The Cookie Scoop

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2012-01-25T09:48:00.001-05:00

Banana cake...you either love it or not! One of my kids wouldn't touch this cupcake, and the other loved it. I have to admit, there was a time when I didn't really care for banana anything. Just give me a straight banana, please, with a side of peanut butter! But, alas, all things change in time and I, too, have become a banana convert.

This simple old fashioned recipe was found in one of our local Bucks County magazines recently. It was a family recipe and I was taken by how quickly and easily it went together. Basically you just throw everything into the mixing bowl and beat it together til it's combined...how easy is that? ( Wait...I stole that line from..?!)

The original recipe was to make a two layer cake but I made a few changes. I chose to halve the recipe and make 6 jumbo cupcakes. I can see that it would make a great cake, though. And, to the frosting I added a little cinnamon to give it a tiny boost of flavor. One last addition, which I didn't use but would next time, would be to include some nuts. I think walnuts would be a welcome addition and give it that ever lovin' crunch that I'm always craving! But that's just me. You may not love walnuts and want to leave them out. That's up to you. That's the fun part about baking. Throw in what you love...leave out what you don't!

Place the dry ingredients into your mxing bowl and add the butter, buttermilk, mashed banana and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and beat another 2 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl once or twice to be sure everything is well combined. If you're adding nuts, just stir them in now.
That's it!

Scoop the batter into cupcake liners, filling them equally.
Bake approx. 20 minutes or til tester comes out clean.

Let them cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting by just combining the ingredients in a small bowl and beating til it's all combined.

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 6 jumbo cupcakes or 12 regular size cupcakes
Note: To make this recipe for a two layer cake, double all of the ingredients below and pour the batter into 2 grease and floured 9" cake pans. Your baking times will be longer

1 1/4 cups ( 5.7 ozs.) AP flour
3/4 cups sugar
generous 1/2 tsp. baking powder
generous 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup ( 5 tbsp. plus 1 tsp.) softened butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup mashed bananas ( approx. 1 1/2 bananas)
1 large egg
Frosting, see below
************************
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.

1. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Make sure it's all mixed thoroughly, then add the butter, buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas and mix on low to start out to combine, then increase speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes.
2. Add the egg and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Scoop the batter into your prepared muffin liners.
4. Bake for approx. 20 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness.
5. Cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
Frosting:
4 ozs. cream cheese, room temp.
3 tbsp. softened butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
dash of cinnamon ( approx. 1/4 tsp.)
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter til smooth. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice, then beat in the confectioners' sugar til it's a nice smooth consistency, adding more sugar if too thin. Decorate and enjoy!

Dense Fudgy Brownies

2012-01-22T13:50:00.004-05:00

In my world, there's always room for one more brownie recipe, especially a dense and fudgy one and this one is the fudgiest ever!

These are appropriately named "Luxury Brownies" and they are so luxurious, using the best dark chocolate you have, along with a good quality cocoa powder...how can you beat that? The original recipe calls for your choice of nuts, either one kind or an assortment but instead of nuts, I ~~used~~ threw in a handful of Ghirarrdelli bittersweet chocolate chips, since no one in my family likes nuts in their brownies except me...and goodness knows I don't dare make them just the way I alone like them! That would be dangerous!

Just remember to cut very tiny squares for serving. They're that rich.

Luxury Brownies ( adapted from here)

7.1 oz. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temp. and whisked
8.1 ozs. dark chocolate ( good quality), chopped into very small pieces.
4.9 ozs. AP flour
Scant 1/2 cup (1.4 ozs.) cocoa powder ( good quality, like Valhrona)
Pinch salt
Approx. 7 ozs. nuts of your choice (technically this comes to roughly 2 cups, depending on which nuts you choose, but I think one cup is more than enough)
You can use a combination of pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, pecans or just one kind that you like.
***************************
Butter and line with foil, an 8" x 8" pan. Preheat oven to 350.

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter completely.
3. Add the sugar and stir til the sugar is dissolved.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the chocolate pieces and eggs together, making sure it's all well mixed.
5. Pour the piping hot butter/ sugar mixture into the chocolate/eggs mixture, mixing quickly and thoroughly. If there's still some chocolate not totally melted, just put the bowl over some gently simmering water and stir til it's all melted.
6. Scoop spoonfuls of the flour/cocoa powder into the mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula just til no traces of flour can be seen.
7. Gently stir in the nuts (leave some out to decorate the top, if you want it to look pretty!) or add the chocolate chips, if going that route.
8.Pour the batter into your prepared pan and decorated the top with your nuts, if using.
9. Bake 18 to 22 minutes.
The brownies are cooked when the edges are slightly dry, the top is shiny and has cracked. The center of the brownie should not be wobbly when shaken. Important! The toothpick method of testing does not work on this fudgy brownie!
Let the brownies cool completely before cutting...or better yet, wait til the next day to cut. These brownies get better with each passing day! Remember to cut very small squares...they're that rich. Enjoy! And please, if you make them, let me know what you think, which nuts you prefer...or if you used my handful of chocolate chips adaptation.

Christmas Butter Cookies

2011-12-24T13:18:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!

I made these delicious buttery and so easy butter cookies that uses a cookie press. I have a vintage press, that you can actually buy in several of places these days, such as ebay, or even a flea market. I prefer these vintage ones to any newer ones made today.

But getting back to the cookies, it's only 4 ingredients, butter, sugar, flour and salt. So simple, yet so good.

Perfect for those last minute Christmas cookie for Santa tonight!

Butter Cookies ( for a cookie press)
(Note: I halved this recipe below and it made 4 1/2 dozen cookies)

1 lb. butter, unsalted at room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups AP flour ( 18 ozs.)
*************************
Preheat oven to 375.
1. Beat butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the salt and flour, mixing til well blended.
3. Fill the cookie press with as much dough as will fit and press each cookie onto ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with colored sprinkles.
4. Bake for approx. 10 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets. This baking time may take a little longer or less time. The cookies should be lightly brown along the edges but not too dark.
5. Cool on wire rack, then enjoy!
Merry Christmas!

Pumpkin Scones Revisited

2011-11-28T19:25:00.002-05:00

Before I get to the pumpkin scone, I just want to say... I dropped my camera into the kitchen sink the other day and totally broke it so this photo is the best I could come up with!

I received a comment today from regarding my pumpkin scone recipe. http://thecookiescoop.blogspot.com/2011/02/pumpkin-scones-with-maple-glaze.html
Here's the comment:
I tried this recipe as I thought the combination of spices would be delicious. I'm going to go back to my recipe that used butter and sugar. The scones I made with this recipe were hard, dry and tasteless. Using sugar and butter will vastly improve the texture and flavor.

So after reading the comment from "anonymous" I decided to make the scones again this afternoon. Maybe, I thought, I got lucky the first time with this recipe and they just happened to come out great. I thought maybe they're really not as great as I thought they were. Well, guess what, They are great!

I found these scones to be light, moist and delicious, just like the first time I made them. These are cream scones so they don't have egg or butter in the recipe. They rely on the fat from the cream and the pumpkin puree to give them moistness.

There are certain steps that need to be taken when making scones.

First, all the ingredients need to be very cold. The butter, if using, needs to be cold ( or frozen) and cut into small pieces. The cream needs to be cold, even the bowl should be cold.

Second, you need to mix the wet with the dry very lightly and only til just incorporated. If you overmix the scones will come out hard.

And lastly, make sure your measurements are correct. If your cup of flour measures 5 ounces, rather than mine at 4.5 ounces, then you're using too much flour, which can change the recipe and lead to a dry hard scone.

So, anonymous, I'm sorry your pumpkin scones came out dry, hard and tasteless.

Oh and one more thing. If you don't put the glaze on top, yes, they will not be very sweet.

Apple Walnut Cake

2011-10-31T18:12:00.000-04:00

I'm plowing through those Fine Cooking magazines I received recently, trying to make at least one thing from each issue.

This snack cake is wonderfully moist, with a nice crunchy walnut topping. The original recipe was supposed to be made in a 9 x 13 pan but I knew that would be way too much for our small family so I halved it, which was way easy, and used an 8" square pan, and it turned out perfect. (The recipe I'm giving you, though, is for the full amount.)

It's an easy cake to throw together and it's great for breakfast or a late night snack!

Start by combining your dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time. Add in one third of the flour mixture, then the applesauce. Add another third of the flour mixture, then the sour cream. Finish mixing in the remaining flour mixture...

Then pour the batter into your prepared pan.

While the cake bakes, make the walnut topping by combining the ingredients, then chill til needed.

Take the cake out of the oven after 15 minutes, then sprinkle on the topping and continue to bake another 30 minutes.

Apple Walnut Cake ( from "Fine Cooking" Magazine Nov. 2004)

Serves 16

2 cups ( 9 ozs.) AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. table salt
3 ozs. ( 6 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp.
3/4 cup smooth applesauce ( homemade or store bought)
1 cup sour cream
Walnut topping ( recipe below)
*****************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides or a 9 x 13 baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed til combined ( but not fluffy). Scrape the bowl as needed.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine and scraping the bowl.
4. Add one third of the flour mixture, mixing on medium low speed til combined.
5. Add the applesauce, mixing on medium low speed til incorporated.
6. Mix in another third of the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the remaining flour mixture, scraping the bowl. Don't overmix. Just combine til incorporated.
7. Spread batter into your prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.
8. Make the walnut topping and place in the fridge.
9. Take the cake out of the oven and sprinkle with the topping, then place the cake back in the oven for another 30 minutes, or til a toothpick comes out clean ( Mine took a little less time but it depends on your oven).
10. Cool cake on wire rack for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Walnut Topping:
1/2 cup ( one stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup ( 4.5 ozs.) AP flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
4 ozs. ( 1 cup) whole walnuts, coarsely chopped

Melt the butter, then pour into a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon and stir til blended. Add the flour, confectioners' sugar and walnuts, mixing with your fingers til well combined. The mixture should be crumbly but clump together. Refridgerate til ready to use.

Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Pine Nuts & Orange Glaze

2011-10-24T19:55:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to figure out how to begin this post since I've been away from it for so long now. It's been well over a month and I have to admit, it feels a little odd just typing this post. It's funny how, once you stop posting for a day, then a week, then a month, you figure, well, so much time has passed, what's another day!

Truth is, I've been so busy with my baking business that I've had no extra time to make a lot of new recipes, although I did manage to make a few, which I hope to share with you in the future.

So, okay, let's get to this wonderful cake. A woman from the Farmer's Market where I sell asked me if I'd like some Fine Cooking magazines and, of course, I was happy to take them off her hands! I wasn't actually familiar with this magazine before but it really a great one, with lots of excellent recipes.

This Cornmeal Rosemary Cake has chopped pine nuts, mascarpone cheese and lots of fresh orange zest to give it a wonderful flavor, especially with the rosemary. And, it's fairly easy to make. You don't have to drag out the standing mixer, everything is mixed or whisked by hand in a few bowls.

It gets an orange syrup that you brush on top, then an orange glaze with the rosemary...so good!

Begin by combining your dry ingredients together with the orange zest.
Then whisk the mascarpone cheese and add the eggs, one at a time, then the sugar.

Fold in your dry ingredients, in 2 batches...

Then stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake.

After you take the cake out of the oven and invert it, brush on the syrup.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze.

Then spoon the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set up a few hours.

Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Pine Nuts & Orange Glaze ( from "Fine Cooking" magazine, Nov. 2004)

Makes one 9" cake

Cake:

Soft butter for the pan
6 3/4 ozs. ( 1 1/2 cups) AP flour
3/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal ( Quaker brand is fine)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
5 ozs. ( 2/3 cup) mascarpone cheese, room temp.
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Orange Syrup:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tbsp. granulated sugar

Orange Glaze:
1 tbsp. whole fresh rosemary leaves ( stripped from the stem but not chopped)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
******************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9" x 2" round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment.

1. In a medium bowl, whick together the flour, cornmeal, pine nuts, rosemary, orange zest, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone to loosen it a little. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine.
3. Add in the sugar and whisk til smooth.
4. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the wet, mixing til smooth.
5. Stir in the melted butter with a rubber spatula, til well blended.
6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake til the entire top of the cake is a rich golden brown and springs back when pressed gently in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.

Make the orange syrup:
While the cake is almost finished baking, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, til the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

Once the cake has cooled about 5 minutes in the pan, invert it so it's right side up.
Poke a few dozen holes, with a skewer or toothpick, into the top of the warm cake and brush with the warm syrup. Continue brushing for several minutes, giving the syrup time to sink into the cake, til you have used all the syrup. Let the cake cool completely.

Make the orange glaze:
1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Have ready a small bowl of ice water.
2. Put the rosemary leaves into the boiling water and blanch them for a minute.
3. Scoop them out and immediately place them into the ice water. Drain them and spread them out onto a paper towel to dry.
4. In a bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar, cream and orange juice til smooth. Then whisk in the blanched rosemary and the zest.
5. When the cake has cooled, spoon the glaze over the cake. Let it drip over the sides.
( Excess glaze will spill over so you may want to do this over a larger plate or even a baking sheet to catch the drips!).
Let the cake sit for at least an hour before cutting.
Note: This is one of those cakes that just gets better over time. Enjoy!

Date Nut Bread

2011-09-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

I remember, as a kid, loving date nut bread smeared with cream cheese. It was moist and full of great flavor from the dates, and, of course, the nuts, which gave it the crunch I always love! So when I found this recipe using molasses and dark brown sugar I knew it would be great.

I had actually made another recipe I found in a cookbook I recently purchsed but it didn't have molasses or dark brown sugar in it and, as I should have figured out, it really wasn't very good.

This recipe also uses whole wheat flour which is always a good thing in baking!
If you remember the dark date nut bread that was available in cans, as I do, then you'll love this one. And if you don't remember it, bake it anyway! It so good. Don't forget the cream cheese!

The recipe is quite easy to make.
You need to add boiling water to the chopped dates and butter, puree one third of this, then add it back into the bowl with the rest of the dates/butter mixture.
Then add the brown sugar, molasses and eggs and stir to combine.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the center.

Pour in the date mixture and add in the nuts. Mix til it's all combined.

Then pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for approx. 50 minutes, or til a tester comes out clean.

Date Nut Bread

3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups chopped dates ( fresh)
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
***************************
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan. Set aside.

1. In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over chopped dates and butter. Stir the mixture and let it cool to lukewarm.
2. Pour one third of the mixture into a food processor or blender to make a paste, then stir it back into the date mixture.
3. Add the brown sugar, molasses and eggs and stir to combine.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Make a well in the center and pour in the date mixture and the nuts and mix til all the ingredients are combined.
6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool the bread 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out of the pan to finish cooling.
Spread slices with cream cheese. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2011-09-05T19:39:00.000-04:00

This is actually a retro coffee cake recipe from 1959. Apparently it has been served in high schools in Los Angeles since then and it's still made. Any cake still going strong after that many years has got to be good! And it is.

It's easy to throw together and it has a layer in the middle of brown sugar, butter and walnuts and, of course, the sour cream makes it nice and moist.

It's one of those cakes that gets better the next day, and then the day after that..and so on!

If I made one little change, it would be that I'd cut back on the amount of filling. It seemed like a little too much, but other than that, it's great.

Make the filling first, then set it aside while you make the cake.

After half the batter is in the pan, sprinkle the filling over top, then spoon the remainder of the batter over that, then finish with the rest of the filling ( well, now it's the topping!).

The cake bakes up and around the filling, making it so delicious.

So here's the thing...when I went to flip the cake over, it fell! I was able to save all of it but it didn't look as pretty on one side so I made another half batch, this time making the batter into jumbo muffins. I only got 5 out of this half batch. They were also great.

And I put a quick maple glaze over the muffins. It's not really necessary but kind of looks pretty!
Just combine 2 -3 tablespoons of maple syrup with 1/2 cup of comfectioners' sugar til it gets a thin consistency, then just drizzle over top.

