Saving Taste

Orange and Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-04-04T11:32:00.001-06:00

These muffins get me lots of compliments, and who would complain about that? The subtle hint of orange and the melty chocolate chips plus the ease with which these come together make these muffins absoultely perfect.

Orange and Chocolate Chip Muffins

from Une Gamine dans la Cuisine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
1/2 cup of half & half cream (I always make my own by using half milk and half cream)

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 1/4 cups of dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease or line 12 muffins cups.
In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar until it becomes fragrant and coloured. Mix in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in melted butter, cream, and almond extract. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Try not to over bake them or else they will be a bit dry. Serve warm.

Taco Pizza

2011-03-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

Pizza is a funny thing. It's so fun (or at least it was as a kid, now it's mostly convenient) to get a pizza delivered to your door. It's a family event to go to the pizza place and order your own creation. But homemade pizza is just so satisfying. Even so, I often find myself ordering pizza as often as I make it at home. I love taco pizzas. It's such a weird combination that actually works. But I'm never completely convinced. So I decided that it was high time I made my own taco pizza, and the results were amazing. The biggest difference is that I used guacamole as a base. It made all the difference in the world. I also chose to cook the lettuce with the pizza rather than put it on after, which I liked a lot, because for me, lettuce tends to take away from other flavors. Please give this a go - I really think it will become a pizza night favorite.

For more pizza night fun, check out these posts!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Sausage and Artichoke Calzones

Pizza Buns

Taco Pizza

1 recipe pizza dough

Guacamole (try my recipe!)

Cheese (we used a mix of cheddar and pepper jack)

Black olives, sliced

Shredded lettuce

Tomatoes, diced

Cilantro

Ground turkey meat, cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning

Heat a pizza stone in an oven heated to 400. Spread the pizza dough into a round and place on a pizza peel generously covered in cornmeal. Top with guacamole. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Top with the rest of the ingredients, and then top with the remaining cheese. Quickly slide it onto the pizza stone and cook for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into slices. Enjoy!

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

2011-03-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Ina Garten is one of my very favorite chefs. Her food never fails me, and my go to recipe for company (and one of my favorite meals) is her recipe for Lemon Fusilli with Arugula. It's fantastic. My husband made dinner a couple of weeks ago and made this recipe that I have been eyeing for literally a few years. For whatever reason I never had the cajones to make it - but he did. And it was amazing! Another winner from Ina. This is homey and so comforting. Perfect for the dead of winter, but I wouldn't discount it in summer either.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

For the stew:

6 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (we used boneless, skinless)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes (we used Better than Bouillon)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 yellow onions, chopped

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 carrots, medium diced, blanched for 2 minutes (that means boiled for 2 minutes)

1 10-oz package frozen peas

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (we left these out)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup half-and-half (You can make your own by using half heavy cream, half milk.)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. (We just boiled the chicken until done.) Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teapsoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 9x13 baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out 12 circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Creamy Potato Salad with Avocado

2011-02-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

All I hear about anymore is how much snow is covering the nation. But not here. Here it feels like summer. Granted, summers here in Oregon are cool, but it's still summer. Sun, beach, 65 degrees, You can bet I've been wearing flip flops and wishing that the summer produce was in so I could make a pie. But I'll go for the next best thing and make a potato salad. Doesn't it just sound like a picnic on the grass?

Creamy Potato Salad with Avocado
from Vegan Visitor

1 1/2 lbs new potatoes, scrubbed
1 large ripe avocado
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs (I used sage, garlic powder, coriander, and dill.)
Steam the potatoes until they are just fork tender but al dente. Cool until the potatoes can be handled, then quarter. Peel and dice the avocado and combine with the potatoes and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in the herbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to coat everything and to break down some of the softened avocado.

Caramel Sticky Rolls

2010-12-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Holy goodness. Eat these. Now. NOW! I love cinnamon rolls as much as the next person, but this is a welcome variation. Also, it is one of those miracles of chemistry that is baking because a little bit of butter and brown sugar turn into an amazing caramel that douses these buns in very sticky and amazing goodness.

I made these to surprise my husband when he came home from work one morning. His response was, "Great. I'm going to get fat." In my opinion, a few extra pounds so that you can eat these rolls is totally something you can live with. And he did. And he was grateful.

Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls

from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

1 1/2 pounds of bread dough (It would be too laborious for me to go over the whole method of bread making in this book, but it is wonderful. You should definitely check the book out from your library. I used the Challah dough from this same book to make these rolls.)

Caramel Topping

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

30 pecan halves (I omitted these)

The Filling

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened (I used unsalted. You can just add a little salt.)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans (I omitted these)

Pinch of ground black pepper (I omitted this too. I don't remember this being on the ingredient list. I think I might try it next time.)

Cream together the butter, salt, and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Scatter the pecans over the butter-sugar mixture and set aside.

Roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thick rectangle on a lightly foured surface.

Cream together the butter, sugar, and spices. Spread evenly over the rolled-out dough and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a log. With a very sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 8 equal pieces and arrange over the pecans in the pan, with the swirled edge facing upward. Cover loosely and allow to rest and rise 1 hour (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

5 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350. Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and well set in the center. While still hot, run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the rolls, and invert immediately onto a serving dish. If you let them set too long they will stick to the pan and be difficult to turn out.

Swedish Meatballs

2010-12-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

Wow. It has been 3 weeks since I've posted a recipe. Don't worry, this one will make up for it. These meatballs were so tender and delicious. It was so hard to not lick the plate clean. They are better than the IKEA version if you've ever had them. Serve these babies over egg noodles for a sensational meal.

Swedish Meatballs

adapted from What's Cooking, Chicago?

Meatballs:

1 large egg
1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
2 medium sized dinner rolls, torn into small pieces
1 pound ground turkey
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Vegetable oil for frying (optional) - see tip below

Sauce:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

For the Meatballs:
Whisk egg and cream together in medium bowl. Stir in bread and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a bowl mix together the turkey, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder with clean hands. Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add mixture to the meat mixture and blend with hands until just incorporated. (When mixing meat, try to handle it as little as possible.)
Using a small or medium ice cream scoop, form meatballs with wet hands and set aside; repeat with remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs.
Heat oil in 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles (oil should register 350 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 3 to 5 minutes. Add meatballs in single layer and fry, flipping once halfway through cooking, until lightly browned all over and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking.) Using slotted spoon, transfer browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate.
Tip: rather than frying your meatballs, use a mini muffin pan and bake them instead! Spray the mini muffin pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking and place your meatballs in each well. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove and use in the recipe as directed. (This is the method I chose.)

For the Sauce:
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. When foaming subsides, add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth. Add brown sugar and mushrooms and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and return to simmer.
Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Cream Scones

2010-11-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

I made some raspberry jam the other day. You know what goes perfectly with raspberry jam? Scones. And cream. It was lovely. These cream scones are amazingly tender, light, and crumbly. They are not dry like the ones you might buy at stores. If you've never had a scone, you should get in touch with your inner Brit and try one today.

Cream Scones

from Savory Sweet Life

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter in a food processor. Pulsate everything in 3-second intervals until everything resembles course meal. If doing this by hand, use 2 knives, a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal.
Transfer everything to a large bowl. Stir in heavy cream, egg, and vanilla mixing the dough by hand until it forms into a uniformed and slightly moistened dough. *You can also use your Kitchenaid with the dough hook on the slowest speed for a few minutes.

On a floured surface, grab enough dough to fit into your hand about the size of a baseball and gently roll it in a ball. Flatten the ball and until your disk is approx. 3/4″ in height. Press down the outside of the dough circle so the center is slightly taller. Evenly sprinkle sugar on top of each circle. Cut each circle in quarters. You should have enough dough to make 4 circles and 16 scones.
Bake on a ungreased cookie sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove scones from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter, honey, cream or jam. Enjoy!

Coney Island Hot Dogs with Homemade Buns

2010-11-15T11:01:00.001-07:00

I have always loved coneys from Sonic. Yes, some of you may scoff. And yes, I am aware of how low brow a coney may seem, but come on! Hot dogs with chili and cheese? Yes please! These turned out really well. The chili was slightly sweet for my taste, so I think I would decrease the brown sugar next time, but the hot dog buns turned out just beautifully and were so much better than the storebought kind.

Yummy yummy! This is a highly kid friendly meal as well. And it can always be customized. My daughter didn't have any of the chili, but she had some ketchup and cheese. It's so easy to make this meal fit anyone's tastes. Try some soon!

Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce

adapted slightly from Mommy's Kitchen

1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
Salt and pepper to taste
hot dogs and hot dog buns (recipe follows)

Brown the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure to break up the meat as fine as possible (a potato masher works great (I just used the back of my spoon and worked it a little more than usual)). When the meat is cooked, drain and return to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the hot dogs and add the mixture to your crock pot. Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 2 hours. Serve the Coney sauce on top of cooked hot dogs with diced onions and mustard.
To cook the sauce on the stove, prepare the mixture the same way and just simmer on low for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. (I used the stove method, and it was just as easy and much faster.)

Homemade Hot Dog Buns
adapted slightly from At the Baker's Bench

3 cups flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, put salt and warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Add flour, vegetable oil and sugar. Knead using the dough hook until it’s smooth and satiny, then put it in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil, or brush the surface lightly with oil, and cover the bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it’s doubled, about 1 hour.
Gently de-gas the dough by pressing your fist down into it, shape it into a 12-inch log, cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a 20 x 8-inch strip. Cut the dough (a pizza wheel works well here) into ten 4-inch squares. (Cut in half lengthwise, then into fifths vertically.) Shape each square by folding it over, pressing the edges to seal them, then rolling to form a bun about 6 inches long. Flatten the buns till they’re about 2 inches wide, and transfer them to lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between them. Note: If you prefer to tear the buns apart from one another after they’re baked, place them so they’re only about 3/4-inch apart. Cover the buns with a piece of oiled plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until they’re puffy.
Bake the buns in a preheated 350°F oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven, cool them on a rack, and store tightly wrapped, or freeze.

Thanksgiving Menu 2010

2010-11-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

That picture is, unfortunately, not mine. I don't have any current pictures of my Thanksgiving food, but I promise that after Thanksgiving, I will post many of the recipes I used up here. About a week ago I finalized my Thanksgiving menu. If you can't tell, I'm really excited about it. It's the first time I will host Thanksgiving, and although it will be small, it will be awesome. Here's the menu:

Appetizers

My Mother-in-Law's Cheese Ball

Main Course

Roasted Turkey and Gravy - my husband is the one who cooks the turkey, so we'll see what he comes up with this year!

Sides

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Stuffing (I'm still trying to decide between 2 recipes for this)

My Grandmother's Snail Rolls with Compound Herb Butter and Honey Butter

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Whipped Cream

What can you not live without on your Thanksgiving table? I would love to know! Any other traditions that you really enjoy? What about ideas for leftovers?

Fried Apples & the Winner!

2010-11-04T12:42:00.000-06:00

I really love fall, and I love when the apples come by the thousands into the stores. This is a really simple and wonderfully delicious way to use up some of that harvest. But be careful, it might melt your ice cream - but then you just have some yumminess to drink. And congratulations to commenter number 1, Miss Nesbit, who won the cookbook! Keep looking back for yummy recipes and more giveaways in the future!

Fried Apples

from La Fuji Mama

2 medium apples
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon table salt

Peel and core the apples and then slice them into 1/4-inch wedges.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the butter has fully melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and then quickly place the apple slices in a single layer on top of the brown sugar. With a wooden spoon, stir the apples to coat them in the butter and brown sugar. Continue to stir the apples. When the butter and brown sugar have formed a syrup, sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the ingredients in the pan and stir to incorporate.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir the apples until they are fork tender and the syrup has reduced and thickened slightly. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the apples cool for several minutes. Serve alone, or as a topping for ice cream.

