Finally, a savory recipe to cut through all this sweets on this blog lately!  (Not that I have a problem with sweets – obviously.)  I used to have some sort of preconceived bias against Bobby Flay before ever really watching his show.  I’m not sure what it was – maybe his accent, or I just thought he looked cocky.  One day I decided to give his show a try and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really like his personality and I think he is very talented.  Practically everything he makes has me drooling after watching the show.  This was the first thing I ever saw him make, and now a couple of years later I finally got around to trying it!  This was an absolutely fantastic dinner and a great way to add some variety to the grilling repertoire.  I was worried that the mushrooms would not hold up to this substantial filling once cooked, but they did very well.

The recipe makes significantly more filling than is needed for four large mushroom caps, so next time I will either cut the amount of filling or buy more mushrooms (depending on how many people I’m feeding).  I used classic Italian sausage this time around and it was great, but I think in the future I will use turkey sausage.  One final thing to note is that the amount of fresh spinach leaves the recipe calls for seems like a LOT, but it cooks down to a very small volume so don’t be scared to add the full amount.  

Grilled Portobellos Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach and Mozzarella
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. turkey sausage
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
8 oz. fresh spinach leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
6-8 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
Olive oil, for brushing
1-2 tomatoes, thinly sliced 

Directions: 
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Oil the grates.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage and break it into small pieces.  Add the sliced onion and cook until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until the wine is completely reduced.  Add the spinach and 1/2 cup of water to the pan, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of the basil, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and all of the cheese.  Stir together and allow to cool slightly. 

Brush the mushroom caps on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill, cap side down, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the grill and place on a flat surface, cap side down.  Fill the mushrooms with the sausage mixture and top each with one or two slices of tomato.  Return to the grill, cap side down, and close the cover.  Cook until the mushroom and filling have heated through, the cheese is melted and the tomato is soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with the remaining basil and parsley. 

Source: adapted from Food Network, courtesy of Bobby Flay

Last week we attended a Costa Rican-themed dinner party at some friends’ house.  They had just returned from a month in Costa Rica, for a tropical medicine rotation – how fun!  The dinner party was really cool.  We had fabulous pina coladas (of course!), and the main course consisted of empanadas, for which we hand-rolled our own dough made of masa, filled, and sealed them.  They were delicious and I loved the interactive feel of the whole meal.  Everything was delicious.  

I had offered to bring dessert and since I knew the meal was tropical in nature, I wanted the dessert to reflect that as well.  I had a few different ideas but settled on these pavlovas.  Now I have seen pavlovas many times before, but I’ve never really seriously considered making them.  I’m just not much of a fan of meringue – I love the way it looks, but I don’t think it tastes very good.  Still, these just seemed like the perfect dessert to bring and I thought it would be okay to sacrifice a little taste for a pretty presentation and individual dessert.  Well, these really surprised me by being a fantastic dessert!  The meringue actually tasted very good and it had a nice chewy texture that complemented the whipped cream and fresh fruit beautifully.  My friends expressed similar sentiments – never fans of meringue before, but they definitely liked this.  These made for a wonderfully light and tasty summer dessert.  

I do have a few notes regarding the recipe itself. First of all, it makes quite a bit more of each the components than the recipe suggests.  Supposedly this yields 12 servings, but I had plenty of leftover meringue, leftover whipped cream (even though I made less than the original quantity) and leftover fruit mixture, which made a fantastic breakfast and lunch the following day.  Second, I needed nearly twice the number of egg whites (7 as opposed to 4) they suggested to achieve the volume required for the recipe.  Also, shaping the meringue nests takes some time because the meringue likes to stick to the spoon.  In the end though, I don’t think the shape of the nest is terribly important, since the whipped cream and fruit will be overflowing the nest regardless.  Enjoy!

Tropical Fruit Pavlovas
Ingredients:
For the meringue nests:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons large egg whites (about 7-8), at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup (7 oz.) sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

For the fruit mixture:
2 large ripe mangoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 kiwis, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into half-moon slices about 3/8-inch thick
1/2 large pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 tbsp. sugar

For the whipped cream:
2 cups chilled heavy cream
3 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

Directions: 
For make the meringue nests, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium-low speed until they are opaque and frothy, about 30 seconds.  Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the egg whites until they are white, thick, voluminous, and the consistency of shaving cream, about 90 seconds.  Slowly  sprinkle in 1/2 cup of the sugar and then the vanilla extract.  Continue to mix until incorporated, about 60 seconds.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar by hand, just until incorporated.

Using a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup and a soup spoon, place 6 heaping 1/4-cup scoops of meringue about 1-inch apart on each sheet.  Gently press the back of the spoon into the center of the mounds to create hollows.  Each meringue should be about 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.  

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the meringues have smooth, dry, and firm exteriors.   Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for several hours.  Once cool, store in an airtight container until ready to use (they will keep for a couple of weeks).

For the fruit mixture, combine the prepared fruit in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with the sugar.  Gently stir to combine with a rubber spatula, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until the fruit begins to exude its juices, about 30 minutes.

To make the whipped cream, just before serving, beat the cream in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds.  Continue increasing the speed as the cream thickens, until it is smooth, thick and nearly doubled in volume.  Beat until soft peaks form.  

To assemble the pavlovas, place a meringue nest on a dessert plate.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and some of the fruit mixture.  Serve immediately. 

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

I love all sorts of cookies, but I’ve never been very drawn to snickerdoodles.  I’m not sure why, given the cinnamon sugar coating is something I just LOVE on other things (like these muffins).  I suppose maybe it is because when I see them in a dessert case up against a giant chocolate chip cookie, a cookie full of M&Ms (my favorite candy), or some triple-super-duper-chocolatey concoction, they just seem sort of plain.  Well, that perception has now been set straight in my mind.  I *love* these snickerdoodles.  I baked them last week for Ben’s parent night as I mentioned before, and they looked and smelled so amazing that I was pretty upset about having to send them all off to school with him.  Thankfully, one of the cookies decided to mysteriously spread out into a bizarre and unattractive cookie, so I kept that one for us to sample.  It tasted phenomenal – and that was the bad one!  I will definitely make another batch very soon so I can enjoy at least two (or maybe more! ;) )  

Normally almost any time a recipe calls for shortening, I inevitably substitute with butter, but the text before the recipe in the cookbook discusses the fact that the shortening is important in this recipe to help the cookies retain their shape and not spread too much (maybe the one I ate was mostly butter?)  Another thing to note is that usually, I bake two sheets of cookies at the same time and rotate them 180 degrees and from upper to lower oven racks halfway through the baking time.  With these cookies I noticed that I preferred the shape, coloration, etc. of the cookies that were on the bottom shelf of the oven to start out and finished on the top shelf.  It made enough of a difference between batches that I think next time I make these, I will bake one sheet per cycle and start each sheet out on the bottom rack. 