1959 Sour Cream Coffee Cake ( from the LA Times, 1994)

Cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt ( my addition)
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
Topping:
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon ( my addition)
1 cup chopped walnuts ( I'm sure pecans or even almonds would be fine)
1/4 cup butter, softened
*************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 10" tube pan.
All ingredients should be at room temp.

1. In a small bowl make the filling by combining all the ingredients together with a fork or your fingers, making sure the butter is thoroughly worked into the mixture. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
5. Add half the dry ingredients and mix til just blended, then add in the sour cream.
6. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix til it's all incorporated.
7. Spread hald the batter into your prepared pan, then sprinkle half the filling over top. Spread the remaining batter over this and finish by sprinkling the top with the remainder of the filling.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the outer sides of the pan and allow it to cool completely. Turn it over...(very carefully!) then turn it again so it's right side up.

Lemon Bliss Cake

2011-08-28T08:25:00.000-04:00

This cake may not look like much from my photo but the name says it all...lemon bliss!

It packs a powerful punch of flavor from the lemons in the cake, using the zest, which has all the flavor, and a lemon glaze brushed on top of the warm cake.

It's moist and tangy, with a tight crumb.

As all cakes of this kind, it only gets better the next day or two, so go grab some lemons and make this cake!
Serve it with whipped cream and maybe some fresh blueberries sprinkled on top. Yum!

It begins, like most cakes, with creaming the butter and sugar til fluffy and light.
Then add in the eggs, then the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk.

Throw in lots of lemon zest, which gives it it's great lemony flavor.

Spoon the batter into your favorite bundt pan and smooth the top.

Then brush on that lovely lemon glaze.

Lemon Bliss Cake (from King Arthur Flour)

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ozs.) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups AP flour (I used 13.5 ozs.) ( I always use King Arthur Flour)
1 cup milk
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons OR 3/4 tsp. lemon oil

Glaze:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
*******************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour a 10" tube pan or a 9" to 10", 9 to 10 cup capacity bundt pan.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and salt, then cream til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix til smooth.
4. Stir in the grated lemon zest ( or the lemon oil, if using).
5. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
6. Bake the cake 55 to 60 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. While the cake is finishing it's baking, make the glaze by combining the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
8. Once the cake comes out of the oven, set it aside on a wire cake to cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn the cake out onto the rack. Place another rach on top and turn the cake over so it's right side up.
9. Poke the hot cake all over the top with a cake tester or toothpick. Stir the glaze again, then brush the top with the glaze, letting it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing til all the glaze is used.
10. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

Lemon Curd French Tart

2011-08-24T16:52:00.004-04:00

This is for anyone and everyone out there who has a fear of making pie crust. And even for those who have advanced skills in pie crust making...this crust is amazing!

I read about it here a while back and kind of forgot about it. But then the other day, I got to thinking about my delicious lemon curd and decided to put it into a tart.

Making a dough from hot butter, rather than ice cold, disputes all the ideas about only using cold ingredients. I don't actually know why it works...but it works...and that's all I need to know!

You can fill the tart with anything you'd like from a curd, like I did, to a pastry cream or custard with fresh fruit. I used my lemon curd recipe to fill the tart and then just piped some whipped cream on top.

It's really the flakiest crust I've ever had and it's also the easiest crust I've ever made. So for all you bakers who are still buying a store bought crust because you're too nervous to try making one from scratch...give this one a try. You'll love it!

Begin by placing the butter pieces, oil, water, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. ( I used my pyrex bowl.)
Place the bowl into the oven for about 15 minutes, or til the butter begins to brown slightly and bubble.

It should look like this, nice and melted.

Then dump in the flour...

And stir til it becomes a ball.
And that's pretty much it! Now, was that so hard?

Dump the ball onto your tart pan (you might want to let it cool a little bit first), spread out the dough using the heel of your hand. Push it towards the edge and press the edge with your fingers.
Save a little bit of dough, about the size of a marble, to patch any cracks that may occur after baking.
Prick the dough with a fork in about 10 to 12 places.

Bake 15 minutes and use the reserved dough to patch any sizable crack, if you have any.

Fill with your fave filling, then decorate...and dive in!

Lemon Curd French Tart (adapted from here)
Makes one 9" tart or 3 to 4 tartlets( with removable bottom) or 9" pie plate.

Note: My tart pan actually measured 9 1/2" and I think that's why my tart came out on the shallow side. This really wasn't a problem but if you use a pie plate or tart pan with a removable bottom, just know if it's not exactly 9" your tart may come out shallow also. I haven't made this recipe using tartlet pans so I'm not sure if it would make 3 or 4 but I bet they'd be darned cute...and delicious!
Also David says because small cracks in the dough are normal you'd be better to not use a thin custard filling.

3 ozs. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp. canola oil
3 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
5 ozs. AP flour
Lemon curd recipe
Whipped cream for decorating top

*********************
Preheat oven to 410.
1. In a heatproof bowl ( I used my glass pyrex), place the butter pieces, oil, water, sugar and salt and place into the oven for 15 minutes, or til the butter begins to bubble and brown around the edges. Remove carefully.
2. Dump the flour into the melted butter mixture and stir into a ball with a spatula.
3. Place the ball into your tart or pie pan and, when cooled enough to handle, press the dough with the heel of your hand to spread out to the edges. Use your fingers to press the sides of the dough .
Reserve a small piece of dough, about the size of a marble, to patch any cracks later.
4. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then place back in the oven for 15 minutes, or til the dough gets a nice godlen color.
5. Patch any large cracks with the reserved dough piece.
Let the crust cool completely before filling with your favorite custart and fresh fruit, pastry cream or, like me, most delicious lemon curd!

White Chocolate Cherry Chunker Cookies

2011-08-18T20:32:00.001-04:00

I feel like I have this black cloud hanging over my kitchen this week.
Well, okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic!

But seriously, I can't seem to make anything come out right. I made a stone fruit slump which came out okay but not fantastic...so why would I want to show you something that was just okay? Then last night I made a recipe from Cook's Country called Texas Style Blueberry Cobbler. Again..was just okay. That's not how I like my cobblers ( sorry Cook's Country!) Geez...what's going on?

So today I decided to just make a new cookie recipe...all the while keeping an eye out for that cloud! But finally, success!

These cookies are from the book, "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" and they're a wonderful mix of tart dried cherries and sweet white chocolate chips, a great balance and combination of flavors. Oatmeal in there helps add a nice texture. The book says to make them 3.5 ounces, but that's just too big for me so I made mine 2.2 ounces in size and they wound up baking about 3 1/2" in size. Perfect...finally!

Begin by combining your dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Cream the butter and sugars together...

Then mix the eggs and vanilla and add to the creamed mixture.

Add in the dry mixture and combine just til it's all well mixed together.

Stir in the white chips and dried cherries.

And scoop them onto your baking sheet, then flatten each one slightly. Then bake.

White Chocolate Cherry Chunkers, from "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread"

Makes a dozen large cookies ( 3.5 oz. size) or more like 18 cookies (2.2 oz. size)

1 2/3 cups ( 8.6 oz.) AP flour
2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup dried tart cherries
3/4 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup ( 2 sticks or 8 oz.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
5/8 cup sugar
******************************
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment.
1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and whisk.
2. In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the vanilla and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture til it's all combined.
5. On low speed, add the flour mixture in stages. Mix only til everything is well combined, again scraping the sides and bottom of bowl.
6. Add the cherries and chocolate and stir gently to combine.
7. Scoop out the dough and flatten each to a thickness of approx. 1 1/4".
8. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, depending on size. They should be golden brown and baked all the way into the center.
9. Cool on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Peach Crumb Cake

2011-08-11T08:01:00.001-04:00

Still making my way through the load of peaches!

This time we're going from Peach Crumb Pie to Peach Crumb Cake.

This cake is light and not too sweet...perfect for breakfast or a late night snack. Don't be shy with the peaches on top. I used 4 peaches but they were small. If you're using larger peaches, it's okay to just use 4 but if your peaches are on the small side, I'd go with at least 5 peaches.

Make the topping first by throwing all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse til crumbly.
Then make the cake batter.
Then pour it into your prepared pan and spread evenly.

Place the sliced peaches over top of the batter.
Then sprinkle the topping over the peach slices.

Then bake... and cut yourself a nice big piece!

Peach Crumb Cake ( from "The Best of Gourmet 1994")

Topping:
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 stick ( 6 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Cake:
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large peaches ( if small, use 1 more)
***************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8" round or square pan.
1. Topping: In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon and pulse til the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
2. In mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar til the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and beat the batter til just combined.
5. Spread the batter evenly into you prepared pan, then place the sliced peaches over top.
6. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the peaches and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or til tester comes out clean.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Peach Crumble Pie

2011-08-07T16:19:00.002-04:00

Peach season is definitely upon us. There were loads of them at the farmer's market yesterday and I grabbed a basket of "seconds" that looked great to me. With all the peach pies I made last summer, I never got around to posting a recipe for a pie ( guess I was just too "peached out" !)

I did make this and this and this was great, too... have to make those again this year.

But this is the first pie I've made this summer so I figured it's a good time to share the recipe.

I love a crumble topping on a fruit pie. It's all about the crunch with me and a crumble top gives a little crunch and a bit more interesting taste. So go grab some peaches and make a pie!

I made my crust the night before and placed it into the pie plate, wrapped well and put in the fridge to chill overnight.
Then just slice up your peaches and mix the other ingredients together and spoon it into your chilled pie shell.

The topping is easy to make.
Just combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and butter pieces and mix it together with a fork or your fingers.

Then sprinkle the topping over the peaches...

And bake the pie til it's nice and golden and bubbly.

Peach Crumble Pie

Makes one 9" pie

Filling:
8-10 peaches ( depending on size), peeled and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar ( I don't like a very sweet pie but if your peaches aren't very sweet you can increase this amount a little.)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

Crumble topping:
2/3 cup AP flour
4 tbsp. light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold butter, cut into very small pieces

Unbaked pie crust for a single crust pie. I use this one every time.
*******************************************

Make the crust ahead of time and place into pie plate. Chill in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least an hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 450.

1. Prepare crumb topping by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside in fridge to chill while preparing the peaches.
2. In a large bowl, combine sliced peaches, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Stir to combine well.
3. Spoon the peaches into the unbaked pie shell, including all the liquid.
4. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the pie and place the pie onto a baking sheet ( just in case any liquid spills over) and bake the pie for 10 minutes on 450.
Then lower the oven temp. to 350 and continue to bake the pie for another 30 to 40 minutes, til it is bubbly and golden in color.
5. Allow the pie to rest at room temperature before cutting into it so the juices can settle.
Grab the vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and dig in!

Mocha Cupcakes

2011-07-29T20:04:00.003-04:00

I love coffee flavored anything. And mocha, a chocolate and coffee combo is really the best... well, after peanut butter and chocolate, that is!

And when I found myself craving cupcakes this week, after trying to cool down from the extreme heat by making granitas all week ( which isn't really such a bad thing !), I searched for a mocha cupcake and decided on this one.

To intensify the coffee flavor, I used espresso powder mixed with hot water, rather than strong coffee and I loved it.

Begin by sifting, then mixing your dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.

Slowly add the wet to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed.

Then combine the hot water with the espresso powder and pour this into the batter mixture.

Then spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake 18 to 22 minutes.
I used jumbo muffin cups to get 6 nice big cupcakes...no little dinky cupcakes around here!

Mocha Cupcakes (adapted from here)
Makes 12 cupcakes

(Note: I halved the recipe and made 6 jumbo cupcakes).

7/8 cup ( 4.1 ozs.) AP flour
1 cup sugar
3/8 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt ( a little less if using Morton's salt)
1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola)
1 egg, room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. espresso powder dissolved into1/2 cup boiling water

***************************

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners.

1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl or standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
4. Add the espresso mixture stirring just to combine, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Spoon or pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake 18 to 22 minutes or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the cups 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
Pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tbsp. espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 - 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
*******************************
1. In a medium bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter til fluffy.
3. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar/cocoa mixture and cream til well combined.
4. Add salt, vanilla and 1 tbsp. heavy cream ( or milk). Blend on low speed til moistened. Add additional heavy cream (or milk) til it reaches desired consistency. Beat on high speed til frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Frost the cooled cupcakes.

No Bake Lime Cracker Pie

2011-07-19T15:01:00.001-04:00

I'm sure I'm not alone in hating this awful heat. I know everyone else across the country must be as tired of it as I am and staying out of the kitchen, if at all possible, is my goal til things cool down!

So making desserts that don't require turning on the oven can be a challenge...unless ice cream every day works for you! ( Well, okay, ice cream every day does, in fact, work for me but sometimes you want a little bit more!).

So let me just say, I love the seriouseats.com site and I was so excited when they gave "sweets" a separate category. And when I found this no bake "pie" recipe I knew I had to give it a try.

It really is delicious. It's sweet and salty and there are only 4 ingredients. Around here we've been calling it "faux key lime pie". But, hey, whatever name you give it...it's cool, creamy and perfect for dessert on a hot night.

You'll need lime zest for the top so zest them before you squeeze the limes.

Combine the condensed milk and heavy cream in a large bowl.

Add in the lime juice and whisk til thickened.

Spread one cup of the filling on the bottom of the pie plate or casserole dish.
Top with a single layer of crackers, then repeat til all the crackers and filling are used, ending with the filling.

Then sprinkle the top with lime zest and chill at least 2 hours, but overnight is better.

No Bake Lime Cracker Pie, (from seriouseats.com)

(Note: I halved the recipe and used a 7" glass pie dish)

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup lime juice plus 1 tbsp. lime zest
10 oz. ( about 2 1/2 sleeves) Ritz crackers*
******************************
You will need a deep dish pie plate or 11" oval casserole.

1. Combine condensed milk and heavy cream in a large bowl.
2. Add lime juice and whisk til thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Spread 1 cup of the filling on the bottom of pie plate or casserole.
4. Top with a single layer of crackers, then repeat, alternating layers of filling and crackers til plate is full.
5. Sprinkle top with lime zest and cover and put into refridgerator for at least 2 hours, but it's best to chill overnight so the crackers fully absorb the custard.
* Next time I make this, I'm going to use graham crackers instead of the Ritz crackers. It may taste even more like key lime pie... what do you think?
Please let me know if you make it and how it turns out for you.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for a chocolatey double chocolate chip cookie that's thick like a bakery style one and I found this recipe in one of the cookbooks I recently bought, "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread".

The "secret" to the chocolatey flavor of this cookie, I think, is in the quality of cocoa powder you use. I had some Ghirardelli's and some Valrhona so I used both and it gave this cookie a rich deep chocolate flavor that's so good!

Also adding melted chocolate into the dough gives it more chocolate flavor.

The original recipe calls for toasted pecans so I decided to divide the dough in half and put half with pecans and half without since the crowd I'm making these for probably don't all love nuts in their cookies! Personally...I love nuts in mine!

I made the cookies smaller than the 3 ounce size in the recipe. Mine were approx. 1.2 ozs. and this gave me a 3" cookie.

It was such a beautiful morning here, this morning I couldn't resist showing you my morning glory that puts on a show for me every morning! Happy baking!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (from "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread")

Makes approx. 24 cookies, depending on size. Makes one dozen if making very large ( 3 ozs.)