Cowboy Spaghetti & A Giveaway!

2010-11-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

I'm not usually a big Rachael Ray fan. But she does have some recipes that are really delicious, and yes, easy. This is one of my favorites. The best thing about this pasta is the switch-up on the cheese. This picture shows it with your typical parmesan and mozzarella on the top, but the recipe calls for grated cheddar to garnish the pasta. And it's delicious!! This is not your typical spaghetti with meat sauce. It has bacon and a nice smoky flavor that is just wonderful. And because I love this recipe so much, I'm giving away a copy of the book that contains it!

If you want a chance to win, just comment on this post! The winner will be randomly selected by using random.org and announced on Thursday when I'll put up another yummy recipe! Enjoy and good luck!

Cowboy Spaghetti

from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals

Salt

1 pound spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices smoky bacon, chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion (once again, I left this out since my husband hates onions)

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

Black pepper

2 teaspoons hot sauce (like Tobasco)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 14-oz can chopped or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

4 scallions, trimmed, chopped (I omitted these too)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the spaghetti. Cook the pasta to al dente, with a bite to it. Drain the spaghetti.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp the bacon for 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain off a little excess fat from the skillet if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom. Add the beef and crumble as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and stir into the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add the hot spaghetti to the meat and sauce and combine. Adjust the seasonings and serve up the pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with the scallions.

Halloween Cupcakes

2010-10-28T14:24:00.002-06:00

I help out with activities for the 8-11 year old girls at my church, and last night we had a daddy/daughter pumpkin carving night. All the girls and dads came dressed in costume and we had a great time carving pumpkins, giving out prizes, wrapping the dads up like mummies (and then watching them hop around in a mummy parade), and eating some scary food. There were deviled eggs that looked like eyeballs, breadsticks that looked like bones, and dip that looked like spiderwebs. My contribution? Vampire cupcakes and slime-filled cupcakes. They were both absolutely delicious, and the vampire cupcakes are by far the best cupcake I've ever made. It's a light almond vanilla cake with marshmallow frosting filled with cherry pie filling.

They even bleed when you bite into them. The slime-filled cupcakes were also wonderful. Vanilla cake with a simple frosting, but the filling really made these cupcakes. A tangy and surprising lime curd. They were both fabulous and the girls just ate them up. Having a Halloween party this weekend? Whip up a batch of these cupcakes!

Vampire Cupcakes

from Baking Bites

2 cups cake flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 large egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins (you will need 18 cups total) with paper liners and set aside. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and blend, using the paddle attachment. Cut butter into 4 or 5 chunks and drop into the bowl with the flour mixture. Blend on low speed until mixture looks sandy and no large chunks of butter remain, 1-2 minutes.
In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat lightly with a fork until combined. With the mixer on low, pour 1 cup of the buttermilk mixture into the bowl. Turn speed up to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed back to low and pour in the rest of the buttermilk mixture. Continue to beat at low speed for an additional 30 seconds, until liquid is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds, if necessary.
Divide evenly into prepared muffin tins, filling 18 cups as equally as possible. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until cupcakes are light golden and a toothpick inserted into their centers comes out clean. The cake should spring back when lightly pressed. Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Filling
1 can cherry pie filling

Puree cherry pie filling in a food processor until fairly smooth. Very small pieces of cherries are ok.
(A photo how-to of the assembly method can be found on the Baking Bites blog.) Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside and repeat this process for all the cupcakes.
Take the cherry filling and spoon about tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity, filling it almost to the top with filling. Top off with the flat circle of cake you just removed to seal the hole and hold the “blood” filling in place. (On these cupcakes the cake was too soft for me to keep a circle to put back on top, but they turned out fine anyway.)

Marshmallow Frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/3 cup water
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk sugar, egg whites, 1/3 cup water, light corn syrup, and cream of tartar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water). Using handheld electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture resembles soft marshmallow fluff, about 5-7 minutes. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is very smooth and thick, about 3 minutes longer. Remove bowl from over simmering water. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until marshmallow frosting is completely cool, about 5-7 minutes longer. (I don't have a hand mixer, so my husband and I switched off whisking this by hand. It took a little bit longer, and was very tiring, but worked just fine. We used the whisk attachment on our Kitchen Aid for the last 5-7 minutes.)

Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of the cooled marshmallow frosting by placing a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake (on top of the cut out circle of cake) and spreading from the center to the sides of the cupcake.
Dip a wooden toothpick or skewer into some leftover cherry pie filling and poke two fang-holes, about 3/4 inch apart, in the frosting on one side of the cupcake. Dribble a little extra filling from the holes for effect.
Repeat until all cupcakes are frosted and decorated. You will probably have frosting leftover for another batch if you are baking more.

Slime-Filled Cupcakes
also from Baking Bites

Slime (Lime Curd) Filling:
2/3 cup strained fresh lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
10-12 drops green food coloring

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, dissolve sugar into lime juice.
Lightly beat eggs in a small/medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly trickle hot lime/sugar syrup into the eggs. Beat for about 1 minute, until well combined, then transfer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until curd starts to bubble and is thick. Stir in the food coloring while the curd is cooking. Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (low fat is ok)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together cooled, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Distribute batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting. Makes 12-cupcakes.

(A photo how-to of the assembly method can be found on the Baking Bites blog.) Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside the circle and discard (or eat) the rest of the cone. Repeat this process for all the cupcakes.
Take the slime filling and spoon about tablespoon into each cupcake cavity, filling it almost to the top with lime curd. Top off with the flat circle of cake you just removed to seal the hole and hold the “black lagoon” filling in place. Once all the cupcakes are filled, they can be frosted just as ordinary cupcakes.

Swampy Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
green food coloring

Cream butter with an electric mixer until soft. Add vanilla and gradually add in sugar until most has been incorporated. Mixture will look a bit sandy. Add in milk as necessary (start with 2 tbsp), along with any remaining sugar, until frosting reaches a thick, but easy-to-spread consistency. Add green food coloring until desired green color is reached. Add in a few drops of red with the green for a brownish color, or a drop or two of blue to deepen the green.

Eggs Blackstone

2010-10-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

Eggs Benedict has always been one of my favorite breakfast dishes, but I never get to eat it. Hollandaise sauce is notoriously difficult to make correctly. My first attempt at making it was when I was dating my husband - so 5 years ago. It was disastrous. I was in a little teeny college kitchen and was still perfecting my cooking skills. I think I was a bit ambitious. Needless to say, I was scared to try again, but now that I am a more confident cook I decided to go for it. Not with Eggs Benedict though - with Eggs Blackstone. And holy cow, they beat out Eggs Benedict. Instead of ham, they use bacon and a tomato slice. Yum! My hollandaise, although imperfect, did not break like it did on my last attempt, so I have improved! Watch out for the temperature on your double boiler. Mine was too high, so the eggs yolks cooked a little bit too much, which gave the sauce a mildly eggy flavor. It was still magically delicious though. The sauce will take a few tries to get right, but hey, better start now so I can enjoy it more often! NOTE: I just used regular fried eggs instead of poached eggs, but I will include the poaching directions for you.

Eggs Blackstone with Meyer Lemon Hollandaise

from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch

For the sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (I used regular lemon juice)

3 egg yolks

4 tablespoons boiling water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 slices thick bacon, cut in half lengthwise

1 teaspoon Meyer lemon juice (once again, I used regular)

8 eggs

4 English muffins, halved and toasted

8 heirloom or regular tomato slices

Freshly ground pepper

To make the hollandaise sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and keep warm. In a small nonreactive saucepan over low heat, warm the lemon juice. Place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler and set over (not touching) barely simmering water in a saucepan. Heat the yolks, whisking constantly, until they begin to thicken, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water and whisk until the yolks thicken, about 2 seconds. Add another 1 tablespoon of the boiling water and whisk until the yolks thicken, about 2 seconds. Repeat twice, adding 1 tablespoon of boiling water each time. Whisk in the warm lemon juice and remove the bowl from the heat. Whisking constantly, very slowly pour in the melted butter. Whisk in the salt and cayenne and continue to whisk until the sauce triple in volume, 3-4 minutes. To keep the sauce warm until serving, set it over (not touching) hot water in the saucepan and whisk occasionally.

Preheat a broiler (grill). Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil (grill) the slices until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and broil until browned on the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Pour water to a depth of 2 inches into a large frying pan and add the lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl or cup. Hold the bowl so it is just touching the simmering water and slide the egg into the water. Quickly repeat with the remaining eggs, one at a time, keeping them about 1 inch apart. Adjust the heat to keep the water at a gentle simmer. Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are glazed over but still soft, about 4-5 minutes.

About 1 minute before the eggs are done, place 2 muffin halves, cut side up, on each warmed plate. Top each half with 1 tomato slice and 2 bacon slices. Using a slotted spoon, lift each egg from the simmering water, letting the excess water drain into the pan. Trim any ragged edges of egg white with kitchen scissors. Top each muffin half with 1 poached egg and sprinkle with pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the hollandaise sauce over each egg. Serve at once.

Toasted Coconut Gelato

2010-10-21T10:01:00.002-06:00

I promised this recipe quite a while ago. Since the pictures of my pumpkin pie french toast didn't turn out, here it is! It's somewhat summery, but that's no reason to skip it now! It's delicious and creamy and very tropical. It smells like the beach. In a good way. Don't be scared of making ice cream. Ice cream is your friend.

Toasted Coconut Gelato

from The Culinary Chronicles

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons whole milk (I used 1% which worked, but I think it would be better with whole)

1¾ cups coconut milk (this is roughly 1 14-oz can)
1 cup loosely packed toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, plus additional for garnish
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt

In a heavy sauce pot, add 2 cups of milk, coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a low boil on medium low heat. Be careful not to scorch. With the remaining milk, add corn starch to make a slurry. When milk and coconut milk come to a boil, add the slurry and extracts. Cook on low and whisk often so that clumps do not form. The mixture is cooked when you can run a line on the back of a spoon without the mixture coming back together. Cool the mixture to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours.
Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions. When half the time has elapsed, slowly add the toasted coconut allowing it to be thoroughly incorporated in the mixture.
Transfer to a storage container and freeze until desired firmness. Before serving, allow the gelato to sit on your counter for a few minutes for a better texture and because its easier to scoop. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2010-10-18T07:00:00.011-06:00

These are the most delicious pumpkin muffins ever. EVER. They are super easy, but because you have to layer the muffins, they do take a little bit longer than your average muffin. They really taste more like a cupcake than a muffin. The cream cheese layer is wonderfully creamy and tangy to offset the sweetness of the pumpkin, and the streusel gives a great crunch. These need to go on your fall baking list. I'm so glad I was in a Halloween mood yesterday and put this recipe to use.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

from Annie's Eats

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.
To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!) Makes 24 muffins.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-13T09:59:00.001-06:00

These treats are the essence of fall and taste like Halloween to me. I've made them twice already this month and will probably make it again before Halloween comes our way. This is by far the best recipe I've ever had. They have the perfect blend of autumn spices and they will just plain make you happy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Delightful Delicacies

Cream together:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup puréed pumpkin
1½ teaspoons vanilla

Mix together in separate bowl:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg (fresh is best)
½ teaspoon ginger
A pinch of cardamom
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Combine the two mixes completely. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes on greased baking sheets.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2010-10-11T07:00:00.012-06:00

I love when I just happen to have all the ingredients for something I want to make. It's a lovely feeling. I'm hoping that as I get older and my grocery budget increases (maybe that's wishful thinking) I will have moments like that much more often. I will always have plain yogurt on hand, or peanut butter chips, or heavy cream, or any other number of spices and baking mix ins that would make my life even more delicious and fattening than it is. Case in point, I actually had yogurt and lemons to use up, so I immediately thought of this cake. Make this cake, if for nothing else, for the crack. It's all about the crack.

