your preferences: more oil, less lemon juice, etc.

Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad
Oh She Glows

One 15-oz can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed

2 cups spinach

1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped finely

Juice from 1.5 limes

3/4 cup fresh Cilantro

1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt + ground pepper

1. In a food processor, add the spinach and pulse a few times until chopped very small. Add the processed spinach, drained chickpeas, and chopped onion into a large bowl.

2. In the food processor (no need to rinse the bowl!), add the lime juice, cilantro, mustard, sugar, garlic, cumin, and oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Pour the dressing on top of the spinach chickpea mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for about 10 minutes to let the flavours develop (optional- I didn’t!). Serve over a bed of grains, like brown rice. Serves 1-2.

Felafel

2011-07-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

I love felafel along with almost all other Greek/Mediterranean food. I finally made some felafel and froze the extras for another day. These were perfect for throwing into lunch, whether it be a salad or in a sandwich.

Felafel
Sugarcrafter

1 (15 ounce) can chick peas

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp onion, finely minced

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the beans completely, and then place them in your food processor along with all ingredients except for the breadcrumbs. Pulse a few times just until well-blended, and then spoon into a medium-sized bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and combine.

Form the mixture into small balls and flatten them slightly. Bake for 12 minutes and then flip and bake for another 12 minutes.

Banana Soft Serve

2011-06-22T08:02:00.000-04:00

Oooooo this was a great discovery. It's funny. I found this recipe and made it and one day later, a sugar loving friend (hi Butthead!) emailed me that I had to try this new "Banana fro yo" recipe! Haha. Great minds think alike.

This really is a genius idea and tastes just like dessert. This is how I made it the first time, but Butthead suggested adding some peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder, which of course I tried as well and was super delicious!

You can make this in either a blender or a food processor. I've done both and think the food processor is easier, but it works in a blender, nonetheless.

Banana Soft Serve
Oh She Glows

1 frozen banana

1/3 cup Almond Milk (or your choice of milk)

1 T chia seeds (thickens it)

Chocolate chips, if so desired

Directions: BLEND!

Rhubarb Pie Tartlets

2011-06-15T07:45:00.000-04:00

Loved these little pie tarts. The crust is very unique in that it has cornmeal in it, which gives a crunchier texture. Very good. The rhubarb filling is perfect. I had some farmer's market rhubarb that made a very tangy filling, which was perfectly offset with the crust here.

Rhubarb Pie Tartlets
Brown Eyed Baker

For the Cornmeal Pâte Brisée Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
¼ to ½ cup ice water

For the Rhubarb Filling:
1 to 1½ pounds rhubarb (about 5 cups ½-inch diced)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, lightly beaten (for the egg wash)
Sanding sugar or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Make the crust. Place the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, until the dough just holds together (do not process for more than 30 seconds). Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten each to form a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. While the crust chills, make the rhubarb filling. Combine the diced rhubarb, both sugars, the cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb releases its liquid and begins to breakdown, creating a thick, chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. One at a time, roll each disk of dough into a 14-inch circle. Using freehand or an upside-down bowl, cut out 5-inch circles and place on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Spoon rhubarb filling into the center of each dough round (about 2 big spoonfuls), leaving about an inch border around the edge. Fold the border over the rhubarb mixture, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds.

5. Brush the edges of the dough with egg, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles a bit, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Berry Tart

2011-06-08T11:34:00.000-04:00

This is really a mix between a tart and a crisp. The topping is that of a crisp, but there is a crust below the filling. I baked it in a 9 inch round cake pan. This was really the perfect mix between crust, filling and strudel topping. For the filling, I used mostly rhubarb and cherries. Yum, a really great, tart combo!

This tart was apparently from the LA Times. I will certainly make this again. It was the perfect summertime dessert. And I couldn't stop eating it. Winning!

Rhubarb Berry Tart
Baking with Lisa

For the almond crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup + 3tbsp sugar (I used half brown sugar and half granulated)
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
1/3 cup almond meal (super easy to make: just grind whole almonds in a food processor or coffee grinder)
3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy. Add the egg yolk until it is incorporated, then add the whole egg and mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the almond meal, flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl slowly and continue mixing until the dough is thoroughly combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but not wet. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disc. Refrigerate one portion for at least an hour, and freeze the remaining portion to use later (thaw in the fridge before using).

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax paper). Roll out the dough into a circle slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie or tart pan, and trim off any excess dough. With a fork, prick holes all over the dough to allow steam to escape during baking. Bake until light golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Measure the flour and the brown sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter all at once, and pulse until the mixture looks like damp crumbs.
2. Empty the crumbs into a large bowl. Add the oats and nuts. Work them in with your fingers until the topping is stuck together in big clumps. Refrigerate until needed.

For the tart:
1 1/2 pounds fruit (I used a combo of rhubarb and halved cherries)
1/3 cup sugar (if the fruit is really tart, you can increase to 2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp corn starch (If you like a runnier filling, you can reduce to 2)
1 par-baked tart crust
1 recipe streusel topping

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the tart crust on a baking sheet lined with foil. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch. In a large bowl, gently combine the fruit and the dry ingredients. Dump the mixture into the tart shell and spread evenly (don’t worry if it looks over-full). With your fingers, sprinkle the topping over the fruit, making sure to cover the whole surface area.
2. Bake for 35-50 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
3. Cool the tart on a rack before unmolding. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.

Beet Pizza Dough

2011-06-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

I loved the idea behind this dough: purple pizza! How fun! It was easy enough to make, the same as regular pizza dough, although with beets. And if you don't like beets you're nuts.

I didn't enjoy the pizza as much as I hoped. The dough was fun and made for a different sort of crust flavor! However, it was definitely not as good as some of the better regular dough's out there. If you're in for a change, though, this could be the dough for you! I topped my pizza with green pepper, fresh mozzarella and onions.

Beet Pizza Dough
The Cooking Photographer

3/4 cup cooked and chopped beets, lightly packed in a liquid measuring cup (or see notes)
Enough almost warm water to make 1 cup when mixed with cooked beets, plus 1 Tablespoon.
1 package bread machine or active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
3 cups all-purpose flour (Use good quality all-purpose or bread flour)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl

1. Scrub beets under warm water to clean. Stab a knife into it a few times for venting. Line a plate with paper towels, place the beet on the plate, and cover with a paper towel. Microwave the beet on high for several minutes until easily stabbed through with the knife. Cool completely.

2. Chop the beet into chunks. Place 3/4 of a cup of the chunks (lightly packed) into a liquid measuring cup. Top with enough water to make 1 cup. Puree the beet/water mixture in a blender until smooth. (A couple small chunks are ok, but you might end up picking them out as you roll the dough. You can also strain beet mixture through a fine mesh strainer if you have one.) Pour the mixture back into the liquid measuring cup and top with enough water to make 1 cup, then add 1 more Tablespoon.

3. Add all the ingredients into a stand mixer bowl. Mix with the dough hook until well kneaded.

4. Remove from the bowl and knead by hand for 2 minutes on an unfloured surface. (If you have a counter that stains find another place). Then pat into a ball.

5. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and add the dough, flipping once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.

6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, do the final stretches by hand by gently pulling the ends with your fingers. Place on a lightly oiled and coarse cornmeal covered pizza pan, and then add the toppings.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

2011-06-02T07:39:00.000-04:00

These were some great scones for a summer morning. Very easy to make. They are a bit crumbly, but I love how they aren't overly sweet. The lemon and blueberry really works well together!

Lemon Blueberry Scones
Gimme Some Oven

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

3/4 cup milk or buttermilk (I used 2% milk)

1 cup fresh or frozen berries (don’t thaw them)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor or into a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and oil and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk and berries and stir gently just until the dough is combined.

Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the cookie sheet. (If they are sweet and you want a brown, crunchy top, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.) Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a knife or pastry cutter and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least an inch apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven.

If you would like to add glaze, stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until well-blended. (Feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to make the glaze your desired consistency.) Brush or drizzle glaze on top of cooled scones (or if you’re impatient like me, brush while they’re warm), and serve.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-05-30T11:57:00.000-04:00

These were a healthier peanut butter cookie. I brought them for a sweet afternoon treat during the week. These were moist and very peanut buttery!

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
From Oh She Glows

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup peanut butter (I used all natural)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk
Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. In a medium mixing bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and combine. Place the batter into the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Remove from fridge and shape into 1-2 inch balls, place on baking sheet. Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees and let cool for 5 minutes.

Banana Cream Pie

2011-05-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

I got my mind started on pies last week. Not sure what came over me, but all of a sudden I wanted to make and subsequently eat pie. I was having a hard time deciding what kind to make. Should I go with my favorite lemon? Or go with a fruit pie for summer? Spice suggested a cream pie. And Banana Cream Pie entered my mind.

Not sure I've ever had banana cream pie. Now I have. And, let me tell you, it's delicious!

This was a great recipe. I used my favorite crust recipe and pre-baked it in the oven. It was my first time pre-baking a crust and it went pretty well. I ended up lining the top of the crust with tin foil and filling it with rice to keep shrinkage at bay. Worked like a charm! This recipe has you layer bananas on top of the crust and top with the custard, which was delicious!!! Will definitely be making this one again.

Banana Cream Pie
All Recipes

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked (I halved this recipe)

4 bananas, sliced

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.

Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour.

Baked: Sweet and Salty Cake

2011-05-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

This was maybe the most ridiculous culinary adventure ever. Making this cake was quite the production, and, of course, I decided to undertake it the afternoon after I ran a half marathon. Smart. Real smart.

Spice got me the Baked cookbook for my birthday, and once I saw this cake, I knew it would be the first thing I made from it!

The cake itself is a classic, very moist chocolate. Maybe one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had. Seriously. Even after a week and a half, the cake was STILL moist!

In between each layer is a layer of salted caramel. Whooo! I could've stopped here and just used the caramel sauce for everyday adventures in the kitchen. I licked the spoon more than once. The frosting is a whipped caramel ganache frosting. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill frosting here! This is so decadent and rich you may roll over in a chocolate induced coma. In a good way.

Sea salt is love. Honor it.

I can't find this recipe printed online with permissions, so I'm not sure I'm allowed to share the recipe, sorry! But you really should go get this cookbook, because it has some real gems in it!

Donuts

2011-05-16T09:46:00.000-04:00

I got a donut pan for my birthday a few months ago (thanks Kali!) and just haaaad to make some donuts with them. I chose some very basic donuts for my first go-round.

The donut pan is perfect. I think you can fill the holes with most muffin mixes and they will come out as a donut! Pretty sweet if you ask me!

I sprinkled some chocolate chips on the top of a few as well as some flaked coconut. Both were delicious and a fun surprise for the donuts.

I dipped the glazed part in some chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, which would make them very fun for kids!

Donuts

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon shortening

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease the doughnut pan. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, eggs, vanilla and shortening. Beat together until well blended.

Fill each donut cup approximately 3/4 cup full. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until doughnuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

To make glaze, blend confectioners' sugar and hot water in a small bowl. Dip donuts in the glaze and dip into sprinkles if desired.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Snack Bars

2011-05-08T19:17:00.000-04:00

I'm baaack! Sorry the site was down for so long. Believe me, I missed it as much as some of you did! And hopefully there wont be any more unexpected interruptions! Back to the food!

These were a great bar cookie that I sort of used as an energy bar as well. Obviously, with my sweet tooth extraordinaire, I'm always looking for ways to cut back on sugar! I loved these bars and have made them several times.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Snack Bars
Jenna Laughs

3 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 cup whole oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy; 4-5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until combined. Add cocoa powder and beat on low speed.

In a separate bowl, combine flours, flax seed, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until moistened. You may need to use your hands to get it all combined. Add chocolate chips and combine. Pour mixture into an 8-inch baking sheet fitted with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi

2011-04-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

I've been on a gnocchi kick lately. These were very good. LOVED the spinach in them. I made the recipe a bit healthier by using part skim ricotta and whole wheat flour. I also served it with broccoli mixed in. Loved the simplicity of the sauce that really let the gnocchi dominate. This was really pretty easy and the only time consuming part was forming the gnocchi. But, well worth it!

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi
Simplyrecipes.com

Gnocchi

3 ounces fresh or frozen spinach

1 egg

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 pounds part skim ricotta cheese, drained of excess moisture

1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

Pinch of nutmeg

Sauce

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or whole tomatoes that you shred as you add to the pan)

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt

Gnocchi

1 Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and heat until simmering. Add spinach and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Let spinach cool enough to touch, then squeeze as much moisture as you can out of it. You can also use a potato ricer if you have one to squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach.

2 Add the spinach, egg, salt, and half of the ricotta to a food processor. Pulse until completely blended. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, mix in the remaining ricotta and the Parmesan cheese. Stir a pinch of nutmeg into the flour. Add the flour in by hand, starting with a half of the flour. Mix everything with your hands until the mixture holds together as a dough.

3 Put the dough out on a lightly floured smooth, clean surface. Knead lightly for about a minute, adding additional flour if needed, if the dough sticks too easily to the board or your hands. (At this point, if you wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for an hour, it will be easier to roll out.) When the dough is smooth and pliable, and still just a little bit sticky, divide it into 4 portions, each the size of an orange.