1 5/8 cups (8.32 ozs.) unbleached AP flour
3/8 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
***************************
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a heatproof bowl, melt 1 1/2 cups of the semisweet chips , stirring til smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Cream butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes, or til light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
4. Pour in the melted chocolate and continue mixing til the mixture is uniform in color. Make sure the chocolate is not hot or the butter will melt.
5. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well to combine.
6. With the mixer on low speed, ad the dry ingredients in stages. Mix only til it's all combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all the flour is incorporated.
7. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Chill the dough in the fridge til it's firm but not hard.
9. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of dough ( mine weighed 1.2 ozs.) and place onto baking sheets, spacing about 2" apart. Note: If you're making these cookies larger, make them approx. 3 ozs. each, about a scant 1/2 cup size.
10. Bake the cookies between 13 and 15 minutes. ( 18 to 20 minutes, if making 3 oz. size).
They should be just set when done.
Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cranberry Upside Downer

2011-07-10T18:37:00.002-04:00

There's something so comforting about upside down cakes. Warm fruit on top with a delicious delicate cake underneath. It's the best!

No I know it's a little odd to be surrounded by so much fresh fruit now that summer is in full swing but I came across this recipe and remembered the two bags of frozen cranberries I still had left in the freezer. I could have used fresh pears or apples but I just love the flavor of cranberries...and oh, that beautiful color! Let's think Christmas in July.

I found this wonderful book called " Sweet Times, Simple Desserts for Every Occasion" and guess who wrote it? Dorie Greenspan. It's from 1991 and I didn't even know about this book til I came upon it at a local outdoor art show in the park this weekend. They had a booth of all kinds of books and this one just jumped out at me! Lucky me!

This cake is easy to make and would be perfect for a quick dessert to make for company. It's great just with a dollop of whipped cream. Dorie suggests using pears or apples and I could really see how apples would be ideal since there's a full teaspoon of cinnamon in the batter. Now that would be a great Fall dessert.

I used a round cake pan but I bet you could also use a cast iron skillet like I did for this cake.

Brush the top with red currant jelly ( or really any jelly flavor you have would, I'm sure, be fine).

The cake is delicious warm or room temperature. And don't forget the whipped cream.
Enjoy!

Cranberry Upside Downer, from "Sweet Times" by Dorie Greenspan

6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts ( I used chopped pecans but you can also use halves)
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen ( not thawed)
1 cup AP flour ( I used 4.5 ozs.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs, room temp.
1/3 cup milk, room temp.
1/3 cup red currant jelly
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for garnish
*********************************

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Get ready an 8" round cake pan.
2. Melt the 6 tbsp. butter in a small saucepan, then add the 6 tbsp. sugar and stir til the mixture comes to a boil. Pour this evenly over the bottom of the cake pan.
3. Sprinkle the nuts over this, then the cranberries, in a single layer. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
5. Cream the butter, then add in the 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to beat on medium speed til the mixture is pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.
6. Add in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
7. With the mixer on low speed, add in half the dry mixture, mixing only til combined.
8. Gently mix in the milk, then add the remainder of the flour mixture.
9. Spoon the batter over the cranberries and smooth out the top.
10. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or til the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Run a knife around the sides of the pan and turn the cake out onto a cake plate. ( If any berries stick to the pan, just scrape them off with a knife and spread them on the cake).
Warm the jelly, just til it liquifies, (I warmed in the microwave) and brush onto the top of the cake.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-07-02T16:29:00.002-04:00

I know this is a cookie blog but every now and then I can't resist passing along a great recipe for something other than cakes, cookies or pies.

With a long holiday weekend upon us I thought I'd share a recipe that is a great picnic salad that we just love around here. My son, Kris, can never get enough of this and it's the most requested. And you don't have to worry about this salad getting spoiled in the heat like a mayonaise salad.

The recipe is quite old...vintage, in fact! It originally came from an old issue, probably from the 1980's, of "Better Homes and Gardens" Magazine and I've kept it all these years.

You can switch out any of the ingredients to suit your taste. If you don't like olives ( how could you not!?) you can leave them out. Same thing with the capers. We really don't like sun dried tomatoes so I left them out of our salad. You can also add in anything else you might think of that would sound good, such as parsley or roasted red sweet peppers, perhaps.

Have a great 4th!

Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette ( adapted from " Better Homes and Gardens" )

Makes 8 side dish servings. Double or triple the recipe for more people.

One quick note: The original recipe is actually called "Wild Rice Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette" but we love orzo so much that we subbed all orzo for the wild rice. I'm sure the wild rice would be great so I'm giving you the original recipe as it's written.

1 cup cooked wild rice (1/2 cup uncooked)
1 cup cooked orzo pasta ( 1/2 cup uncooked)
1/2 cup red, green, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into small 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives ( I use both green and kalamata olives because we love them)
1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, dry packed ( soften tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain).
2 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed briefly if too briny
Other add ins: Diced red onion, parsley or anything else you can think of!

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup olive oil ( I used extra virgin)
1/3 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. snipped fresh basil
1 tbsp. finely chopped shallots or green onions (scallions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional
********************************
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled rice and orzo, peppers, olives, tomatoes and capers. Set aside.
2. In a screw top jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, shallots ( or green onions), garlic and black pepper. Cover and shake well.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the rice/orzo mixture and toss to coat. (Note: I found this was too much vinaigrette for this amount of rice/orzo so I used some over ripe tomatoes sliced with fresh mozzarella. Yum! You can save it to use over other things, too, like a green salad or chicken or fish).
4. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Stir in nuts before serving, if using.

Fresh Apricot Upside Down Cake

2011-07-01T18:35:00.003-04:00

I know it's the 4th of July Holiday this weekend but I couldn't resist these beautiful apricots in my local farm market. They were calling me! And I just had to respond. So no blueberry strawberry- red, white and blue kind of dessert this hoilday. Nope. Just a delicious fresh apricot upside down cake. Which, by the way, is so so good!

I have to say I've never really given the poor fresh apricot much attention before. I love them dried and I make dried apricot almond scones almost every week, but fresh? Never. Eaten out of hand, they don't do much for me but once baked, they take on a sweet lovely flavor.

Upside down cakes are so fun. And this one is baked in a cast iron skillet so you just melt the butter, add some brown sugar and place the apricots over top. Then spoon the batter over all that and bake it in the skillet.

So please, give this cake a try. It got rave reviews on epicurious.com so I knew it would be a winner. I took note of the remarks about too much butter and sugar for the topping so I cut down the amounts by half and I'm glad I did. This revised amount is perfect.

This cake could be made with some other stone fruits, too. Nectarines or plums, perhaps?

And if you don't own a cast iron skillet yet, you need to buy one! They're the original non stick skillet.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, it looks so pretty, it's almost a shame to invert it...

But then...

Look how pretty the other side is, too!

And don't say I didn't warn you. Once the cake cools down a little...good luck resisting cutting yourself a nice big slice.
But hey, you deserve it, right? After all, you did all the work! Don't forget a big dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the top!

Fresh Apricot Upside Down Cake ( adapted from epicurious.com)

(The recipe includes my revisions)

Topping:
1/2 stick (2 ozs.) unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
8-10 small apricots, halved and pitted, lengthwise
Cake:
1 3/4 cups ( 8.3 ozs.) AP flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 large eggs, room temp. for 30 minutes
3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk
***************************
Preheat oven to 375.
Topping:
1. Heat butter in the skillet til the foam subsides.
2. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter. Cook, undisturbed for 3 minutes.
Not all the sugar will be melted.
3. Remove from heat and arrange the apricot halves, cut side down in the skillet, placing them close together.
Cake:
1. Sift or whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and both extracts on medium speed til pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat til mixture is creamy and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
4. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating woth the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat til just combined.
5. Gently spoon the batter evenly over the apricots and spread evenly.
6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
7. Immediately invert cake onto a large plate.
The cake is best served slightly warm or room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Chocolate Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

2011-06-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and orange. To me, it's a wonderful combination.

I've probably said it before but I'll say it again. I love shortbread cookies! It's such a blank canvas to which just about any flavors can be added. I've made some unusual combos like basil and lime ( which I still get requests for).

And speaking of requests, the reason I made these cookies this week is that a woman...a very patient woman, I might add.. from the farmer's market, has been asking me to make them for her. I promised her last week I'd bring her some, so here they are!

I love the intense flavor of buying cardamom pods and using them as I need it. If you don't want to go to the trouble of this, or you can't find the pods, then just buy the ground cardamom in the spice section of your market.

I use a mortar and pestle to grind them.

Put the confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl with the butter and beat this til combined.

Then add all the orange zest for a wonderful orange flavor.
Add in the dry ingredients and beat together til it's all well combined.

Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disc with your hands, trying for a rectangular shape, if you're using a rectangle or square cutter. If you're using a round cutter, then make it into more if a round shape.
Place another piece of plastic wrap over top and roll out the dough to between 1/4" and 3/8" thickness.

Then place in the fridge to get nice and cold and hard.

Once it's chilled, cut out your shapes and place them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Reroll the scraps but if they get soft place them into the freezer to firm up again.
Then bake for approx. 15 minutes.
* Baking suggestion: It's hard to check for doneness because they are dark but the bottoms should be darker than the tops. If you're unsure, bake a few first and time them. Then let them cool completely before trying one. They should be crisp and have a nice crunch to them. Crispy and crunchy!

Chocolate Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen ( depends on size)

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
15 tbsp. (7.5 ozs.) unsalted butter, at cool room temp.
1 generous tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups AP flour (9 ozs.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 cup good quality cocoa ( I use Valhrona)
*********************************
Preheat oven to 350.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ground cardamom and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the confectioner's sugar and butter til smooth.
3. Add in the orange zest and both extracts and stir it well with a rubber spatula first, then mix with the beaters to combine.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix til it's all incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
5. Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and fold the wrap over the dough. Form into a rectangular shape disc, if using a rectangle cutter like I did. Or you can shape into a round shape if using a round cutter.
6. Place another piece of plastic over the dough and roll out to 1/4" - 3/8" thickness.
7. Place the dough into the fridge to firm up.
8. Once the dough is firm, cut out your shapes and reroll any scraps, just be sure the dough is always cold. Pop into the freezer for about 5 minutes, for a quick way to chill.
9. Bake cookies for approx. 15 minutes. ( See my suggestion above for baking).
10. Let the cookies stay on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies store best in an air tight tin.

Crepes with Strawberry Conserve

2011-06-22T08:16:00.001-04:00

With strawberry season winding down, I stopped at a local farm to pick up some of the last berries of the season. Some just to eat out of hand and another container to make a conserve.

This recipe for the Strawberry Conserve is from the ladies of the "Canal House" series of cookbook.
It's in the latest issue of "Bon Appetit" Magazine and because it sounded fairly simple and not the involved jam making process I was so not in the mood to make, that I decided to give it a go!

I have to say it was really easy and it came out delicious, although I'm not sure if it was supposed to be more "jelled" because the syrupy part came out kind of thin but mixed in yogurt or over vanilla ice cream it is still great.

But how about over crepes?

First make the conserve. Get all your ingredients together...

Toss them into a heavy saucepan and let it sit for 2 hours.
Then bring to a simmer and cook about 3 minutes, or til berries are just tender.
How's that for easy?

Then put the berries into a 1 pint jar and continue simmering til the liquid thickens into a syrupy consistency. ( Mine never actually got really thick..oh well! )

Now on to the crepes.

Don't be intimidated by these. They're delicate and thin and you can actually fill them with anything you'd like-Nutella, chocolate, or anything sweet you can think of. Just top them off with whipped cream and a little powdered sugar...and, of course, the strawberry conserve. Yum!

Crepes ( recipe from Cook's Illustrated")

Makes 10

1/2 tsp. veg. oil
1 cup ( 5 oz.) unbleached AP flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Strawberry Conserve ( recipe follows)
Confectioner's sugar ( for dusting over crepes)
Whipped cream ( for garnish)
***************************
1. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat milk and eggs.
Add half the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk til smooth. Add the butter and whisk til it's all combined. Whisk in the remaining milk mixture til smooth.
2. Place oil in a 12" skillet and heat over medium to low heat. Lightly whipe out the excess oil from the skillet.
3. Once the skillet is properly heated ( test with a small drop of batter first), scoop a 1/4 cup amount ( I use a ladle) into the pan and tilt and swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly.
4. Let the crepe cook til it looks dry and the edges begin to brown slightly. ( Don't worry, you may loose the first one to testing!). This may only take 25 to 30 seconds. Gently slide a rubber spatula under the crepe and flip and cook on this side for only about 10 to 15 seconds. Then gently slide the crepe out of the pan and on to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, allowing the pan to heat up again for 10 seconds after each crepe is removed.
Continue to stack the crepes on top of each other on the plate.
To assemble:
Take one or two crepes and fold them in half, then in half again and place on a pretty plate.
Place a dollop of whipped cream on top and spoon some of the strawberry conserve over top, then dust with confectioners' sugar.

Strawberry Conserve
4 cups fresh strawberries ( about 1 lb.), hulled and halved
3/4 cup superfine sugar
Peel (with white pith) of 1/2 lemon
******************************
1. Combine all ingredients in a large heavy saucepan.
2. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours. stirring occasionally.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring gently, til berries are just tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer berries to a one pint jar.
5. Continue simmering liquid til it thiskens into a syrupy consistency ( about 2 to 3 minutes). Discard lemon pith and pour the syrup over the berries. Let it cool to room temperature, then seal the lid and place in fridge for up to a month.

Orange Butter Cookies

2011-06-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, in the heat of this "not-yet-summer" weather you just need a cookie that doesn't include chocolate! I mean, don't get me wrong. Chocolate chips cookies are the number one fave around these parts but this one's so good, too.
This cookie is thick and cakey and full of delicious orange flavor and perfect with some cool refreshing sorbet.
The 3 ounce cookie is big enough to share but I'm sure making these in a smaller size would work also. And with the extra egg yolks in the batter, my cookies came out with a nice golden color. Because I buy my eggs from a local egg farm, the yolks have a deeper orange color than supermarket eggs.

You'll need quite a bit of orange zest and cream it with the sugar and butter...

Get your dry ingredients whisked together and set it aside...

Gradually add in the eggs and egg yolks to the creamed mixture.
Then add in the dry ingredients and mix just til combined.

I love my scale ( I weigh everything!) and, yes, these are big cookies.

Once you put them on the parchment lined baking sheets, press them firmly with your fingers, then sprinkle the tops generously with sugar and bake.

Orange Butter Cookies ( from "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread byAmy Scherber & Toy Kim Dupree)

Makes 1 dozen large cookies

1 3/4 cups (9.20 ozs.) unbleached AP flour
1 2/3 cups (6.70 ozs.) cake flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt ( a little less if using Morton's Brand)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 1/2 tsp. orange zest, tightly packed
1 large egg
2 egg yolks, from large eggs
extra sugar for sprinkling on top of cookies
*************************

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Position racks in bottom and top third of oven.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar, butter and orange zest together on medium speed for 2 minutes or til light and fluffy. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl often.
3. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolks, mixing on medium speed til everything is well combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in stages. Mix only til everything is combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure there are no pockets of dry flour remaining.
5. Using a large metal scoop, a large spoon or your clean hands, moistened with water, scoop out large balls of dough, placing 6 balls per sheet. Each ball should weigh 3 ounces. ( If you don't have a scale, the balls should be a scant 1/2 cup).
6. Press firmly on the balls, making ridges with your fingers ( for the sugar to hold) to thickness of 1/2".
7. Sprinkle, generously, the sugar on top of each cookie.
8. Bake approx. 17 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking. The cookies should be pale but baked all the way through into the center. They should be soft but careful not to underbake them or the centers will be doughy. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fudge Brownies

2011-06-13T09:22:00.001-04:00

If your in the mood for a deep-dark, super dense rich brownie, then this one's for you!
I found it on the back of the King Arthur Flour bag. With brownie recipes from scratch like this one being so easy ( and delicious) to make, there's no reason to buy brownie mixes...ever!

As always, King Arthur recipes are great and this brownie with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top... Yum!

I halved the recipe and cut it into 6 rather generous size pieces but you can certainly cut the sections smaller to make 9 squares ( for half the recipe).

So begin by melting the butter, then adding the sugar and heating a second time to help dissolve the sugar. This yeilds a shiny top crust.