The lemon syrup and lemon icing ooze into the cake and make that crack (excuse my repeated use of that word in reference to food) moist and sticky and lemony and to die for.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup lemon juice (please use fresh)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. (I only greased the pan. I didn't do the other two steps and it turned out fine.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. (I would recommend lining the sheet pan with aluminum foil so you don't have to clean it later.) While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Chicken Parmigiana a la The Husband

2010-10-07T14:46:00.001-06:00

My husband is a pretty awesome guy. He works hard and provides a good life for me and our children. He loves us and is always thinking of us. And he cooks. Yeah, you read that right. And not only does he cook, but he's good at it. Recently, even with his busy work schedule (he's in the Coast Guard and works 48 hour periods) he has offered to cook dinner once a month. He gets ambitious too, which usually turns out deliciously for me. In fact, he made me Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana. It was amazing. I love my cooking husband.

Chicken Parmigiana

from The Pioneer Woman

4 whole (up to 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat

½ cups All-purpose Flour
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped (he left this out, he hates them)
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine) (he used chicken broth)
3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley (he left this out)
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pound Thin Linguine

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate. Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside. At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.
Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.
Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk Syrup

2010-09-26T22:04:00.002-06:00

Latley, I have been praying for patience. Lucky for me, when I pray for patience, I am inevitably given reasons to be patient. Over the last 24 hours I have been woken up 4 times, cleaned up 7 nasty messes, and went through church, husbandless, with a screaming, teething baby. And I didn't yell once. I even still want to make this sweet treat for my family, because even though I do need to pray for patience, I love them.

Buttermilk Syrup

from White on Rice Couple

1 1/2 cups butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon baking soda

In large saucepan (make sure it is big enough to accommodate the syrup foaming when the baking soda is added), combine butter, buttermilk, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and baking soda (it will foam up at this point.) It is now ready to serve over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.
Keeps for at least a couple weeks if you can manage to not use it all up quicker.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2010-09-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

Need something to do with that second ball of pizza dough in your freezer from the calzones? Look no further. This is the most delicious pizza I have ever made - no exaggeration. This would be fantastic for a football party and is a great alternative to hot wings. It made my husband happy, and I thought it was awesome too.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

2 chicken breasts sauteed with some pam, salt and pepper
Red hot sauce, such as Tobasco (2-4 tablespoons depending on heat preference)
1-2 tablespoons melted butter (depending on how much red hot sauce you use)
Blue cheese salad dressing
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Dice chicken and put in small mixing bowl. Pour red hot sauce and melted butter over top. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness and top with blue cheese dressing. Evenly top with 3/4 of the chicken mixture, then top with the cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the chicken mixture over the top. Bake at 450 on pizza stone in bottom of oven until browned nicely all over (crust and topping). (To be honest, I forgot how long this took. You'll have to watch it, although I'd say 10-20 minutes.)
Remove from oven and sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles if desired then cool for about 10 minutes before cutting (to prevent cheese and sauce from running all over stone and you).

Sausage and Artichoke Calzones

2010-09-20T11:04:00.000-06:00

Calzones are so much easier to make than I expected them to be. And these turned out beautifully. My only regret is that I forgot to use the cool calzone maker that my husband got me for my birthday. Drat! But I will next time. I'm sure they would have turned out even prettier if I had, but oh well. I'm sure that I will be making these again soon. Bring them on a picnic since they are pretty clean and can be eaten with your hands!

Sausage and Artichoke Calzones

from Pizza and Other Savory Pies
Makes 2 calzones

1/2 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed (I used chicken sausage)

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Flour, for dusting

1 ball Thin Crust Pizza Dough, at room temperature (recipe follows)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 jar (6.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 oz Parmesan, finely grated, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

2 oz Italian fontina or smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used regular mozzarella)

6-8 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1/2 cup pizza sauce

Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450. Let the pizza stone heat for 45-60 minutes.
In a frying pan over medium-low heat, saute the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon, until no trace of pink remains, 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In a bowl, lightly beat together the egg and milk.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and set the first ball of dough in the center. Cover the second dough ball with a clean kitchen towel and set aside. Dust the top of the dough with flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out to a 7-inch round of even thickness. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Cover both rounds with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 5 minutes.
Season the first dough round lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 of the artichokes over one half of the dough round, leaving a 3/4-inch border uncovered. Top the artichokes with 1/2 each of the cooked sausage, Parmesan, fontina and basil. Make sure the filling isn't mounded too high in the center; it should evenly half of the dough round. Gently fold the uncovered half over the covered half to enclose the filling. Firmly pinch and crimp the edges to seal. Repeat with the second dough round. Brush the tops of the calzones with the egg mixture and sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining Parmesan. Cut a small steam vent in the top of each calzone. Using a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, carefully slide the calzone-topped parchment paper sheets onto the hot pizza stone. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
Using the pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, remove the calzones from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let stand for 15-20 minutes, then cut into halves and serve warm. If desired, serve the tomato sauce on the side.

Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
from Pizza and Other Savory Pies
Makes 2 balls of dough

3 1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I've made it with just regular flour too, and it works fine)
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) quick-rise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 F), plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed

In a food processor, combine the flours, yeast, sugar and salt. Pulse to mix the ingredients. With the motor running, add the water and olive oil in a steady stream, and then pulse until the dough comes together in a rough mass, about 12 seconds. If the dough doesn't form into a ball, sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of water and pulse again until a rough mass forms. Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes Process again for 25-30 seconds, steadying the top of the food processor with one hand. The dough should be tacky to the touch but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form it into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and spongy, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and shape into a smooth cylinder. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, dusting with flour only if the dough becomes sticky. Cover both balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes before proceeding with your chosen pizza recipe. If you are using only one ball of dough, place the second ball in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. (When ready to use, thaw the frozen dough for 3-4 hours at room temperature.

Polynesian Pineapple Meatballs

2010-09-16T14:06:00.000-06:00

Sticky, sweet and perfect over rice. Have a Polynesian staycation at home with these meatballs for dinner and some coconut gelato (recipe posted soon!) for dessert, and, if you wish, escape the rainy fall days.

Polynesian Pineapple Meatballs

adapted from Don't Forget Delicious

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

3/4 teaspoon mustard powder

20 oz can pineapple chunks

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly spritz with cooking spray.

Combine turkey with next 5 ingredients (egg through mustard) in a bowl and mix well. Using a disher or your hands, roll into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, or your desired size.
Brown meatballs in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides. Move meatballs to baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until they are cooked through (center should be 165 degrees – residual heat will continue to cook them to 170).
While meatballs are baking, In same pan you used for the meat, heat pineapple with juice over medium-high heat until just boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, water, brown sugar and cornstarch and mix well. Add to pineapple and stir to combine. Boil and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Add meatballs back into pan and toss to coat. Serve over hot rice.

Caesar Salad & Garlic Bread

2010-09-10T15:36:00.000-06:00

And yes, those croutons are homemade too. This meal is so light and delicious, but definitely fills you up. I'm so glad that I finally made a Caesar salad from scratch. I found a recipe that doesn't call for mayonnaise because generally, I hate the stuff. The dressing really turned out perfectly, but it only will if you aren't afraid of the anchovy! That is the distinctive flavor in Caesar dressing. Don't let it gross you out. Embrace it. It really makes a wonderful salad. The croutons were crunchy and amazing, and the garlic bread had an awesome flavor. This whole meal took almost no time at all, which means you should make it very soon.

Caesar Salad

dressing recipe from Once Upon A Plate

Romaine lettuce

1 medium garlic clove

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh parsley, packed (I omitted this, but I would put it in next time)

3 canned anchovy fillets or 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste (I used the paste)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

With machine running, drop garlic through feed tube of food processor and mince (if you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender). Add Parmesan, parsley, anchovies and lemon juice. Process into a paste. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the sour cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss with romaine lettuce and top with freshly ground black pepper and a little Parmesan cheese. Serve with croutons (recipe follows).

Croutons

from A Sweet Pea Chef

1/2 loaf day old French bread

Olive oil (approximately 1/4 cup)

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional: Parmesan cheese, dried herbs, garlic powder (I left mine plain)

Preheat oven to 350. Cut bread into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch cubes. You can make them bigger or smaller, just try to make them the same size so that they cook evenly. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Add salt, pepper and any seasonings you prefer. Pour bread onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bread is golden and very crunchy. Toss cubes several times during baking.

Garlic Bread

from Budget Bytes

1 loaf French bread

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I omitted this, but would add it next time)

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400. If using a food processor, combine the garlic (cloves can be whole) and olive oil. Process until the garlic is minced. Next add the softened butter and process for another 30 seconds. Add fresh parsley and process once more until the parsley is in small pieces. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.

If you are not using a food processor, mince the garlic with a knife. In a bowl combine the garlic and softened butter. Stir in the olive oil. Mince the parsley and stir it into garlic/butter/oil mixture. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.
Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and open it so that both cut sides are facing up. Spread the butter/garlic mixture evenly over the cut surface. Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it. Take the bread out when it is a deep golden brown on the edges.
Cut the bread into 2-inch wide pieces and serve with a saucy Italian meal!

Peach Pie

2010-08-19T15:17:00.001-06:00

There is something so satisfying about baking. Pies in particular really make me feel accomplished and domestic. Now that I have found the easiest and best crust recipe around, pies are literally easy as pie and just as wonderfully tasty.

The peaches have been awesome around here lately, and I haven't been able to get enough of them. Thus, the peach pie was born. I loved making this pie. Slicing the fresh peaches and letting the juice run down my hands and elbows was sticky and messy and amazing. It felt really good to just get in the kitchen, make a mess, and in the process, create a pie - something tangible, beautiful and delicious. And since I wasn't the only one to enjoy it, it was infinitely better. It really doesn't get much better than sharing a homemade pie with family and friends.

Peach Pie

For the crust, see my post for Cherry Pie, here.

The filling recipe came from Kitchen Parade.

6-8 cups ripe peaches, skins on

1 1/3 cups sugar

4-6 tablespoons flour (depending on how many peaches you use)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons butter

Slice the peaches in six or eight pieces lengthwise, then each piece into three or four pieces. In a large saucepan, gently stir together the peaches, sugar, flour and nutmeg. Let rest at room temperature for 20 – 30 minutes until a peachy syrup forms. With a slotted spoon, move the peach pieces to a bowl. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low, cook for about 10 minutes or until just beginning to thicken. Stir in the peaches; stirring often, cook for another 10 minutes or until the peaches are tender. Take the pan off the heat, stir in vanilla and butter, stirring until butter melts. Let cool to room temperature. (The peach filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 425F. Roll the top crust, cut into nine long narrow strips. Working quickly, pour the filling into the bottom crust and arrange the pastry strips in a lattice, five strips running left to right, four strips running up and down. Turn the overhang over to form the crust’s edge, pinch to seal.
Bake at 425F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F, bake for another 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden on top and bottom and the filling is bubbly.
Let cool for 2 hours or more. Slice and serve.