4 Flour your hands lightly. Using both hands, and a light touch, roll the dough out with a back and forth motion, starting at the center and stretching the dough out, to form a roll. This is the tricky part. You don't want to put so much pressure so that you compress the dough, but you do need enough pressure to create a rope of dough. The trick is to stretch the dough sideways as you are rolling. Once the segment you are working on gets to be about a foot long, you may find it easier to cut it in half, and then start working on that smaller segment.

Roll the dough out until the roll is about the size of a middle finger. (Note that if your hands or the board is a little too floured, you may not have enough traction between your skin and the dough to easily stretch it sideways.) Cut each roll into 1-inch pieces.

5 Hold a fork at a 45% angle with its tines facing down on the work board, the curved part of the fork facing away from you. Starting with the curved outside bottom of the fork, press each piece of dough up along the length of the tines. Let the gnocchi fall back down. This is a pretty quick motion, the result is an indentation of the fork tines on one side of the gnocchi, and an indentation of your fingertip on the other side.

I just squeezed a small indent in the middle of the gnocchi without making the fork indentations. Its worked well for me in the past and, well, if its not broke, don't fix it!

Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured cookie sheet. At this point they can be cooked, or kept in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.

5 To cook the gnocchi, fill a large wide pot half-way with water. Bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water. Once the salt has dissolved, gently drop the gnocchi in the water, one by one. Try to do this in a way that the gnocchi are not falling in on top of each other, but rest on the bottom of the pan in a single layer. As the gnocchi cooks, they will rise to the surface of the water after a couple minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the risen gnocchi from the pot, place in a serving bowl. As you remove the gnocchi, add more to the pan.

The Sauce

1 Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the tomatoes (include any juices from the can) all at once (careful, they may cause the oil to splatter as the tomatoes hit the pan). As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Stir occasionally. Use a potato masher to break up any solid pieces of tomato, you want a rough purée.

2 Once the sauce reduces to a medium thick consistency, add the goat cheese, stirring until it is well blended. Add more salt to taste.

Serve gnocchi with the sauce and extra grated Parmesan. Serves 4-6.

Whole Grain Waffles

2011-04-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

These are great, easy waffles to make. I made a big batch and froze most of them so that I would have breakfast waffles during the week. Definitely better than eggo's with all those preservatives!

I topped them with sunflower seed butter and some mixed berry spread I got at the Union Square Farmers Market.

Whole Grain Waffles
Eating, etc.

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until batter is smooth.

Preheat a waffle iron and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

2011-03-29T08:56:00.000-04:00

These are definitely a new favorite cookie. They are super chewy and quite delicious with the coconut. I will certainly be making these again!

Chewy Coconut Cookies
allrecipes.com

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Pretzel Bites

2011-03-23T16:36:00.000-04:00

These were so easy and fun. I'd seen them around the blogs awhile ago and meant to make them. Every seemed to love these. I think it's the salty/sweet combo.

Chocolate Pretzel Bites

Rolo's Candy, unwrapped
Butter Snap pretzels (or any pretzels with a square base)
Pretzel M&M's

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Lay the pretzels in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top each pretzel with a Rolo candy. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the Rolos are just melted. Remove from oven and place an M&M on top of each Rolo. Allow to cool before serving.

Toffee

2011-03-20T08:41:00.000-04:00

I'd never made toffee before.

Sounded delicious.

So I did it.

Then I immediately gave it away because it was too delicious to keep around.

Toffee
Mehan's Kitchen

1/4 pound almonds
3 cups (6 sticks) salted butter
3 cups sugar
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Remove nuts from oven and let cool completely. Transfer cooled nuts to a large ziplock bag and pound nuts until coarsely ground.

Melt butter in an 8-quart pot over medium-low heat; stir in sugar. Continue stirring until toffee reaches 305 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes.

Pour toffee onto an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly. Let cool until toffee is slightly hardened. Run a knife along the edges of the baking sheet to make toffee easier to remove.

In a bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate. Remove chocolate from heat and let cool slightly until it reaches about 95 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour melted chocolate over toffee, spreading evenly to cover. Sprinkle over coarsely ground almonds, pressing down with offset spatula. Transfer to refrigerator until toffee is set, about 1 hour. To remove toffee from pan, run a sharp knife along the edges and lift toffee from the bottom. Using your hands, break toffee into large pieces.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-03-17T17:49:00.000-04:00

Buffalo chicken dip. Bet you can't eat just one. Or something.

I made this forever ago for the superbowl, so pardon the picture. It came out of the oven and I had to beat off one hundred hungry hands to get this picture in!

This dip is so good it will knock your socks off. If you like buffalo chicken wings you may have to hold yourself back from eating an entire dish of this dip. Don't say I didn't warn you!

I recently made this for the second time and used it as a calzone stuffing. Um. Holy amazing!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Frank's Red Hot

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing (I used blue cheese)
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (I used cheddar cheese)
2 cans (12.5 oz. each) Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.

MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Stir in chicken. Smooth top and sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole.

BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Cocoa Fudge Cookies

2011-03-13T10:27:00.000-04:00

These were a great chocolate cookie. Very chewy. And they sort of taste like a brownie. Love.

Cocoa Fudge Cookies
Cooking Light

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain non fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, soda and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars. Add yogurt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans 2-3 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Curried Lentils

2011-03-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

I made these lentils awhile ago, after being inspired by a Sri Lankan friend cooking for me. They were so good and such a great protein addition to just about everything, I fell in love. I didn't realize I hadn't posted it yet, until I went looking to make them for the third time and couldn't find the recipe!

What a dingbat. Sorry I held these out on you. Make lentils.

Curried Lentils
The Fig Tree

2 cups of red lentils (rinsed)

1 teaspoon of olive oil

4 cloves of garlic; minced (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder)

1-28 ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 cups of vegetable stock

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of turmeric

3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (optional)

Rinse the lentils well and soak them for 5 minutes in warm water. Drain.

Add olive oil to a large pot. Sauté garlic on medium heat for about a minute.

Add canned tomatoes to garlic. Add cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Add 2 cups of vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a boil and add the drained lentils

Reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes until lentils are tender. If you find that the lentils are becoming too dry, add an additional 1/2 cup of water or vegetable stock.

Chocolate Mousse Non-Mouse

2011-03-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

In a little land, probably far far away from where you are now, there is a bakery. This may look like any ordinary bakery, but no! It houses my most favorite dessert find: The Mousse Mouse. Now, you may ask, what is a mousse mouse?! Well, its the most miraculous chocolate creation, with rich chocolate cake sandwiched with a decadent chocolate mousse. All coated in a layer of chocolate ganache. The cherry on top would have to be the pure chocolate mouse that sits atop the cake and the chocolate sprinkles scattered along the sides. Tah dah!

Needless to say, I just had to recreate this bad boy at home! Mine turned out a bit differently. First, I used a rich chocolate brownie for the bottom. Instead of cutting the brownies in half and sandwiching with the mousse, I simply topped it with the mousse followed by the ganache. I didn't go so far as to recreate the chocolate mouse, but I couldn't resist chocolate sprinkles.

The result? I think mine may have been a bit better. More chocolate flavors and mouse or not, super delicious!

Truffle Brownies
First Look then the Cook

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Spray foil with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Combine 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and cool chocolate mixture until lukewarm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, then chopped toasted walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 26 to 28 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack and let brownies cool completely.

Chocolate Mousse
Annie's Eats

7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons water
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
pinch of course salt

Combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to near room temperature.

In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the salt. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. They should be thick and smooth.

Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the bowl with the chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.

Top the cooled brownies with chocolate mousse and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Ganache Topping
First Look then Cook

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate sprinkles

Bring cream to a simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add remaining 6 ounces of chocolate to hot cream and let stand 5 minutes to soften, then whisk until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate ganache over mousse layer on brownies and spread to cover completely. Drop sprinkles over ganache and let stand a room temperature until set, about 4 hours.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know. I have neglected my little blog here. And for that I am sorry! Lots of new stuff going on though, which is good, but leaves little for other outlets! The end of February was busy busy busy! I acquired two new jobs, both which I love and are a nice transition from dancing from me (which I am still doing when I can). Spice and I also moved, but just downstairs in our apartment complex to a two-person apartment.

Needless to say, very little time and mental capacity for blogging! Which means my blogging style is probably going to change and you will be seeing less posts. I thought about whether I wanted to continue the blog and ultimately decided that I love having all my favorite recipes in one electronic place, with my thoughts on how I liked it. That being said, I will not only be baking less, but probably wont blog unless something is outstanding! Which I mostly do anyways since I would never want to share a less than stellar recipe!

I was craving a peanut butter cookie a few weeks ago and these were definitely a great find! I loved the hearty combo of the oats and peanut butter and the subtle chocolate that comes through too!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Eyed Baker

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

2011-02-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

I'm still not over my love for molasses apparently.

This was a great bread and I could definitely taste (and smell) the ginger-bread quality it had. I got through about half of the loaf before it started getting dry, so definitely either wrap it up VERY well in the refrigerator or eat it super speedy!

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
Joy the Baker

1 2/3 cup greek yogurt (Joy says you can use buttermilk as well)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 by 4 or 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Non-stick baking spray works too.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda.

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt (or buttermilk) and molasses.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold to combine. The batter will be slightly thick, but not dry. Spoon batter into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake loaf for 45 minutes to an hour. You may want to rotate the loaf in the middle of baking.

Remove the loaf from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Run a butter knife along the sides of the pan and carefully invert onto a wire rack.

Loaf will keep, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.

You can serve it with cream cheese, jam, butter, nutella, honey, pumpkin butter, almond butter...the options are endless!

Tortillas

2011-02-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

I'd never had homemade tortillas before. When my Stepmom mentioned over Christmas that she wanted to make enchiladas but didn't want to have to make the tortillas, I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy her kitchen!

And boy, oh boy, was it ever worth it! And these weren't even difficult to make. You just need some time over the stovetop after you mix the dough. The difference is astounding. Homemade tortillas are so much fluffier and fresher than store-bought!

Homemade Tortillas
Eating, Etc.

Makes 8 tortillas

1-1/2c all-purpose flour

1/2c whole wheat pastry flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

2tsp of canola oil

3/4c warm milk

1) Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and oil.

2) Slowly add the warm milk.

3) Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

4) Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.

5) Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

6) Divide dough into 8 sections & roll them into balls. Place on a plate, not touching each other, and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest or it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

7) After dough has rested, place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll it out, like you would a pie crust, until it’s thin and about 8” in diameter. Don’t over work the dough. Keep covered until ready to cook.

8) In a dry cast-iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortillas about thirty seconds on each side. They should start to puff a bit when they’re done.

9) Keep cooked tortillas covered, in a paper towel until ready to eat.

Store leftovers in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

2011-02-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

During a particularly icy and no-bueno weather day here in New York, I leave you with some hearty cookies to tame the cold-weather blues.

I found these almost a granola-type cookie, but loved them all the same! They were soft but I loved the hearty texture of the oats, the banana and peanut butter together. Next time I make these I think I would try whole wheat flour as it would definitely add to the hippie cookie.

Peanut butter drizzle equals yum. Trust me.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Two Peas and Their Pod

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large ripe banana, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 cups old fashioned oats

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars, mix until smooth. Add peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and egg. Combine until smooth. Next, add the banana and mix until combined.

3. Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats.

4. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or Silcone baking mats. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

5. To make the glaze-combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. If it is too thick or thin, adjust by adding more milk or powdered sugar. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

New York Style Cheesecake

2011-01-31T15:48:00.000-05:00

While I was at home for the holidays, I asked my dad if he could have one dessert what it would be. He answered cheesecake. Good 'ol New York style cheesecake. Of course, I couldn't leave the man who raised me cheesecake-less!

I made this cheesecake and froze it for him to enjoy after I left. Of course, I had a few bites as I was preparing it for the great freeze. MMmm! Delicious!

About a week and a half after I returned to New York, my Stepmom sends me a text saying how wonderful the cheesecake was and that they served it to some dinner guests, who were floored at how amazing it tasted!

Hehe. Daughter done good! I'll take it!

I made the cheesecake without a topping, but I heard it was enjoyed with caramel, strawberry and raspberry syrups. Although I couldn't be there to enjoy it with them, I am so glad it went over so well!

Shout out to the fam! Love you, miss you XOXO!

New York Style Cheesecake
Smitten Kitchen

Crumb crust
8 ounces (15 4 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch sheets of graham cracker; yes, I am crazy enough to both count and measure) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake filling:
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia is recommended for cheesecakes but if you’ve had success with other brands, feel free to use them again)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the crumb crust: Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and up the sides, stopping one inch shy of the top rim**, of a buttered 9 1/2-inch (or 24 cm) springform pan. You can fill it right away but I like to pop my into the freezer so it quickly sets while I prepare the filling.

For the filling: Preheat oven to 550 degrees***. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour and zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, then eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated. Scrape bowl down between additions; I cannot stress this enough as if you do not, you’ll end up with unmixed stripes of cream cheese. I always find at least one, despite my best efforts.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan (to catch drips). Pour filling into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and baking in baking pan in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes or until puffed. Please watch your cake because some ovens will top-brown very quickly and if yours does too fast, turn the oven down as soon as you catch it. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees (see Note below about my baking drama) and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about one hour more.