Snickerdoodles
Yield: about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar, plus 3 tbsp. for rolling dough
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon, for rolling dough

Directions: 
Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat again until combined, about 30 seconds.  Add in the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.  

In a small, shallow bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon for rolling the dough.  Stir or shake well to combine.  Working with a heaping tablespoon of dough each time, roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls.  Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Use a drinking glass with a flat bottom to gently flatten the dough balls to 3/4-inch thickness (butter the bottom of the glass before starting, and dip it in sugar between cookies if it begins to stick).  

Bake until the edges of the cookies are beginning to set and the center are soft and puffy, 9-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

If you read any number of food blogs at all, chances are good you have seen some version of this cake before.  I have seen it popping up in blog after blog, getting great reviews all around.  Last weekend we were having dinner at my dad’s house and I wanted to whip up something for dessert.  This is not such a simple task in my dad’s kitchen however, since to say that it is unequipped would be a major understatement.  Whenever I attempt to bake something there, I know it will have to be something very simple and basic, which is what led me to this cake.  (I did still have to purchase a loaf pan and a citrus zester to complete this recipe!)  Normally I tend to shy away from loaf cakes because they are so no-frills, and well, I tend to really like the frills.  But this is a delicious lemon loaf cake that comes together in a snap and goes over very well.  This was almost entirely gone in a few hours, with my brothers and their friends passing through.  A few fresh summer berries are the perfect accompaniment to this moist and tender cake.  I would definitely make this again when in need of a quick and simple dessert.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a metal loaf pan.

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.  Whisk in the dry ingredients.  Add the vegetable oil to the bowl and fold in to the batter with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  

Meanwhile, combine the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.  Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.  While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Cool.  

For the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice.  Drizzle over the cake.  Garnish the finished cake with fresh berries, if desired. 

Source: Ina Garten via Food Network

A couple of weeks ago, our babysitter’s youngest daughter Kendall had her sixth birthday.  As with both of her sisters, I just had to celebrate with a batch of fun cupcakes.  The other two girls are huge Twilight fans, which was reflected in their cupcakes, but since Kendall is a kindergartener, I wanted something more fun and whimsical.  It didn’t take me too long to think of these butterfly cupcakes, which are the sole reason I wanted the book Hello, Cupcake! in the first place.  The version in the book is made with orange butterfly wings, but I immediately knew I wanted a bright, colorful array of butterflies.  

I was pretty shocked with how well these turned out.  I was sure I would meet some sort of disaster in the making of these cupcakes, but they really came out just as I had hoped.  The butterfly wings can be made up to a few days in advance and stored until the cupcakes are ready to be assembled.  I will definitely make these again in the future when I’m looking for a fun, girly, visually impressive cupcake.   They would be perfect for a birthday party, bridal or baby shower, girls’ night – whatever!  I just LOVE them.

Butterfly Cupcakes
Supplies Needed:
Wax paper
Plastic baggies
Dark cocoa candy melts
Colored candy melts (whatever color you would like the wings to be)
Toothpicks
White nonpareils
1 batch vanilla cupcakes (or any flavor you like)
1 batch vanilla buttercream (or other flavor frosting, colored if desired)
Chocolate chips
Canned chocolate frosting

Draw your butterfly wing template on a piece of paper.  Place on a metal baking sheet.  Cut out squares of wax paper large enough to fit pairs of wings, and some smaller ones for antennae. 

Place about 1/2 cup of dark cocoa candy melts in a plastic bag, and 1/2 cup of colored candy melts in another plastic bag.  Microwave in 10 second intervals, unsealed, massaging the candy melts in between, until the candy is completely melted and no lumps remain.  Press out the excess air in the bag and seal.  Push the mixture down to one corner of the bag and snip off a very small corner.  Trace the outline of the wing template with the dark cocoa melted candy.  (Do one wing at a time, outline and colored filling, otherwise it will be too set to swirl by the time you have outlined two wings.)

*Note – tracing the outline was definitely the thing I found most challenging initially, but eventually I got the hang of it.  Keeping the tip of the baggie very close to the wax paper and going slowly helps keep things neat.

Use the bag of colored candy melts to fill in the outline.  Be generous, so that it will spread all the way to the sides.  

Rap the baking sheet against your work surface a few times until the filling and outline spread together. 

Use a toothpick to swirl the edges and the filling together slightly.

Sprinkle the top and bottom of each wing with a few white nonpareils.  

The melted candy will begin to cool and harden as you work.  If it becomes to stiff to work with, microwave for 10 more seconds until melted again.  (This step is very important – if you think you might need to reheat the candy, definitely do it.  You will save yourself a lot of messed up wings by keeping the candy melted.)

Repeat this process with more candy melts until you have enough sets of wings for all your cupcakes.  (I made about 16).  Let set completely.  

I completely forgot to take a picture of this part, but you also need to make pairs of antennae for your butterflies.  Basically, just draw a template with a very narrow “V” shape, long stem and curved ends (see close up picture near the end of the post with antennae).  Trace chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of the antennae as you did with the wings.  Allow to set completely.

Frost your cupcakes as desired.  (I think the frosting colored to match the butterfly wings looks great!)

Place two chocolate chips on top of each frosted cupcake, about half and inch apart.  These will help support the butterfly wings.

Place the wings on top of the chocolate chips.  (I wiped a small amount of frosting out from in between the wings to make room for the body.)

Place the chocolate frosting in a plastic bag with a tip cut off.  Pipe it on in a line of small blobs to look like a body between the wings.  Stick the chocolate antennae into the frosting at the head of the butterfly.

And voila!  A beautiful bunch of colorful butterflies.  My new love!

Source: adapted from Hello, Cupcake!