The Best Tin Foil Dinners

2010-08-12T16:17:00.000-06:00

The first time I ever had a tin foil dinner, I was disgusted. I had made it per my husband's instructions - ground beef, carrots, potatoes - and then seasoned the heck out of it. I was sure that it would turn out so well, but when we ate them, it tasted like nothing. It was just texture. I asked if that was what they were supposed to taste like and he said, "Yeah. Just put some ketchup on it." Lovely. So now I was eating textured ketchup. The next opportunity I had to make a tin foil dinner was this last weekend. I made sure that we would not be eating the traditional tasteless mush and would be actually eating something we wanted to put in our mouths.

When making this recipe, I decided that it was essential to go way over the top on flavor at first. The fire had cooked out all flavor before, so I figured that if there was way too much flavor to start with, we might end up somewhere in the middle. I figured right. The end result was absolutely perfect. Cheesy, creamy and delicious. The sauce soaked right into the vegetables and marinated the chicken. My husband said that it was the best tin foil dinner he's ever had. He said, "You have to understand. These are traditional. They don't usually taste good, so these are awesome." I guess I did something right. And finishing the meal off with a Reese's smore doesn't hurt either.

The Best Tin Foil Dinners

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Salt and pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chicken Better than Bouillon, or 1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Lay out 2-3 large pieces of tin foil. Lay the potatoes and carrots in each of the pieces of foil. In a large skillet or medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then cook in the oil until almost cooked through. Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Layer the chicken in each piece of foil. Drain the skillet of excess liquid.

In the same skillet over medium heat, add soup, butter, sour cream and Better than Bouillon. Cook until butter melts and ingredients are mixed, stirring frequently. Add cheddar and stir until melted. Add pepper to taste. Take off the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Wrap up well. Wrap each foil packet with 2 more pieces of foil.

When outside, let the fire burn down until there are just smoldering logs left. Put the dinners in and turn a few times. You'll have to watch it though, since cooking time will entirely depend on the heat of your fire and the foil you used. It will probably take about 10-20 minutes. Unwrap and enjoy!

Smoky Chili Joes

2010-08-10T19:15:00.000-06:00

These are what my husband describes as the best sloppy joes he's ever had. In fact, when I made them the other day, I made them early because my husband had to travel for work that night. He stopped at home to grab a few things before he left, and was excited to see that I had made them. He then proceeded to wolf down two of them in 10 minutes or less. They are truly different from any other sloppy joes I've ever had, which is good, because generally I hate them. And although they don't use any summer produce, they really are summer fare. Delicious.

Smoky Chili Joes

from Cooking Light, December 2006

1/2 pound extra lean ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I omitted this)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 chipotle chile powder (I used regular chili powder)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 15-oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, with green pepper and onions, undrained (I used regular)

6 hamburger buns

6 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used more)

12 pickles

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cumin, chili powder and chipotle chili powder, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, beans and tomatoes; cook 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon about 2/3 cup beef mixture over 6 bottom bun halves, and top each with 1 tablespoon cheese and 2 pickles. Top with remaining bun halves.

Raspberry Cream Pie

2010-08-06T08:46:00.000-06:00

This pie is divine. Divine. It's the first thing in a long time that my husband has just raved about. I saw it on Ree Drummond's blog The Pioneer Woman a few days ago and absolutely had to make it, so I did the next day. It was just delectable. If this doesn't make you want to make it, I don't know what will.

My daughter was simply dying to eat this once I showed her the "pink pie". She devoured it, made a huge mess of the kitchen, and was so cute doing it that all I could do was snap pictures of her and her sticky face and hands.

This is perfect for those hot summer days (not that we've had many of those out here in Oregon lately) and most definitely uses those juicy, delicious summer raspberries. Make it before summer ends! You'll thank me. And the Pioneer Woman.

Raspberry Cream Pie

by Ree Drummond on The Pioneer Woman

25 whole Oreos

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup (generous) raspberries

3 tablespoons sugar

2 6-oz containers raspberry yogurt

1 3.4-oz package vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup heavy cream

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350. Crush cookies in a food processor (or smash in a plastic bag with a rolling pin). Stir in melted butter until combined. Pour into a pie pan and press crumbs all over the pan and up the sides. Bake for 3-4 minutes - just long enough for it to set. Cool crust completely.

Place raspberries on a plate. Smash them with a fork, then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the yogurt with the pudding mix (powder only). Beat on low until combined, about 1 minute. Pour in heavy cream and whip on low for 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes, or until thick.

Turn off mixer, then fold in raspberries until just combined. Pour into cooled pie crust and spread evenly. Freeze for 2 hours, or until very firm. Allow time to thaw before serving.

Sweet Corn Chowder

2010-08-04T11:00:00.000-06:00

I realized on Sunday that is already August. August! As usual, this year has flown by and I have no idea where the time went. As a kid, I remember it taking forever for Christmas to come, but now it seems to sneak up on me every year. August means that we only have one more month of summer produce before the fall bounty starts coming in. But I'm not quite ready! I didn't use the summer flavors to their fullest. So before apple season is upon us, I am going to share with you some awesome recipes to use up all of those summer fruits and vegetables before they go away. First up: corn. This recipe comes from Ari who runs both Baking and Books and The Vegetarian Family Table. I lover her sites. This is a tasty and very low fat recipe considering how creamy the end product is. My husband described this as creamed corn soup, and he's pretty much dead on. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and you have a perfect summer meal.

Sweet Summer Corn Chowder

by Ari on The Vegetarian Family Table

4 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup diced scallions, white and light green parts only (I omitted this)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 cups skim milk (use what you have, I used 1%)

2 cups vegetable stock

Kernels from 6 ears of corn

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the flour, stirring constantly until the mixture turns a light golden brown and smells cooked.

Add the milk and vegetable stock, stirring until it has combined with the flour mixture, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the corn kernels and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn has cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove 1/4 cup of the kernels, then puree the chowder. To do this: Remove the soup from the burner, and puree with a hand blender or a regular blender. If you use a regular blender be sure not to create an airtight seal with the lid by closing the top entirely. If you do, heat from the chowder will cause hot air to expand and splatter chowder all over you. (Believe me, it will. I've done it before. Not fun. I have a hand blender now though, and it's much easier.) If you have a hand blender, it's definitely the easier way to go.

Stir in the cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the reserved corn kernels. I topped it with more cheddar too.

Note: For a thicker chowder, you can add 1 large peeled and diced baking potato to the pot when you add the corn kernels.

Chicken Pasties, or Chicken Hand Pies

2010-08-01T15:12:00.000-06:00

One of my food blogging idols is Jaime on Sophistimom. If you have not visited her site, please, go visit it and revel in her beautiful pictures and wonderful recipes. I saw this amazing recipe on her site and just had to try it. Not the least of the reasons why is because while reading Harry Potter my mouth always waters at the mention of pasties, and here is a recipe for one! But that's a story for another time. Today I'm paying tribute to Jaime and her beautiful blog. These are essentially a chicken pot pie wrapped in a pastry, making it easily transportable. And was it ever delicious. I think I needed to use a little bit more of the chicken broth in the filling, and I think a little bit too much flour got into my pastry, but it was heavenly nonetheless. When you see the method, please don't let it turn you off from making it. It looks long, but it's not hard and doesn't even take up all that much time. In fact, the pastry and the filling can both me made as early as the night before and then refrigerated until needed. Make them for someone special for an extra treat. Make them for a picnic or a camping trip. They really are fabulous, and you will not regret it.

Chicken Pasties, or Chicken Hand Pies

by Jaime on Sophistimom

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced (I omitted this and added more celery to replace it)

1 stalk celery, finely diced (I added 1-2 stalks)

2 large carrots, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 14-oz can chicken stock

1 bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Pastry dough (recipe follows)

1 egg, plus a teaspoon of water, beaten

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender to the point of a knife. Drain and set aside. While the potatoes cook, set a large skillet over medium low heat and add in the olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until onions are very tender, about 12-15 minutes.

Melt butter into the mixture and stir in flour. Let cook for 2 minutes or so, just to let the flour taste cook out. Pour in about half of the can of chicken stock. Add the bouillon and potatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes and taste for flavor. Add salt and pepper if needed. Add in chicken and simmer until cooked through. The mixture should be thick, but not too dry. Add more chicken stock until you achieve the desired consistency (she used the whole can). Store mixture in refrigerator until ready to use (the pies are easier to make if the filling is cold).

Preheat oven to 425. Place a piece of parchment paper in a baking sheet and set aside. Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface 18x22-inch rectangle. (A note on rolling: I have no idea how people get perfect circles or rectangles when rolling. I never can. So don't worry if some of your pies are misshapen - they will still taste good!) Cut in half, then cut each half in thirds, to make 6 equal smaller rectangles.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto one of the rectangles of dough, placing it slightly off center. Wet the edges of the dough with a pastry brush and water, and fold the longer end of the pastry up and over the filling. Press the dough down to seal it, and then crimp with the edges of a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Make two incisions in the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, and brush with the beaten egg and water. Repeat with remaining 5 pastries. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.

Pastry Dough

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup ice cold water

In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar. Add in the butter, and pulse a few times until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Combine the egg and water in a container (remove all ice pieces). While the processor is running, pour the water/egg mixture in and pulse until mixture just comes together.

Pour mixture out onto a floured board and knead a few times to bring all the ingredients together. (I think this is where I got too much flour in the dough. Be careful!) Dough can be rolled out immediately, or it can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Peaches and Cream

2010-07-29T10:00:00.002-06:00

This dish truly is simple summer perfection. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand the other day (since I have been gorging myself on peaches the last couple of weeks) and realized that I had never had peaches and cream. It could not be simpler or more delicious, and I have been craving it ever since. Ok, I'll admit it - I ate this 3 times last week. It's that good! It could easily be done for breakfast as well as dessert. This is definitely going to become a summer tradition at my house.

Peaches and Cream

1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into slices

Heavy cream

Sugar

Put the peaches in a bowl, pour some heavy cream over the top, and sprinkle with sugar. Enjoy on the patio or with a good movie!

Classic Bruschetta, First Trial

2010-07-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

When I saw the movie Julie and Julia, my reaction to the food was mixed. Some of the items made me feel a bit queasy, and I don't think I would touch them with a 10 foot pole. On the other hand, the other half of the recipes in the movie made me so hungry and I was just craving them for the longest time. One of those is the bruschetta that Amy Adams makes at the very beginning of the movie. Oh. My. Gosh. I just about died when I saw that bread going in the oil and getting crispy and brown. So I took it in my own hands to figure out how to make this delectable dinner. I served this to my husband along with plain pieces of French bread that we dipped in a garlic dipping sauce and butter and honey. It was delectable. I say first trial because this one wasn't 100% perfect. There's not quite enough basil, and the bread, although delicious, wasn't exactly what I had imagined. I think the skinny baguette that I used wasn't wuite what I had in mind for a dinner of bruschetta, but it would be perfect for an appetizer. This meal could not be easier, more delicious, or more satisfying.

Classic Bruschetta

4 tomatoes, chopped in large chunks

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 cup basil, torn into small pieces (I would definitely add more next time - at least 1/4 cup)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for frying

Baguette, sliced into 1 inch pieces

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Let marinate in the refrigerator all day. (I made it that morning after breakfast.)

Put a medium pan over medium-high heat. Pour enough olive oil in the pan to cover the bottom. Once it is hot, using tongs and working in batches, put the bread in the oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, which will take a few minutes. Flip the pieces over and let fry until golden and crispy on the other side, an additional few minutes. Remove from pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil again and repeat the process with the rest of the bread.

Top the bread with the tomato mixture and enjoy!