Run a knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it and cool the cake completely in springform on a rack, then chill it, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-01-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

I'm still behind in posting holiday recipes, but this is another one I made at home. I made this after a particularly long run and between my parents and I, we almost demolished the entire thing! Perfect cold day-cuddle up and watch movies dip. Or the Superbowl. Or a super PMS-y day. Wow, are those two conflicting days or what?!

The dips is the perfect blend of spicy and cheesy. We went the healthier route and dipped vegetables in and we used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and jicama (a fun new veggie for me that I now LOVE!).

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Eating, Etc.

8oz Neufchatel or Tofutti cream cheese substitute, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayo
1/2c cheddar cheese, grated (goat cheddar cheese)
1/2c parmigiano reggiano (goat romano cheese)
4oz can chopped jalapenos, drained
1/4c panko bread crumbs
1/4c parmigiano reggiano

1) Mix Neufchatel, mayo, cheddar cheese, parmigiano reggiano and jalapenos in a bowl and transfer to baking dish.

2) In a small bowl, mix panko bread crumbs with parmigiano reggiano, and sprinkle over the dip.

3) Bake, uncovered, at 375°F until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Gingersnaps

2011-01-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

This past holiday season, I became a slave to the subtle and spicy flavor of ginger. In everything! I was craving gingerbread like it was going out of style! When I came home for Christmas, I decided to share the love with my parental units and made these gingersnaps.

I couldn't get over how good these were! They are very soft and chewy, but in a good way. Even a certain someone who prefers her cookies crisp loved these! They were very easy as well. No mixer or beaters needed. Just two bowls.

Were having a cold snap here in the Northeast. I recommend making these if you are too! They will warm you up for sure!

Gingersnaps
17 and Baking

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
Sugar for rolling (I like evaporated cane juice or raw sugar)

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine together the brown sugar, molasses, canola oil, and egg until smooth. Mix the flour mixture into the brown mixture, stirring until dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop up bits of dough by the heaping teaspoonful and roll into balls between your palms, about the size of a quarter. Roll the balls in sugar and place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 8 minutes – if you like crispy gingersnaps, try 9-10 minutes.

Cookies will be very soft but will firm up. Leave on the baking sheet several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

French Butter Cookies

2011-01-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

When I saw these cookies on Annie's Eats before Christmas, I knew I was going to have to make them. I remember my mom coming home with a big tin of these butter cookies for the holidays several years in a row. I remember loving them! And, of course, eating too many.

These cookies are just as great, if not better than those you get out of a big tin. They have a delicious buttery flavor, and are soft and crumbly. I made these for the family over Christmas and we literally ate them all in under one week!

They are definitely a process. It took me most of an afternoon to crank these out, but it was soooo worth it. It was also a fun process!

French Butter Cookies
Annie's Eats

1 large egg
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 large egg white
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Place the egg in a small saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat, cover and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile fill a small bowl with ice water. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to the ice water and let stand 5 minutes. Crack the egg and peel away the shell. Separate the yolk from the white; discard the white. Press the yolk through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar, salt and cooked egg yolk. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer to low, add the vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix on low speed just until combine, about 30 seconds. Use a spatula to press the dough into a cohesive mass.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 6 inches long and 1¾ inches in diameter. Wrap each log in a piece of parchment or wax paper. Twist the ends to seal and firmly compact the dough into a tight cylinder. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour. (At this point, the dough can be stored in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

To bake, preheat the oven to 350 ˚F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a chef’s knife, slice the dough into ¼-inch thick rounds, rotating the dough log every few slices so that it does not become misshapen. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush lightly with the egg white mixture and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.

Bake until the centers of the cookies are pale golden and the edges are slightly darker, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
Vanilla Pretzel Cookies
Follow the recipe for French Butter Cookies, increasing the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon and reducing the chilling time to 30 minutes. Slice the dough into rounds as instructed. Form each round into a ball. Roll into a 6-inch long rope with tapered ends. Twist into a pretzel shape. Brush with the egg white mixture, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake as instructed.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Follow the recipe for French Butter Cookies. Slice the dough into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Omit the egg wash and sprinkling sugar. Bake the cookies as directed, reducing the baking time to 10-13 minutes. When all the cookies are completely cool, melt dark or semisweet chocolate, spread a thin layer onto one cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Let sit until the chocolate has set completely.

Black and White Spiral Cookies
Make one batch of French Butter Cookie dough. Make a batch of chocolate dough by following the recipe for French Butter Cookies, reducing the flour to 1 1/3 cups and adding ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder with the flour.

Max Brenner

2011-01-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

Before Christmas this year, my friend, T, and I decided to plan a date day for ourselves. Part of our fun day was to visit Max Brenner in Union Square for some major food consumption and boy, did we do our jobs well! Unfortunately I forgot my camera so you will have to pardon the photos from my phone camera.

I had never been to Max Brenner, although T had and guided me through the menu. Of course, we had to try EVERYTHING. And I do mean EVERYTHING! We started off debating between milkshakes and hot chocolate and decided to split a milkshake (even though it was freezing outside) and to order hot chocolate after our meal to-go.

So, after much deliberation, we decided on the Hazelnut Cream Chocolate Milkshake, which had vanilla bourbon ice cream, dark chocolate truffle and whipped cream.

WHOOO! Talk about delicious. This ended up being my favorite part of the meal. And aren't the cups adorable?! It was sort of like drinking Nutella, which we all know I can't stop myself from eating.

Next up was the main course. We decided t get two dishes to split, the first being the Mushroom and Ricotta Pizza with black olives and sun dried tomato pesto.

Since pizza is one of my favorite foods, if it's on the menu, I pretty much have to eat it. This pizza was good! Not my favorite but I enjoyed the thin crust and zesty pesto that was used as a sauce.

The other entree we split was Max's Sandwish of the Seas which had pan seared/seasoned salmon, caramelized onion, spicy roasted pepper aioli, tomato and lettuce.

I LOVED this sandwhich. Next time I will probably just get one for myself. The coating on the salmon was super crunchy without compromising the soft fish inside. It came with a side of french fries that they dusted with cocoa powder. What a great idea!

(Side story: Speaking of cocoa powder on french fries, when I was little I ordered fries at a restaurant and mistakenly sprinkled them with sugar instead of salt. At first I refused to eat them and put up a huge fuss. Of course, after trying them I fell in love and for years after, I always ate my fries with sugar. What a wierdo!)

And, of course, what is the point of going to Max Brenner without getting dessert? At this point, we were both pretty full, but having run 10 miles earlier in the day, I had no problem singling out the dessert menu. We decided to split The Euphoria Peanut Butter Chocolae Fudge Sundae (say that three times fast!). It had chocolate peanut butter ice cream, caramelized banana toffees, pure chocolate chuncks, milk chocolate sauce and warm peanut butter sauce. It was garnished with whipped cream and hazelnut bits and served with extra peanut butter sauce and pure chocolate ganache.

Lawda mercy was this thing crazy good! And SO rich! I am ashamed to admit we couldn't finish it. Chocolate and peanut butter were in each bite I took! So good!

Unfortunately we were both too full for hot chocolate afterwards, but will definitely be going back at some point soon. We got lucky and didn't have to wait long for a table (about 30 seconds if you can believe it), but I hear it gets a little nuts so plan accordingly if you do go. I can't wait to return to Max Brenner and eat my face off again!

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter

2011-01-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

I've been talking about Gnocchi for awhile now. I was begging Spice to make it for me, but she hasn't gotten around to it yet. When I was home for Christmas, however, LadyJayPee pulled out an article in the Seattle Times for Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter and with a few pumpkins still fresh from her garden, I knew what my dinner project was going to be!

This was no doubt a time-consuming project, but SOOOO much fun! And the finished product...WHOOOO! Boy! Have I been missing out on the gnocchi train!

Although I followed the recipe this time, next time I will make pumpkin puree the "easy" way, by cutting the pumpkin in half and baking before scraping out the insides and pureeing it in a food processor. I also drained the puree a bit through a strainer to remove the access liquid.

My pumpkin was approximately 3 lbs instead of the recommended 1 1/2. It still worked out perfectly though!

According to Atkinson, pressing the gnocchi dough into simple discs that are thinner in the center than around the edges allows them to cook evenly, like the hole in a doughnut. Many other versions are made by rubbing the gnocchi against the tines of a fork to create shell-like nuggets.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter
From The Seattle Times, Greg Atkinson

For the Gnocchi:
1 1/2 lbs fresh pie (sugar) pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, or to taste

For the sage butter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
24 fresh sage leaves

For the garnish:
2 ounces parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pile the pumpkin cubes onto a rack over a cup of water in a medium-size saucepan. Steam over medium-high heat until the pumpkin is soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Lift the rack from the saucepan, discard the cooking water and allow the pumpkin to cool to room temperature.

2. Force the steamed pumpkin through a food mill or press it through the holes of a colander. Put the puree back in the pan and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin has thickened and dried, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and when the pumpkin puree has cooled almost to room temperature, stir in a cup of the flour, the egg yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. You should have a very sticky dough. Stir in another half cup of flour, then sprinkle the remaining flour onto a clean, dry surface and scrape the dough onto the flour. Knead the mixture gently, incorporating just enough flour to make a soft dough.

4. To form the gnocchi, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a rope about an inch thick and cut the rope into 12 pieces. Gently pinch each piece of dough with a well-floured thumb and forefinger to make a concave dumpling. Place the formed gnocchi in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you're not going to cook them immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the gnocchi for up to 4 hours or freeze them for several days.

5. When you're ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a gallon of water with a tablespoon of salt to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in several batches (I did about 15 at a time) in the boiling water until they rise to the surface of the water, about 3 minutes. Life the gnocchi out of the water with a slotted spoon and hold them on a warm platter. Toss with gnocchi with the butter sauce. Use a vegetable peeler to cut curls of Parmesan over the top of the dish and top with a few grinds of fresh pepper.

6. To make the butter sauce, melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the sage leaves and simmer until the butter turns golden.

Favorite Pancakes

2011-01-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Get a load of this: Breakfast is almost eclipsing dinner as my favorite meal of the day. And I credit it to new, fun and healthy options. These pancakes are another in a long line of recent breakfast creations that I have come up with.

They are packed with nothing but good, fueling food for a morning on the run. Since I am frequently on the run from dance classes to running to the gym most mornings, I really do need something good that sticks to my rubs.

Toppings are endless with these, but my favorites are nut butters, pumpkin butter, cranberry sauce, coconut and nuts. Let me know if you come up with other fun toppings!

Also, these pancakes freeze very well. I made them a month or so ago and keep popping them out of the freezer and into the toaster oven for a quick breakfast!

Pancakes
With a Side of Sneakers

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
2 heaping tablespoons Chia seeds
2 heaping tablespoons Ground flax seed
1/4 cup Oat bran
2 heaping tablespoons Wheat germ

Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk in coconut oil. Stir in yogurt and milk (and pumpkin if you're using it). Cook pancakes a few minutes on each side.

Toppings:
Vanilla Cinnamon Peanut butter
Pumpkin butter
Walnuts

Peanut Butter Fudge

2011-01-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

I have been becoming ever so increasingly obsessed with nut butters if you couldn't tell. Of course, that translates itself to topping everything with a dollup of almond butter and making peanut butter cookies. And also, fudge, according to this post! I enjoyed making this awhile ago and really couldn't stop eating the stuff so I suppose it was pretty darn good! Very easy too. It would be perfect for a Christmas gift next year. Bookmark!

PS: Excuse the picture. I was lazy. Please forgive me.

Peanut Butter Fudge
All Recipes

1/2 cup butter

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2011-01-03T15:31:00.000-05:00

Sweet potato fries. Obsessed. I really can never get enough of these guys. At a restaurant, if these are on the menu, I will order them. No questions asked. Sweet or savory, you really can go no wrong with sweet potato fries. These home made guys were just as good too! I gobbled them right up all by myself.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Annie's Eats

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil greased with cooking spray.

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into long spears. (Soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes before continuing for crispy texture outside. Drain well and pat dry.) Place the potato spears on the sheet pan and toss with olive oil. Spread them in a single layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn with a spatula or tongs. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and serve hot.

Gingerbread Biscotti

2010-12-29T12:11:00.000-05:00

This was a great gingerbread biscotti recipe. The biscotti are, in my opinion, perfect. I like my biscotti crisp, but chewable on their own, without having to dunk it in coffee. This definitely fit the bill. The outside was crumbly and crispy, but the inside had a slight chewiness.

And, of course, I loved the gingerbread flavor. I wish it was kosher to make gingerbread year round because I love it so. Although, I'm sure I COULD make it year round and my roommates would be the only ones who knew! Hmmmm =)

Gingerbread Biscotti
Cookie Madness

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup mild molasses
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons milk or a non-dairy milk like soy milk or almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk oil, molasses, sugar, ground flax seeds, milk, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl.

Stir the flour mixture into the liquid mixture and form a smooth dough. Gently knead in the pecans and cranberries (or ginger, if using).

On a cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment, but you can use a Silpat or just lightly grease), form a log about 11 inches long by 4 inches wide. Flatten the end sides of the log. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes until the log is puffed and firm but not too brown. It will spread a little, and some cracking is okay. Allow log to cool for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Very carefully, slide the log off the baking sheet and onto a cutting board. With a sharp, heavy knife, (I had better luck with a Chef’s knife than a serrated knife) cut log into ½-inch-thick slices, using one quick and firm motion, pressing down into the log. Very gently move slices to the baking sheet, standing them of their bottom edge if possible. Rebake the slices for 22 to 24 minutes. The slices should appear dry and slightly toasted, but do not allow them to get too browned. Allow the biscotti to cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully move them to the wire racks to complete cooling (warm biscotti may be fragile).