This week Ben had his end of the year parent night at school, where families come to see all the great work their kids have done.  The first grade classes do this cute thing called the “Reading Cafe”, where each student dresses up complete with an apron, order pad, and tray holding a few books which the parents can “order” them to read.  At the end of it all the parents and kids can also order a cookie – this is where I come in.  This is my second year baking the cookies for this event, and I have already decided next year to do bar cookies.  Much less work (no rolling/dropping cookies, baking a batch, cooling, doing another batch, etc.)  Wish I had thought of that this year!  

Anyway, this year I made chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles (to be posted soon) and peanut butter cookies.  I have made this recipe before and I knew that there would be far more dough than what I needed.  This worked out perfectly because ever since becoming enamored with sandwich cookies, I have been thinking of peanut butter cookies sandwiched with chocolate ganache.  I’m so glad I finally made this idea a reality because it was just as wonderful as I imagined.  The peanut butter dominates the first taste, but then the chocolate comes in to play and it is a very happy marriage.  Just make sure you have a nice glass of milk ready to go along with these!  I’m submitting this photo into CLICK for the month of May, with the theme being cookies.  Enjoy!  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients:
1 half batch of dough for peanut butter crisscrosses

For the ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1/4 oz. pieces

Directions:
Bake the cookies according to the original instructions, only make them smaller (I used a small Pampered Chef scoop and baked them for 8-9 minutes).  Allow to cool completely.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl.  Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or until the ganache has thickened enough to be piped onto a cookie.

Match the cooled cookies up into pairs by size.  Turn one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up.  Place the chilled ganache into a plastic bag with a corner snipped off.  Pipe a swirl of ganache onto the flat face of each pair.  Top with the other cookie of each pair and press it onto the ganache, so that it is pushed to the edges of the sandwich.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.  Bring to room temperature to serve.

Source: cookies from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, ganache from Chocolate Overdose Cake courtesy of Confections of a Foodie Bride

If you are still looking for the perfect dessert to serve at your Memorial Day get-together, look no further.  This pie is simple to make and really embodies summer with all the fabulous fresh berries, hence the name!  The newest addition to my cookbook collection is Baking Illustrated, and let me tell you, I am in love.  I’ve baked four things from it in the past week (including my beloved cheesecake) and have no intention of slowing down anytime soon!  This pie was one of the first things that caught my eye when I browsed through the book and I decided to wait until berries were on sale so that it wouldn’t cost me a fortune to make.  Well, a few days later I walked in to the grocery store and saw that literally every variety of berry was on sale.  That was all the encouragement I needed!  I stocked up on the berries, came home and got busy in the kitchen.  

This pie is actually incredibly low-maintenance as pies go.  With a simple graham cracker crust, there is no fussing with cutting butter into flour, chilling, rolling, making a lattice top, etc.  Additionally, only the crust needs to be baked.  The actual filling consists of a mixed berry puree that is cooked briefly with cornstarch to thicken for the bottom layer, and the remainder of the mixed berries are tossed with a bit of jam for the top layer.  The whole thing is refrigerated to set up, and that is all there is to it!  I was nervous about the pie being messy when sliced, since it is somewhat of a free-form filling, but the people at Cook’s Illustrated know what they’re doing.  The berry puree layer firms up nicely and keeps the loose berries on top in place so the slices are gorgeous.  I served this at a family get-together and when served alongside some homemade vanilla ice cream, it was just perfect!

Summer Berry Pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
5 oz. graham crackers (approx. 9 crackers), broken into rough pieces
2 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm

For the filling:
2 cups raspberries (about 9 oz.)
2 cups blackberries (about 11 oz.)
2 cups blueberries (about 10 oz.)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. red currant jelly (I used strawberry jam) 

Directions: 
To make the crust, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a food processor, process the graham crackers into fine, even crumbs (you should have about 1 cup of crumbs).  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small mixing bowl and toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened.   Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch glass pie plate.  Use the bottom of a ramekin or measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust.  Bake in the preheated oven until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15-18 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely while making the filling.

For the filling, combine the berries in a large colander and gently rinse (taking care not to bruise them).  Spread the berries on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels.

In a food processor, puree 2 1/2 cups of the mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about 1 minute.  Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a small nonreactive saucepan, scraping and pressing on the seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups).  Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl to combine, then whisk the mixture into the puree.  Bring the puree to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon; when the mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to the consistency of pudding, remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.

While the puree is cooling, place the remaining berries in a medium bowl.  Warm the jelly (or jam) briefly in the microwave to melt it slightly.  Add the warmed jelly to the bowl of mixed berries and toss very gently so that all the berries are coated.  Pour the berry puree into the cooled crust and smooth with a rubber spatula. Evenly distribute the glazed berries over the puree and gently press into the surface.  Loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and the puree has set, about 3 hours (or up to 1 day).  Slice with a hot, dry knife and serve.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Good news!  If you are a returning visitor to Annie’s Eats, you may notice that your browser has been redirected.   That’s right, I’m now on www.annies-eats.com!   My old address will continue to work as well, but if you would like to avoid the brief pause while the site redirects you, then update your bookmarks and feeds with the new URL.  Even more changes are in the works for a new and improved site.  Stay tuned!

Now, on to the food.  This week my pal Chelle and I decided to bake something together again.  We tossed around a few ideas, and decided on these blondies.  I will admit that I don’t make blondies all that often because they seem so similar to a chocolate chip cookie, and if I am choosing between the two, I will pretty much always bake my favorite chocolate chip cookies.  Blondies almost always contain various forms of chocolate or candy or chips, and often become a catch-all for the leftover half-bags of various mix-ins you have in the pantry.  I preferred these to the usual blondie because the coconut provided a nice chewy texture and good flavor.  I also supplemented it with a little bit of coconut extract I had on hand just to bring the flavor out a little more.  These took all of 10 minutes to prep and 20ish minutes to bake.  These are some wonderful tasty treats, and it’s hard to beat the speed and simplicity of blondies.  

Chewy Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For drizzle and garnish: (optional)
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 tsp. butter or shortening
Sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour an 8- by 8-inch square baking dish.  In a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt; set aside.  In another mixing bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar and beat until well combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until they have been incorporated.

Add the shredded coconut and chocolate chunks to the bowl, and fold in with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.  Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center but still soft.  Do not over bake.  Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling.  