Orange Julius

2010-07-23T10:00:00.018-06:00

I got this recipe from my friend Kristen over at Homemade Made Easy. This is the simplest drink in the world - if you can push a button, you can make it. It's sort of like a smoothie, but not quite. It's more like orange juice on steroids. It would be so easy to pull together in 2 seconds if you want to have company for breakfast or brunch, and is totally refreshing on a summer day. You may even have everything you need right now, in which case, you should go into your kitchen and make it.

Orange Julius

from Homemade Made Easy

12 oz frozen orange juice

12 oz water

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

3+ cups of ice cubes

Put in a blender and blend. Enjoy!

Raisin Swirl Bread

2010-07-21T10:00:00.070-06:00

I'm not usually one for process shots, but I had to with this bread. Scroll down to see the finished product. I have always had trouble cooking with yeast until this summer. I have been making all kinds of breads and other things that require it so that I can practice, and it has been a huge success. It is amazing to me that yeast it the difference between flat dough and a puffy loaf of bread. And this bread was so worth the effort. Here is what it looked like before the oven:

Here is what it looked like after:

While it was cooking it filled my apartment with the most heavenly smells. I could barely wait for it to cool down enough to touch it before eating it. It was phenomenal. Dorie Greenspan, who I had never heard of about a year ago, is the author of this recipe. She has some fantastic recipes, and this is no exception. The bread is thick and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness. I should have tried it as french toast. I bet it would have been to die for. As it was, it was wonderful just plain or toasted with butter. Please don't be afraid of the yeast. Use it. It makes delicious food that makes your tummy happy.

Raisin Swirl Bread

from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Bread:

1 packet active dry yeast (if you buy the jars like me, that's 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/4 cup sugar, plus a pinch

1 1/4 cups just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk (I used 1%)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, I used it)

Grated zest of 1/2 orange (optional, I didn't use it)

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional, to be honest, I don't remember if I used it)

3 1/4 to 4 cups flour

Swirl:

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional, I used it)

1 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to a spreadable consistency

To Make the Bread - Put the yeast in a small bowl, toss in the pinch of sugar and stir in 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Let rest for 3 minutes, then stir - the yeast may not have dissolved completely and it may not have bubbled, but it should be soft (mine did bubble).

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1 cup milk, the butter and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and mix on low speed for a minute or two. Add the salt, egg and vanilla, if you are using it, as well as the zest and nutmeg, if you are using them, and mix for a minute. In all likelihood, the mixture will look unpleasantly curdly (it will look even worse when you add the yeast). Add the yeast mixture and beat on medium-low speed for 1 more minute.

Turn the mixer off and add 2 3/4 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed just until you work the flour into the liquids - you'll have a sticky mix. If you've got a dough hook, switch to it now. Add another 1 cup flour, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the dough for a couple of minutes. If the dough does not come together and almost clean the sides of the bowl, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep the mixer speed at medium and knead the dough for about 3 minutes, or until it is smooth and has a lovely buttery sheen. The dough will be very soft, much too soft to knead by hand.

Butter a large bowl, turn the dough into the bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until it is doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap it and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm enough to be rolled easily. (At this point, you can instead refrigerate the dough overnight if that's more convenient.)

To Make the Swirl and Shape the Loaf - Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and cocoa, if using.

Put the dough on a large work surface lightly dusted with flour, lightly dust the top of the dough and roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x18 inches. (I can never seem to get a perfect rectangle. If you can't, don't worry about it.)

Gently smear 2 tablespoons of the butter over the surface of the dough - this is most easily done with your fingers. Sprinkle over the sugar mixture and scatter over the raisins. Starting from a short side of the dough, roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion, making sure to roll the dough snugly. Fit the dough into the buttered pan, seam side down, and tuck the ends under the loaf.

Cover the pan loosely with wax paper (or a towel) and set in a warm place; let the dough rise until it comes just a little above the edge of the pan, about 45 minutes.

Getting Ready to Bake - When the dough has almost fully risen, center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. (I didn't use the baking sheet.)

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, and brush the top of the loaf with the butter. Put the pan on the baking sheet and bake the bread for about 20 minutes. Cover loosely with a foil tent and bake for another 25 minutes or so, until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when the bottom of the pan is tapped. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then unmold. Invert the bread and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Ebelskivers, or Danish Filled Pancakes

2010-07-18T10:00:00.001-06:00

I first heard of these cute little round pancakes when Williams-Sonoma started advertising their ebelskiver pans a couple of years ago. I immediately wanted one (of course I did - all I ever want is new kitchen stuff). Whenever I get some extra money, I generally head to Williams-Sonoma first to see if there is something I want. Usually there is. And one of these such times, I very unpractically, decided to buy one. And then I didn't use it until very recently. But oh goodness, these were worth the wait. They are beautiful, delicious, and can be made in tons of different ways. You can pretty much put whatever you want in the middle - let your imagination run wild. Peanut butter, jams, nutella, chocolate chips, pumpkin, and any number of fruits. Here there are just some fresh blueberries in the middle. Unfortunately, you do need a special pan to make them that looks like this.

It is so worth it to own the pan though. You can look at them here. These are easy and fun, and would be great for any number of occasions: brunch, sleepovers, etc. If you can, please make these sometime soon! This, and other ebelskiver recipes can be found at williams-sonoma.com.

Blueberry-Filled Ebelskivers
from williams-sonoma.com

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 pint fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Maple syrup, for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.
Put 1/2 teaspoon butter into each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tablespoon batter into each well and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes. Put 5-6 blueberries in the center of each pancake (I only did 3-4) and top with 1 tablespoon batter. Using 2 wooden skewers (I used forks, which takes some practice) flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and blueberries. Makes about 40.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

2010-07-16T21:24:00.000-06:00

I usually love the 4th of July. We get together with family, eat tons of fabulous food, and watch fireworks, which are always thrilling. When I was still living with my parents, we would go to my grandparents' house, sit on the golf course they lived above, and watch the fireflies and fireworks after a whole day of swimming. After I got married, we went to my husband's parents house for their block party and had a great barbecue potluck, and then set off fireworks on the street. This year, however, was very different. My husband joined the Coast Guard almost 6 months ago, and as such, we moved to southern Oregon, which is far away from any family. My husband also just happened to be on duty the whole holiday weekend, including Sunday. With two very small children, it just didn't work out to get to see any fireworks. But I will be darned if I won't get good food on the 4th! I made these delicious Pulled Chicken Sandwiches from Cooking Light, paired them with corn and watermelon, and took dinner to the hubs down at the station. Even though I saw one measly firework that day, at least I got some good barbecue.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

from Cooking Light, June 2006

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (I just used a little extra chili powder)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used breasts)

Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (which I omitted, since my husband has onion issues)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons cider vinegar (I used white vinegar)

1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining Ingredients:

8 sandwich rolls, toasted

16 hamburger dill chips

(Note: I halved this recipe, which was really easy to do.) Prepare grill. (I just cooked the chicken in a pan on my stove on medium-high heat.) To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180, turning occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-13T21:06:00.002-06:00

I have never had a chocolate chip cookie recipe turn out. I have been totally cursed as far as that goes, which is weird, because it seems like it would be the simplest thing in the world. I can't decide if it was because I was at high altitude for the last 5 years, but if it was, that has been remedied since I live 5 minutes from the beach now. But that's beside the point. The point is, that even though I still plan on making some other recipes (like the NY Times one and Alton Brown's "The Chewy"), these cookies actually turned out and were really delicious! Of course, the vanilla ice cream in the middle didn't hurt. PS - Have you seen the new feature on the sidebar? Now you can see what I'm making every week for dinner! Feel free to request pictures, recipes, or whatever in the comments!

Audrey's Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Everyday Home Cook

2/3 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Beat together shortening, butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Mix into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Make 4 1/2 dozen.

Guacamole, My Way

2010-07-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

I didn't always love avocados. It was one of those foods that I had to "grow into". Thanks first to my college roommate Rachel, and then to my husband, I have grown to love avocados over the last 5 years. And in that time, I have learned that not all guacamoles are created equal. It seems like thousands of recipes for guacamole exist. Every time I taste some, it is completely different than the last one. Some are smooth, others chunky. Some are pretty much only avocado, while others are salty or spicy. Therefore, I think all people need to experiment and find what works for them. This one is perfectly seasoned without overpowering the delicious taste of the avocado itself. Try it - it might become your guacamole!

Guacamole

3 large, ripe avocados

1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced

Juice of 1 lime

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 Roma tomato, chopped

Put the flesh of the avocados into a large bowl. Put next 5 ingredients (through cumin) into bowl; mash with a potato masher until it reaches desired consistency. Put chopped tomatoes in the bowl and stir in with a spoon. Enjoy!

Croque Madame

2010-07-06T15:01:00.002-06:00

Allow me to reminisce. I love Paris. It is by far one of my favorite cities that I have visited. My first trip there was in 8th grade, and we saw it all. I was thrilled with the sheer beauty of the place, and I loved seeing all of the art and architecture that I had been learning about in my classes. We ate at the top of the Eiffel tower and rode the metro. It was magical. Since then I have never been able to get enough. Every time I go to the Louvre, I discover things that I never knew were there. I love seeing the windows of Sainte Chapelle lit up in the sunlight. And of course, the food is to die for. I've eaten crepes with Nutella from street vendors, Chicken Cordon Bleu outside of Moët et Chandon, and of course, onion soup. One of my favorite memories of Paris includes food. It was a beautiful day and I had just left Sainte Chapelle. I walked across the street and bought a beautiful sandwich with brie on a baguette, sat down on a bench, and watched people walk by and light come through the trees on the street with Notre Dame in the distance. Truly la vie en rose.

Unfortunately, in my times in Paris, I never managed to try a croque madame sandwich. Of course, it went onto my list of 100 things to make, and it was so worth the wait. It is fantastically creamy, savory and just wonderful. It really makes me think of Paris, and now I am wishing that I could go back there soon. I only wish that the picture did justice to the beauty of French food and the aura of Paris.

Croque Madame

adapted from La Petite Vancouver

1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese (or more to taste)

8 slices of ham

4 slices sturdy white bread

2 large eggs

Olive oil

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour in milk, beginning with 1/2 cup and adding more if needed to make a thick, but spreadable sauce. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, reduce heat and simmer. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Make sandwiches by placing 4 ham slices between 2 of the bread slices. Spread the sauce evenly over each of the sandwiches, then sprinkle cheese evenly over the sauce.

Heat oven to 250 (yes, that's 250). Bake sandwiches for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little bit of olive oil to your preference of doneness. (I prefer medium, but sunny side up, easy or hard would work as well.) When sandwiches are finished baking, top each sandwich with one egg. Serve with french fries and salad. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Whoopie Pies

2010-07-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

Please excuse me, but the only thing I can say about these whoopie pies is omnomnomnomnom! Oh my gosh, they are soft, cakey and utterly delicious. They are soooo worth making and the recipe makes plenty, so share some and make some friends! They are easy and wonderful. Very satisfying. Make them. Now.

Whoopie Pies

by Ruth Ann Stelfox from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1 cup buttermilk

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups marshmallow creme

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water and buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, beat filling ingredients until fluffy. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Grapefruit Granita

2010-06-28T14:27:00.000-06:00

I have never been a snow cone person. The flavors are nasty and the syrup just runs into the bottom of the cone so you end up eating flavorless ice and then drinking the way-too-sweet syrup. Yuck. This is my solution. The texture of a granita is the same as a snow cone, but it's not ice with flavoring. The flavor is what you actually freeze to create this dessert. I've seen flavors of granita that range from cucumber to peach to espresso. But the one that caught my eye was the grapefruit. It's pretty and pink, and a definite refresher for the summer months. Scratch another of my 100 things off the list. If you like snow cones, believe me, you will love granitas. The recipe I used can be found at A Little Yumminess.