Broccoli Slaw with Oranges and Crunchy Noodles

2010-12-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

This is a great salad that I have made several times now and bring to work for lunch most days as well. You could really add anything you want including meat, any other kinds of beans, or veggies. I think I've added tomatoes and zucchini to this. The more veggies the better!

Broccoli Slaw with Oranges and Crunchy Noodles
Cooking Light November 2010

Slaw:
6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (I've used napa and purple and both work well)
1 cup diagonally sliced celery
1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated carrot (I chopped the carrot and liked it that way too)
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seed kernels
1 5-ounce can whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped (I've substituted black beans and chickpeas)

Dressing:
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup canola oil

Remaining Ingredients:
1 cup fresh orange slices
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 3-ounce package ramen noodles, crumbled and toasted (discard seasoning packet)

To prepare slaw, combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, toss well to combine.

To prepare dressing, combine soy sauce and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to soy sauce mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over slaw, tossing gently to coat. Top slaw with oranges, almonds and noodles.

Pumpkin Bean Dip

2010-12-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is 3 days away. I'm going to play a little game upon my return to NY called lets see how long I can keep the Christmas tree up in our apartment. Shhhh....don't tell Spice.

In other news, I fly home to the Pacific Northwest tomorrow to spend Christmas with my family. It has been a year since I've been home and I am SO excited to see the parentals and enjoy some PNW time. Also, new running scenery. Gets me everytime =) I've got several long runs planned...lets just hope the rain stays away!

I made this as an appetizer of sorts at some point in the last few weeks. I feel in love with the dip! Very hummus-like, but with pumpkin! How genius is that?! I enjoyed this with carrots and some crackers but it would be good with any veggie or toasted baguette. Definitely recommend for Christmas-time noshing!

Pumpkin Bean Dip
Fannetastic Food

1 C (overflowing) canned pumpkin

1 C black beans (rinsed)

1/2 C cannellini beans (rinsed)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

juice from 2 lemons

1/2 tsp cumin (this totally made the dip!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Toss all ingredients in a food processor. Serve with veggies and chips or crackers.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Creme

2010-12-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

I could pretend that this was just a dessert that I made a few days ago to enjoy pre-Christmas. But, the truth is, I am so behind on posting that I made this several days before Thanksgiving. I know, some of you may have gasped, but its all relative.

This was unbelievable. I do enjoy bread pudding as a whole (my love I think I inherited from my father, along with my sweet tooth. Thanks, Dad), but I'd hazard a guess that even if you don't like bread pudding, you would like this as well. Especially if you like pumpkin.

Do I need to tell you where this recipe came from? Well, in case you missed it, Pioneer Woman was on an episode of showdown with Bobby Flay and this was Bobby's dessert. Of course, I had the episode recorded so Spice and I could be SURE to watch it!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Creme
Bobby Flay, Food Network

Pumpkin Bread:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

2/3 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.

Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Bread Pudding:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup pureed pumpkin

2 tablespoons bourbon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk in the bourbon. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.

Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.

Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and water bath and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Bean Creme:

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

5 large egg yolks

1/3 cup pure cane sugar

Bring the half-and-half and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until at the pale ribbon stage. Slowly whisk in the hot half-and-half, return the mixture to the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Strain into a bowl and set over an ice bath. Stir until chilled. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutella

2010-12-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Nutella and I have issues. The main issue is that I can hardly stop eating the stuff.

Whats a girl to do?

Oh yah! Make it herself so she can eat more of it!

Other than needing a food processor for this, it really is very easy! I recommend making some, putting it on toast, oatmeal, and also sneaking several spoonfuls into your mouth when no one is looking! =)

Homemade Nutella
Poires au Chocolate

150g whole hazelnuts
100g good quality milk chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
65g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 180C and roast the hazelnuts for about 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and browned. Take out and leave to cool slightly before putting in a tea towel and rubbing vigorously to remove the skins. When they have cooled slightly place in a food processor and blend well until they become a thick paste. Add all the rest of the ingredients and keep blending until very smooth - this takes 10 minutes or so.

Whole Wheat Biscotti with Nuts and Dried Fruit

2010-12-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

Whole Wheat Biscotti with Nuts and Dried Fruit
Fit Sugar

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped (I used dried cherries and apricots)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir in nuts and dried fruit. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a loaf about 1 inch thick, 2 1/2 inches wide (about about 7 inches long); transfer to baking sheet. Bake until risen and firm, 20 to 25 minutes; cool completely on sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place loaf on a cutting board, and using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch-thick slices; place slices in a single layer on sheet. Bake, turning once, until dried and slightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsau

2010-12-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

I don't know that I had ever had a latke before this endeavor. I am now a convert. What a fun snack! Minus having to shread and peal the potatoes and butternut squash, these are pretty easy and definitely yummy. The salsa that goes with it is very versatile as well. I think it would go well with fish or even as a salsa for chips!

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa
Cooking Light, December 2010

1 1/2 cups finely chopped Gala apples
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 finely chopped seeded serrano chile
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 cups shredded, peeled butternut squash (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups shredded peeled baking potato (3/4 pound)
1 cup grated onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Combine apple and lime in a bowl; toss. Add onion, chile, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss. Cover and chill.

Combine squash, potato and onion in a colander; drain 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, remaining 4 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; toss well.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat procedure 4 times to form 5 latkes. Saute 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure twice with remaining oil and potato mixture to yield 14 latkes total. Serve with salsa.

Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2010-12-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

Its so hard for me to pick a favorite accompaniment for chocolate. I am hopelessly devoted to peanut butter and chocolate, but my old friend, peppermint and chocolate, sometimes rears it's head in my face and I have to silence it. When I saw these cookies, I knew they would be perfect. The dense and chocolatey crinkle cookie is divine on its own. But adding peppermint extract? Sign me up!

As you can imagine, these cookies are great. The peppermint is very prevalent and, as always, works so well with the dense chocolate of the cookie. I made these extra large and they were great on a cold night with a glass of ice-cold milk!

Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Bakers Royale

1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spooned and leveled bleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons peppermint extract
1 cup sugar

in a medium bowl, beat together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir; set aside. (I had to do another minute in the microwave because my chocolate wasn't quite melted yet)

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together 2 1/2 cups of the sugar, the oil, butter and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight (the longer the better).

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment (or a silipat). Take out about one-quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in the confectioners' sugar (apparently rolling them in granulated sugar first helps the confectioners' sugar to stay on the surface better and not soak in!).

Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the foil. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes. For a chewier cookie, bake 10-12 minutes.

Boneless Buffalo Wings

2010-12-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

I am suuuuuch a sucker for buffalo wings. There are several places here in New York that consider themselves to have "the best" wings and of course, I've had to try out most of them. It also doesn't help that co workers are always ordering them for lunch and I smell that spicy tang and immediately want to head out and find some wings of my own!

These are a great alternative to the usual fried and harshly breaded wings. The breading uses whole wheat flour and they are pan fried as well. These turned out nice and spicy and I instantly fell in love. I used a blue cheese dip that I made with greek yogurt and topped off the wings with several extra splashes of hot sauce!

Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
Eating Well

2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk

3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, divided

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided

2 pounds chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)

6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

6 tablespoons cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

To prepare dip:Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip.

Peanut Butter Cups

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I really don't have a recipe for this. I saw the idea on a blog that I can't remember and figured I could just go by feel with these. I encourage you to do the same! The best part about them is that you can use whatever chocolate you'd like! I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips, but you could go with Nestle or even some great high-end stuff! You can also choose your filling. I used peanut butter and Nutella, but you can really use whatever you'd like. I really love these and have kept them in my freezer, pulling one out when I want a punch of chocolate and peanut butter!

Peanut Butter Cups

1 package of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1-2 spoonfuls of coconut oil
Peanut butter

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave. Pour a small amount into the bottom of a mini muffin pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to let set.

Remove and place a dollop of peanut butter into each cup. Fill with remaining melted chocolate until the peanut butter disappears. repeat with each cup.

Place back in the freezer until set, about 30 minutes. Remove from the muffin cups and enjoy! I store these in the freezer, but you can also store them in the fridge!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

2010-12-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

It's finally holiday time! I thought it would never come. I look forward every year to holiday baking, holiday decorations and, of course, watching Elf as many times as possible. So get ready for lots of holiday cookies!

These cookies are just such a brilliant idea. Cream cheese cookie center, rolled in Oreo and drizzled with chocolate. I want to kiss whoever came up with that combo because it really is just genius! I loved these cookies. They were chewy and soft in the center and crispy on the outside. And there was a perfect combo between cream cheese tang with Oreo sweetness!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
From Multiply Delicious

1/2 cup of (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1 cup of oreo cookie sandwich crumbs
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese using a hand mixer until they are well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until ingredients are well combined. Add the flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 1″ balls (I used a scoop to insure all measured the same) roll in oreo cookie crumbs so cookie is covered. Place covered cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

Cool on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies

2010-12-03T17:08:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a good snickerdoodle cookie? Its always up there on the list of people's favorites. I happen to be a very big fan of snickerdoodles. The sheer simpleness of sugar and cinnamon together brings a smile to my lips (and an inch to my hips) everytime.

These are a slightly different type of snickerdoodle. They are more crumbly than their drop cookie counterparts, but still pack that cinnamon punch! I loved the look of these, they are a bit more elegant in appearance than the usual snickerdoodle and would look lovely on a cookie platter for the holidays!

Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies
From Fake Ginger

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Dump dough onto counter and knead 2 or 3 times just to incorporate any leftover flour. Divide into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour.

To make cinnamon mixture, combine sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter; set aside.

Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll out into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Brush dough with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Starting from one of the short sides, roll into a tight log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with other disc. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F.

Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 1/4-inch rounds; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are just slightly golden. Cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Ginger Bundt

2010-12-01T17:43:00.000-05:00

In case you were worried, I have finally stepped away from the peanut butter/cranberry spread/pumpkin butter canning extravanganza and made another bundt cake.

But, of course, it was pumpkin. Next time I go to the grocery store, I've promised myself I'm going to stock up on canned pumpkin and maybe I can enjoy some pumpkin baked goods next summer. Although I doubt they'll last that long!

This was a great bundt. It was pretty dense, so a little went a long way! But I just loved the pumpkin flavor!

Pumpkin Ginger Bundt
The Food Librarian from Fine Cooking

1/2 lb. (1 cup) unsalted butter, completely softened at room temperature; more for the pan
9 1/2 oz, (2 1/2 cups) cake flour; more for the pan
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
Powdered sugar for dusting

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan, preferably nonstick. Tap out any excess flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the vanilla and the brown sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. When all the brown sugar has been added, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, and cream the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Use a fork to lightly beat the egg yolks; then, with the mixer on low speed, add them slowly to the butter-sugar mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium, and beat for 1 minute. On low speed, add the pumpkin purée, oil, and fresh ginger. Beat until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, stir in one-third of the flour mixture, and continue stirring just until the flour disappears (don't beat or overmix). Repeat, adding the remaining flour mixture in two more passes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and set it aside.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer just until they hold soft peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold them into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake springs back when touched with a fingertip and a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and gently remove the pan. Let cool completely.

Lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

Cranberry Sauce and Spread

2010-11-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

So obviously my new breakfast consumption goal has me making as many spreads as I can to mix things up. And what better way to do that than in a holiday light!

Yay for cranberries! Full of antioxidants and tart deliciousness.

This is also a great spread for toast, waffles and pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt and cereal. And probably many more things I am not yet aware of. I loved the addition of orange in this, which is apparently common for cranberry sauces, but I hadn't yet experienced the pairing. I let this go for awhile on the stovetop because I wanted mine reduced more, but you can cook it for less time to get more of a whole cranberry experience.

Cranberry Sauce and Spread

1 cup orange juice
1 quart fresh cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
1-2 tablespoons honey

Combine the orange juice, cranberries, cinnamon and ginger in a saucepan and set over low, medium heat. Allow mixture to come to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your desired consistency.

Vanilla Cinnamon Peanut Butter

2010-11-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

I have acquired quite the obsession with nut butters lately. I recently started making myself eat breakfast (I know, most important meal of the day, but its hard for me, so zip it!), and with this change I have been introduced into a wonderful world where nut butters fit in perfectly!

Toast for breakfast? Add a dollup of peanut butter!

Oatmeal for breakfast? Add some almond butter!

Yogurt and granola for breakfast? A spoonful of Nutella!

It all just works out so perfectly. And, of course, I had to try making my own. The best part is that you can add whatever you want to it! I started with peanut butter, since it is supposedly the easiest one to start with. I added vanilla and cinnamon to give it a little punch and simply loved it! I have since made cashew butter as well. You do need to be patient with making nut butters, as they go through several stages while being processed. You must wait until it becomes creamy, and it does take longer than you think it will! So many possibilities to add! I can't wait to try many more combinations!

Vanilla Cinnamon Peanut Butter

16 oz. unsalted peanuts
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend for 10-15 minutes. Remove to a bell jar and keep in the refrigerator.