Once that's all melted together, transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then add in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla and stir that together.
Mix in the eggs and beat til smooth.

Add in the flour...

And chocolate chips, beating til well combined.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake...that's it! Easy, quick and delicious!

Best Fudge Brownies ( from King Arthur Flour)

Makes 12 to 18 (depending on the size you cut)

1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ozs.) King Arthur AP Flour
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 x 13" pan. (I didn't grease but lined my pan with foil).

1. In a saucepan set over low simmering water, place the butter in a heat proof bowl, double boiler style, and melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just til it's hot, but not bubbling. It will become shiny looking as you stir it. (Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which yeilds a shiny top crust. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla.
3. Add in the eggs, beating til smooth.
4. Add in the flour and chips, beating til well combined.
5. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry ( though it may have a few moist crumbs clinging to it).The brownies should feel set on the edges and on the center.
6. Once removed from the oven, et them sit in the pan to cool down about 20 minutes before lifting out of the pan. Cool completely ( I refridgerate) before cutting into pieces.

The Best Oatmeal Muffins

2011-06-07T21:15:00.003-04:00

This muffin took two days to perfect! It took a bit of research to get it just right so I'm taking the liberty of calling it the best! I found a Southern Living Cookbook this weekend and came upon a recipe for Oatmeal Muffins that sounded good. I proceeded to make them yesterday...but they turned out, in a word, lousy!
So, I looked through my trusty old Farm Journal Cookbook and, sure enough, there was a recipe for these muffins that was very different from the Southern Living one.

It calls for soaking the oatmeal in buttermilk for an hour before mixing together the batter.
But the book gave instructions to mix the ingredients too much, so I knew that wouldn't work.

Muffin mixing is a delicate art! It requires gentle and brief mixing so the muffins don't come out tough.
Ok, fast forward to today. The final muffin recipe I came up with is a light, not too sweet muffin that you can add just about anything you like. Nuts, chopped apples, granola, berries, raisins or even chocolate chips.

I did swap out half the flour for some whole wheat flour...so they're even a little bit healthy!

After you soak the oatmeal in the buttermilk, add the egg mixture and stir til just combined.

Then add the dry ingredients to the mixture and gently stir, using almost a folding motion. Don't overmix!
it's okay if you still see some streaks of flour. Stop mixing!

Then spoon the batter into your paper liners, sprinkle the tops with raw sugar and either some oats or some granola ( my choice).

I baked 6 jumbo muffins but you can make them the standard size and get 12.
( And, yes, I sprinkled half with granola and half without!).

Oatmeal Muffins ( adapted from a few places...and me)
Makes 12 standard size muffins or 6 jumbo.

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup AP flour ( I used 1/2 cup AP and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon ( use less if you don't want a strong flavor)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Raw or turbinado sugar ( for sprinkling on top),opt.
Oats or granola (for sprinkling on top),opt.
**********************************

Line muffin pan with paper liners.
1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a small bowl. Stir and let it sit for an hour.
2. After an hour, preheat oven to 375.
3. Whisk together flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla.
5. Add the butter/egg mixture to the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture and stir just to combine.
6. Add in the flour mixture and stir gently, just til combined but streaks of flour may remain. Don't overmix!
7. Briefly fold in any add-ins that you want. Again, being careful not to overmix.
8. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar and/or granola or oats.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or just til tester comes out clean. Don't overbake.
10. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then take out of pan and cool slightly. These muffins are so good warm!

A Weekend Out of the Kitchen!

2011-06-07T18:28:00.000-04:00

I had the chance to get out of the kitchen and go down the shore this weekend for a giant flea market that was being held in Ocean Grove, NJ. If you've never heard of Ocean Grove, it's a wonderful little "gem" of a town that lies just south of Asbury Park..you know, the one where this guy got his start here! It's filled with charming Victorian houses and really a wonderful place to get away for a weekend.

Having spent part of my growing up years living down the shore, I had visited Ocean Grove only maybe once or twice so after all these years it seemed like I was seeing it for the first time.
It originally was a religious summer resort retreat and I remember you weren't even allowed to drive a car there on Sundays.
What I find fascinating are the tents set up all summer. They're made of a heavy canvas that attaches to a permanent structure in the back. There are several streets of these tents set up around the Great Auditorium and they are so charming!
You can see the inside of one here. Just a wooden platform floor with the top propped up in place.

And, of course, no shortage of Victorian architecture with wrap around porches and an abundance of blooming flowers everywhere. So pretty!

The gingerbread trim on the houses is amazing. Wouldn't want to paint all that!
So, it was great to get a break from baking. I'm already planning my next mini vacation. Hmmm...wonder where I can go next?

Cream Cheese Bars

2011-06-01T20:38:00.001-04:00

We're not big cheesecake lovers in this household so there's a good chance you'll never see a recipe for anything too cheesecakey(?) on this blog. But when I came across this recipe for cream cheese bars they really sounded good. They're light, not too sweet with a light lemony flavor. A kind of refreshing dessert for this awful hot weather we've been having.

And they are quick and easy to make...again, perfect for a hot day in my non-airconditioned kitchen!

First make the crust by creaming the butter and brown sugar, then adding in the flour and walnuts.
Save a cupful for the topping, then press the remainder into your 8" square pan.
Bake for 12 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the filling by beating the cream cheese, gradually adding in the sugar, egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.

Then take the crust out of the oven and pour the filling over top.
Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over that and bake again for 25 minutes.
Keep chilled, once set, in the fridge.

Cream Cheese Bars ("from Farm Journal's Complete Home Baking Book", 1979)
Makes 16 squares

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 (8 oz.) pgk. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest ( my addition)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
*****************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter lightly an 8" square pan.

1. Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
2. Stir in flour and chopped walnuts, mixing til crumbly. Remove 1 cup of mixture and reserve for topping.
3. Press remaining mixture into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes, or til golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese til smooth, gradually adding sugar, egg, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, beating well.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture over baked crust, then sprinkle the top with remaining crust mixture.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or til set.
7. Cool in pan on rack. Store in fridge. Cut when cool into 2" squares.

Thick Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-25T07:58:00.000-04:00

I've been on the hunt for a big, thick, chewy, bakery style chocolate chip cookie for a new customer and I've been trying out some different recipes.

One of the cookies I made were these, and they are really good. Nice and thick and chewy and easy to put together, which is important to me.

Then I came across a mention of the book, "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" and I remembered how fabulous her breads were when we visited Chelsea Market in New York. So I ordered the book, which came in no time, and made these cookies, actually called "Nuevo Chocolate Chip Cookies". They bake up nice and thick and, of course, the best just out of the oven! There's a little bit of molasses in the dough and even a tiny bit of ground ginger, which I found to be pretty unusual in a chocolate chip cookie.

You make them gigantic! 3 ounces of cookie...but you could, of course, make them a little bit smaller, too.
For my needs, I wanted a big cookie, so these were perfect.

You should really only put 6 on a baking sheet. They need room to spread.

Nuevo Chocolate Chip Cookies (from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree)

Makes 1 dozen large cookies

2 cups (10.14 oz.) unbleached AP flour ( I always use King Arthur's)
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 large egg
1 egg yolk ( from a large egg)
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup ( 5.70 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. molasses
1 1/8 cup semisweet chocolate chips
*******************************
Preheat oven to 350. Line sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and ginger.
2. In a small bowl whisk the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars and molasses on medium speed for 2 minutes, til light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl occasionally.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture til everything is well combined.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in stages, mixing only til it's all well combined. Again, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
6. Add the chocolate chips and continue mixing on low til evenly distributed.
7. Scoop balls of dough, weighing each at approx. 3 ozs. ( 2 1/4" dia.)
To scoop: Use either a large scoop, moist hands or a large metal spoon.If you don't have a scale, use a scant 1/2 cup measure.
Do not flatten the dough balls.
8. Bakefor approx. 18 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. They should be golden brown and just set when they're done.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet 5 minutes. Then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oat and Orange Scones

2011-05-19T21:30:00.000-04:00

I never tire of scones. The varieties are endless, sweet or savory. This oat and orange scone is made with whole wheat pastry flour, which was challenging to find around these parts. I've never seen it in any of my local markets so I called Whole Foods and, sure enough, they had it. Gotta love that store!

Whole wheat pastry flour is lighter than whole wheat flour and it makes these scones light and quite delicate, which is a good thing. They have a nice subtle nutty flavor.

I halved the recipe and I did make a change in the original recipe. I used half and half instead of buttermilk. I make almost all my scones with half and half but because these don't have an egg in the recipe I thought the scones needed a little more fat.

One thing to always remember when making scones is to have your butter and milk or cream very cold.

Once you add in the half and half, gently stir the mixture with a fork, using almost a folding motion.
This insures that you will get a light scone.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a round or rectangle shape.
Then, using a bench scrape or large knife, cut the dough into 8 to 10 triangles ( for half the recipe), depending on what size you want.

At this point you can bake them all or freeze some for another time.
For the ones you're going to bake right away, brush the tops with half and half then sprinkle with raw sugar and a little more oats, if you like.

Oat and Orange Scones ( adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Makes 12 to16 large size scones. ( I tend to make my scones small so this recipe would yield 16 to 20 for a smaller size scone.)

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar ( I used cane sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt ( this is my addition)
2 sticks unsalted very cold butter, cut into small cubes
Zest of an orange
2 cups oats ( I thought this was too much oats so I used a little less)
2/3 cup dried currants
1 cup cold buttermilk ( I used cold half and half), you may need a little more if the dough seems dry
1/4 cup raw sugar ( for sprinkling on tops)
1/4 cup buttermilk or half and half ( to brush on tops)
******************************
Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a food processor or large mixing bowl, add together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse or stir to combine.
2. Add in the butter and orange zest, pulsing a few times if using a food processor, (blend in with your fingers if mixing by hand), til mixture consistency resembles small and large peas.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl ( if using a food processor) and stir in the oats and currants.
4. Pour the buttermilk (or half and half) over the dry mixture and gently stir with a fork, using more of a folding motion. Add a little more milk if the mixture seemd too dry.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and using floured hands, shape into a round or rectangle, patting the top to approx. 1 1/4" thickness. Using a bench scrape or large knife, cut the dough into triangles.
6. Transfer the sections onto your parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk or (half and half) and sprinkle with raw sugar and a little more oats, if you like.
7. Bake the scones 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the size. The bottoms should be golden and they should feel firm when gently pressed in the center. You can also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean with no crumbs clinging, then they're done.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

2011-05-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

Digging through my old recipe file I came across this Hot Fudge Pudding Cake in a recipe booklet from Hershey's dated 1987. It sounded like an interesting way of making a cake. Mix a batter, sprinkle on a sugar and cocoa mixture, then pour hot water over the whole thing and bake it! I'm not sure how old the original recipe actually is but after I made it I thought I'd check out the recipe online and I did find a lot of these cakes. So I guess I'm not the only one who liked the concept!

It's really a fun cake to make that bakes all together and it turns out like a brownie with a fudgy sauce.

It's an easy one to make and you don't even need to drag out the mixer. Just a few bowls and spoons to mix and maybe your sifter for the cocoa powder.

So if you're in the mood for something chocolaety and gooey...give this one a try. A big dollop of whipped cream would be the perfect finishing touch!

You don't even need to grease or butter the pan.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake ( from Hershey's Recipe Sampler Booklet, 1987)

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup AP flour
7 tbsp. Hershey's cocoa powder, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter (5 tbsp.), melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups hot water
*****************************
Preheat oven to 350.
1. In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cups of sugar, flour, 3 tbsp. cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
2. Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla. Beat til smooth.
3. Pour batter into a square pan, 8 x 8 x 2" or 9 x 9 x 2".
4. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and remaining 4 tbsp. of cocoa powder. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over batter.
5. Pour hot water over top. Do not stir.
6. Bake 40 minutes or til center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. Serve with whipped cream.
Notes: I bet if you mix some espresso powder in with the hot water it would taste even more chocolatey!

Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies... Revisited

2011-05-15T17:07:00.001-04:00

Ok, so today being National Chocolate Chip Day I decided to revisit the well known chocolate chip cookie from Tate's Bake Shop.

This cookie has been a constant mystery to me- let me explain why.

I bought a pack of the chocolate chip cookies a while back, brought them home and presented them to my son, Kris, who proceeded to inhale about 4 before I had to stop him or I think he'd have eaten the whole dozen! I did another experiment a few months ago.

I've read many comments on the cookies and so many say they're addictive. And they are! But why?
Because it's like eating one potato chip...you just can't! Tate's cookies are hard and crunchy, crunchy like potato chips so it's hard to eat just one. Crunchy like a cracker...again, hard to eat just one.

But here's the other thing I kept going back to. Tate's cookies are shipped all over the country. If I tried to ship my cookies to, let's say, California, they'd be stale by the time they got there. So how does she do it?

Well, I don't know exactly how Tate's does it but I figured out how I can do it.
They're twice baked...just like a biscotti! That's the conclusion I've come up with. Twice baking them takes alot of moisture out of the cookie, makes it hard and crunchy and allows it to remain fresher longer. Just like biscotti.

All the recipes I've read on her cookies just say to bake them longer but I found the twice baking is key.
I bake them first for the regular time called for in the recipe, about 11 to 12 minutes. Then I take them out and let them cool, then I put them on a wire rack ( so air circulates all around the cookie) and place them back in the oven for between 4 - 5 minutes. The oven temperature remains at 350.

They have to cool completely before you can feel them to be sure they're hard. They will always feel softer while still warm. If, once they're completely cooled again, they feel still a little soft in the center, then place them back in the oven again for another 2 minutes or so. Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Now that's my way of making them hard and crunchy. Maybe Tate's Bake Shop has a different method of making them hard and crunchy. Maybe the convection ovens bake them differently than my home oven.

If anyone reading this gives my test a try I'd love to hear from you on how the experiment went for you.

Next...crunchy oatmeal raisin!
Happy Baking!

Olive Oil Citrus Cake

2011-05-10T21:01:00.002-04:00

I just love these olive oil cakes. This one, again, comes from "Rustic Fruit Desserts". I think I'm going to eventually make everything in this cookbook! All the recipes sound so good and this cake? Delicious!

It's easy to make, moist from the olive oil and the combination of grapefruit, orange and lemon zest give it a wonderful almost refreshing citrus flavor.

This time I made the grapefruit juice glaze which just makes it so much more delicious. It's actually a dessert under the season of "Winter" but any time is perfect for this one.

The cake uses cake flour and you have to sift the flour twice along with the baking powder and salt.

The hardest part of making the cake is zesting the grapefruit. It's so big and tricky to hold and zest!

There's a lot of citrus zest that goes into the batter, which makes it so darned good.

Prepare your pan by coating with olive oil and then sprinkling with sugar.

The cake gets a nice golden brown color and is light and moist.

Olive Oil Citrus Cake ( from "Rustic Fruit Desserts")
The book says to: "Choose a fruity olive oil with a medium density and lasting thickness on the tongue."

Cake:

1 1/4 cups ( 5 oz.)unsifted cake flour (you will sift later)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
3 eggs, room temp.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one grapefruit
Zest of one orange
Zest of one lemon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. lemon oil ( I used 1/2 tsp. lemon extract)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. sugar (for coating the pan)

Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
**************************
Preheat oven to 350. Using a paper towel, coat a 9" by 2" round baking pan with olive oil, then sprinkle it with the tablespoon of sugar.

Cake:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together twice.
2. Using a hand held beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment ( I used the paddle attachment and it still came out fine...oops!), beat eggs, sugar and zests on high speed for 5 minutes, til eggs are thick and lighter in color.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon oil ( or lemon extract).
4. Turn the mixer to medium low speed and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the batter, pouring slowly along the edge and down the side of the bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed til just incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or til cake is golden and has domed slightly in the center. Cool to room temp.
Glaze: Whisk the sifted confectioners' sugar with the grapefruit juice til smooth and a thin consistency, adding more juice if too thick. Pour over the cooled cake.
Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temp. for 2 to 3 days.

Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie

2011-05-09T20:42:00.001-04:00

I've been looking for another Peanut Butter Cookie with chocolate chips for a while and I came across this recipe, originally from "The Dessert Bible" by Christopher Kimball.

A little over a year ago I made these and they were great but this recipe seemed like a thicker cookie, something more bakery style. This cookie did come out thicker and the ground up peanuts used do give the cookie a nice crunch and peanut taste, however, I still think this one is every bit as good. I think the peanut butter chips give a more "peanutty" flavor.

But, don't get me wrong. These are delicious, nice and moist. One additional step I'd make would be to dip them in sugar before baking. And you don't have to put in the chocolate chips or chunks...up to you!

Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies ( found here)

Makes about 3 doz.

2 1/2 cups AP flour ( I used 12.2 ozs.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup roasted salted peanuts
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
**********************
1. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Place the reamining 1 cup of flour with the roasted salted peanuts in a food processor and pulse til ground, 15 one second pulses.
3. Stir mixture into the dry mixture.
4. Beat the butter and sugars til light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the peanut butter and beat to combine, scraping the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
7. On low speed, add the flour in 2 additions.
8. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
9. Cover and chill the dough in the fridge 30 minutes, or til stiff.
10.Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Once the dough is chilled, roll the dough into 2" balls and place on the baking sheet, spacing 3" apart. Press the dough lightly with a fork to make an "X".
12. Bake for 10 - 14 minutes.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet to set the cookies, about 3 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Red Raspberry Jam Cake

2011-05-06T19:49:00.001-04:00

I got up extra early this morning to bake this cake for you from the newest cookbook I love called, "Rustic Fruit Desserts". I haven't been good about posting lately...well that's not entirely true. I felt so quilty and wanted so badly to bake a lovely cake to show you. But I've been having some baking issues, let's just call them that, shall we? The past few recipes I've made haven't been post worthy- to say the very least!

There was a tart lemon tart that sounded so good-but the crust was a disaster so that one was tossed. Then I tried a rhubarb compote, nope!
Then some cookie mishaps-won't even go there. Then this!

Look at that dark blob of a cake! Had such high hopes for it. But I figured out the problem, fixed it and made it again...only this time I made mini versions. I do love the flavor of the cake. It is a nice spice cake with pockets of jam and if when I make it again, I might even try making it into cupcakes.

Before I totally lose you, please take note. If you have this cookbook, please go to page 142 and change the jam amount to ONE CUP. (I, obviously, used TWO cups ).

There's where the other cup wound up. Stuck to the bottom of the pan. What a mess!

I decided to halve the recipe and put the batter into small bundt type pans, just to be sure the recipe worked.

The cake is actually delicious with a nice spice flavor. I was getting a little tired of playing around with the cake so I didn't make the glaze from the recipe, which I think was needed so I just dusted the top with powdered sugar and called it a day!

Jam Cake with Brown Sugar Rum Glaze ( adapted from "Rustic Fruit Desserts")

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp. , for pan.

2 cups (10 oz.) AP flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup ( 4 oz.) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup red raspberry jam ( or any other jam that you like, blackberry, blueberry...)
Rum Glaze, recipe follows
**************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan.

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or til light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
3. Add half the flour mixture and mix til just combined, then mix in the buttermilk. Add the remaining flour and mix, again just til combined.
4. Fold in the jam til evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or til a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake has started to pull away from the sides.
7. Cool on wire rack 20 minutes before inverting the cake onto the cooling rack.
Place a baking sheet or some parchment paper under the rack to catch the drips when you glaze the cake.
Rum Glaze:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch fine sea salt
4 cups (1 lb., 1 oz.) confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. rum

1. Stir the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt together in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Boil the mixture 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir the confectioners' sugar into a bowl, then pour in all the butter mixture and whisk til smooth.
4. Whisk in the rum, then pour the glaze over the cake while it's still slightly warm.
Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Lemon Blueberry Buckle

2011-05-02T21:16:00.000-04:00

This is the recipe I almost made a few weeks back but opted for this one. I have to tell you that this Lemon Blueberry Buckle is every bit as delicious as that Blueberry Bundt Cake!

The recipe is from the book, "Rustic Fruit Desserts" . Originally the recipe calls for a lemon syrup to glaze the hot cake but I decided not to use it. I'll give you the glaze recipe just in case you want to go with it... but it has plenty lemon flavor without it, though.

With fruit season just beginning, I hope you'll set aside a few cups of blues for this cake.

Make the crumb topping first, then pop it into the freezer while you make the cake.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Then stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.

Fold one cup of the blueberries into the batter.

Then spread the batter into your prepared pan and spread the other cup of blues over top followed by the crumb topping.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Buckle (from "Rustic Fruit Desserts" by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson)

1 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temp. for pan

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ozs.) AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup (2 oz.) unsalted butter, room temp. cubed
Cake:

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. ( 8 1/4 ozs.) AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
************************

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9" square cake pan.

Make crumb topping:
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest together in a bowl, then add the butter and using a fork or your fingers, cut in the butter til the size of peas.
2. Place the topping in the freezer while you make the cake.

Cake:
1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium high speed til light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Scrape the bowl occasionally.
5, Gently fold in one cup of the blueberries into the batter and spread into your prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cup of blueberries over the cake, then sprinkle on the chilled crumb topping.
7. Bake 45 to 50 minutes ( mine took more like 55 minutes), or til lightly golden and firm on top.
Glaze:
1. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and whisk til blended.
2. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, til syrupy. The glaze will bubble while cooking so you may need to remove it from the heat to check that it is thick enough.
3. Pour the glaze over the cake as soon as it os removed from the oven. Reheat the glaze briefly if it has become too thick to pour.
4. Covered in plastic wrap, the cake will keep at room temp. for 2 to 3 days.

Fudgy Brownies

2011-04-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

Our local newspaper today had an article about a fundraiser held at a nearby school that Melissa Hamilton, one of the cookbook authors of the series, " Canal House Cooking", attended. She, along with Christopher Hirsheimer are the team responsible for this food journal published three times a year.

I've seen the books around town, as they are local women but I've never actually bought one (sorry ladies!). But the brownie recipe in the paper today sounded pretty darned good so I had to give it a try.

It turned out to be a fudgy dense chocolaty and quite delicious brownie! I may have underbaked it a bit ( which I often seem to do with brownies...for fear of overbaking them! Go figure!) But some people love underbaked brownies. I did pop them into the fridge and they tightened up a little and tasted even fudgier. I also love the espresso powder in them which brings out a more chocolaty flavor.

The top crust is shiny and tissue paper thin as noted in the recipe. These are just the best and definitely worth every calorie!

Chop up the chocolates before melting with the butter and sugar.

Then stir the mixture together til it's all combined and melted.

Beat the eggs with a hand held beater...

Slowly add the chocolate mixture into the eggs, a little at a time, beating all the while.
Add in the vanilla, then stir in the flour, stirring just til combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes.

It looks like a lot of batter (and it is) but it didn't overflow.

Brownies ( from "Canal House Cooking, Volume No.6", by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer)

14 tbsp. butter
1 cup flour, plus more for the pan
2 cups sugar
4 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. instant espresso powder, optional
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup walnuts, optional
************************
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9" square pan with 2 tbsp. of butter then dust with flour and tap out any excess. (I thought the butter amount was a little excessive so I only used about a generous teaspoon.

1. Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar, stirring til it has the consistency of very soft slush and just begins to bubble around the edges of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolates, espresso powder, if using, and salt, stirring until the chocolate melts completely.
4. Put the eggs in a medium mixing bowl and beat them at medium speed with an electric hand held mixer.
5. Gradually add the warm chocolate mixture, about a quarter cup at a time, beating constantly til smooth.
6. Stir in the vanilla.
7. Add the flour and walnuts, if using, stirring til just combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Put the pan on a wire rack to cool, then cut into squares.

Sour Cream Streusel Pound Cake

2011-04-23T08:57:00.002-04:00

This pound cake comes from the book," Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America" and it's a wonderful cake, moist with a tender crumb that comes from using cake flour rather than all purpose flour.

I have to mention one thing about this book that I love is that in the back of the book are charts for weights per cup for all kinds of things such as different flours, nuts, herbs, chocolate chips and so much more. I found this so helpful when determining how much a cup of cake flour, for example, weighs. I love using a scale rather than scooping a cupful of flour into a cup measure and hoping for the best!

And after reading the loaf pan dimensions and volume for each I determined...I need to buy a smaller loaf pan! This recipe calls for an 8 1/2" loaf pan and I used a 9" loaf pan. Now according to the book an 8 1/2" loaf pan holds 6 cups and my 9" loaf pan holds 8-9 cups. Quite a difference! And the correct size loaf pan would have probably given me a cake the actually rose in the middle.

This is what, most likely, resulted in my cake sinking in the middle. But it still tasted great.

So there you have my baking lesson for the day learned from my mistake for the day!

Happy Easter!

Sift or whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Then in a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and salt on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes.

While that's beating, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

Also in a small bowl stir together the streusel mixture.

Add the egg mixture, alternating with the dry mixture, then pour half the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over top...

Then pour the remaining batter over this ...

And sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture over top. I swirled it with a knife but that's really not necessary. Once it bakes it all comes together anyway!
Bake to 50 to 55 minutes.

Sour Cream Streusel Pound Cake ( from "Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America")

Streusel:

1/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted (5.8 oz.) , (I whisked the flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
8 tbsp. ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp. plus extra for greasing pan.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
***************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8 1/2 " loaf pan. (Be sure to butter the bottom corners well!)

1. Prepare the streusel by combining the brown sugar, walnuts, chocolate chips , cocoa powder and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Sift or whisk the cake flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and salt on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, til the mixture is smooth and light in texture, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
5. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the dry mixture. After the last addition of the egg mixture, mix on low speed til just blended, scraping down the bowl as needed, one minute.
6. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle half the streusel mixture over top. Spoon remaining batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel over this. Swirl with a knife.
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or til a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then release the sides of the cake with a knife or metal spatula and unmold. Slice the cake at room temperature.

The Best Noodle Kugel

2011-04-21T20:39:00.002-04:00

Yes, this really is the best noodle Kugel! And, yes, there are lots of recipes out there for noodle kugel but I never need to try any of them .... I have always made what we here think is the best.

This is a family recipe I learned from my mother-in-law, Lil. You remember her from these. Well this kugel has been made in this house for well over 30, (ok, almost 40 years!) and it's always a welcome and comforting dish, no matter what season or holiday. And it's so easy to throw together.

The graham cracker crumbs sprinkled on top give the dish an added crunch... the creaminess going on from all the dairy in there...and then the white raisins adding a bit of tang. Can you tell I love it! The only other thing needed would be a dollop of sour cream.

I really hope you'll give it a try. This recipe makes enough for an 11 x 7 inch baking dish but for a larger crowd just double it and you'll have a lot of happy people!

Put the eggs and sugar into a blender and give it a whirl.

Then add in the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream and give that a spin.

Boil the noodles and drain them ( but don't rinse them), then stir in the butter til it melts.

Into the pot with the noodles, stir in the egg, sugar and cheese mixture.

Throw in the white raisins and stir it all to get it well mixed.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish or casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the crushed graham crackers, then a little sugar over that.

Bake for between 30 and 40 minutes (depending on your oven). The kugel should be still a little wet and it will continue to set after it comes out of the oven.
Let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes before cutting.

Best Noodle Kugel ( My family recipe)

For a larger crowd, double the amounts and use a 13 x 9" glass dish.
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cottage cheese, creamed or small curd ( I used 4% milkfat)
8 oz. sour cream, full fat
1/2 lb. wide egg noodles
2 oz. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup white raisins
1 sleeve graham crackers ( 9 crackers) crushed
Sugar (for sprinkling over the top), approx. 2-3 tbsp.
*****************************
Preheat oven to 350. You will need an 11 x 7" baking dish. ( I never bother to butter it and it never sticks).

1. Put the eggs and sugar into the blender and give it a spin to combine.
2. Add in the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream and blend to combine.
3. Meanwhile, boil the noodles til slightly underdone ( al dente) and drain off the water but don't rinse them.
4. Add in the butter and stir til the butter is melted with the noodles.
5. Pour in the egg/sugar/cheese mixture and stir it well.
6. Stir in the raisins, then pour the mixture into your baking dish.
7. Sprinkle the top all over with the graham cracker crumbs, then sprinkle the sugar over the crumbs. Try to make sure all the noodles are under the crumbs so they don't dry out while baking.
8. Bake for between 30 and 40 minutes, or til the kugel looks set but still slightly moist as it continues to set after it comes out of the oven.
9. Let it set up before cutting for about 20 minutes or so. It's always best served warm just out of the oven. It can be reheated, wrapped in foil and placed in a warm oven. It's also great cold!

Citrus Shortbread Cookies

2011-04-19T17:29:00.001-04:00

Buttery...crumbly...light...amazing! These shortbread cookies are sooo good.

With Easter fast approaching I thought a light citrus cookie would be perfect. These are exceptionally light from the cornstarch and confectioners' sugar in the dough. They melt in your mouth!

The recipe came from a book titled, " Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America". It's a wonderful book with lots of great photos and tips for baking.

I chose to make them into cut out cookies but you could also make the shortbread in a prepared mold. Hope you'll give these a try. You will love them.

You'll need zest from an orange and a lemon.

Because I cut out the cookies, I rolled out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and refridgerated it for about 30 minutes to let it get nice and cold and easier to cut out the shapes.

Then cut out what ever shapes you want...

And place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Citrus Shortbread Cookies ( from Baking at Home, With The Culinary Institute of America").
Makes about 4 dozen 2" cookies

2 cups AP flour (9 oz.)
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups(3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. grated orange zest
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
**********************

The book says to lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment but I found just a light sprinkle of sugar on the sheet was enough to keep them from sticking.

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed til light in texture and smooth, 2 minutes.
3. Add confectioners' sugar and the orange and lemon zests: cream til light and smooth, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 2 minutes.
4. On low speed, mix in the sifted dry ingredients til just blended. Scrape down the bowl as needed during creaming and mixing to blend evenly.
5. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disc, then cover with another piece of wrap and roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness.
6. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or til firm enough to cut out shapes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 and take the dough out of the fridge and cut out the shapes, placing on the prepared cookie sheet. Reroll any scraps.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes or til the edges are light brown. ( I always check the bottom of one to be sure they're a light golden brown. I like them a little crunchy). They harden as they cool.
Store in a tin.

Chocolate Sheath Cake

2011-04-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

For a special celebration tonight I felt like baking something extremely chocolaty and I remembered this cake recipe I'd wanted to try since I bought this book, "The Spice Kitchen" a while back.

I noticed similar recipes floating around the internet..some called Texas Sheet Cake and one very similar from here but because this recipe is out of a spice cookbook it has some extra "kick" from the cinnamon and ancho chili pepper in the frosting.

It's a very quick and easy recipe to make and you don't even have to haul out the mixer. Just one large bowl and a saucepan is pretty much all you need...well, okay, a few spoons and a whisk help, too!

The cake is moist and very chocolaty. I used Valhrona cocoa powder which is a great quality cocoa to use and always makes baked goods taste so good. But I really think Hershey's would be fine, too.

And because we're a small family, I halved the recipe and used a nine inch cake pan.

And why is it called a sheath cake? Apparently no one knows for sure!

Whisk your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a glass measuring cup, beat together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, oil and cocoa powder and bring to a boil.
Pour the boiling cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Add the egg mixture and stir that well.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or til a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Five minutes before the cake is finished baking make the frosting by combining the butter, milk, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon and chili pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and chopped pecans.

Spread the hot icing over the hot cake.

Then see how long you can hold out before you cut into it!