Lemon Drop Cookies

2010-06-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

These cookies are beautiful. I was so excited that the pictures turned out so well, because they were gorgeous. They would be so pretty for tea or a girly shower. They are tender, lemony, and so easy to whip up. They literally took about 10 minutes to get done. The batch makes about 18 cookies, so it's good for when you don't want to be tempted to eat way too many cookies. You can find the recipe at What Megan's Making. If you have leftover lemons, I'm sure you have everything else you need to whip these up really fast.

Just because I say they would be good for a girly party doesn't mean that the guys won't like them either. My husband has been eating his fair share, and as I type this my daughter is asking for another "lemonade".

They really are beautiful, aren't they?

It's All Greek to Me

2010-06-24T12:50:00.000-06:00

This was our table spread for the fantastic Mediterranean meal I made. A plate of thick cut tomatoes, olives, and feta, homemade falafel, homemade tzatziki, and homemade pitas. That's right, I did it. It took time, but really, only the pitas took much labor. The rest was easy as pie (as such, I've never understood that expression, since pie, especially the crust, is notoriously difficult to make). First up, Grilled Chipotle Falafel.

So easy. So delicious. The smell is intoxicating. You can find the recipe at Panini Happy. Now, one note. The recipe does call for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Personally, I enjoyed the kick, but if you don't, you can always leave it out. Also, if you have small children, I would recommend leaving it out. I forgot how spicy the peppers are and was punished by having my 2-year-old daughter throw up falafel all over me. Lovely. And on that note, on to the tzatziki!

If you have never tried tzatziki, you are truly missing out. It is one of the easiest and most delicious sauces you can find. And please don't try storebought - it really doesn't compare. It's light and healthy too! Great for snacks. The recipe can be found at Kalyn's Kitchen. And now, for the pitas.

Oh how I love pitas. Once again, fresh pitas are a million times better than the stuff you get at the store. They are fluffy and chewy and awesome. My husband kept sneaking pitas as they came out of the oven. I had to chase him away to make sure we had enough for dinner. So there it is. I made 3 of my 100 things in one go, and it was fabulous.

Pita Pockets

from Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 degrees)

1 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

olive oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour to form a paste. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining water, the remaining all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and the salt to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook, knead on medium speed until smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn the ball to coat with the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.

Lightly flour a baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a thick log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Place on the prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 10-15 minutes. Position a rack at the lowest point in the oven, place a large baking sheet on it, remove the other racks, and preheat the oven to 500. For each pita, on a lightly floured surface, roll out a dough ball into a round about 1/4 inch thick. Lay the round on your palm, open the oven door, flip your hand over, dropping the round onto the hot sheet pan, and quickly close the door. (Ashley's note: I wouldn't suggest trying to bake more than one pita at a time.) Bake until the round has puffed, 3-4 minutes. Flip the puffed round with tongs and bake until browned, 2-3 minutes more. Using the tongs, transfer the pita to a dish towel, fold the towel over to cover, and press gently with the tongs to deflate. Work carefully, as the released steam is very hot. Serve the pitas warm.

Strawberry Smoothie

2010-06-22T16:47:00.000-06:00

I have been in a breakfast slump as of late. It seems like all I ever eat is cereal, mostly because it's convenient. But I seriously needed a break. And thus, the strawberry smoothie was born. It's creamy, summery, cold, healthy and delicious. But, I do have a bone to pick with my kitchen...

I am unfortunate enough to own a crappy blender. Among all of my lovely kitchen gadgets that I enjoy immensely, the blender is the red-headed step-child of my appliances. It sits on the top shelf where I can barely reach it because I know that I will only reap disappointment when I use it. Seriously, I've only used it a handful of times in the 4 years that I've owned it. I need to fix this problem, because I really want to make some more strawberry smoothies.

Do you have any good smoothie recipes? What's your favorite fruit combo? Do you have a good blender? Because if you do, I would love to know what kind it is so I can finally rid myself of my terrible blenderness.

Strawberry Smoothie

Adapted from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/3 cup milk

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Blend and enjoy! If you have a dumb blender like mine, do the strawberries in two batches.

Makes 1 smoothie.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

2010-06-18T21:35:00.000-06:00

You. Must. Try. This. Pasta. I'm serious. This is for sure one of my top 10 recipes. It is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I make it for company all the time and am constantly asked for the recipe. I don't add the arugula, but that's just because I couldn't find any the first time I made it and just haven't bothered ever since. This is not anywhere near a light recipe, so it can't be made all the time, but goodness gracious it most definitely needs to be made. Please. I'm begging you. Make this now! You will fall in love.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 cups heavy cream (hence the not lightness)

3 lemons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dried fusilli (or rotini) pasta

1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of regular arugula, stems removed and leaves cut into thirds)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds, then add the cream, the zest and juice of 2 of the lemons, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, and cook al dente according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed most of the sauce. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl and add the arugula, parmesan, and tomatoes. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add a few slices to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

2010-06-15T15:44:00.001-06:00

I'm going to try to learn some things about photography so that you can see how beautiful this food actually looks instead of seeing these pictures that don't do them justice. I was seriously craving some peanut butter the other day, and based just on what I had in the pantry, I was able to make these delicious bars. I'm not usually a peanut butter person, but when you're trying to lose weight, peanut butter becomes almost a no-no. And you know how those no-nos are when you're trying to get that weight off. They call to you at all hours of the night and won't leave you alone until you give in. So, I made room for these awesome peanut butter chocolate bars. When you bake them, I would suggest putting them in for the full time and letting them cool completely before cutting into them. Just like cookies, they'll be gooey in the middle, but they'll keep cooking after you take them out. All I can say is, I am thankful that we were taking dinner to someone that night and that my husband ate most of the rest, because otherwise I would have gained about 3 pounds eating these.

I found the adapted recipe for these scrumptious bars at Bake at 350.

Pizza Buns

2010-06-14T14:17:00.002-06:00

Cinnamon rolls + pizza? Can it be done? Yes!! And it's delicious. These pizza buns were a pleasant surprise and were scrumptious. Add your favorite toppings and make it your own! It would be so easy to play around with, and pretty much any kind of dough will do. I used some pizza dough that I had in the freezer, added some garlic and olives, and voila! Dinner is served. Do you get sick of pizza? Because I do when it's coming in the same form over and over again. But this is a little change from the ordinary and great for families! Not only were they delicious, but they knocked out yet another of my 100 things. I found the idea at The Other Side of 50.

Cherry Chip Cookies

2010-06-10T16:27:00.002-06:00

This is a very different cookie. When I bought this magazine a year and a half ago I had never heard of or seen cherry baking chips. But lo and behold, one day a few months ago I actually found them in the grocery store. Naturally, I had to buy them just so I could try these cookies. The cookie itself is really tasty, but the verdict is still out on the cherry chips themselves. It might just be that I'm not expecting that taste in a chip or a cookie, but I'm not sure. They are really pretty and definitely worth a try! Enjoy!

Cherry Chip Cookies

by Joan-Marie Gerth from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2008

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup crushed cornflakes

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup cherry baking chips

Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and almond extract; mix well. Combine the flour, cornflakes, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Coat bottom of glass with cooking spray, then dip in sugar (I skipped this step). Flatten cookies with prepared glass, redipping in sugar as needed. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen

Basic Dinner Rolls

2010-06-05T21:58:00.002-06:00

And here's the third from my 100 Things list. Dinner rolls. Yes, that may seem boring, but I have never been good at yeast, and I've always wanted to be able to make some rolls to go with dinner. To be honest, I wasn't totally thrilled with this recipe. I'm not sure if it was the ingredients or what, but the texture was slightly off and the taste was a little bit bland. They were very easy and fast though, so if you want some practice with yeast, this is a good recipe to try. Click here for the link to the recipe.

Pappa al Pomodoro

2010-06-01T22:36:00.003-06:00

I'm on a roll! Here is the second recipe from my 100 Things to Cook, Bake and Make list. Pappa al Pomodoro is an Italian soup that is thickened with bread. That's what interested me in this recipe. It's actually very simple to make and yields a pretty high flavor for very little effort. My husband was stealing pieces of bread and dipping it in the soup on the stove the whole time it was cooking, so you know it must be good. The ingredients are mostly things that you may have on hand already, and it would be great for a night when you really don't feel like cooking. I'm not usually a big fan of Rachael Ray, but this recipe is a winner. Enjoy!

Pappa al Pomodoro

from Express Lane Meals by Rachael Ray

1 loaf chewy bread, such as ciabatta

1/2 cup olive oil

1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used dried)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small onion (I omitted this because my husband has issues with onions)

1 cup chicken stock

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves

Salt and black pepper

Parmesan

Chop about 2 cups (a couple of small mounds) of the bread and reserve the rest to pass at the table.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of the olive oil, then add the sprig of rosemary and the garlic. Peel and halve the onion and, using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the soup pot. Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes, then remove the rosemary stem. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes and bring it to a bubble. Add the bread chunks and stir until the bread has melted into the soup; the result is a super thick consistency. Tear or shred the basil and stir it into the soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and ladle the soup into bowls. Top it with an extra swirl of olive oil, 1 tablespoon per bowl, and lots of shaved Parmesan.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2010-05-30T16:14:00.002-06:00

Holy goodness. These are to die for. I made a project for myself this year of mastering baking with yeast. I have never had much luck with it, but I've always wanted to be able to make my own bread, pizza, and yes, cinnamon rolls. I tried some pizza last week, and since it was successful I thought I could move on to cinnamon rolls. I was absolutely thrilled when they started to rise! This is what they looked like before going into the refrigerator the night before.

I got up a little bit early to take them out of the refrigerator, and then we baked them before going off to the Memorial Day parade in town. They were simply gorgeous.

And delicious. I fully intended to take pictures of individual cinnamon rolls and us eating them, but once I took a bite, I couldn't will myself to stop. They were soft, warm, and the vanilla glaze was wonderful. The only thing I might have done differently is to make a double batch of the glaze. They are slightly time consuming, but the good part is that all of the work (except the glaze) is done the night before, leaving you to a leisurely morning smelling cinnamon rolls in the oven. This book has become one of my very favorites. Enjoy!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

from Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen by Maria Helm Sinskey

For the dough:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees)

4 1/2 cups flour

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot, about 30 minutes.

Add the eggs, sugar, salt and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add the room temperature butter and continue to knead, adding a little flour to reduce stickiness if needed (I added quite a bit), until the dough is smooth, 10-12 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. roll out into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Brush the rectangle with half of the melted butter, leaving a 2-inch wide strip uncovered on one long side. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter. Starting at the long side covered with sugar, roll up the rectangle snugly and pinch the seam together. With the seam facing down, cut into 10 equal pieces. Place the pieces, cut side up, in the dish. Brush with the remaining butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and vanilla and stir into the sugar to form a smooth paste.

100 Things to Cook, Bake & Make

2010-05-29T10:32:00.012-06:00

On another blog I saw that a lady had made a list of 100 things she would like to try her hand at making in the kitchen. I thought that this was a fabulous idea and went ahead and made my own list. I'll make sure to let you know when one of these posts is on this list. Of course, everything on this list I want to make from scratch. My first one was a success, so wish me luck on the rest!