Corn Muffins

2010-11-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm looking forward to a week of cooking and baking, and I don't mean just Thanksgiving food!

These are a great corn muffin base. Nothing fancy, but these come out very tender, slightly crunchy and definitely a good addition to soup or salads. Or just for an afternoon snack! There really is no cap on what you could add to these, either. I've been making them for several weeks to go with my lunches and I started by just adding corn, then tried corn, sausage and cranberries. I loved both ways!

Corn Muffins
Adapted from All-Recipes

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/8 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk (I use skim)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin (for 6 muffins).

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, oat bran and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean.

*I have made these with an addition of 1 cup of frozen corn and with 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup chopped cranberries and 1/2 cup browned chicken sausage.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

2010-11-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

My favorite type of cookies are chewy and chunky. By chunky, I mean some type of chip is in there somewhere. Although I love all of the pumpkin cookies I have made thus far in my life, I am on a mission to find a chewy, as opposed to a soft, pumpkin cookie. These were a great start! Chewier than my previous pumpkin cookies and I loved the texture with the oatmeal in them. The pumpkin flavor in these is very subtle and most people couldn't put their finger on what flavor they were eating! And, of course, you can put any type of chip you would like in them. I personally love the combination of pumpkin and butterscotch, so that is what I usually stick with!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
Tasty Kitchen

2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncookied
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 whole egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Drop a heaping tablepoon of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned.

Pumpkin Butter

2010-11-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

If you thought pumpkin baking season ended at Halloween, you were sorely mistaken. My obsession continues effervescently.

Welcome to Pumpkin Butter Land (that would be our apartment), where since making this, I have put it on everything I can think of. Sure, I put it in my oatmeal, on toast, and eat it by the spoonful. But, I also have put it on my eggs, used it as a salad dressing, used it in baked good and pretty much put a dollop on everything whether or not I think I can get away with it.

So, if your looking to infuse more pumpkin into your life, this is the solution. This recipe can be fooled around with in many ways. Feel free to use white sugar, or adjust the spices to your taste. You can definitely use canned pumpkin, but I ended up roasting a pumpkin and making my own puree.

Pumpkin Butter

3-4 cups pumpkin puree (or about 1-29 oz. can of pumpkin puree)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, sugar, cider and spices in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and allow to boil. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. Let cool, transfer to jars, and store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Sour Cream Bundt

2010-11-09T17:08:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon the Food Librarian's website the other day and noted that she was doing a segment called "I Like Big Bundts" where she makes a new bundt cake every day. What a great idea! I LOVE bundts! So please don't be surprised if there are many bundt cakes in the next month as there are so many great ideas for them on her site!

The first bundt I tried was this Peanut Butter Sour Cream Bundt. I have been slightly obsessed with nut butters lately, so this cake just jumped out of the computer at me. I loved how moist and melt-in-your-mouth this cake was. And the chocolate sauce really completed the ever favorite peanut butter and chocolate combo.

[caption id="attachment_962" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Money Shot"][/caption]

Peanut Butter Sour Cream Bundt
The Food Librarian

1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1. Preheat over to 350. Prep a 12-cup Bundt pan.
2. Whisk sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in measuring cup.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder & soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy (3-4 minutes). Scape down the sides.
5. With mixer on low, alternate 1/3 dry ingredients with the 1/2 sour cream mix; beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scape down the sides of the bowl. Turn mixer onto medium-high and beat for 1 minute.
6. Put into Bundt. Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then invert onto cookie sheet until completely cool.

Chocolate Glaze

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into chunks
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream

Heat heavy cream and butter over medium-high heat. Place chocolate into a separate bowl. Just before boiling, remove the heavy cream from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for five minutes. Gently stir until chocolate is melted. Drizzle sauce over bundt.

Pumpkin Blondies

2010-11-04T17:14:00.000-04:00

I had a dream awhile ago. It was probably September and I was obviously getting really excited about pumpkin season. I dreamt that I was running around the city trying to find canned pumpkin and, yet again, there was another shortage. I went from store to store getting more stressed out with each negative canned pumpkin store I ventured into. By the time I woke up, I was gnawing my teeth and sweating.

The next day, I went out and found canned pumpkin in the city and bought about 10 cans, which I then had to lug to the dance studio, the gym, work and out with friends before I could give them a warm introduction to my pantry. That is dedication, my friends.

I made these pumpkin blondies several weeks ago for a Halloween party. They were VEEERYYY well received by everyone who had one. I was not as smitten, because to me, blondies should have a denser texture and these were like cake. Still delicious and my roommates could not stop asking about them. They were also easy, which is an added bonus. I ended up using butterscotch and chocolate chips and drizzled the top with the little melted chocolate.

Pumpkin Blondies
Annie's Eats

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
Melted chocolate and extra butterscotch chips for drizzle and decoration

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Tres Leches Cake

2010-11-02T17:11:00.000-04:00

Translation: 3 milks cake.

Thought I would help you out on that one. Awesome name for a cake, huh?

To be honest, I was veeeeery reluctant to make this cake. It made its rounds in the blog world several months ago during the summer, but I had some reservations. Isn't the dang cake going to get soggy soaking in milk? Will it keep for a few days, because I certainly can't eat an entire cake in one day (although I've been known to try). I'm not a huge fan of milk, does that mean I'm not going to like it? Does it taste like milk, or cake? Obviously I was confused about life at this point.

I suck it up, made the cake, and am glad I did!

I was a little worried that I screwed it up, because coming out of the oven, the cake was dry and very hard. Enter the three milks. Let that cake bathe in 'em and you've got yourself a very tasty, fluffy and not soggy, persay, cake. Of course, the cake is wet in texture, but I swear, its good! And it doesn't taste like milk. It tasted super sweet. Probably thanks to that can of sweetened condensed milk.

Also, here's a little known secret: I don't like maraschino cherries. I slapped them on for the photo shoot and then banished them away from my cake. Take from that what you will. Most people would love the cherries atop.

I liked this cake a lot. As a three milks cake. It by no means will substitute my favorite: chocolate cake. For that is ever etched in my heart. The end.

Tres Leches Cake
The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 cup All-purpose Flour

1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Salt

5 whole Eggs

1 cup Sugar, Divided

1 teaspoon Vanilla

⅓ cups Milk

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk

¼ cups Heavy Cream

1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping

3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.

Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Apple Bundt Cake

2010-10-28T20:24:00.000-04:00

In an effort to use up a few more apples from our apple-picking excursion, I made this Pumpkin Apple Bundt Cake. I had bookmarked about four different apple cake recipes, but the thing that drew me to this one was that it had apple butter, which I knew, in my all-encompassing pumpkin obsession, I could substitute with pumpkin butter! Pumpkin AND apples?! Heck ya!

My mastermind idea didn't disappoint, either! The cake was definitely pumpkin, with bursts of apple throughout. I kept the walnuts in, but next time, I don't think I will. I think I'd like the pumpkin and apple to shine more without nuts getting in the way. The cake itself was moist and I ended up with just a light layer of powdered-sugar on top.

Pumpkin Apple Bundt Cake
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From my Home to Yours"

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin butter
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 12 cup bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition; you'll have a light, fluffy batter. Still on low, add the grated apples and mix to completely blend. Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the nuts if desired. Turn the batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding and cooling the cake to room temperature. If possible, once the cake is completely cool, wrap well in plastic and let it stand overnight at room temperature to ripen the flavors.

Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

2010-10-26T17:04:00.000-04:00

Spice and I went apple picking several weeks ago. I had never been and was so excited to pick my own fresh apples! And not to mention all the goodies I was going to be able to make with all those apples!

I ended up with about 14 pounds of apples and a bag almost too heavy to lug to the car. I had thoughts of apple desserts dancing around in my head on the way home and was faced with a HUGE stack of apple recipes I had printed out. What to try first?!

Well, it was not a very close contest with this dessert in the pack. Caramel? Check. Apples? Check. Cheesecake? Check. WELL! Don't mind if I do!

This dessert took a bit more time than some of my other desserts, but it was well worth it. There are several steps that take the extra time. The result is worth it! This pie was SO rich, with many flavors playing out in your mouth at once! I loved the cool, creaminess of the cheesecake mixing with the spicy apples and salty caramel. Let me talk for a second about this caramel...I have made caramel several times and never have I tasted such a perfect consistency and flavor. I will be using the caramel recipe for years to come. I had a lot left over after this dessert and have since used the leftover caramel for many recipes including cake balls and brownies. Definitely a great go-to caramel recipe.

Caramel Sauce
From Food Network Magazine October 2010

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream

Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let sit 1 minute.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pies
Annie's Eats

For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½-¾ cup caramel
1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:
¾ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel
Chopped pecans (optional, I didn't add any extra)

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.

To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.

You are NOT ready...

2010-10-22T12:16:00.000-04:00

Look at this. I made this. Believe it. This my friends is homemade focaccia bread. I know it has been awhile since I have posted about my bread making adventures, and truth be told it's because I am lazy. These recipes do not only take about 2 days to complete, they also take about 2 hours to type up! So if you really want to know how to make it, I have to refer you back to the best book ever.

Taking this bad boy out of the oven was definitely one of those, 'Wow I did good!' moments. It was lovely and brown and full of olive oil goodness. I made this guy into a gorgeous strata (which I will get to I promise) and a pizza. Plus there was plenty left over for snacking. I will be making this bread for years to come, it may take 2 days but it is well worth it!

To my lovely WWer's, this bread is a total splurge, 3 measly ounces is a whopping 8 points (its all the oil that goes on top). But if there ever was an excuse to break into your extra weekly points this is it!

Pumpkin Turnovers

2010-10-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

I made these on a whim several weeks ago. With a hankering for pumpkin that just wouldn't go away and half a package of puff pastry in the freezer, I knew my calling for the evening.

And it really doesn't get any easier that this. Of course you could make it a bit more invasive by making your own puff pastry and making your own pumpkin puree, but for all intents and purposes, these did me just fine!

Pumpkin Turnovers

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 egg
cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar and spices.

Roll out the puff pastry sheets into a rectangle about 12 by 12 inches. Cut into 4-inch squares.

Spoon pumpkin mixture onto the center of one square, top with another square and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat with all squares.

Place sqaures on the baking sheets. Lightly beat the egg and brush over the top of each pastry. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

2010-10-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to make The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls for awhile now. Pretty much since I saw that every comment on her post of them was a positive, OMG comment. Apparently, these cinnamon rolls could be used to cure world peace. Perhaps its all the butter...

This is definitely a great recipe to have in my back pocket for potlucks, friends and Christmas morning. The original recipe makes a crazy ton of cinnamon rolls, more than I would ever need in a lifetime, so I halved the recipe and wound up with two full 13 by 9 inch pans of rolls.

On top of the cinnamon-y goodness, I thought the icing was fall on the floor awesome. And good thing, too, because there was so much, I pretty much drowned the rolls in it!

The flaky and gooey inside was my favorite part, but I resisted going through and digging out the insides of all the rolls. Besides I had guests, and it would have been rude =)

Cinnamon Rolls of Wonder
The Pioneer Woman

1/2 quart whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 package Active Dry Yeast
4 cups (plus another 1/2 cup) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup ground cinnamon

1 pound powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup melted butter
1/8 cup brewed coffee
scant 1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 30 to 45 minutes. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in the Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1/2 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375- 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

OMG Apple Pie

2010-10-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I had my fair share of apple pies. Even as an adult, I have been known to enjoy a delightful apple pie. This guy takes the cake, though (or pie if you want to get specific here). It was so good, that it was gone in 3 days and I only had two slivers. Even Spice, who is admittedly not a big pie-person, loved it and had several slices.

I'm always in a debate with myself about what type of apple pie to make. In my world, there is the overly syrupy apple pie that you often find at diners, where the apples don't have even a hint of crunch left and you have a pile of oozing cinnamon-spice goop on your plate. Then there is the apple pie that has very little sugar and is just apples, spices and crust.

I strove here for a happy medium and think I hit the nail on the head! This apple pie is definitely sweet, spicy but doesn't have a syrup-like sauce that dribbles out of it. In my world, that means its pretty darn perfect!

The crust I used was from New Best Recipe, always a winner. It was flaky and buttery and completely melted in my mouth!

I waited until the day after I made the pie to try it, and even then, the first slice was a bit goopy (see picture below). It only got better with age, though! So if you can, wait a full 24 hours before cutting into this! I won't judge you if you can't, though. =)

I will certainly be making this apple pie again. Probably soon since Spice and I just went apple picking this weekend! Pictures to come soon!

Apple Pie
Adapted from All Recipes and Crust from New Best Recipe

Crust:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6-8 tablespoons ice water

Process the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 1-second pulses. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix. Press down on the dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if the dough will not come together. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 4-inch disc. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon cardamom
Egg for brushing
Sugar for dusting

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour followed by corn syrup to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom together in a large bowl.

Roll out one half of the pie dough and place in a lightly greased pie pan. Use a fork to poke several holes in the bottom of the dough.

Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and pour over the apples, mix to combine. Carefully fill the pie pan with the sugar-soaked apples, mounding slightly.

Roll out the second half of the pie dough and cover the apples. Close the sides and crimp as desired. Cut four lines in top of pie, slanting down.

Lightly beat the egg and brush over the top of the pie. Dust with sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Donut Holes

2010-10-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

I really like frying things. I don't have a fryer, but the process of putting things in a huge pot of super hot oil gives me the warm fuzzies. Call me weird, I don't care!