Chocolate Sheath Cake ( from "The Spice Kitchen", by Sara Engram and Katie Luber)

Cake:
2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup water
8 tbsp.(1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

8 tbsp.(1 stick) unsalted butter
6 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ancho chili pepper or mild chili pepper (I used a scant amount)
1 (1 lb. box) confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
************************
Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan.
1. Sift or whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine water, butter, oil and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
3. Pour the hot cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and mix til combined.
4. In a small glass measuring cup beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and pour into the chocolate batter and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, dropping the pan a few times on the counter to get rid of air bubbles.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or til a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Five minutes before the cake is done, begin making the frosting.
Frosting:
1. Combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and chili pepper in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and chopped pecans.
4. Spread the frosting evenly over the hot cake.

Cranberry Almond Bars with White Chocolate

2011-04-12T20:04:00.002-04:00

I couldn't wait to try another recipe from this book "Rustic Fruit Desserts" since the other recipe was so delicious. So I decided on this one...with a few changes, that is.
In the book this is really called Cherry Almond Bars but I didn't have any cherries so I switched out and used another red fruit, cranberries.

Since cranberries are tart I had a feeling I should be adding more sugar to the fruit filling but I decided to leave it with the original amount called for. I did switch lemon for orange, since I love the combo of cranberries and orange.

The bars came out great, although there was a half cup of crust dough left over that I didn't use ( pop any extra into the freezer to use as a crumble topping for something else later). I think if I had made this in a little bit larger pan I would have used all the dough...next time!

If you notice the photo below, it doesn't have the white chocolate drizzle. After I cut and tasted the bar, I realized I should have increased the sugar amount to compensate for the tartness of the cranberries. But...I fixed the sweetness problem with melting and drizzling the white chocolate over the top. It added just enough sweetness.

So you can use the half cup sugar amount given and drizzle the white chocolate or increase the sugar and skip the drizzle...or do both! Can't be bad...right?

Begin by making the fruit filling by combining the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange zest and orange juice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Once it boils, stir the mixture and let it cook a few minutes til the cranberries pop and cook down a bit.
Then transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool.

For the crust, combine the flour, brown sugar, almonds and salt in a food processor.
Add in the cold butter pieces and process til crumbly.
Then add the egg and vanilla and pulse ...

Til the mixture comes together.

Press two-thirds of the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and pour the filling over top.
Press clumps of the remaining crust mixture over the filling.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Cranberry Almond Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle (adapted from "Rustic Fruit Desserts")
Serves 12

Fruit Filling:
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup sugar (or add more, up to 3/4 cup, for a sweeter filling)
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
zest of half orange
juice of half an orange

Crust and Topping:
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ozs.) AP flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used light)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
3/4 cup (6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 oz. white chocolate ( melted over hot water for drizzling), optional
***********************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter bottom of 9" pan.

1. To make the fruit filling: Combine the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange zest and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil a few minutes til the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to thicken.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool and set aside.
3. To make the crust and topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, almonds and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process til crumbly.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse just til the mixture comes together.
5. Press two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, then pour the filling over top.
6. Press clumps of the remaining crumb mixture over the fruit filling.
7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or til light golden brown and bubbling.
8. Cool one hour before cutting into serving pieces. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate if you like.

Gluten Free Nutty Oatmeal Cookies

2011-04-11T20:37:00.001-04:00

The weather's warming and the Farmer's Market season will be starting up soon..yeah!
I have begun to set up at a local flea market selling my cookies already and the one question, or rather, comment, I get alot is about gluten free cookies.

I came across this Nutty Oatmeal Cookie recipe and what I immediately liked about it was the ingredient list. I doesn't call for a lot of different kinds of flours that I don't have in the house, such as tapioca flour, millet flour or potato starch. I uses just the flour made from old fashioned oats, almonds and hazelnuts.

And I love that it's a quick recipe to throw together (provided you have a food processor).

I hope you'll read the story that goes along with this cookie recipe. I'd love to try some other recipes in the book sometime.

As for the cookies, they're crunchy and have a wonderful nutty flavor. The chocolate chips add just enough chocolate and even though I'm not gluten intolerant I'd make these cookies again...just for me us!

Combine the butter and sugars in the food processor and process 20 to 30 seconds...

Til the mixture is smooth.

Then add the egg and vanilla and process til well combined.

Stop the motor and add in the flour...

And baking powder.

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls or tablespoonfuls ( depending on what size cookie you'd like).
Bake about 15 minutes, or til the edges begin to brown.

Nutty Oatmeal Cookies ( from "Cookies for Breakfast: A Teen's Not So Bad Guide to Wheat and Gluten Free Baking", by Michael H. Perlman)
Makes 24 to 30 cookies

1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups oat flour*
1/2 cup hazelnut meal/flour*
1/2 cup almond meal/flour*
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
****************************
*To make flours: You'll need a food processor to make your own flours from the oats and nuts.
Place the oats into the bowl of a food processor and pulse til the oats have a flour consistency.
Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the nuts just til they have a fine consisitency. Don't overpulse. You don't want to make a paste!
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine butter and sugars in a food processor and pulse 20 to 30 seconds, til smooth.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and process til well blended.
3. Stop the motor and add the flours and baking powder and process to mix well.
4. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls or tablespoonfuls spacing 2" apart.
6. Bake 15 minutes, or til the edges begin to get a light brown.
7. Cool on baking sheet 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones

2011-04-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Seeing herbs in my container garden popping up is such a welcome sight, especially after the long winter we've had this year. I just had to use them to bake something! And these scones were it!

I went with this recipe for buttermilk scones but took out the currants and most of the sugar and put in chives and cheddar cheese for a savory scone...kind of like a biscuit. That's what I love about scones. You can make them sweet or savory just by changing up the ingredients. These are light and cheesy and a great change from rolls or bread with dinner.

Cut them into whatever size you'd like. I wanted them a little on the small side so I cut them into little triangles which gave me a dozen. But you can cut them into rounds or squares. Just remember, they do get quite a bit larger when baked. And if you don't want to bake them all, just freeze the remaining for another time. Pop them into the oven frozen and increase your baking time by a few more minutes.

Enjoy!

Use a nice sharp chaddar cheese for more flavor.

One you have the dough lightly mixed, gently fold in the cheese and chives.

Then turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on the shape you will be cutting out.

Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones
Makes about a dozen, depending on the size you cut.

2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 oz.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tbsp. chopped chives
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
****************************
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times til the butter is in small pea size pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Alternately, you can use a large mixing bowl and work the butter into small pieces with your fingers.
2. In a small glass measuring cup, beat 1/2 cup of buttermilk and egg together and pour into the dry ingredients.
3. Using a fork, lightly stir the wet into the dry, adding more buttermilk, a few tablespoons at a time, if the mixture seems too dry. But be careful not to add too much. Don't overmix!
4. Add in the cheese and chives and lightly fold it in til just incorporated. Again, don't overmix.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on what shape you'll be cutting out the sections. Gently pat the dough down to about a 1" thickness.
Hint: To avoid rerolling of scraps, shape the dough into a square or rectangle, then cut the dough with a large floured sharp knife or bench scraper into squares, then again into triangles ( if you want them smaller).
6. Transfer the scones to your prepared baking sheet. If your oven isn't yet up to the correct temperature, place the scones in the freezer to keep very cold. At this point you can freeze* some (or all) of the the scones to bake at a later time.
7. Bake the scones for 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the size you cut them. They should be nice golden brown on the bottom. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they're done! If not, give them a few more minutes.
Once baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool...but they're best served warm from the oven!
*To freeze: Place the cut scones onto a baking sheet and freeze til hard. Once they've gotten hard you can wrap them in waxed paper and place into a zip loc freezer bag and bake as you want them. Just add a few extra minutes to your baking time.

Lemon Buttermilk Blueberry Bundt Cake

2011-04-04T18:10:00.000-04:00

The real name for this wonderful cake is Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake but since it's still too early for one of my most favorite fruits to bake with...that would be rhubarb...I used the next best fruit that goes so beautifully with lemons, and that would be blueberries!

I saw some fabulous looking and sounding recipes that came out of this book, "Rustic Fruit Desserts" and I just had to order it. I'm always a little "late to the party" when it comes to noticing a great new cookbook... this one's been out since 2009. But I usually gravitate towards vintage books, so... 2009? That's pretty much like yesterday for me!

I had planned to make the Lemon Blueberry Buckle but decided I was kind of in the mood for a bundt cake. I can tell you this, after flipping through this book, I can't wait to try more recipes. It's filled with delicious sounding rustic desserts for buckles, cobblers, grunts, crumbles, and lots more...all my favorites!

This cake came out so beautifully, very intense lemony flavor and so moist. I'm sure tomorrow it will be even better...if that's possible!

The only change I would make is in the glaze. I really thought the glaze was a little too thick and sweet, so, as you might be able to see from the photo above, I glazed only half the cake! I put a little of the glaze into another small bowl and added some more lemon juice to make a thin glaze that I drizzled over the other half. I kind of prefered this...but it's really up to you how you want it.

So to begin, sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest til light and fluffy.
Add the eggs. one at a time, then stir in lemon oil ( which I didn't have so I used lemon extract).
Stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons of flour and stir half of them into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, then sprinkle the remaining berries on top.

Bake a little over an hour or til tester comes out clean and the top feels springy.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze, then after you pop the cake out of the pan, spread the glaze over the cake.

Lemon Buttermilk Blueberry Bundt Cake ( from "Rustic Fruit Desserts", by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson)

1 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temp. for pan

Cake:
2 1/2 cups ( 12.5 ozs.) plus 2 tbsp.(for berries) AP flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup ( 8 oz.) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon oil (I used 1/2 tsp. lemon extract)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Lemon Glaze recipe below
************************

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter a 10 cup bundt pan.

Cake:
1. Sift the 2 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest til light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping bottom and sides of bowl after each addition.
4. Add in the lemon oil (or lemon extract)
5. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be very thick.
6. Toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons of flour and fold in half the berries into the batter.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the remaining berries on top.
8. Bake an hour, rotating the pan halfway through. Test the cake using a toothpick. It should feel springy on top when pressed lightly.
9. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes.
10. While the cake is cooling, make the glaze.
Glaze:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp. soft unsalted butter
Whisk confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and butter together. The mixture should be thick. If not, add another tablespoon or two of confectioners' sugar.
Spread the glaze over the warm cake as soon as you remove it from the pan.

Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies

2011-04-01T14:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted to make another cookie with malted milk so this time I chose a recipe from "Baked"

I mean, you really can't go wrong with anything those "Baked" guys make! This one's so so good.
Again, I love the creaminess of the cookie from the malted milk. There's dark brown sugar in the cookie, which I think adds another layer of flavor...a little more caramel flavor.

If I could change one thing, it would be the filling, it's a tad sweet and I'm never too crazy about comsuming shortening. I'll use it when it's absolutely necessary...but I really try to avoid it when I can. In this case, I think next time I'll just go with all butter.

But seriously, my older son had no problem gobbling down a few! He said, Hey Mom, I love those pie cookies! Guess he thought they were like whoopie pies!

Whisk your dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars together til they're light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, then the sour cream and vanilla...

Then add half the dry ingredients all at once and beat 15 seconds ( not 16! Ha!).
Then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat til just incorporated.

Divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 and take out one of the portions of dough.
Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface (I used 2 pieces of plastic wrap) and roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness.
Cut out your shapes, then reroll scraps. Pop back into the fridge to keep them cold as your roll out the others.
Place them onto your baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies (from "Baked")

Cookies:
4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup malted milk powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

5 oz. vegetable shortening
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp., cut into small pieces
3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. light rum ( I think this is such a small amount that you could just use water)
************************
1. Whisk the flour,malted milk powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars til light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating til each is incorporated.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat til just incorporated.
5. Add half the flour mixture all at once and beat 15 seconds, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is well combined.
6. Add in the remaining flour mixture and beat til it's just incorporated.The mixture will come together in a mass.
7. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, then place into the fridge for 3 hours.
8. Once it's chilled, preheat the oven to 350 and take out one of the balls of dough.
9. On a lightly floured surface or between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, floured, roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness and cut out your shapes.( A 2" round cutter is a good size).
10. Place the cookies onto your baking sheet and pop into the fridge to keep cold as your cut out the others. Keep the dough cold, chilling the cookies, once they're cut out. ( or even placing in the freezer 5 minutes will help them keep their shape.)
11. Bake 10 to 12 minutes ( Mine took 12 minutes). Then let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Place the filling onto one of the cookies and top with another to make a sandwich.
Filling:

1. Beat shortening and butter in a small bowl til creamy.
2. Add the confectioners' sugar in 3 additions, mixing each addition til combined.
3. Beat in the salt, vanilla and rum and beat 10 seconds.
The filling should be thick but spreadable. If too thick, add a few drops of water, if too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar.

Thin Oatmeal Currant Cookies

2011-03-30T16:41:00.002-04:00

I don't know what's going on with me and oatmeal cookies lately but I seem to have a need to try out different recipes! There were these...then these...then I took a break and now these! I have to say these thin oatmeal cookies are just the best. They're crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle and they have just the right amount of sweetness. The original recipe called for dates but I loved the idea of using currants. Because the cookies are thin, I think the small size of the currants is perfect. Raisins would be too big and clunky!

And because they're thin...oh the possibilities! Ice cream sandwich cookies, or how about oatmeal cream pie cookies? But even plain they're great.

Begin by combining the dry ingredients.

Then cream the butter one minute.

Add in the sugars and cream 3 minutes.

Then add the oats and currants to the dry ingredients...

And stir into the creamed mixture.

Once that's all mixed together, scoop the dough onto your parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each cookie with either the back of a wet spoon or your wet fingers (my choice).

Bake for between 11 and 13 minutes. Mine took about 13 minutes but you want them to be browned along the edges but still a little moist in the centers.

Thin Oatmeal Currant Cookies ( adapted from "lookimadethat.com")
Makes about 36 cookies, depending on size

8 oz. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup brown sugar (I used light brown)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup AP flour (5.7 oz.)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
6 oz. dried currants ( or chopped dates)
**********************
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Add the currants ( or chopped dates, breaking up the clumps) and oats. Set aside.
3. Cream butter one minute, then add in the sugars and cream 3 minutes.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla and cream 2 minutes.
5. Add in the dry mixture and stir til well combined.
6. Scoop dough, about 1 1/2" size balls, onto baking sheet spacing about 2" apart. Flatten each ball with either the back of a wet spoon or your wet fingers ( my choice).
7. Bake for between 11 and 13 minutes, depending on your oven. You want the edges to be browned and the centers to be still a little moist.
8. Cool on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Malted Milk Cookies

2011-03-29T16:29:00.003-04:00

Malted milk has come a long way since being first introduced as a nutritional supplement for infants!

These cookies are from a cookie contest in 2002 called "The Great American Cookie Contest". The recipe was a finalist in the contest and when I came upon it I felt it would be a good one to experiment with using malted milk powder.

The other ingredient in this recipe, which I think, is a bit different, is a little sweetened condensed milk.

The cookie ends up tasting a bit on the mild and creamy side. There's more white sugar to brown sugar so it doesn't have that nice caramel flavor but it's delicious, just the same.

And what do I do with the rest of that sweetened condensed milk? I think there's a Key Lime Pie in my future!

First combine your dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Then in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars.

Add in the eggs...

And the vanilla...

And the sweetened condensed milk.

Stir in the dry ingredients, then stir the chocolate chips in til just incorporated.

Form the dough into 1 1/4" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2' apart.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or til the edges begin to brown.