1. ~~Cinnamon Rolls~~ - 5/29/10
2. Macarons
3. Meringues
4. Bagels
5. English Muffins
6. Baklava
7. Bread Pudding
8. Cream Puffs
9. Pasta from scratch
10. ~~Ebelskivers~~
11. Pavlova
12. Butter
13. Churros
14. Monkey Bread
15. Eggrolls
16. Challah
17. Doughnuts
18. Whoopie Pies - 6/17/10
19. Tres Leches Cake
20. Turnovers
21. Angel Food Cake
22. Madeleines
23. Galette
24. ~~Croque Madame~~ - 6/21/10
25. Momofuku's Crack Pie
26. Eggs Benedict
27. Tyler Florence's Lasagna
28. Sushi
29. Caesar Salad
30. Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
31. Marshmallows
32. Hot Cocoa
33. Eton Mess
34. ~~Pappa al Pomodoro~~ - 6/1/10
35. Lemon Meringue Pie
36. Red Velvet Cake - 6/11/10
37. Fudge
38. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
39. Cure my own bacon
40. Millionaire's Shortbread
41. Samosas
42. Chicken Tikka Masala
43. Naan
44. Pitas - 6/13/10
45. Banana Pudding
46. Tortillas
47. Hummus
48. Potatoes au Gratin
49. Chicken Cordon Bleu
50. Falafel - 6/13/10
51. A Dessert with Bacon
52. Soft Pretzels
53. Bûche de Noël
54. Paula Deen's Heart Attack Burgers
55. Tzatziki - 6/13/10
56. ~~Frittata~~ - 7/16/10
57. Quiche
58. Spinach Artichoke Dip
59. Baked Beans
60. Fried Green Tomatoes
61. Pancakes from scratch
62. Peanut Butter
63. German Pancakes
64. Funeral Potatoes
65. Pioneer Woman's Texas Sheet Cake
66. Eclairs
67. Root Beer
68. Fluffernutter
69. French Onion Soup
70. Caramels
71. Muffalettas
72. Dolmades
73. Garlic Bread
74. ~~Dinner Rolls~~ - 6/5/10
75. King Cake
76. Pickles
77. Samoas (yes, the Girl Scout cookie)
78. Chocolate Truffles
79. Tarts
80. Chicken Fried Steak (this one is for the husband)
81. Monte Cristo Sandwiches
82. Croquettes
83. Calzones
84. ~~Cinnamon Raisin Bread~~
85. Spaetzle
86. Danish Pastries
87. Buffalo Chicken Dip
88. Sticky Toffee Pudding
89. Toffee
90. ~~Taquitos~~
91. Pumpkin Puree
92. Gnocchi
93. Mousse (chocolate or raspberry)
94. Croissants
95. Rollout Sugar Cookies
96. Lemon Curd
97. Granita - 6/16/10
98. New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
99. ~~Pizza Buns (like cinnamon rolls, but pizza)~~ - 6/10/10
100. Stuffed Tomatoes - 6/19/10

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

2010-03-19T19:27:00.003-06:00

Believe it or not, I got this recipe off of the back of a Kroger brand peanut butter chip bag. I have no idea what made me want to try it a couple of years ago, but I am so glad I did. These cookies are absolutely wonderful. They are very soft and pretty much just melt in your mouth. They also stay soft for days. On this last batch, my dad described them to me as "creamy". Have you ever had a creamy cookie before? Then it's about time you did. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

from Kroger

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 small box instant chocolate pudding

1 bag peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and dry pudding mix. Add to butter mixture and blend well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

2010-02-27T14:07:00.002-07:00

I have been baking a little bit this week to give me something to do...it makes the time go faster while my husband is in boot camp. I tried these cookies yesterday and they turned out scrumptious. They are still chewy and delicious today, and the flavor combination is wonderful. They were also very easy to make and made at least 5 dozen with not too many ingredients. You will definitely need some milk with these cookies! Enjoy!

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup peanut butter - chunky or smooth

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds (I didn't do that) and preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats (I used spray).

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

Working with a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to 1 day (I didn't do this). (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes (I only rotated front to back, and really watch the cookies, because mine only took about 11 minutes). The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they will firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-02-05T12:51:00.003-07:00

Do you ever have one of those eureka moments when you find a perfect recipe for something that you have been trying to find the perfect recipe for forever? I knew I was having one of those moments the second I opened the oven and saw how beautiful these babies were. Perfectly golden on the top and they came cleanly out of the pan. Holy crap were they good!

The sugar topping leaves the most awesome crunch on the top and the muffins are moist and full of berries. Please, please, please try these! I finally found a blueberry muffin recipe that os perfect and delicious. Now if only I could do the same for chocolate chip cookies...

The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, but Basically Baked got permission to reprint the recipe! Enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Cookies

2010-01-05T20:27:00.003-07:00

Since we are moving in about 2 weeks, I am trying to clean out my pantry. Today I made these cookies which helped use up staples, as well as raspberry jam and flaked coconut. They were a big hit! We have had a really hard time not eating the whole batch. The cookies have the perfect texture and are nice and buttery. The filling just makes them truly delicious. These are a must try! Enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Cookies

by Lesley Mansfield from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, coconut, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and combine well.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a glass dipped in flour (I used my fingers). Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves and a scant teaspoon of filling on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with the remaining cookies.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-17T12:48:00.004-07:00

These are the cookies that I made during my baking extravaganza yesterday. Between being pregnant and taking care of a toddler, this literally took me all day. I started at about 7:45 am and finished at about 5:30 pm. As you can see, there are 3 different kinds and they are all delicious. I made two of them last year and tried another for the first time yesterday. They all turned out wonderfully. It was a long day on my feet, but it was worth it for the yummy cookies! Enjoy!

Chocolate Snowballs

by Mary Lou Welsh from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2008

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes or until the tops or crackled. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Roll cookies in the powdered sugar.

Peppermint Snowballs

by Judith Scholovich from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2008

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

Topping:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add vanilla. Stir in flour; knead until mixed well. Reserve 1/2 cup of dough; shape remaining dough into 1-inch balls.

For filling, combine cream cheese and milk in a small bowl. Stir in sugar and candy; mix well. Make a deep well in the center of each ball; fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling. Use reserved dough to cover filling. Reshape if necessary into smooth balls.

Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Combine topping ingredients; roll cookies in mixture while still warm. Cool on wire racks.

Fudge-Filled Sandies

by Jeanette Ray from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Additional powdered sugar

Filling:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon shortening

In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and pecans; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle (I used my finger), make an indentation in the center of each.

Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in additional powdered sugar; cool on wire racks.

In a microwave (or in a double boiler) melt chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup, water and shortening. Spoon or pipe into cooled cookies.

Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake

2009-12-15T11:44:00.004-07:00

Oh yes. Pasta filled with deliciousness. This dish was extremely easy to make and clean up and was very satisfying. I wish I had had some garlic bread and a salad to go with it - then it really would have been perfect. This dish is flavorful and very cheesy, just the way I like it. I hope you like it too! Enjoy!

Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake

from Budget Bites

14.5 oz penne pasta

1 10 oz jar pesto

1 pint grape tomatoes

6 oz bacon (half of a regular pack)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy, and dry between paper towels. Crumble. Cut the tomatoes in half. Preheat the oven to 350 and coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot. Mix in the pesto, tomatoes, bacon and 1 cup of cheese. Pour into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Gratin

2009-12-08T19:55:00.002-07:00

This is the side that I brought to Thanksgiving this year. I found it on foodgawker.com, one of my very favorite websites. I get all kinds of recipes there and the pictures are gorgeous. This dish turned out delicious, although I think it is definitely a dish that needs to be made and served immediately. Or, if reheated, do it in a microwave. It is really cheesy and the sauce is very yummy. I know that cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are two veggies that are iffy on many people's lists, but trust me, try it. Enjoy!

Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten

3/4 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets

3/4 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise through core

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups hot milk

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

3/4 cup grated Gruyère (or Swiss) cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and ice. Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain. Throw the cooked cauliflower into the bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking any further. Bring the pot back up to a boil and put in the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook for 3-4 minutes. The cauliflower should be completely cooled. Drain them and set aside. After the Brussels sprouts are done, throw them in the bowl of ice water. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyère and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 11 x 2 baking dish. Placed the drained cauliflower and Brussels sprouts on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned.

Frosted Brown Sugar Cookies

2009-12-02T17:58:00.003-07:00

I made these cookies last year while I was experimenting for Christmas traditions, and as you can see, they've made a comeback this year. They are delicious. They are soft and the frosting is to die for. The frosting requires some cooling time, but even with that I had these cookies completely done within an hour and a half. They have a very deep flavor and are just wonderful. I hope you try them and share them! Enjoy!

Frosted Brown Sugar Cookies

by Loretta Patterson from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup powdered sugar

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and sour cream; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For frosting, in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat; add brown sugar. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar. Cool for 20-30 minutes. Frost cooled cookies.

Chips Galore Cookies

2009-11-29T15:18:00.002-07:00

And they mean chips galore. I was surprised by how much we could pack in these cookies! They are absolutely delicious. I prefer them straight out of the oven, but they are still good with milk a few days after. I messed with the "chip" proportions on this because I didn't like some of the things, and others I just didn't have enough of, but they turned out wonderfully all the same. I'm sure that you could substitute pretty much anything you wanted to in the chip part of this. These are huge, rich and satisfying cookies that will certainly be making a comeback next holiday season! Enjoy!

Chips Galore Cookies

by Bennet Barlean from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

1 cup butter flavored shortening

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans (I used 1/2 cup)

1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semisweet and upped it to 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

3/4 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips

3/4 cup flaked coconut

2/3 cup vanilla or white chips (I only used about 1/4 cup)

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Hasselback Potatoes

2009-11-23T10:19:00.004-07:00

Here is the long awaited savory recipe! I actually forgot to take pictures of the one I intended to put on here, but that's ok. I have seen these recipes on foodgawker a lot and they always looked so good. But my problem is that I always forget to think about side dishes when I make my grocery list. This week however, I remembered and we made these delicious potatoes. To be fair, Brett actually made them. They turned out wonderfully! They were soft on the inside and kind of crispy on the outside. I'm so glad I finally tried this, and you should try it too! Enjoy!

Hasselback Potatoes

6 medium sized potatoes (I used Yukon gold)

2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

30g butter (I have no idea how much this is)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals. Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some salt and black pepper. Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Banana Cream Pie

2009-11-18T08:43:00.003-07:00

I am so bummed that I did not take a picture of the inside of this pie and I am sorry for that. Trust me, it is very pretty inside. And delicious. I was so happy with the way this pie turned out. I have come to realize that pie crust is actually very easy if you have access to a food processor. I have used two different crust recipes now that use the food processor and they both turned out beautifully. I know that this pie has a lot of directions, but don't let that deter you! Many people think that lots of directions means that it is complicated, but really all that it means is that it is possible that it will take up a lot of time. I wasn't particularly overwhelmed with the amount of time that this pie took to make and a lot of it can be made ahead. If you're willing to take the time to cook, it can happen. I find that it is actually rather uncommon that a recipe is very technically complicated. Give it a try! Enjoy! And I promise that the next post will be a savory recipe!

Banana Cream Pie

from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the custard

2 cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, pressed through a sieve

1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

3 ripe but firm bananas

1 9-inch single crust made with Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough, fully baked and cooled

For the topping

1 cup cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sour cream

To make the custard

Bring the milk to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk - this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle - then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes before removing from the heat.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. You can either press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the custard to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the custard until cold or, if you want to cool the custard quickly, put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and stir occasionally until the custard is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes. (If it's more convenient, you can refrigerate the custard, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.)

When you are ready to assemble the pie, peel the bananas and cut them on a shallow diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Whisk the cold custard vigorously to loosen it, and spread about 1/4 of it over the bottom of the pie crust - it will be a thin layer. Top with half of the banana slices. Repeat, adding a thin layer of pastry cream and the remaining bananas, then smooth the rest of the pastry cream over the last layer of bananas.