These little dudes were no exception! They were very easy to make and didn't require a long resting process, so I was able to whip them up one day after work for some guests who were coming over.

As Smitten Kitchen did, I had some troubles with the stickiness of the dough, but I refrigerated it and rolled it out with lots of flour, and they worked perfectly. Mine didn't turn out as round as hers, but they certainly were delicious. Although I had leftovers (and ate them all up), I think these were a lot better the day I made them. As a last minute whim, I stuck a chunk of chocolate between two of the cutouts before frying and sealed it. They made for an extra chocolate treat! I'd definitely recommend trying it out.

Chocolate Donut Holes
From Smitten Kitchen

2 3/4 cups (12 3/8 ounces or 352 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 ounces or 90 grams) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 teaspoons (about 3/8 ounce or 10 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (about 1/8 ounces or 4 grams) salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 (10 5/8 ounces or 300 grams) cups sugar
1/3 cup (2 7/8 ounce or 84 grams) sour cream (what I used) or buttermilk or you can make your own
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces or 42 grams) butter, melted and cooled a bit
Your fat of choice for frying (solid vegetable shortening or canola, peanut or vegetable oil are popular choices)

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium one, whisk eggs, sugar, sour cream or buttermilk and butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry until well blended. Chill batter until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3.

Flour your counter generously and scrape dough onto it. Flour dough. Flour your hands. Gently pat dough out until it is 1/2-inch thick. Dip a 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch round cutter into a dish of flour and cut rounds from dough. Pat scraps of dough together and cut them again. If your dough or doughnut holes have gotten too soft to easily pick up, put them on a floured or parchment or waxed paper-lined tray and put them in the freezer for a few minutes, until they’re firm enough to gently handle again.

Fill a 5 to 6-quart with 4 inches of oil. Heat to 375°F (190°C). You can fry 6 to 12 doughnut holes at a time, about one full minute on each side. The trickiest parts will be visualizing when the doughnuts are done — since they’re chocolate, the color change will be subtle; I suggest practicing with scraps of extra dough first — and keeping your oil at an even temperature, if you’re not using a deep-fryer. Make sure you bring the oil back to 375°F after each batch.

Drain doughnut holes on a stack of paper towels. Once cool, roll in glaze (below) and let drain and dry on cooling racks.

Doughnut Glaze
8 ounces powdered sugar
3 tablespoons water, milk or buttermilk (what I used, highly recommended)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together until smooth. If you need it thinner, add more water, milk or buttermilk, a few drops at a time.

BBQ Chicken

2010-10-05T16:54:00.000-04:00

BBQ Chicken is one of my favorite meals. When I went through a particularly picky eating period in my life, my dad had to make me either BBQ chicken or lemon chicken every night for dinner. What a boring existence! I also had to have the chicken be boneless and skinless (which I still prefer, even with BBQ chicken). In college, I had limited access to my obsession and it quickly fell out of popularity for me.

Good thing this popped up on Eating, etc. awhile ago. I have since been making it quite regularly and this summer was no exception, although I am just now getting around to sharing it. Spice and I both agree this makes the most tender, flavorful BBQ chicken we've ever eaten. As a native Syracus-ian, Spice always has Dinosaur BBQ Sauce around, so we use that most of the time when we make this.

BBQ Chicken
From Eating, etc.

1lb-2lb chicken pieces

favorite spice rub, to taste

salt & pepper, to taste

1 large onion, sliced

3/4c port wine ( we use any red wine)

favorite bbq sauce

Rub chicken pieces with spice rub, salt, & pepper to taste.

Sear chicken on preheated grill on each side for 5-15 minutes (10-30 minutes total, depending on whether using bone-in or boneless chicken).

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Transfer chicken pieces to oven-proof covered pot (we use a cast-iron dutch oven), adding sliced onion, port wine, & barbecue sauce.

Bake at 325° for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-10-01T15:51:00.000-04:00

If I could help it, I would not be a granola bar type of person. I'd much rather eat whole/real foods than fake, processed, sugary bars. Unfortunately, between running from dance classes to the gym and to work and to all other things in between, its hard to not just grab a granola bar and go.

Thankfully I found Lara Bars, which have no preservatives and are made strictly out of real food. Not to mention they are really quite tasty, too! Unfortunately, which an almost $2.00 price tag per bar, its not something I could readily afford. So glad I thought of creating my own! Now I can make them as big or small as I'd like and just throw it in my bag for when the going gets tough and the tough get hungry!

You can really use any combination of dried fruits and nuts in these. I will definitely be experimenting in the future. You can add nut butters if you'd like, or honey, maple syrup and chocolate chips for sweetness. Its pretty hard to screw these up, so try some new combos and let me know how they turn out!

Homemade Granola Bars

1/2 cup dried apples
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seed
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with plastic wrap. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until combined. I found it a bit easier to let the fruits blend for a bit and then add the nuts and so forth. Spread the misture into the baking dish and press it into place. Cut into bars of any size/shape you would like and wrap in plastic wrap individually. Store in the refrigerator in a large plastic bag.

Soft Pretzels

2010-09-28T17:05:00.000-04:00

I am salivating as I write this about walking past an Auntie Anne's Pretzels in the mall and getting that wonderful yeasty bread and cinnamon sugar smell. These were definitely just the thing to get my fix for that! And a fun Saturday project as well.

I enjoyed making these just as much as I enjoyed eating them. As for the flavors, I'm sure you can come up with a million other ideas! I followed 17 and Baking's cue and did cinnamon and sugar, parmesan cheese, salt, and almond and brown sugar. They all turned out excellent, but I think my favorite was the cinnamon and sugar! Big surprise on that one...

Soft Pretzels
From 17 and Baking who adapted from Martha Stewart and Smitten Kitchen

Pretzels
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
¼ cup baking soda
1 large egg

Toppings
Sea salt or pretzel salt
Cinnamon and sugar
Grated Parmesan cheese
Brown sugar mixed with water and chopped almonds

Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the dough hook and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.

On low speed, mix in 1 cup flour until combined. Mix in the salt and four more cups of flour until combined, about 30 seconds, then beat on medium-low speed for 1 ½ minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead in another ½ cup of flour for a minute on low speed. Depending on your dough, you can knead another ½ cup of flour. Knead for 30 seconds, until combined, then transfer to a floured board and knead 10 times until smooth.

Coat the sides and bottom of a large bowl with oil. Transfer the pretzel dough to the bowl, turning it so that all sides of dough are coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for an hour, or until the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two to three baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.

Punch down the dough. Knead it once or twice on a lightly floured surface, then divide into sixteen 2 ½ ounce pieces. Keep the pieces wrapped in plastic so they don’t dry out.

Roll each piece of dough into an 18 inch long strip and twist into a pretzel. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the pretzels rest for 15 minutes.

Fill a large, shallow pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the baking soda (it’ll foam up) and the last 2 tablespoons of sugar. Reduce to a simmer and poach the pretzels – cook 3 to 4 at a time, a minute on each side. Transfer to the baking sheet with a slotted spoon.

Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over the poached pretzels. You can sprinkle them with toppings – grated cheese, cinnamon sugar, salt, etc. Bake the pretzels until golden brown, 12-15 minutes, and cool on wire racks. Mine kept for several days in a tupperware.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

2010-09-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

This was an easy and delicious salad. I just love when basic, but delicious foods and flavors come to together! I added the jalapeno at the final second and was so glad I did because it added a little kick to it! I served this as a side to fish, but I used the leftovers as a salad add-in for my lunches the rest of the week, which worked out just perfectly!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 can black beans, drained
2 cups corn kernels (fresh if possible)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 jalapano, seeded and diced
1 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine the beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, jalapano and cilantro in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice and olive oil. Spread dressing over vegetables and toss to coat.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

2010-09-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Spice likes to joke with me that I am 7/8ths correct a lot of the time. And its true. Most notably this happens with lyrics. We will be singing along to something and Spice will stop and listen to what I am singing and just shake her head. I can't help it, though. I get so into the song that I neglect to figure out the words and just sing what I think they are. Now, other times I get some brilliant ideas that really get a 10 out of 10 rating. And this is one of those times.

With my recent whoopie pie pan addition to the kitchen, I am on a whoopie pie kick. And with fall rolling in, I thought carrot cake would be just the ticket. Add some orange cream cheese frosting, a little salted caramel sauce and some candied pecans and, gosh darn it, you have got a mighty delectable little dessert!

These were very fun to make and extremely pretty to look at once the caramel was drizzled on. I used the same caramel recipe from the salted caramel milkshakes and it was swoon-worthy!

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Carrot Cake:
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 pound large carrots, peeled
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons nonfat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray whoopie pie pan with cooking spray.

Using the smallest holes (less than 1/4 inch in diameter) of a box grater, grate carrots, yielding 2 1/2 cups. Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, vegetable oil, and ginger in a large bowl; whisk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined.

Place about 2 tablespoons of batter into each whoopie pie hole in the pan. Bake about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing the cakes from the pan. Wash pan and re-spray with cooking spray. Repeat until batter is finished.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart

3/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Pinch of salt

Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium0high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients and beat 5 minutes more.

Salted Caramel Sauce
Food and Wine

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, butter and salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Heat sugar and oil in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and starts to bubble. Mix in pecans and stir until nuts are toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread in an even layer to cool completely.

To Assemble

Pipe frosting onto half of the flat sides of the cakes. Top with the other half after all frosted.

Drizzle caramel sauce over cakes and top with candied pecans.

Éclairs

2010-09-17T15:52:00.000-04:00

These éclairs were such a fun project! I knew when I saw these on Annie's Eats that I was going to make them. I'd probably only had one or two éclairs in my life before I made these, so I don't have a lot to compare to, but they tasted dream-like to me!

I am fairly obsessed with the pastry cream that went inside these. I couldn't stop "testing" it with my finger. It went perfectly with the dough and the sweet chocolate glaze on top, which I doubled for extra chocolatey goodness.

I really enjoyed these best the day I made them, but I brought them to work several days later and people were singing my praises still!

Éclairs with Mocha Pastry Cream
From Annie's Eats

For the mocha pastry cream:
1½ cups half-and-half
6 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar, divided
Pinch salt
1½ tsp. espresso powder
3 large egg yolks
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the pâte à choux:
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 tbsp. whole milk
6 tbsp. water
1½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup all-purpose flour

For the glaze:
6 tbsp. half-and-half or heavy cream
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or in chip form
2 cups (4 oz.) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To make the pastry cream, heat the half-and-half, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture is warm, whisk in the espresso powder. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the pâte à choux, whisk the eggs and egg white in a liquid measuring cup. You should have ½ cup (discard the excess). Set aside. Combine the butter, milk, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. When it reaches a full boil and the butter is fully melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour until incorporated and the mixture clears the sides of the pan. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, using a smearing motion, until the mixture is slightly shiny, looks like wet sand and tiny beads of fat appear on the bottom of the pan (the mixture should register 175-180˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.

Immediately transfer the mixture to a food processor and process with the feed tube open to cool slightly, 10 seconds. With the machine running, gradually add the reserved eggs in a steady stream. When they have been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process 30 seconds more until a smooth, thick, sticky paste forms.

Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Fit a pastry bag with a ½-inch plain tip. Fill the pastry bag with the pâte à choux. Pipe the paste into eight 5 x 1-inch strips, spaced about 1 inch apart. Use the bake of a teaspoon dipped in water to even out the shape and smooth the surface.

Bake 15 minutes without opening the oven door, then lower the oven temperature to 375˚ F and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm, 8-10 minutes longer. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cut a ¾-inch slit into the side of each éclair to release steam. Return the pan to the oven, turn off the oven, and prop the oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Dry the éclairs in the turned-off oven until the centers are just moist and crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make the glaze, place the half-and-half and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, until the mixture just begins to steam. Whisk together thoroughly, add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until completely smooth.

To assemble the éclairs, add the pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe the pastry cream through the slit in the side of each éclair to fill it completely. I ended up going through the tip of the pastry as well as the side. Dip the top of each éclair in the chocolate glaze. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the glaze to set. Serve within several hours.

That Loving Feeling

2010-09-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

I'll say it, I miss home. I miss hanging out with my sisters all the time, I miss Peg and Jim being ridiculous, and I miss an endless pantry full of food (that I don't have to pay for!)

Time to time you are going to get home sick and after dealing with it for a few years now I know that the only cure for the sickness is making something that reminds me home. This recipe is from my grandma, and I do not remember having a family gathering without it. In fact it was one of the recipes I made sure to master before I left for college knowing that I would need it and use it for the rest of my life. Eating these little guys gave me just the taste of home I was looking for and will hopefully hold me over until I get to see my fam at Thanksgiving.

Chocolate Pie is gooey and delicious and perfect. This recipe does not focus on the crust, in fact go ahead and buy a frozen or a cookie crust, nobody will care because all the focus will be on the perfect pudding filling. You can top it with cream, berries, powdered sugar, or just eat it plain. I can promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Chocolate Pie

Tooley Style

1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups milk
1 beaten egg
dash of salt
4 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp cocoa
chunk butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a large saucepan over medium heat whisk sugar and milk together. Once the mixture starts to heat up add in the beaten egg. From this point on you will have to whisk vigorously. Add in the cocoa and once it is completely incorporated add in the corn starch. It will start to thicken pretty quickly, keep on whisking until you reach the desired texture, which for me is super thick and creamy. At this point remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Fill shell and let cool in the fridge for a hour or two (if you can make it that long)

As you can see I made mini pies, using a half batch of the above pudding recipe. This pudding keeps for about a week but I promise you it will not last that long.