Chocolate Chip Malted Milk Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

2 3/4 cups flour ( the recipe says you may need to increase by up to 1/4 cup but I didn't)

3/4 cup plain malted milk powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

2 cups chocolate chips ( I used semisweet chips)

****************************

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, malted milk powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Cream butter and sugars in a mixing bowl on medium speed til light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk and beat on medium speed til light and fluffy.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the chocolate chips til just incorporated. Don't overmix.
5. Form the dough into 1 1/4" balls and place on the baking sheet, 2" apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or til the edges are slightly browned. ( Mine took a full 12 minutes).

Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats

2011-03-28T15:05:00.000-04:00

This post is a bit overdue...sorry!

I participated in an Outdoor Expo Saturday with over 8,000 people in attandance and, needless to say, I needed to focus on making, freezing and finally baking tons of cookies! But it was a great day and I sold out of all my cookies...so it was definitely worthwhile.

Rice Krispie Treats are just one of those perfect treats to make for a crowd...quick, easy and kids and adults just love them!

This recipe is adapted from here but I added mini chocolate chips to some of them, M&M's to some others and even peanut butter chips to others. The kids gravitated to the M&M's on top ( not a surprise!). The browned butter gives them a more buttery, almost nutty flavor...really good!

You can really add just about anything you can think of that would make an interesting addition. How about crushed cookies, like Oreos...or the M&M's mixed in? And I made mine a little thinner because I used a 7" x 11" pan rather than an 8" pan.

Be sure to have all your ingredients ready before you begin. Notice I cut the large marshmallows in half to get them to melt quicker...using mini marshmallows is best and that's what I bought for the next batches I made.

In a large pan begin melting the butter over medium high heat.
Keep an eye on it and stir gently as it begins to brown. It will foam up by as you stir you'll notice browned bits falling to the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take the pan off the heat.

Add in the marshmallows and stir them til they all melt. I found I had to put the pan back over low heat to get them to melt totally.

The mixture should look nice and smooth.

Then I poured the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the mini chips, cereal and salt but if you're using a very large pot to brown the butter and melt the marshmallows, then you can throw the mini chips, cereal and salt into the pot...

And stir quickly to mix it all together.

Then scrape the mixture into your prepared pan and press down to get it even and in all the corners.
Once it's cooled you can melt the chocolate and spread over the top and sprinkle with whatever toppings you'd like, then let it cool to set the chocolate.

Browned Butter Rice Krispie Treats

4 oz. unsalted butter
1 10 oz. package of marshmallows
heaping 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Approx. 1 - 1 1/2 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips or melting discs, ( optional )mixed with about a teaspoon shortening.
Toppings such as mini M&M's or mini chocolate chips

Butter a 7" x 11" or 8" ( for thicker treats) pan and set aside.

1. In a large bowl, combine the cereal, mini chocolate chips and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over mdeium high heat, then let it begin to foam, keeping an eye on it as it continues to bubble and foam. It will quickly change as it darkens and begins to smell nutty. Take it off the heat at this point and stir in the marshmallows. Keep stirring and place the pan back over very low heat if the marshmallows don't melt well, but keep stirring all the while. ( I had to do this).
3. Once the mixture is smooth, add in the mini chips, cereal and salt mixture and stir to completely combine.
4. Pour or scrape the mixture into your prepared pan and press down to make it even, getting in the corners.
5. Let it cool, then if you're coating in chocolate, melt the chocolate over a double boiler over barely simmering water with the shortening, stirring til smooth.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over the treats and sprinkle, if using, the topping on while the chocolate is still wet so it sticks. Chill to set, then cut into squares.

Apple Almond Galette

2011-03-21T14:49:00.024-04:00

This weekend I should have stayed out of the kitchen entirely!
I made a chocolate cookie bar and a cake that both turned out to be such a disaster that I had to toss them both..such a waste of time and money.

I guess I should have known better. Most of my weekend was taken up with painting the ceiling in my back porch. As if that's not chore enough. It's such a lousy job to paint a ceiling! But I wanted to get you at least one new recipe this weekend..oh well. Hey, maybe I could blame it on the moon, right? It hasn't been this close to earth in, what, about twenty years, or something like that. Did you see it? It was spectacular...but I digress.

So, needing to make something that was, first, created from what I had in the house this morning and second, something pretty much foolproof, I chose a rustic Apple Galette. Not too difficult to make. Pie crust, chopped apples, spices...and the best part? It's so good!

I created this version from about three different recipes. I took a little from here, a little from here and a little from here. And came up with this rustic and delicious galette. I streamlined some of the steps to make it as quick and easy as I could. This is a perfect galette for a weekday dessert and pretty enough for company! Just add a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

First you want to make the crust so it can chill out in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Once the cold butter pieces are added to the flour, just begin working the butter into the flour til you have small pea size pieces.

Then begin adding in the ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork til it begins to come together. Feel it with your fingers to be sure it has enough water but not too much.

Once it comes together, form it into a disc and wrap in plastic and put into the fridge for 30 minutes, at least.

While the dough is chilling, make the apple filling by mixing the sliced and chopped apples with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

Roll out the dough to about a 1/4" thickness and spread the warmed apricot jam onto the center going only to within about 2" from the edge.

Then sprinkle the almonds over the jam.

Spread the apple mixture over the almonds, still leaving about 2" aound the edge.

Fold the edges over all around and lightly press the dough into the apples.

Dot the apples with butter and brush a little milk over the edges and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake between 50 and 60 minutes.

Apple Almond Galette
Serves 4-6
Crust:

1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces

3 1/2 tbsp. ice water

Filling:

4 medium apples, such as Granny Smith or McIntosh

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 cup apricot jam

1 tbsp. milk

raw sugar for sprinkling on dough

**************************

1. Make crust by combining the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2. Add in the butter pieces and work the mixture together with your fingers til it resembles pieces the size of small peas.( Some pieces will be larger than others).

3. Add in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork. Feel the dough with your fingers to be sure it's not too dry. Add in just enough water so it forms a ball. You may not need all the water. It depends on the weather and how much humidity there is).

4. Once you form a ball, place the ball of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disc shape. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

5. Make the filling while the dough is chilling. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin slices and cut each slice in half.

6. Place the apples in a large bowl and add in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine well.

7. Preheat the oven to 400.

8. Warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan just til it begins to melt and become a more spreading consistency. Take off heat and set aside.

9. Roll out the chilled dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to about a 1/4' thickness.

10. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread the apricot jam onto the center, keeping within 2" from the edges.

11. Sprinkle the almonds over the jam, then place the apple mixture on top of the almonds and jam.

12. Fold over the dough edges and press into the apples lightly. Brush the edges with a little milk and with sprinkle raw sugar.

13. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or til the crust is a nice golden color and the apples are soft.

14. Lift galette off the baking sheet with the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack.

The galette is best served warm with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Powdered sagar dusted over the top would also be pretty. Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Cookies

2011-03-18T19:50:00.012-04:00

I was standing in line at the check out counter today and the newest issue of Family Circle caught my eye. I spotted a beautiful lemon bundt cake on the cover so I grabbed the magazine and proceeded to flip through it and I landed on these cookies. So what could I do? I had to spring for the $1.99 for the magazine and go home and make them! They sounded so good.

I do try to fight the temptation to buy, yet another magazine because I have so many now. And I usually get them for about fifty cents at the my local thrift shop ( big spender that I am!) but I gave in...I love cookies with lots of "stuff" in them. And I'm sure I've posted many already...so here's another!

You can probably add whatever you like into them. The original recipe calls for coconut, oats, semisweet chocolate chips and mixed jumbo raisins but you could also use dried cherries or cranberries, nuts or even pumpkin seeds, if you like them. They are kitchen sink cookies after all!

Let me tell you, these cookies are addictive. With every bite you get a taste of everything you put in the cookie and they're chewy and crunchy and...so good!

Start by whisking the dry ingredients together, then set aside.

Combine the add ins in a small bowl and set that aside.

Then do your creaming of the butter with the sugars, then add the eggs and vanilla.

Beat in the dry ingredients, then stir in the add ins.

Scoop 1/4 cupfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet spacing about 3" apart and flatten them slightly.

Bake for about 20 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Jumbo Kitchen Sink Cookies ( from Family Circle Magazine)

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 pkg. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups shredded coconut ( I toasted mine)

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups mixed jumbo raisins ( I only had regular dark raisins)

********************

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder , cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add in the vanilla.

4. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture.

5. Stir in the add ins.

6. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing 3" apart and flatten each cookie.

7. Bake for approx. 20 minutes ( Mine took only 18 minutes.)

8. Let the sit for a minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...Tate's Bake Shop Recipe

2011-03-17T11:45:00.015-04:00

I've been aware of these thin chocolate chip cookies for quite a while and I actually remember making them over a year ago with...not such good results. But I decided to give them another chance. There are so many great reviews of them and everyone I spoke to who has tried them says they're delicious so I today I baked up a half batch.

I conducted my own little experiment with them because of the results of the last time I made them. I tried my best to get exact measurements and weights, so here's what I did.

First, keeping in mind that I halved the original recipe I'm giving you below, I weighed out one cup of flour ( I used King Arthur AP Flour) at 4.6 oz. ( yes I gave it an extra 0.01 ounce!), then I made sure I firmly packed down the dark brown sugar. I used my egg at room temperature and last, I followed the directions for making the cookies exactly.

This means I mixed til just combined when the recipe said to do so.
And I folded in the chips, rather than stirring with the paddle attachment.
And I also was aware to not overmix the dough!

I even experimented with baking a couple first, two on parchment paper and two on a greased baking sheet, with the same end results.

One thing I changed was the baking time. I set the timer to 10 minutes, then checked them but they looked like they needed maybe another minute. So I let them bake another minute...then added 30 seconds and then they looked done, golden along the edges and just slightly moist in the center.

So my baking time turned out to be 11 1/2 minutes but your oven may be different so I suggest experiment with a couple cookies first.
This photo below shows two different batches. The one on the left is the batch I made just after making the dough. And the one on the right is baked 30 minutes after making the dough. The second batch came out thinner. Maybe because, kept out at room temp. the butter softened them more causing them to spread more? I weighed the dough for all of them so they'd all be the same size. For 3" finished size cookies, I weighed the dough at 1.0 oz.

So, that's my experiment for the day!
I'm usually never this exact but I was determined to get it right so I can agree with the reviews on this cookie.

The recipe is very close to many chocolate chip cookies I've made, but just a few changes in ingredients seem to make a big difference. The dark brown sugar in these gave the cookies a wonderful deep flavor and the chip to cookie dough ratio is perfect. You get a lot of chips in every bite. I think I found my new favorite thin chocolate chip cookie...well, maybe til another one comes along!

So begin with whisking the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Then in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars, then add the water and vanilla, mixing til just combined.

Add the eggs and mix lightly.

Stir in the flour mixture. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. with a rubber spatula.

Fold in the chips using a rubber spatula.

Here's where I tested using parchment paper or a greased pan. The results were the same.

Although they didn't really stick much on the greased pan side, they did require just a little coaxing with the spatula so I would suggest using the parchment.

Weighing each at 1.0 oz. resulted in a 3"finished cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies ( from Tate's Bake Shop)

(This is a thin chocolate chip cookie) Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

2 cups AP flour ( see my weight above)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt ( I used regular table salt)

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs, room temp.

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

******************************

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease sheet.

1. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugars til combined,2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the water and vanilla and mix til just combined.

4. Add the eggs and mix lightly.

5. Stir in the flour mixture til just combined.

6. Fold in the chips.

7. Scoop 2 tablespoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing 3" apart.
8. Bake 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes, til edges are brown and centers just set.

9. Remove to wire rack to cool.*
*Update- When I left some cookies (others...not these) on the baking sheet, (forgetting about them, actually!), and I noticed that because they were allowed to cool completely on the baking sheet, they became crunchier. Next time I make these, I'm going to try that and see if these come out with more crunch.*

Oatmeal Currant Cookies

2011-03-16T16:41:00.016-04:00

The L.A. Times has a wonderful list of recipes from bakeries and readers in the Los Angeles area and I thought I'd try a few of them, beginning with this cookie.

It's a little different in that it's made with pastry flour which is a type of soft wheat flour, a low protein flour, with reduced gluten and the texture is finer than all purpose flour. I went to several supermarkets but since I couldn't find pastry flour anywhere, I decided to make my own from a recipe I found online, combining all purpose and cake flour.

The cookies have a nice chewiness, but if you bake them too long, I found they get too crunchy. Now if you like your oatmeal cookies crunchy, then you can bake them longer, but if not, bake them for less time and remove them from the baking sheet once they come out of the oven.

The cookies call for currants, which we love, but, you can always just use raisins. And it has a hefty amount of cinnamon which gives them a great flavor.

I also found the cookie tasted a little too sweet so I'd cut down on the sugar a bit. But then, maybe it's just me...I've been on a diet the past three weeks and everything tastes too sweet to me!

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together for about 5 minutes.

Then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in the vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture a little at a time.

Then add in the oats and currants just briefly.

Stir the mixture well til it's all incorporated.

Place heaping small scoopfuls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, then flatten each to about a 1/2" thickness.

The cookies will spread a bit when baked.

Oatmeal Currant Cookies ( from the Corner Bakery Cafe, posted in The LA Times)

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

3 1/2 cups (1 lb.) pastry flour (recipe below to make your own)

4 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar ( I decreased this amount to 1 cup total)

2 1/3 cups brown sugar ( I used light brown)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Scant 4 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup currants ( or raisins)

***********************************

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

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugars til light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add in the eggs, one at a time til fully incorporated.

4. Beat in vanilla.

5. Beat in flour mixture, one spoonful at a time. (I just gradually added it in).

6. On low speed, mix in oats and currants briefly, then finish mixing with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to be sure it's all well combined.

7. Scoop generous amounts of dough, about 2 tablespoonfuls, onto baking sheet spacing 3" apart.

Flatten each to about 1/2" thickness.

8. Bake for approx. 14 minutes, til the edges are set and the center still looks a little moist.

**The original recipe says to bake 18 to 20 minutes, but this would have burnt my cookies.**

Oven temeratures vary so it would be best to test one or two first.

Cool cookies on the baking sheet for crunchier cookies.

Remove cookies from baking sheet for softer cookies.

To make pastry flour:

I used Joy of Baking's recipe. To make 2 cups of pastry flour, combine 1 1/3 cups ( 185 g) AP flour with 2/3 cup (90g) cake flour. ( Yes, you have 1/2 cup extra if you double this recipe!)

Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-14T17:27:00.021-04:00

Like scones, if you've only tasted dry poorly made Irish Soda Bread you're never going to give it a chance again. You'll see it in the store and think, I don't like that bread. It's dry and boring.
But I say, forget buying it and bake this one...it's easy and moist and with the unexpected but subtle taste of orange zest, it's so good!

With St Patrick's Day a few days away, it's just a perfect time for Irish Soda Bread...well, all things Irish, but this is my choice for today. I researched several recipes and decided on this one. I checked with Rachel Allen's recipe, trying to see if there would be any different ingredients, coming from an Irish chef but her bread sounded a little too basic so I opted for one of my favorites, the Barefoot Contessa. I actually saw her make this bread a few weeks ago on her show on Food Network and it looked so easy and delicious. And it is!

I love the free form of the bread and after I baked it, I thought it would make two smaller loaves or even four really smaller loaves. How cute would that be? The recipe uses an egg, which some recipes do not, and I think that helps give a nice richness and moistness to the bread. And that little bit of orange zest just gives it another wonderful flavor, but if you want a more traditional bread I'm sure you can just leave it out and it will still be great.

All else that's needed is a smear of sweet butter. So good!

Begin by placing the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl...

Add in the cold cubed butter and work in the butter with your fingers. (Ina says to mix with the paddle attachment but this didn't really incorporate the butter enough for me).

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, buttermilk and orange zest together.

Just a photo showing that I had to use my fingers to combine in the butter.

Then with the mixer on low speed, pour in the egg/buttermilk mixture and mix to combine.

Then add in the floured currants( or raisins) and stir just to incorporated it all together.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead just a few times to form a ball. ( Some of the little currants try to get away!)