To make the drizzle, combine the chocolate chunks and butter or shortening in a small, heatproof bowl.  Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth.  Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic bag with a very tiny piece of the corner cut off and drizzle over the bars.  Sprinkle with additional shredded coconut before the chocolate sets, if desired.  Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: adapted from About.com

Last week we attended a retirement dinner for one of Ben’s coworkers.  She is a wonderful teacher and friend, and we will definitely miss her!  The theme for the meal was Mexican, so I brought my Mexican rice as a side, and this pie for dessert.  I was so happy with how this turned out.   It presents very well and makes for a nice cool, fun summer dessert.  I was pleased that you can actually taste the alcohol, as it seems a lot of margarita-flavored desserts have not even a hint of tequila.

I will do a few things differently next time I make this.  First and foremost, I will make it the night before I plan to serve it.  Even though I made this early in the morning and it froze for several hours before serving that evening, the center was still noticeably softer than the outside edges. The alcohol obviously keeps it from freezing completely, which is good because the texture you want is frozen but still soft.  I just did not anticipate it needing quite that long to freeze.  Also, I will line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper or foil to prevent it from being frozen to the bottom of the pan.  It was not easy to get the crust to come away with the rest of the pie.  Finally, I will add more lime juice as well as some lime zest to bump up that flavor.  It may be a strawberry margarita pie, but I would have liked to taste a bit more lime.  I have indicated these changes in the version below.

Strawberry Margarita Pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 tbsp. tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 cups heavy cream

For garnish:
Fresh strawberries
Lime slices or wedges

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.  Butter the parchment, as well as the sides of the springform.  In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until well combined.  Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and evenly cover the sides and bottom of the pan with crumbs (use the bottom of a ramekin to even the bottom crust).  Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the strawberries, sugar, condensed milk, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.  Transfer to a large bowl.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Add one third of the whipped cream to the puree and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.  Stir in the remaining cream.

Pour the filling into the crust, cover, and freeze until firm at least overnight.  To remove the springform sides, wrap a towel soaked in hot water around the outside of the pan for 10-15 seconds.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan.  Before serving, garnish with fresh strawberries and lime slices as desired.  To serve, slice with a hot, dry sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.

Source: adapted from Manchester Highlands Inn via Hostess with the Mostess

Last week was a very busy week for us.  We had commitments almost every single evening so I did not do much cooking of actual meals, but I did make a LOT of desserts!  So, for a few days, my blog is going to be full of all things sweet – yay!  One evening we had dinner at Ben’s grandmother’s house.  She provided dinner so I offered to bring dessert.  I had several ideas and I just could not decide which thing to make, so I asked Ben what he would prefer.  As I read the titles off to him, as soon as I said, “Chocolate caramel…” he said, “That one!”  Consisting of a short crust pastry base, a layer of homemade caramel mixed with honey roasted peanuts, topped by a thick layer of chocolate ganache, I should have known this would be his choice since he absolutely loves anything with caramel.  

I was surprised by how quickly this all came together.  I have been wanting to make this tart for quite some time but kept putting it off because it seemed complicated or time-intensive.  It is certainly more complicated than a fruit and cream tart, but not terribly so.  I was nervous about making the caramel, but Dorie’s clear instructions helped it go smoothly.  This is another recipe where an instant-read thermometer was very helpful, because it took all the guesswork out of cooking the caramel.  As soon as I stirred in the chopped peanuts, the caramel seemed to harden a bit.  Several very brief bursts in the microwave got it back to spreading consistency and I was able to get it into the tart shell with no problem.  The rest of the assembly was without incident and I stored it at room temperature as indicated.  However, when it came time to serve the tart, the caramel layer seemed very hard and I was worried it would be inedible.  It took a bit of elbow grease (and a good sharp knife) to cut, but it actually ended up cutting quite nice slices.  The caramel makes it essentially impossible to eat with a fork, so we just picked it up and ate it like slices of pizza…and it was really good!  It was definitely a hit all around and I had multiple requests for the recipe.  Sounds like a winner to me!

Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart
Ingredients:
For the tart shell:
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. very cold water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

For the caramel layer:
Scant 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. salted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter) 

3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 

For the ganache:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

Directions:
To make the tart shell, in a small bowl stir together the egg yolk, water and vanilla; set aside.  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the butter and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas.  Add the egg mixture and beat on low speed just until the dough comes together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  When you are ready to roll out the dough, unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll out with a floured rolling pin, lifting and turning the dough occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the work surface.  Roll it out evenly until it is large enough to line a 9-inch tart pan and is about 1/8-inch thick.  Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan, pressing it into the sides, and trim to remove the excess.  

Cover the dough with foil or parchment paper and fill with baking beads.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Remove the foil and baking beads and using a fork, gently poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust.  Bake until the crust is golden, 15-20 minutes more.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Before making the caramel, make sure that you have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go because you have to work quickly once the sugar caramelizes.  Also have a medium heatproof bowl at hand to hold the hot caramel.  

To make the caramel, bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, to medium heat and sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of the sugar.  When it melts, stir it with a wooden spatula or a fork and sprinkle over another 3 tablespoons.  When that sugar is melted, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  The sugar in the pan may already have started to color and that is fine.  Stir in the corn syrup and boil the syrup until it reaches a deep caramel color – it will probably begin to smoke, and that is normal.

Bring the simmering cream to a full boil.  Stand back from the skillet and stir in the butter and salt, if you’re using it.  The caramel will bubble furiously and may spatter, so be careful.  When the butter is in, add the warm cream – the caramel will bubble furiously again.  Lower the temperature just a tad and let the caramel boil for just 2 minutes.  (If you check the temperature with a thermometer, the caramel should be at 226 degrees F.)  Pour the seething caramel into the heatproof bowl and set it aside while you make the ganache.

To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and have a whisk or rubber spatula at hand.  Bring the cream to a boil, then pour half of it over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds.  Working with the whisk or spatula, very gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at center of the bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles.  Pour in the remainder of the cream and blend it into the chocolate, using the same circular motion.  When the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter piece by piece. Don’t stir the ganache any more than you must to blend the ingredients – the less you work it, the darker, smoother and shinier it will be.