Buttermilk Onion Rings

2010-09-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

For the start of college football season last Saturday, I felt like we needed some fried snack food. And of course, who pops up on my tv that morning but Bobby Flay making some delicious onion rings. Sold.

These were a great snack. They probably should have counted as a meal because we ate so darn many! I loved the way soaking the onions in the buttermilk mixture made them a little bit softer but still had that crunch! I will definitely make these again. Just what I need, another favorite fried food!

Buttermilk Onion Rings
Adapted from Bobby Flay on Food Network

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Pinch cayenne

Salt

1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices

2 cups peanut oil

2-3 cups all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper

Combine buttermilk, flour, cayenne and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Soak the onion rings in the batter for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a large saucepan to 375 degrees F. In batches, remove onion rings from batter and dredge in the seasoned flour mixture. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with salt.

Salted Caramel Milkshakes

2010-09-10T16:39:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time there was a restaurant in New York that made Salted Caramel Milkshakes. (Yup, you read that right. Salted. Caramel. Milkshakes.) One day a girl (I'm the girl, the jig is up) tried one of said milkshakes and burst with joy. From then on she was obsessed with trying to make one of her own. She succeeded and lived happily ever after. The end.

Salted Caramel Milkshakes

Vanilla Ice Cream:
Alton Brown

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

Salted Caramel Sauce:
Food and Wine

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3/4 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, butter and salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.

For the Milkshakes:

Place 2 cups vanilla ice cream, 3/4-1 cup milk (depending on your ice cream consistency), 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a blender. Run until combined.

Salmon Turnovers

2010-09-08T17:41:00.000-04:00

I am obsessed with fish at the moment. By "at the moment" I mean for the past few months. Needless to say, when I saw this recipe from Alton Brown for Salmon Turnovers, I knew they were going down in my kitchen toute de suite.

They turned out delicious, but lets be serious here, anything you wrap in puff pastry dough is bound to be yummy. Now, if you want to get really funky with your bad self, try making your own puff pastry, which I have yet to do (but don't worry, its on the list!). I loved how this was pretty much an entire meal in itself and how easy it was! This will definitely be on my make again list!

Salmon Turnovers
Alton Brown

1 sheet puff pastry

Flour, for dusting

1 can boneless, skinless, salmon

1/2 cup Sauteed mushrooms

1 to 2 tablespoons sour pickle relish

1 cup cooked white, brown or fried rice

2 to 3 chopped scallions

1 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly flour the countertop. Roll puff pastry so there are no seams. Cut into 4 squares.

In a bowl, combine salmon, mushrooms, pickle relish, rice, scallions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Brush inside edges of puff pastry with egg wash and fold over to make a triangle. Using a fork, seal the edges. Poke a slit or two in the top of each turnover. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yellow Cake Cupcakes with Sunflowers

2010-09-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

These were an impulse-bake. I wanted to take advantage of a few cool days here in New York and decided to give some cupcakes and decorating a go! What a loverly way to usher in fall.

The cupcakes were great, definitely on the dense side, so very similar to Magnolia's cupcakes if you have had those. The decorating was fun, too! Of course, it's from Hello, Cupcake!, of which I have several copies if you are ever in need. I am ashamed to say that I used canned frosting. BUT only because I knew it would hold its shape better than what I would have made. The sunflowers were fairly easy to make, as well, especially if you have a leaf-tip for decorating. My favorite part has to be the ladybugs...what a cute idea!

Yellow Cupcakes
The New Best Recipe

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Ad the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tin using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon. Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick or skewer isterted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Use a skewer or paring knife to life the cupcakes from the tin and transfer to a wire rack; cool the cupcakes to room timperature, about 45 minutes. Makes 12 cupcakes.

For the Sunflowers
From Hello, Cupcake!

12 vanilla cupcakes
2 cans vanilla frosting
Green, yellow, orange and black food coloring
12 regular chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies (Oreos)
12 red M&M's

Tint 1 1/2 cups of the vanilla frosting green with the food coloring. Spread an even layer of the green frosting on top of the cupcakes and smooth. I added some green sanding sugar here to the frosting, but that is entirely optional. Arrange the chocolate sandwich cookies over the cupcakes, pressing them into the frosting to secure.

Tint the remaining vanilla frosting bright yellow and with food coloring. Remove 1/2 the yellow frosting and tint it orange with the food coloring. Secure a pastry bag with a leaf tip. Spoon the orange frosting into one side of the bag and spoon the yellow frosting into the other side of the bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Pipe the yllow-orange frosting around the edge of each cookie to make petals. Pipe another circle of petals just inside the first and slightly overlapping.

Tint about 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting black with the food coloring and spoon it into a small ziplock bag. Press of the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a 1/16-inch corner from the back. Pipe a dot of black frosting on each cookies and attach the red chocolate candies to make the ladybugs. Pipe a line of black frosting down the center of each ladybug and add a dot for the head and a few dots on the back.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt

2010-09-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

This was a great addition to my ice cream arsenal! With a few blackberries to use up, frozen yogurt was the perfect choice! It brought back summer memories from childhood for me, standing in line at the waterpark.

This frozen yogurt was very tart with both the blackberries and yogurt. But tart is good with frozen yogurt! I think the chocolate chips were a great addition too, but I just love a little crunch in my ice cream! This one was very creamy, almost like an actual ice cream, but used just yogurt.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt
Adapted from Erin Cooks

2 cups fat free Fage yogurt
1 cup full fat Fage yogurt
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blackberries
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Puree the blackberries in a food processor and than strain through a fine mesh sieve to separate the liquid from the seeds. Stir 1 tablespoon of sugar into the berry puree and also refrigerate for 1 hour.

Thoroughly combine the frozen yogurt base with the berry puree and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour in the chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Coconut

2010-08-31T16:26:00.000-04:00

With a small break in the searing New York heat last week, and a few browning bananas on our counter, I saw the perfect opportunity for some banana bread! It also makes it feel a bit more like fall, which I am so excited for I can't stand it!

This was a great banana bread recipe and I loved the addition of chocolate and coconut! If you enjoy nuts in your bread, you could add toasted almonds and make it a true Almond Joy Banana Bread, but I chose to stick with the chocolate chips and coconut. The original recipe calls for yogurt, but I used sour cream since I already had it in my refrigerator.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut
Adapted from My Baking Addiction

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas mashed well (about 1 1/2 C), mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky.

Gently stir in the mini chocolate chips and coconut. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a tooth-pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (the bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Greek Tortellini Salad

2010-08-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

This pasta salad and I are now BFFs (best friends forever). We just got along swimmingly! I loved everything about it! The dressing just perfectly complemented all the ingredients and there was such a wonderful tang when you bit into a tortellini! I used three cheese tortellini, but I'm sure any will do. It would no doubt be extra fun to make your own tortellini for this too! I made this as a side dish for 3 people and we had more than enough left over for my lunch the next day. I'm making plans as we speak to make and devour more of this salad, thats how good it is!

Greek Tortellini Salad
Adapted from All Recipes

1 9-oz package tortellini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsely
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup slivered red onion

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add tortellini, and cook for 7 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, parsley, oregano, and salt. Place the cooked tortellini in the bowl, and toss to coat. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place eggs in a saucepan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and allow eggs to sit in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, cool, peel, and quarter.

Gently mix the spinach, feta cheese, and onion into the bowl with the pasta. Arrange the quartered eggs around the salad to serve.

S'mores Whoopie Pies

2010-08-25T15:41:00.000-04:00

I read an article awhile back (I can't even remember where it was from) that said whoopie pies are going to be the new cupcake. The argument is that everything people love about cupcakes (its portability and blend of cake and frosting to name a few), holds true for whoopie pies as well! And I LOVE me a good whoopie pie!

These are much more elegant than your average frosting sandwhiched between two cakey-cookies whoopie pie. It is made with a specialty pan that my dorky self picked up at Williams Sonoma. The "cookies" are made with a chocolate cake recipe, which would make it very difficult to do this without the specialty pan, although I'm sure you could use any cookie recipe and get great results!

I got to play around with our kitchen torch to brown the marshmallow filling, which always makes for a fun time in the kitchen. And when it is put together, the cake is topped with chocolate ganache and crumbled graham crackers.

This is definitely a whoopie pie that you will need a plate to eat, but you will certainly not be sorry! YUM!

S'mores Whoopie Pies
From My Baking Addiction

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 ounces of semisweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream

graham cracker crumbs for garnish

For the cake:

Heat oven to 320 F. Spray your whoopee pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour 1 ½ tablespoons of batter into each well of the whoopie pie pan.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then invert the pan and allow the whoopies to cool completely on wire racks.

Wash and dry the pan and re-spray with non-stick cooking spray and repeat with the remaining batter. You will end up with 36 whoopie cakes that once sandwiched will yield 18 whoopie pies.

Once your whoopies are cool, prepare the marshmallow frosting.

For the frosting:

Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined.

For the topping:

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and allow to sit for a few minutes. Whisk until smooth.

Assembly:

Pipe filling on the flat sides of half the cakes (18 of them).

Use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the marshmallow frosting. Top each with one of the remaining cakes; flat side down.

Place a spoonful of ganache on top of each whoopee pie and spread in a circular pattern; garnish with graham cracker crumbs and allow the ganache to set up.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

2010-08-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like making a huge batch of pasta to have for lunches all week long. And this Orzo Salad did just the trick. In fact, I had more than was enough for a weeks worth of lunches! I love most foods Greek/Mediterranean so I knew I would like this one which has a great addition of vegetables. I'd never had orzo before, but what a unique little pasta! This would really be good with any kind of pasta and I may try penne next time. This recipe would be great for a picnic or another potluck-type gathering.

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, a great resource for new recipes!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Tasty Kitchen

16 ounces, weight Orzo Pasta

1 whole Red Pepper, Chopped

1 whole Medium Tomato Chopped

½ cups Kalamata Olives, Chopped

1 cup Fresh Spinach, Finely Chopped

½ cups Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped

½ cups Feta Crumbles

1 dash Salt

1 dash Pepper

½ cups Olive Oil

½ cups Balsamic Vinegar

Cook orzo according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain. In a large bowl, toss pasta with chopped bell pepper, tomato, olives, spinach, basil and feta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Pour over pasta vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Chill before serving.

Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream

2010-08-19T15:50:00.000-04:00

So the other day I got a craving for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. As any normal person would in a pinch, I picked some up from the grocery store. I take it home and upon first bite, I recoil! Hmmm...it seems that my constant production of homemade ice cream has made me sour at the store-bought versions.

Not to worry, I was able to whip up some Cookie Dough Ice Cream and have even managed to polish it off, while the store-bought stuff still sits in our freezer.

This isn't any Cookie Dough Ice Cream, either. Its DOUBLE Cookie Dough! And really, I'm not sure you can get much better. This ranks right up there with Cake Batter Ice Cream. Meaning, I have to exercise extra self control not to each the entire container at once (this seems to be a constant problem with me...hmmm)! I used 2% milk and half and half to make it slightly healthier. But please, use the good stuff if you have more self-control than I!

Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream
From Annie's Eats

For the cookie dough:
5 tbsp. salted butter, melted (or unsalted butter plus ¼ tsp. salt)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

For the ice cream:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups half and half
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 large egg yolks
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups 2%milk
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

To make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Mix in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

To make the ice cream, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue heating, stirring often, until the butter is a deep golden brown color, being careful not to burn it. Whisk in the half and half and heat until simmering. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Once the cream mixture is warm, add a small amount to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream. Mix in the salt. Return the egg-cream mixture to the saucepan and heat until just slightly thickened, and the temperature reads 170-175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and the 2% milk. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the disk of cookie dough into small chunks. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container and stir in the chocolate chips and the chunks of cookie dough. Store in the freezer until firm.

Cupcake Pebble Treats

2010-08-17T15:28:00.000-04:00

So I've got an issue with sugary cereals. Actually, the issue is all mine because if I buy sugary cereal I just end up eating all of it straight out of the box in one sitting.

That's why, when I discovered Cupcake Pebbles at the grocery store, I knew I would have to make something with them. And what's better on a hot day than giving the oven a rest and making a form of Rice Krispies Treats?

These were just simply awesome. The Cupcake Pebbles are just as delicious as the Cocoa Pebbles and make a wonderful marshmallow treat!

Cupcake Pebbles Treats

1/4 cup butter
1 10.5-oz. package marshmallows
1 11-oz. package Cupcake Pebbles Cereal

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir until they are melted. Remove from heat and add cereal.

Press mixture into a 9 by 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Risotto with Spring Vegetables

2010-08-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

Risotto is such an interesting dish. I always find it somewhat fascinating that adding liquid slowly and constantly stirring can turn rice into a creamy dish. Not only that, but I find it delicious!

This risotto was was very fresh and summery with all the vegetables. If you can get past the fairly constant stirring, it really is easy to make. I really enjoyed the crunch from the asparagus in between creamy rice bites in this. Such an interesting contrast! I liked this just fine the day I made it, but loved it even more the second day!