Cut an "X" on top of the dough with a serrated knife.

Place the loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 45 minutes.

Irish Soda Bread ( from The Barefoot Contessa)

Makes one large loaf

4 cups AP flour ( I used King Arthur and it weighed 18 ozs. total)

4 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

4 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten ( I used a large egg and it was fine)

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 cup dried currants ( or raisins)

*****************************

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.

2. Add in the butter pieces and work in the cold butter with your fingers til it's all nicely combined with some butter pieces still the size of peas.

3. With a fork, lightly beat together the egg, buttermilk and orange zest in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.

4. With mixer (hand held or standing) on low speed, slowly add in the wet ingredients.

5. Combine the currants (or raisins) with a tablespoon of flour and add in to the dough mixing just til blended.

6. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times and form into a ball.

7. Place the dough onto the parchment lined sheet and cut an "X" into the top with a serrated knife.

8. Bake about 45 minutes, or til a tester comes out clean.

9. Cool bread on a wire rack. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature with plenty of sweet butter!

Naked Apple Pie

2011-03-11T09:35:00.012-05:00

Since yesterday was such a nasty day to go outside, I decided to bake something from what I could find in the house. Everything ingredient that goes into this quick and easy "pie" is pretty much a staple pantry item.

Flipping through one of my vintage cookbooks I came upon this recipe...actually the name caught my interest! I does go together very quickly and can be made in no time in basically one bowl. It's a little on the idea of an apple crisp, in that the "pie" doesn't really have a cake-like consistency but softer, more apple pie-like. And the top gets a nice crackly texture that gives a wonderful little crunch.

It's tricky to get out of the pan so I suggest just giving up on the idea of getting a nice looking slice ( I did try to give you a pretty photo!) and just spoon it out! Plop some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top of the warm pie ( I had neither but I can only imagine!) and you've got yourself a delicious comforting dessert.

Chop up two apples...

Then beat the egg and add in the sugars, vanilla and cinnamon.

Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well, then add in the chopped apples...

And nuts and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured round pan.

And bake for 30 minutes.

It's best served warm.

Naked Apple Pie ( adapted from "Treasured Recipes, Food Editors Favorites")

1 egg

1/2 cup AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon ( I added this, apples need cinnamon!)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( pecans would also be good)

2 medium apples, peeled and chopped to 1/2" pieces

********************************

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour lightly a 9" round pan.

1. Beat the egg in a medium bowl, then add in both sugars, vanilla and cinnamon and stir to combine.

2. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well to combine.

3. Stir in the chopped apples and nuts.

4. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mondel Bread

2011-03-10T08:14:00.011-05:00

I kept a recipe for this type of cookie for years...I'm talking about 30 years...but when I looked through my box of family recipes it was nowhere to be found. This recipe I was looking for was handwritten from my Mother-in-law's best friend, Lenore. I didn't know all the time I was making it, years ago, that it was actually this Jewish biscotti type cookie, Mondel Bread or Mandelbrodt.

My recipe was just called Lenore's Cookies. They were just like these. Crunchy and delicious, made with oil and nuts and great with coffee or tea. Traditionally, these cookies are made with almonds but really any nut will work, this recipe uses walnuts, the healthiest of the nuts...a good excuse to eat them!

These cookies are just as I remembered. They're made in a similar way to biscotti, which we love at our house, and they will store best in a cookie tin.

The recipe is easy to make. You can form 3 or 4 logs. I could only fit 3 logs on my baking sheet because they do spread as they bake.

The tops are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar but if you don't like cinnamon just use sugar and they'd be just as good.

Once the logs are baked, let them cool, then slice, just as you do for biscotti.

Then lower the oven temperature and bake the slices again.

Mondel Bread ( adapted from here from "Good to the Grain" by Kim Boyce)

Makes about 3 dozen

3 cups AP flour (13.5 oz.)

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup oil ( I used canola oil)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt ( my addition)

2 tsp. vanilla ( You can also add some almond extract if using almonds)

2 cups pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped ( or almonds if you like them)

Cinnamon and sugar (for sprinkling on top)

************************

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.

2. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla and beat well.

3. Add in the flour, baking powder and nuts and combine til a smooth dough forms.

4. Cover the bowl and place in the refridgerator for 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours, preheat oven to 350.

6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and shape the dough into 3 or 4 logs on the baking sheet.

7. Sprinkle each log with the cinnamon and sugar and bake for about 30 minutes or til the logs feel firm and are getting golden along the edges.

8. Lower the oven temperature to 300 and remove the logs from the baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

9. Once cooled, slice the logs 3/4" thick and place on the baking sheet, without the parchment liner. ( I wanted to get them all one the sheet so most I placed flat and a few I placed upright. There was no difference in the baking. They all came out the same.)

10. Cool and store in a large cookie tin.

Pide, My Sweet Apple & Raisin Version

2011-03-07T20:01:00.020-05:00

If you'd have asked me what a Pide (pronounced "pea-day") was two weeks ago I'd have...not a clue!
But perusing the internet I stumbled upon this "Turkish Pizza" and thought, I need to make this. This sounds different and delicious. So I found a wonderful recipe with excellent photos and make two pides, which my son and I devoured in record time!

Fast forward two weeks (that would be today) and I decided that this might be good as a sweet version. The dough has a slight sweet taste anyhow and I thought, combined with apples and raisins and whatever else you'd like, it would make a great breakfast or dessert. Why not, right? And drizzle a little glaze over the top or just some powdered sugar and you've got something delicious. We love pizza anytime around here!

These were so good! Aren't they beautiful?

Begin by dissolving yeast in really warm milk.

Add in the egg, sugar, salt and oil.

Mix this well, then begin adding in the flour.

Once the flour is all incorporated, switch to a dough hook and let that go for about 5 minutes.

Then dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead 2 minutes.

Place the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with a towel and let it rise a half to one hour.

While the dough is rising, make the apple raisin mixture in a skillet and let it cool.

Once the dough has risen, divide it in half and roll each half into a sort of oval shape.

Fill each with filling, then roll up the sides into a canoe shape and brush the edges with a beaten egg, then sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake about 25 minutes, or til golden.

Apple Raisin Pide (adapted from here)

Makes 2 pide.

Dough:

1 tbsp. active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 cups AP flour

Topping:

1 tbsp. butter

5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into small thin pieces.

1/3 cup raisins

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 tsp. water

1 tsp. cornstarch ( if apples give off too much juice)

Beaten egg and raw sugar for sprinkling.

Glaze: Optional

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

enough milk to make a thin consistency

**************************************

1. Warm milk in small saucepan to 110 degrees. Then pour into the bowl of a standing mixer*.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir to dissolve.

3. In a small, combine the egg, sugar, salt and oil and pour into the yeast mixture and begin mixing with the paddle attachment.

4. Gradually add in the flour and mix well to combine.

5. Switch to a dough hook and mix for about 5 minutes, adding in a little more flour ( 1/8-1/4 cup) if you think it's too sticky.

6. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand 2 minutes, til you get a nice smooth ball.

7. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place til doubled, 1/2 to 1 hour.

8. Make the filling while the dough is rising.

9. Once risen, place the dough onto a work surface and divide in half. Roll out each half into an oval shape about 18" long. Place each into a baking sheet lined with foil sprayed or coated lightly with oil.

10. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of cornstarch onto the center of each half of dough and spoon equal amounts of filling onto the dough keeping it within 2" of the edge.

11. Roll over the edges, creating a canoe shape and brush edges with beaten egg, then sprinkle with a little raw sugar.

12. Set them aside while your oven is preheating to 400. Cover the apple area only with foil to allow it to bake better without drying out. Bake about 25 minutes, or til golden.

13. Once cooled, make glaze by combining confectioners' sugar and enough milk to make a thin consistency to spoon over pide.
* Note: If you don't have a standing mixer, place the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix either by hand or with an electric hand held mixer. Knead the dough on a floured work surface by hand for 7 minutes.

Filling: Make while dough is rising:
1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter, then place the apple pieces with the raisins into the skillet.

2. Sprinkle the sugars, cinnamon and water over the apple mixture, stir and cook for about 10 minutes, til the apples are getting soft. (If too wet, sprinkle about 1 tsp. of cornstarch over the mixture and stir well.)

3. Take off heat to cool.

Coconut Oil Poundcake with Almonds and Lime Zest

2011-03-07T07:10:00.013-05:00

I've been curious about coconut oil lately. Maybe my recent trip to a tropical locale heightened my curiousity but whatever it was inspired me to run over to Whole Foods yesterday to pick up a jar of the stuff and give it a try.

I found this article from the NY Times and decided on this poundcake. It sounded easy enough to throw together and the combo of coconut and lime...one of my favorites. And I was really wanting to make something with coconut oil.

I know I followed the directions correctly but the jury's still out on the result.
I thought I'd wait til today to taste it again. These kind of cakes usually improve with age so I figured an extra day would make the flavors come out more.

So what do I think? It is certainly a dense cake and the flavor of the coconut is subtle. But considering it includes the zest of a whole lime, it's really not a strong lime taste, which could be a good thing, depending on how much you love lime.

The one problem I did have was with mixing the dry with the wet. The recipe said to fold the two together but there was no way this mixture would have combined. It was, to say the least, very lumpy! I had to mash the mixture with a whisk to get out some of the lumps. So I was very skeptical about the final outcome, but all worked out, except for the light spots throughout where you can see that the batter didn't fully mix together. It is moist and it has a nice flavor.

Have you ever baked with coconut oil? Would love to hear how your recipes turned out.

Combine the dry and then the wet ingredients.
Then over low heat, melt the coconut oil.

Pour the melted oil in a large bowl and add in the wet ingredients and whisk together.

Now here's where I had trouble. You can see how lumpy the mixture is.

No way it could be folded in.

So I had to mash out the lumps with a whisk!

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and make the topping.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake about an hour.

My topping got swallowed up by the cake!

Coconut Oil Poundcake with Almonds and Lime Zest ( from the NY Times)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil

3/4 cup milk

3 large eggs

Zest one lime

1 3/4 cup AP flour ( mine weighed 8.2 oz.)

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I used freshly grated)

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan.

1. Make topping by stirring together almonds, 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil over low heat til melted. Pour into a large bowl.

3. In a small bowl whisk together remaining sugar, milk, eggs and lime zest. Add to bowl of melted oil.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

Fold (Ha!) into the wet ingredients to combine.

5.Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf pan and sprinkle on the topping.

6. Bake for about an hour, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before slicing.

Back to Baking

2011-03-06T18:48:00.008-05:00

I had a quick and very unexpected trip to Florida last week in case you were wondering where I went.

It was really great to get away from the cold gray weather and be able to hop on a plane and 2 hours later enjoy beautiful warm weather. Now that my older son is working for an airline, it's so fun and easy to be able to just chose a day to go ( provided there's an extra seat) without too much planning. So I went down there to visit family but it's great to be back!

I really missed baking but we visited a wonderful Farmer's Market on Sunday and I couldn't resist taking pictures of these cakes...yes, they're really cakes that look like burgers...

And bagels! Aren't they amazing? They look so real! That takes way more patience than even I have to create something that real. The company was called Sugar Dreams and these were called Dreamburgers and Dreambagels.

So I'm happy to be back to baking again. I actually made a cake today but I'll have to wait til tomorrow to share it with you. Til then...

The Best Spice Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-02-25T14:43:00.015-05:00

These cupcakes are the best!!! The spice flavor is just outstanding and I'm sorry it took me so long to try them. If you love gingerbread and all things spice then you have to make them.

The recipe has been hanging around in my files for a while ( I say that a lot, don't I?) and today I wanted to try making cupcakes using parchment paper liners, rather than just the usual muffin paper liners and I thought of this one to try. This recipe is from the Beverly Hills cupcake bakery, "Sprinkles". Probably by now you've caught the show, Cupcake Wars", where the owner, Candace Nelson, is one of the judges.

I baked them in a jumbo muffin pan, thinking they needed more room than a standard pan and they came out nice and big, which is kind of what I was aiming for. It was something a little different baking them in the parchment and I really liked the presentation. I'm thinking maybe even a deeper muffin pan would work. Big cupcakes like these could also be split in half (like a cake) with frosting in the middle...kind of a layered cupcake. Oh, the possibilities!

For the frosting, I decided not to use the one that was with this recipe (which was a White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting that I'm sure was fabulous!). And I didn't want anything to compete too much with that delicious spice flavor so I chose a Honey Cinnamom Cream Cheese Frosting that worked perfectly.

Yum!

The parchemnt paper was being stubborn so I turned over a cup and pressed the paper into the bottom, creasing the edges to have it keep a shape that would fit into the cups.

Then to keep the paper in the cups, I put a drop of butter (like glue) to hold the paper down.

Begin by whisking the dry ingredients and spices in a bowl, then set it aside.

Combine the molasses and milk in a measuring cup.

Cream the butter on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Then add the sugar and beat til light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

The add the molasses/milk mixture alternately with the flour.

Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure it's all incorporated.

Then scoop the batter into the parchment liners and bake.

Let them cool, then frost.

The Best Spice Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting ( cupcakes from Sprinkles)

Makes 12 regular size or 6 jumbo size.

Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (mine weighed 7 oz.) AP flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

1/2 cup milk

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

Frosting:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tbsp. honey

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 scant tbsp. milk

**********************************

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pans with liners ,(if using). Or, ( if using), cut six 6" squares of parchment paper and press each over the bottom of a cup or glass, creasing the folds to keep the shape.(To keep the parchment in place, put a drop of butter in the bottom of each cup before putting in the paper.)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.

2. In a glass measuring cup, mix the molasses and milk and set aside.

3. Cream the butter on medium-high speed for 3 - 5 minutes.

4. Gradually add the sugar to the creamed butter and beat til light and fluffy.

5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.

6. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and milk/molasses mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally with a spatula.

7. Scoop the batter into the paper liners or parchment and bake for approx. 20 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.

8. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1. Cream butter til light and fluffy.

2. Add the cream cheese and beat 2 minutes.

3. Add the honey and cinnamon and beat together.

4. Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time til it's smooth, then add in the milk. If the consistency is a little too thin, add in more sugar or if too thick add in a little more milk.

Fill a piping bag with frosting and decorate the tops or just use a knife to frost.

Enjoy!

Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2011-02-24T12:24:00.013-05:00

This is another cookie from Ruby et Violette Bakery. The original recipe I found was for their chocolate chunk cookies which had been posted in The New York Times in 2002. Wendy Gaynor ( the original owner of the bakery) gave a variation of this chocolate chunk cookie by swapping out the dark chocolate for white chocolate, adding some lemon oil or extract (which is what I used), and changing the flour amount.

She calls them "utterly devine"...and they are! I love the white chocolate chunks in them and the lemony flavor is wonderful. I didn't have any chips but I did have a bar of white chocolate that I chopped up and that worked great because I really got nice chunks of chocolate.

Cream the butter for about 2 minutes.

Then start adding in the sugars.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, then the lemon oil or extract and combine well.

Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed til all combined.

Then, chop up the white chocolate, if using chunks, and add it in to the dough, stirring just til combined.

You get a nice chunky dough.

Scoop heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart.

Bake about 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the edges.

Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies(from Ruby et Violette)

Makes about 3 - 4 dozen, depending on the size.

2 sticks(1 cup) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups AP flour

1 (scant) tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. lemon oil (I used 1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract and it was enough)

4 cups white chocolate chunks or chips ( I thought this amount was excessive and used about 3 cups)

**************

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

1. Cream butter for about 2 minutes, or til light and fluffy.

2. Add in the sugars, beating well to combine and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon oil or extract, scraping the bowl again.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed mixture on low speed. Don't overmix.

5. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

6. Scoop heaping teaspoonful amounts onto the baking sheet, placing 2" apart.

7. Bake for approx. 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden brown on the edges.