Cover the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the chocolate to create an airtight seal.  Set aside at room temperature for the moment.  To assemble the tart, stir the peanuts into the caramel using a rubber spatula.  If the caramel is too thick to stir or spread easily, gently warm it in the microwave in 3-second spurts.  (You can also hold the heatproof bowl about 10 inches above the burner on your range.  Check the consistency after a couple of seconds and repeat if necessary.)  Spread the caramel over the bottom of the tart shell in a thin layer.  Refrigerate the tart for 15 minutes to set the caramel.

Check the ganache.  If it has thickened and is no longer pourable, warm it in the same way as instructed for the caramel above.  Pour the ganache over the caramel and jiggle the tart pan to even it.  Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes but no longer, and then keep it at room temperature until serving time. 

Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

I could think all week long and be unable to come up with the words to adequately describe this cheesecake.  But actions speak louder than words, so I’ll just say this – I ate nearly half of this cheesecake on my own over the course of a week.  Yeah, thank goodness I work out.  Normally I have no problem practicing restraint around the various desserts I make, but I am powerless against this cheesecake.  Last week we had some family in town visiting, and one evening they came over to our house for dinner.  I made a great Italian meal and served this for dessert.  It was sublime.  After the evening was over I still had half a cheesecake left and complained to Ben about having so much left over.  He suggested taking it to work with him – but I couldn’t part with it.  And then proceeded to eat it all myself (with a little help from Ben).

For any “Friends” fans out there, in the episode where Rachel and Chandler eat all the stolen cheesecakes, this is exactly as I always imagined those would taste.   I served it with a quick strawberry sauce, but honestly, this needs no accompaniment and I think it is even better plain.  The texture is absolutely perfect – creamy, thick, smooth and it slices beautifully.  The only thing I will do differently next time is to turn the cheesecake midway through baking for more even browning on top.  This was not indicated in the recipe but it should be.  An instant read thermometer is really the best way to ensure that your cheesecake is fully cooked, and it is a very useful kitchen tool overall, so if you don’t have one just get one.  It is an inexpensive good investment and you’ll be glad you did!

New York Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the crust:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 additional tbsp., melted for greasing the pan
4 oz. (approx. 8 whole) graham crackers, broken into rough pieces and processed into fine, even crumbs*
1 tbsp. sugar

(*Note – if you have a kitchen scale, definitely weigh the graham crackers.  I found the amount to be significantly different than the number of whole crackers they suggest.  Of course, it varies depending on size/brand of cracker.)
 
For the cheesecake: 
2 1/2 lb. (5 8-oz. pkgs.) cream cheese, cut into rough 1-inch chunks, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks plus 6 large eggs, at room temperature 

Directions:
To make the crust, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 1/2 tablespoon of the melted butter.  In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons melted butter, and sugar.  Toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Transfer the crumbs to the springform pan and use the bottom of a ramekin to firmly press the crumbs evenly into the pan bottom.  (Note: this is a fabulous technique!  I have used it several times since, and it does a great job.)  Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around the edges, about 13 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.

Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low speed to break up and soften it slightly, about 1 minute.  Scrape the beater and the bottom and sides of the bowl well with a rubber spatula; add the salt and about half of the sugar and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape the bowl; beat in the remaining sugar until combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape the bowl; add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape the bowl; add the egg yolks and beat at medium-low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape the bowl; add the remaining eggs 2 at a time, beating until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl between additions.  (Note: with all this scraping of the sides, a side swipe beater blade is incredibly helpful.  I still used a spatula just to be extra careful, but the side swipe was a big help.)

Brush the sides of the springform pan with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon melted butter.  Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills in case the pan leaks.  Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake 10 minutes; without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until the cheesecake reads about 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center, about 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool until barely warm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Run a paring knife between the cake and the springform pan sides.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.  

To unmold the cheesecake, removed the sides of the pan.  Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan to loosen, then slide the cake onto a serving plate.  Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.  (Use a long, thin, sharp knife that has been run under hot water and then dried for slicing.  Wipe the blade clean and rewarm between slices.)

Source: slightly adapted from Baking Illustrated

Add this to the ever-growing list of dishes that I have had marked to try forever, and now am kicking myself for not trying sooner!  This was an excellent meal, and a great way to expand what you make on the grill.  I must admit I was a bit unsure about the pineapple rice as a side dish, and almost skipped it entirely, but it ended up being my favorite part of the meal!  The pineapple and scallion may seem like an odd combo, but the flavors compliment each other nicely.  The pork kebabs were great as well, but I felt like the honey and pineapple juice glaze really wasn’t very noticeable after grilling.  Next time, I will toss the meat in a bowl with the glaze and let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb more of the flavor (I have noted these changes in the recipe below).  This is a fabulous summer meal for the grill!

Pacific Pork Kebabs with Pineapple Rice
Ingredients:
For the kebabs:
Juice reserved from draining 1 (8 oz.) can pineapple tidbits (for rice)
1/3 cup honey, warmed
1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

For the rice:
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions: 
In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice and the honey.  Mix well.  Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper.  Add to the bowl with the glaze, toss well to coat, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium heat.  Lightly oil grates with vegetable oil.

To assemble the kebabs, alternately thread the pork and bell pepper pieces onto skewers.  Brush with any of the remaining honey mixture.  Grill until the pork is cooked through and peppers begin to char, about 10-15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, to make the rice, cook according to package directions.  Once cooked, mix in the scallions, pineapple tidbits, and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Fluff with a fork.  Serve the kebabs with rice and lime wedges.  

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart Living

I know it’s been a really long time since I have done a baby food post.  No, I haven’t given up on making my own baby food – on the contrary, it’s actually been going wonderfully!  With the exception of Gerber Puffs and Yo-Baby yogurt, I have made all of Andrew’s food thus far.  It has been great!  We made our way through most of the single fruit or vegetable purees, and I decided since Andrew is now almost 11 months old (!) it was time to branch out in flavors, textures, etc.  One great way to incorporate more flavors into his foods is with cheese and herbs.  This was a quick and simple dish to whip up for him, made even easier with my immersion blender.  I have been using this more and more for baby food lately, since I am making smaller batches of food more frequently for the sake for variety and freshness.  Andrew really enjoyed this combination and it made four nice sized portions for him.  It’s a keeper!

He wasn't quite so sure about it after the first bite...

...but he quickly warmed up to it and was cheering for more!