To make the topping

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream until it just starts to thicken. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until the cream holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the sour cream.

To finish

Spoon the whipped cream over the filling and spread it evenly to the edges of the custard. Serve, or refrigerate until needed.

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces

About 1/4 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing - what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of the water - add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.

Have a buttered 9-inch pie plate at hand. You can roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a rolling slipcover. If you're working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic, or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to lift the paper, plastic or cover frequently do that it doesn't roll into the dough and form creases. if you've got time, slide the rolled-out dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes to rest and firm up.

Fit the dough into the pie plate and, using a pair of scissors, cut the excess dough to a 1/4- to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself, so that it hangs over the edge just a tad, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge. Alternatively, you can finish the crust by pressing it with the tines of a fork.

Refrigerate the crust while you preheat the oven to 400. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil, fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and, if the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Transfer the pie plate to a rack to cool to room temperature before filling.

Pumpkin Scones with Autumn Spiced Glaze

2009-11-13T10:10:00.002-07:00

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Baking and Books. The girl who runs the site is interested in much of what I am interested in, and she always writes about interesting food facts. Although she is a vegetarian Jew who keeps kosher, and I am not she gives some awesome recipes. Including these pumpkin scones!

They turned out beautifully and the glaze is just delicious. The recipe makes 6 scones, so it is perfect if you are cooking for two or if you are having a small get together. I ate them for breakfast, but they would be great for a girly breakfast or tea party. For the recipe on Baking and Books, click here. Enjoy! I will be making two recipes today that I will post in the next few days, and one of them is actually a savory recipe!

Lemon Meltaways

2009-11-06T10:17:00.008-07:00

Brett's request was that I make the Chocolate Caramel Thumprints. These were the ones I chose to make. And they aren't kidding when they say meltaways. They are a crumbly little cookie, which gives the impression that they are melting in your mouth. The frosting is the star of this one. It is lemony and delicious. These cookies take hardly any time, and you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. They are really pretty too, and would be a perfect addition to a holiday cookie tray. Enjoy!

Lemon Meltaways

from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1-3 drops yellow food coloring (optional, I did not use this)

In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; beat in lemon juice. Combine the flour and cornstarch; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into two 8-inch rolls; wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

Unwrap and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon peel, and food coloring, if using. Frost cooled cookies.

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

2009-11-03T13:14:00.002-07:00

Let the holiday baking extravaganza begin! Last year I tested out several cookie recipes in search of the best to make our Christmas traditions. I found 4 winners: Frosted Brown Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Snowballs, Peppermint Snowballs, and Frosted Chocolate Cookies. This year I am continuing the search. At Brett's request, I began with Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints.

These cookies are not hard to make, but they require time and many dishes. :) But they are delicious! I think we may have already found a winner to add to the collection.

Next week I'll be making Lemon Meltaways, so look out for that post. Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, separated

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling:

12-14 caramels

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white. Dip balls into egg white and coat with nuts. Place 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 3/8- to 1/2-inch indentation in the center of each ball. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, melt caramels with cream over low heat; stir until smooth. Using about 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture, fill each cookie. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Drizzle over cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-15T14:09:00.003-06:00

Fall is in the air. At least for today, because according to weather.com it will be hot again tomorrow. But I couldn't help breaking out the fall recipes. I am so ready to bundle up, drink hot chocolate, and get in the holiday spirit. These pumpkin cookies are the best that I have ever had. They are full of spice, chocolate, and that fall pumpkin goodness. They are also ridiculously soft and huge, so kids will love them. And so will you.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Delightful Delicacies blog

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

Add:

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In separate bowl, mix:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of cardamom

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine the pumpkin mixture and the flour mixture until just combined. Add 1 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes on greased baking sheet. Makes about 24 large cookies. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2009-06-27T11:01:00.002-06:00

Yes, I failed to put something savory on here once again. But you will understand when you see it. Chefs sit around and talk about what they would eat for their last meal. Some have elaborate fancy meals, some have home cooked favorites. I don't know exactly what my meal would consist of, but I know without a doubt that it would include this.

This is my ultimate comfort food. I can't remember ever having a Christmas morning without my grandma making it, and that's what it makes me think of. I have to make it when I'm not at home for Christmas, which is so worth it. Sometime in June or July I need a fix of my coffee cake. And that happened last night. I wanted something sweet, and this popped into my head. Once that happened, I had to have it. It's so easy, that I think you should go and make it. Right now. And fall in love with it.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

from Glenda Emigh

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans (optional, I never use them)

In a mixer, combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, oil, and eggs. Do not over mix. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nuts, if using. Pour half of the cake mix into a greased angel food cake pan. Pour a little more than half of the sugar mixture over the top. Pour in the rest of the cake mix and top with the rest of the sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Enjoy!

Chocolate Love

2009-06-23T11:25:00.003-06:00

Chocolate Love is I'm pretty sure the same thing that people call Robert Redford in a Pan. It's one of Brett's favorite desserts, and so I decided to make it for him for father's day. It's kind of hard to take pictures of, and isn't very pretty in the pan or on the plate, but it is absolutely delicious!!! The recipe is one that Brett's mom gave me when we got married, and I bring it out for Brett's special occasions.

It's chocolatey, creamy and cold. I have literally been fighting with myself to not just sit down and eat it for lunch today. We did have a little bit of trouble with the crust this time, but just pop it in the freezer for a few minutes and it should turn out just fine. It's easy, it's cheap, it's fattening, and it's fantastic! Try this one next time you are in a hurry and need a dessert! I also realize that I have only done desserts on here so far, so I will try to post something savory next time.

Chocolate Love

from Carol Lee

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped nuts (we use pecans)

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 large instant chocolate pudding, prepared

1 large container Cool Whip

For the crust, cut together flour and butter. Mix in nuts. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool.

For the filling, mix sugar and cream cheese in a mixer until smooth. Spread on crust. Fold one cup of the Cool Whip into the pudding; spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with the remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Crumb Bars

2009-06-16T08:09:00.006-06:00

I have finally entered the world of rhubarb. Up until yesterday I had never even tasted it. I have been wanting to for a long time, and I don't know what stopped me, but I finally found some at the farmer's market this past Saturday and bought it on an impulse.

Then I realized - dang, I actually have to make something out of this. So I started searching. I love the food blogosphere. I pretty much immediately came up with more recipes than I could ever use, including a Martha Stewart recipe for Rhubarb Crumb Cake. I have also never made anything by Martha Stewart, so I had two firsts yesterday.

I'm happy to say that I was successful with both! Martha's recipe was right on, and the rhubarb was awesome. Just the right amount of tang to offset the sweetness of the cake and the crumb. It is delicious, and I'm having a hard time not eating the rest of it for breakfast this morning!

Rhubarb Crumb Bars

from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Streusel:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room temperature butter for pan

1 cup flour, plus more for pan

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cake:

1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour. For streusel, whisk together butter, brown sugar and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use. For cake, in a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar and 1/4 cup flour. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder and salt. In bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with rhubarb and top with streusel. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into 16 bars. Enjoy!

Cherry Pie

2009-06-14T17:07:00.003-06:00

I have been scared of making pies for a long time. It's scary! Crust is so hard to master, and making them cute is much harder. Pies always sound so homey to me - like something that a true domestic goddess makes and then lets cool on the window sill. After my bread turned out (I had serious problems with yeast until recently), I decided that pies would be the next hurdle to tackle. And I'm glad I did. Brett loves cherry pie, but I have always hated it because I hate the canned stuff. It's disgusting. So I told him that during cherry season I would try a fresh cherry pie, and that's exactly what I did. Here it is just before going in the oven. The lattice isn't perfect, but it worked.

The dough was ridiculously easy. I just put the ingredients in the food processor and let it go basically. And although I did dirty up quite a few of the dishes in my kitchen making this, the most labor intensive part was rolling out the dough, and that's only because it was really cold. The final product was more than I could have hoped for.

It was beautiful!!! I can't believe it turned out so well. The bottom of the pie didn't even get soggy. The crust was flaky and delicious, and the filling was 100 times better than the canned stuff. When cherries are cheap (or if you grow your own, when you have more than you know what to do with) this is the way to go! Trust me, you don't need to be scared. It is way easier than it looks, and I will be making a lot more pies from now on!

Cherry Pie

from delementals.com

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chilled unsalted butter

4-6 tablespoons ice water

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add in the butter and process until coarse crumbs form. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough forms a ball. Divide into 2 equal portions and flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Filling

1 cup and 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 lbs whole cherries, pitted and stemmed

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, salt and 1 cup of the sugar. In a large bowl, mix together the cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix the sugar mixture into the cherry mixture and set aside. Roll one of the pie dough discs into an 11" circle and use to line a 9" pie pan. Pour the cherry mixture into the lined pie pan. Dot the cherry mixture with the butter cubes. Roll the second pie dough disc out and using a pizza cutter cut into 1" pieces. Create a lattice with the dough strips and crimp the edges together with the crust. Brush the lattice pieces with milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Cover edges of the pie with foil to prevent over-browning. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake on center rack for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375. Continue cooking until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely before eating. Enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

2009-06-11T21:25:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to have a recipe to share with you! I am bummed that my camera doesn't take beautiful pictures (and neither do I), but you can still see the results. I tried my hand at Dorie Greenspan's Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream today. And you get to see how it was done!

Cast of characters: whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract, eggs, sugar, peppermint extract, and chocolate chips.

Don't worry, the recipe will come in a minute, but I wanted to show you a technique used while making the custard. All ice creams begin with a custard, and in order to know whether it is done or not, run your finger down the back of the spoon that you are stirring with. The track you make should remain clean, like this.

If the custard runs into the track, keep cooking. By the way, aren't those some lovely drips on the counter? Nothing stays clean in my kitchen when I cook.

Brett decided that his mint ice cream had to be green, so my finished product doesn't look exactly as it should. During the freezing process I added some green food coloring to make the husband happy. Here is the completely finished and frozen product.

It's beautiful, isn't it? I was so proud. It is absolutely delicious and definitely worth a try. It's so satisfying to make your own ice cream! It feels good to eat something you made with your own hands. I have lots of ice cream recipes, so I'm sure you'll see more. I hope you try this out!

Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 to 1 1/4 teaspoon mint extract or oil (I used 1 1/4 teaspoon)

1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you are using a vanilla bean, put the seeds and pod into the pan, cover and set aside for 30 minutes, then bring the milk and cream back to a boil before continuing. If you are using vanilla extract, wait until later to add it.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid - this will temper (or warm) the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Do the test I showed you earlier. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard into a clean heatproof bowl. Discard the vanilla pod, or if you are using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Stir in the mint extract.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream. This should take 2-4 hours. Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

Adventures in Food

2009-06-10T11:03:00.000-06:00

This is what I hope to do with this blog, have adventures in the kitchen! I love trying new things, new gadgets, new recipes, and just everything I can get my hands on. I haven't created very many recipes of my own yet, but I know they will come as I get more familiar with the kitchen. But don't worry, I have probably a million recipes (most of which I haven't tried yet) and I want to share them with you! I have a few ideas up my sleeve for the first few posts, so please stay tuned to see what will happen!

My hope for getting comfortable and creative in the kitchen is that my children will too. I want them to have good memories of cooking with mom and the desire for home cooked meals. I love the idea that they will want to bring their friends over to eat, want to help in the kitchen, and make these same dishes for their own families when they get older. I will make sure to post pictures and recipes and what I thought of the dish. Enjoy!