Risotto with Spring Vegetables
Adapted from Cooking Light May 2010

1 cup frozen green peas
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium grain rice
½ cup white wine
1 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook peas in boiling water 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and carrot to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total).

Stir in peas and asparagus with last addition of stock. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cupcakes are soooo last year...

2010-08-12T15:50:00.000-04:00

That is all I have been hearing, cupcakes are over, ca-put, finished, washed up. I took this news as any food enthusiast would, I sat in my room and cried while shoving delicious Crumbs cupcakes into my mouth, and we are not talking the mini ones my friends. For months I have been refusing to acknowledge the new trend, macarons. They seemed too little and airy to be delicious and dessert worthy. But after reading countless recipes and seeing them EVERYWHERE I figured I owed it to you and to my belly to see what all the fuss is about.

I must admit after doing a little macaron research I was a little intimidated. Almost every post I read about the little guys said I had no hope of getting them right on the first try. There were so many rules to follow exactly or my little puffs wouldn't get the feet they need to be considered true macarons. I found a recipe that seemed relatively easy and followed it exactly as Annie's Eats said. The only change I made was to make sure that the egg whites were aged for 48 hours before using.

And look at these babies! After baking and tasting the final product, I have to admit cupcakes are so last year...

Chocolate Macarons with Espresso Ganache Filling

from: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the macarons:
110 gm blanched slivered almonds
200 gm minus 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
100 gm egg whites (from about 3 eggs), aged at room temperature for 12-24 hours
50 gm granulated sugar

For the espresso ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tbsp. bittersweet chocolate
1½ tsp. espresso powder

Directions:

Pulse the almonds in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground. This takes longer than you would think. You want to make sure the almonds and the confectioner's sugar blend well. Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and process until blended. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until a smooth, shiny meringue with stiff peaks forms.
Add the almond mixture to the bowl with the meringue and gently fold together until no streaks remain. The batter will be on the thick side, but it should still flow off the end of the spatula.

Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or greased parchment paper. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain wide round tip. Pipe into rounds on the prepared baking sheets, you can make these guys any size you want I made some big ones and some babies just make sure you have a match for each cookie. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour to develop a shell.

Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before moving the cookies. It took my cookies about an hour before I was able to move them.

While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Combine the cream, butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the cream mixture to a simmer, remove from the heat and add chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk gently until the ganache forms. Blend in the espresso powder. Stick the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator and let cool, stirring every 10 minutes until thickened.

Once the cookies are totally cooled, match them up by size. Pipe a layer of ganache onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich together with the remaining cookie, pushing the filling to the edges. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if they last that long!

No-Bake Brownies

2010-08-10T15:19:00.000-04:00

No bake. In a brownie. What a genius concept! Martha people, you amaze me everyday!

Its been hard this summer to motivate myself to turn on our oven. So I have been searching high and low for no-bake "baking" approaches. Enter the brownie. I wasn't expecting a miracle on these, but I was pleasantly surprised! These were fudgy and very chocolatey. You definitely need to chill them for awhile before biting into one, but they taste just like a regular brownie!

No-Bake Fudge Brownies
Martha Stewart Living August 2010

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 ¼ cups evaporated milk (from one 12-oz can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies (from 2 9-oz packages)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Salt

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides.

Heat chocolate and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Set aside 1/3 cup.

Combine cookies, 2 cups coconut, the sugar and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour in chocolate mixture; stir until combined.

Spread mixture evenly into dish. Spread reserved 1/3 cup chocolate over top. Finely chop remaining 2 tablespoons coconut and sprinkle evenly over chocolate.

Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove brownies from pan by lifting plastic wrap. Remove plastic, and cut into 24 brownies.

Grilled Swordfish Kabobs

2010-08-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

As a kid, I was the epitome of a picky eater. And it didn't end there. My picky eating carried itself all the way through my college years. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and I have since become quite an adventurous eater!

I called my family while we were making these swordfish kabobs and they thought it was the funniest thing that I was eating swordfish! And I have to say, I have been begging Spice for months to help me make it!

Luckily, last weekend, after a lovely day at the beach, we went to the seafood store and picked out some perfect swordfish steaks to help us usher in Shark Week on The Discovery Channel.

These were very easy to make. I made the dip in about 3 minutes, and the only prep for the swordfish was to cut it into cubs and stick it on a skewer with a little salt and pepper. Spice used her grill pan and these were on there for about 10 or 15 minutes until they were perfectly cooked.

I can't wait to make this again. Next time, to make it even easier, I think I'll just stick the steaks themselves on the grill and then top it with the sauce when they come off!

Swordfish Kebabs with Orange Basil Sauce
Cooking Light June 2010

1 orange
2 cups basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ pounds swordfish, cut into 1-inch pieces

Prepare grill (or grill pan) or medium-high heat. Squeeze orange juice to extract ¼ cup juice. Combine orange juice, basil leaves, olive oil and garlic cloves in a mini chopper; add ¼ teaspoon salt. Process basil leaf mixture until finely chopped. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper evenly over fish; thread fish onto 4 (12-inch) skewers leaving a little space between the swordfish pieces for even cooking. Grill fish 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness, turning occasionally. Drizzle fish with sauce, or serve sauce separately.

Summer Berry Pie

2010-08-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

Even in New York City, the Concrete Jungle, there are individuals and organizations devoted to bringing residents fresh, local produce. The Union Square Greenmarket is such a place. It is located on Union Square West between 15th and 17th streets from Broadway to Park Avenue South. I had the pleasure of shopping here one lovely Saturday several weeks ago (the market is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays).

It was fun wandering through, talking to the vedors and picking out things to buy. So much fresh fruits and vegetables I didn't even know where to start! I ended up with some cherry tomatoes that were just about to burst in the hot shade they were set up under.

There were flowers everywhere as well! I specifically enjoyed the ginormous sunflowers! They were so large and vibrant!

I wasn't really there for flowers, however. I had another motive: Berry Pie! So of course, I headed straight for the berries which were lined up in several tents, row upon row!

For this berry pie, I wanted an assortment of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I found all of them at the market! My reasons for choosing a berry pie are pretty obvious: the rancid heat in the city makes me want to throw our oven down the stairs and squish it with the jaws of life. The only part of this pie you need the oven for is the crust, and even then its only for a few minutes. Saved!

This pie turned out great! I really enjoyed the jelly layer set up below all the berries. It contributed to the tang and the graham cracker crust worked itself in beautifully!

Summer Berry Pie

The New Best Recipe

9 graham crackers (5-ounces), broken into rough pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

2 cups (about 9 ounces) raspberries
2 cups (about 11 ounces) blackberries
2 cups (about 10 ounces) blueberries
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons red currant jelly (I used strawberry jelly)

For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, process the graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding the warm melted butter in a steady stream; pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch glass pie plate. Use the bottom of a ramekin or measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to a wire rack and cool completely while making the filling.

For the Filling: Combine the berries in a large colander and gently rinse; spread the berries on a paper towel=lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels.

In a food processor, puree 2 ½ cups of the mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about 1 minute. Strain the puree through a mesh strainer into a small non-reactive saucepan, scraping and pressing on the seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups). Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl to combine, then whisk the mixture into the puree. Bring the puree to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon; when the mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to the consistency of pudding, remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.

While the puree is cooling, place the remaining berries in a medium bowl. Heat the jelly in a second small saucepan over low heat until fully melted. Combine the jelly with the berries, pour the berry puree into the cooled crust, and distribute the glazed berries over the puree. Loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and the puree has set, about 3 hours up to 1 day. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

The Beach

2010-07-30T16:25:00.000-04:00

Ah, the beach. It evokes memories of sandcastles, waves and potato chips. Where I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, the beaches were gorgeous, but not necessarily for swimming. The beauty of seaweed washed up on shore and tiny crabs running along the rocky sand was something I didn't appreciate until I moved away.

The lakes I grew up on and visited as a child hold the memories most people have of beach vacations.

...I remember spending the entire day out on my family's speed boat, watching my brother and cousins wakeboard through the waves, catching a foot of air coming off the wake.

...I remember my mom wrapping me up in a warm towel she had layed out in the sun and giving me a big hug as I told her about my time out on the jet-ski.

...I remember burying my cousin so far in the sand that he couldn't get out, upon which time my brother and I tickled his toes mercilessly.

...I remember my dad chasing me in the pool until he would catch me and throw me into the air, slashing me back into cool blue water.

...I remember playing chicken war with my brother against my two cousins, splashing water on eachother as the sun set in the distance.

...I remember running my Dad's boat into the dock with my friend (oops, sorry Dad, we never told you), and breaking the front light which my friend fixed as I hyperventilated on the dock.

...I remember eating Cheetos on the sand, watching my fingers turn a brighter and brighter shade of orange before I would run down to the water and wash away the orange dust.

With all the lovely memories the beach brings me, its no wonder I have been retreating to the sand and salt water as much as possible this summer. I just can't get enough of the feeling you get when the sun is warming you from the outside in and the perfectly blue sky shining down on the white sand. Hope you are enjoying the warmth of the sun and everything else beaches bring this year, no matter what sort of beach may be near!

Christmas in July Cookies

2010-07-28T17:39:00.001-04:00

Its Christmas in July! I never had the honor of celebrating Christmas in July, but I know other people have. This makes me jealous and a little angry that my household did not celebrate it.

I shipped these cookies off for a Christmas in July celebration a few weeks ago. Candy canes, Christmas trees and snowmen, oh my!

My cookie and icing recipes here!

Blackberry Freezer Pops

2010-07-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

For the love, could someone please turn down the humidity level in New York?

Granted, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where summers are so beautiful and humidity-free, its outrageous! I never realized what I had until I moved to New York and got lost in a world of humid and sweat-filled subway platforms.

Let me also inform you of the lack of air conditioning in our kitchen and living room. Needless to say, some frozen treat of some sort was beyond necessary.

These babies were just perfect! And they couldn't have been easier! I got the idea from Bakerella, but the super simple recipe is below. Clear aside some room in the freezer and get some of these goin!

Blackberry Pops
Adapted from Bakerella

Wash 2 cups of blackberries (any fruit will work). Place them in a food processor with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.

Pour into dixie cups and layer with vanilla yogurt if desired. Freeze until firm, about 12 hours.

Kylie Sugar Cookies

2010-07-21T16:45:00.001-04:00

So I'm an aunt now! Exciting, right?! My niece, Kylie, was born several months ago and unfortunately lives on the other side of the country! I still haven't seen her, yet, but managed to send some cookies her way! Of course, she can't eat them, but I'm sure Mom and Dad enjoyed them!

Here are the cookie and icing recipes I used.

Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt

2010-07-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

I enjoy summer. I find myself much more social. I go out more, I spend more time with my friends. I spend more money on ice cream...

Wait. Not so good. So I'll make my own!

There are literally a bagillion ice cream stores around nearly every corner of New York City. For a person who loves ice cream to begin with, it makes it very difficult to say no to ice cream on a daily basis. And not to even mention that we are in a heat wave of epic proportions. Blech. Out comes the ice cream maker.

Spice made this one and it was unbelievable. So incredibly creamy and tart-tasting, we couldn't put it down. I'm serious. We just sat on the couch with the tupperware full of frozen yogurt between us and ate away!

Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt
Eating, etc. via Foodie with Family

The Strawberry Coulis
1 cup strawberries, washed & hulled (frozen or fresh, we used fresh)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1) Place all ingredients in blender & process until smooth. Set aside in fridge.

The Frozen Yogurt
2 cups 2% milk-fat Greek yogurt
4 oz (1/2-brick) Neufchatel cheese (do not soften in advance)
half of 3/4c cold milk (I don’t know what half of 3/4s is, so eyeball it!)
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate for one hour prior to churning.

Freeze yogurt mixture according to your ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions (about 15-25 minutes). Transfer mixture to a freezer-safe covered storage container. Pour strawberry coulis by tablespoonful over yogurt, to taste. Using two butter knives, cut & swirl the coulis into the yogurt. Cover & freeze. (If not serving immediately, allow container to sit out on counter for several minutes before serving.)

Pesto

2010-07-15T17:14:00.000-04:00

Wow! So many savory recipes all of a sudden! I can assure you, its only because it is too hot to turn on our oven at the moment. I'm not just saying that. It has been above 90 degrees outside for the past few weeks. Let me tell you, those subway platforms....yum! Ok, I'm lying about that last part. They are absolutely disgusting.

On to the pesto! We have a basil plant now in our apartment who started off as a 4 inch tall little guy. He has grown to about 2 and a half feet tall now! Although Spice was scared to pick off all the basil leaves for fear that they wouldn't return, she did to make this pesto! And it was time...the poor plant was getting heavy from so much foliage!

The pesto was great. We used it for the base of a pizza, as a dipping sauce and in pasta. So many possibilities! This recipe is gvery versatile and you can tweak it to your heart's content. Spice ended up putting in a bit more olive oil because we wanted a thinner consistency. This will definitely be a repeat recipe in our apartment.

Pesto
From Eating, etc.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed

1/2 cup olive oil (we used about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts (we used pine nuts)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic (Mince them first to ensure the garlic is well-distributed)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and purée. Use immediately or place in freezer-safe containers & freeze until ready to use. Thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature (do not thaw in microwave!).