Tomato, Cauliflower and Carrot with Basil
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup chopped cauliflower florets
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
2-3 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place the carrots in a small saucepan.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.  Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes more.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in another pan over medium heat.  Add the tomatoes to the butter and sauté until mushy.  Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and cheese until melted.  Puree the carrots and cauliflower with the tomato sauce and about 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

Source: adapted from Top 100 Baby Purees

As soon as I read the title of this recipe, my first thought was, “YUM!”.  These were pretty much guaranteed to be a hit in our house.  We love chicken Parmesan and we love burgers, but it never occurred to me to combine the two.  Thanks to Elly for such a phenomenal idea!  These completely lived up to my expectations.  This is a very simple dinner that requires little effort, and I think it is perfect for a weeknight.  I cooked these with the broiler but I’m sure they would be wonderful on the outdoor grill as well.  These will definitely be something I make again and again!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Ingredients:
For the burgers:
1 lb. ground chicken
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely diced
Salt and pepper

For serving:
Pasta sauce
Mozzarella or provolone cheese (sliced or shredded)
Sautéed mushrooms (optional)
4 hamburger buns

Directions: 
In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients for the burgers.  Mix well until thoroughly combined.  Form the mixture into 4 patties.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Preheat the broiler.  Spray the broiler pan with cooking spray.  (Alternatively, cook the burgers on an outdoor grill or grill pan.)  Broil the burgers for 4-6 minutes on one side, then flip and broil for 4-6 more minutes on the other side until fully browned and cooked through.  Remove from the oven, top each burger with pasta sauce and cheese.  Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds until the cheese is melted.  Top with sautéed mushrooms if desired, and serve on toasted hamburger buns.

Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa!

So, for those who may not know yet, I graduated from medical school last weekend.  This means I’m officially an M.D!!!  How strange is that?!  It’s been a long time coming and boy, does it feel good!  After the graduation ceremony, Ben took on the role of head entertainer and threw me a wonderful graduation party with family and friends.  He refused to let me make any of the food, but I absolutely insisted on making the dessert.  After all, it is my favorite meal of the day!  I considered many options but ended up settling on these ice cream cupcakes because I thought they went well with the laid back cookout we were hosting.  

Now for a moment, let’s all stand in awe of this fantastically awesome dessert.  Brownie + strawberry ice cream + ganache = three of my favorite things ever = AMAZING!!!  Why did I not think of this myself, and why did I not try them sooner?  These are just incredible.  I now have a goal of saving a little bit of every ice cream I make this summer, and then making a huge batch of these with various cake/ice cream/topping combos.  This strawberry chocolate combination is particularly wonderful and this dessert went shooting right up into the ranks of my top favorites.  And, they are a hit with adults and kids alike which is always a plus!

Strawberry Ice Cream Brownie Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the brownies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/8 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the ice cream:
1 batch strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

For the ganache:
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
(Note: I ended up needing more ganache, and made an extra half batch) 

To garnish:
Fresh strawberry slices

Directions: 
To make the brownie bottoms, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with foil liners.   Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; stir together and set aside.  In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water combine the butter and chocolate.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.  In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract.  Whisk to blend.  Stir in the warm chocolate mixture, and then the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into cupcake liner.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 6-8 minutes.  Leaving the brownies in the cupcake pans, cool on a wire rack to room temperature.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes.  Top with strawberry ice cream until the cupcake liner is full.  (If the ice cream is freshly made, it is just the right consistency for filling the cupcake liners.)  Return the cupcake pans to the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  

To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Pour the cream evenly over the chocolate, let stand for 1 minute.  Stir until smooth with a rubber spatula.  If the ganache is too thin, allow it to stand at room temperature to cool and become more easily spreadable.  Once the ganache is at the correct temperature, scoop it by the teaspoonful on top of the ice cream cupcakes and spread over the tops.  Garnish with fresh strawberry slices, if desired.

Remove cupcakes from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker 

Last week I arrived at our babysitter’s house to pick up Andrew and she informed me that it was their dog Jim’s birthday.  Well, I made cupcakes for two of her daughters for their birthdays earlier this year, so it seemed fitting that I make some treats for Jim as well.  He is a super sweet dog – more catlike in a lot of ways, which makes me like him even more :)  Their youngest daughter (who, incidentally, will be receiving some very special birthday treats of her own today) has a peanut allergy so most of the dog treat recipes I have seen were not going to work.  A quick search led me to these dog treats on Nikki’s blog, and they seemed just right.  I already had almost all of the ingredients on hand, so that was an added bonus.  Normally I insist on trying essentially every recipe posted on my blog, but this is an exception.  I’m sure these are entirely edible but I did not even consider it.  Yuck.  But, both Jim and his canine brother Newman loved these treats!  They gobble them up, and I get a little extra attention from Jim whenever I come over now – win, win situation!

The birthday boy, Jim, standing at attention

Yummy!

Newman enjoyed them too!

Dog Treats
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, butter, and boiling water.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Grease cookie sheets.

Add the cornmeal, sugar, beef bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg to the bowl.  Mix well.  Stir in the whole wheat flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour if necessary until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Divide the dough in half.  Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out with a rolling pin to 1/2-inch thickness.  Cut with a cookie cutter and space evenly on prepared baking sheets.  Reroll remaining dough scraps and continue cutting until all dough has been used.

Bake 35-45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.  Let cool completely.

Source: adapted from Pennies on a Platter

I know I say it often, but I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time.  I mean, a really long time.  It comes from the first Barefoot Contessa cookbook I owned, and it was one of the first recipes to catch my eye.  Who knows why exactly it took me so long to try these, but not long ago I found myself with a large bunch of fresh dill in the refrigerator and a brunch with the in-laws coming up – it was time!  Don’t get me wrong, I love sweet scones with fruit or chocolate, but these were a really nice change from the usual.  The dill flavor was present but subtle, and nicely complemented by the cheddar.  I also must rave about the texture of these scones.  They were flaky and buttery and fabulous!  Scone dough can sometimes be tricky to work with depending on the recipe, but this dough was just perfect.  It came together with just the right amount of moisture so that it was not too dry or too sticky.  These would be a great savory option to serve at a brunch as a counterpart to another sweeter flavor of muffin or scone.

Cheddar Dill Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, diced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
4 oz. extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, diced small
1/2 cup minced fresh dill
1 egg beaten with  tbsp. water or milk, for egg wash

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.  Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture.  Combine until just blended.  Toss together the cheddar, dill, and 2 teaspoons flour and add them to the dough.  Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for 1 minute, until the cheddar and dill are well distributed.  Roll the dough into a 3/4-inch thick, 8-inch square.  Divide into 4-inch squares and then cut those in half diagonally to make triangles.  Transfer the dough triangles to the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the tops with egg wash.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden and the inside is fully baked. 

Source: adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

A couple of weeks ago after posting my owl cupcakes, I received an email from a reader wondering if I had a recipe or method for decorating cupcakes to look like ladybugs.  Her daughter’s first birthday is coming up and the party is ladybug-themed.  Hello, Cupcake! has tons of fun and unique cupcake ideas, but ladybugs is not one of them.  I began writing back to her to tell her I did not know of a ladybug cupcake, but then immediately an idea popped into my head and all at once I knew how I would make them.  So, instead I wrote her back saying that I would give it a shot and see how she liked them.  Well Sara, here you go – I hope these are what you were looking for!

I had such a blast coming up with these on my own.  I did a lot of experimenting with different “materials” (cookies, candies, etc.) and methods of assembly to get exactly the look I was going for.  I took step-by-step pictures along the way since this is more of a method than a recipe.  Enjoy!

Ladybug Cupcakes
Supplies needed:
12 chocolate (or other flavor) full-size cupcakes
1 package Oreo Cakesters
Red candy melts (I used about 1/2 bag)
Black M&Ms
Canned vanilla frosting, half colored green and half left plain
Mini Oreo cookies
Black licorice

As always, I started with Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes.  They are just so simple to throw together and taste great every time.  (I didn’t show it in the picture, but I did end up leveling some of them.)

Separate one of the chocolate cookies from an Oreo Cakester and split it in half.  These will be the ladybug wings.  Do the same with the remaining half and discard the filling.  (I chose Oreo Cakesters because they are much easier to cut than regular Oreos.  They require a bit more care because they are softer, but I found them much easier to work with.  They also happen to be the perfect size for fitting on top of the cupcakes.)

Repeat this process until you have 12 sets of wings.

Melt red candy melts in the top of a double boiler.  

Carefully dip the top side of each cookie half into the melted red candy to coat evenly.  I found the best method for handling this step was to place the cookie half face down in the red candy melts, then gently remove it using two forks (one to tip it out of the candy, one to hold it) so that as little candy melt gets onto the bottom side of the cookie as possible.  Gently shake the fork holding the cookie half to remove excess candy, if necessary.  Transfer to a work surface and top with black M&Ms.  (I tried many different candies for the ladybug spots including mini M&Ms, chocolate chips, and jelly beans, but ultimately chose regular black M&Ms for size and color.)  Allow the candy to set completely before proceeding.  

(If there are little jagged bits of hardened candy sticking out around the edges, it is okay because they are mostly surrounded by frosting.  If they really bother you though, just trim them off with a small paring knife.)

Using a plastic bag with the corner cut off, pipe two large blobs of plain frosting onto a cupcake.  This will be used to “glue” the wings on.

Place the wings on the cupcake, all the way to one side of the cupcake so that there will be room for the head.  Squeeze another blog of frosting in front of the wings, where the head will be.

Before placing the head on the cupcake, cut two short pieces of black licorice and stick them in between the cookie pieces of the mini Oreo to look like antennae.  (I could not find regular black licorice so I had to make due by cutting small pieces of black Twizzlers.)  Once the head and antennae are assembled, place the head on in front of the wings.

(Note: I think Junior Mints would also be perfect for the heads, but they would not hold the antennae as easily as the mini Oreos do so that is why I ended up choosing to use the cookies.)

Using another plastic bag with the corner cut off and filled with the green frosting, pipe small blobs of frosting around the front of each ladybug to look like grass. 

And that’s it!  I was actually surprised at how simple these were.  Definitely less involved than some of the other cupcakes I have made.  

My niece certainly seemed to enjoy them! 

Source: Annie’s Eats original

Yogurt and fruit are two of my most favorite snack foods.  I eat them every single day and never get sick of them.  I rarely combine the two though, unless it is in the form of an occasional smoothie.  Last week I decided to try this honey yogurt dip to pair with fresh fruit.  This is barely a recipe, as it is only three ingredients, but somehow I managed to mess it up.  The original recipe calls for 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  I really like cinnamon so I just added 1/2 teaspoon right off the bat.  Big mistake.  The whole thing tasted so cinnamon-y, I could barely stand it.  Thankfully I was able to fix it by simply adding more yogurt and honey until the cinnamon flavor had mellowed, but let this be a warning to you – err on the side of caution.  You can always add more cinnamon but it’s not so easy to take it away!  Next time I will add just a tiny bit, because I think the honey yogurt flavor is fantastic and I really want the honey to be the star of the show.  I have never used Greek yogurt before this, but I am now a big fan of it.  It is deliciously thick and creamy.  I will make this again soon, correctly next time, for a wonderful healthy snack!  I also think it would be a welcome addition to any brunch or light lunch menu.

Honey Yogurt Dip
Ingredients:
1 (7 oz.) container 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey (Use local!  You’ll taste the difference.)
Ground cinnamon, to taste

Directions: 
Combine the yogurt and honey in a small bowl.  Mix thoroughly until smooth and well combined.  Add a very small amount of cinnamon, taste, and adjust accordingly.  Cover and refrigerate.  Serve with fresh fruit. 

Source: adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

On the cooking message board I frequent, one question that is asked over and over again is what sort of meal is best to bring to new parents.  I feel I have some experience in this area, as I have been both the giver and receiver of such meals.  First of all, just know that new parents will be grateful for anything that you bring them.  As always, it is the thought that counts, and most new parents are just happy to have a meal that they did not have to spend time, energy, or money on.  I know that we hugely appreciated every single meal that we received after Andrew was born.

Of course, as a foodie, I try really hard to come up with something a little bit different than what others might bring.  Not because there is anything wrong with the norm, but just to provide some variety.  Baked pasta dishes and chili or similar items are likely the most common meals brought over, and for good reason.  They are well-liked, make large quantities and they are stored and reheated well.   Just to spice things up a bit, I decided to go for a Mexican theme when I made two meals for friends with new babies.  I made chicken enchiladas, homemade salsa with tortilla chips, and Mexican rice.  I also think it is a nice touch to provide food for breakfasts and/or snacks as well, because new parents need to eat more than just dinner.  I added a batch of classic hummus and a large bag of fresh veggies to each package so that they would have a tasty and healthy snack within easy reach, rather than grab for something less nutritious.  Caring for a newborn is hard work after all, so it is important to be sure the parents are taking care of themselves as well!  I also threw in a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip muffins for a quick and easy breakfast.

Whenever I bring a meal over to a family, I always check with them at least a few days in advance to be sure that they will be home and that no one else is planning to bring a meal the same night.  I also make sure to ask if there are any foods that they do not like or that they are allergic to.  And of course, it never hurts to ask if there is anything in particular that sounds good or that they are craving.  I make sure to clearly label everything that I bring, especially with instructions for baking, etc.  Finally, I package everything in disposable containers so that the recipients will not need to bother returning anything to me.  Aside from the Mexican meal, another meal idea that I have found that goes over very well is a batch of soup and fixings for sandwiches, such as grilled cheese.

In this case, one of the moms I brought food to recently had to eliminate dairy from her diet for the sake of breastfeeding.  I had originally planned to make the famous “Benchiladas”, but those contain dairy, dairy and more dairy.  So, I came up with my own concoction and I think it turned out pretty well.  I made grilled chicken with a spicy wet rub, mixed it with some extra Mexican rice and a can of black beans.  I put this in tortillas, topped with salsa, rolled them up and baked until warmed through.  I made a couple to taste test myself before feeding them to others, and I thought they were great!   They were a hit with my friends as well so I am happy the experiment turned out to be a success.  I did not top them with any sort of enchilada sauce since I think that often masks the flavors of whatever is inside the tortilla, but you certainly could add it if you desire.  All in all, both families were extremely appreciative of the meals and as a bonus I got to cuddle some very precious newborn babies!

It seems that this spring has been full of brand new babies amongst my friends!  I have been dying to do something as a little gift for the newly expanded families, but my crazy work schedule last month prevented me from getting it done.  I bought this cookie cutter online and knew immediately this was what I wanted to do.  As soon as I had some free time this month though, I got straight to work on these cookies.  I made one batch of my favorite sugar cookies for each family and decorated the cookies with the baby’s name, birth day, and other fun designs.  These cookies turned out just as cute as I had imagined, and were really so much fun to decorate.  I wanted to come up with a different design for each cookie in a set, so I had to get creative!   

I continue to improve on my royal icing skills the more I work with it.  The old adage “Practice makes perfect” really applies in this situation.  The more times I make and decorate with royal icing, the more I realize exactly what consistency is best for piping, flooding, etc.  I also picked up a few more tips along the way this time and thought I would share them in addition to my original guidelines.

• I cannot stress enough, make sure you thin your icing enough so that it is easy to work with (for both piping and flooding).  If it seems too stiff, it probably is.  As a general rule now whenever I think I have the icing to the right consistency, I add a little bit more water just to be sure.  
• I think a squeeze bottle is a hugely helpful tool for flooding.  You can find them in any arts and craft store or most kitchen stores.  They are inexpensive and you will be glad you have one.  (Bonus – I have also found many other uses for them since purchasing them for cookie decorating.)
• I only have one of each round tip I like to use for piping the outlines and details.  Rather than buy lots of extra tips or wasting pastry bags, I use the same icing bags for piping the outline as I do for the detailing later.  Simply remove the outer piece of the coupler and the icing tip itself, and cover the remaining base with a small piece of plastic wrap.  Then when you are ready to pipe on the detailing, just add whatever tip you desire for decorating and replace the coupler. 
• If you make large/wide designs of the piped icing in the detailing (for example, the hearts or butterfly in the first picture), it is usually not very pretty initially.  I found that using a small (clean!) paintbrush dipped lightly in water was able to smooth these designs out for a much more finished look.
• One great thing about royal icing is that mistakes are easily fixable.  When piping on designs, if your hand slips or you just aren’t happy with the way your design turned out, lightly wipe off the area with the edge of a paper towel or a Q-tip.  It comes right off and you can try again!

I brought over much more than just sugar cookies to some of the new parents.  Stay tuned and soon I will be sharing my ideas on easy and delicious meals for families with new babies!

This week I decided to bake some muffins for my breakfasts.  I have plenty of recipes I would like to try so I just randomly chose this one out of the many I had marked.  These were especially convenient because the only ingredient I needed to buy was blueberries.  I wasn’t sure quite what to expect since I already have a favorite blueberry muffin recipe and I didn’t know how these would compare.  With the whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and very little fat, I was afraid they would taste like health food.  There was no need to worry though, these were great!  The flavor was fantastic – the little bit of cinnamon goes a long way.  The oatmeal provided a really fabulous hearty texture, and the applesauce kept them wonderfully moist.  In other words, these can stand up against my other favorite not-so-healthy muffins any day.  And even better, I don’t feel guilty grabbing a second one!

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I highly recommend fresh!)

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl combine the applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and egg.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the applesauce mixture.  Stir together just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker

The winner of my comparison, Pioneer Woman's mac and cheese.

I’ve always been a fan of macaroni and cheese – who isn’t?  Of course, most of my life that referred to the kind from a blue box.  Because that was always my standard for mac and cheese, I never quite understood why people liked baked mac and cheese.  In my experience, it was almost always an dried out, flavorless dish at potlucks – that is NOT mac and cheese!  Eventually I learned my favorite way to make mac and cheese was the way my nanny always made it while I was growing up.  She would just cook the noodles, throw in some butter, milk and American cheese slices, season with salt and pepper and voila!  It was and is to this day, fabulous!  But in the cooking world I have noticed that most people really love baked mac and cheese, so I decided to try five different recipes from trusted sources and see if I could find one that even I would enjoy.

I diligently baked through all five recipes, and while all were good and some were definitely better than others, there was no clear stand-out winner.  None of them were that perfect mac and cheese I was hoping for.  I decided that maybe I just did not like baked mac and cheese, period.  I was pondering whether to even post my results or just scrap the whole idea when one more mac and cheese recipe popped up in my Google Reader – from Pioneer Woman.  Of course I knew I had to try it since none of her other recipes have failed me yet, but I was particularly intrigued by her recipe because she claims you can eat it simply mixed with the cheese sauce, or baked.

I’m sure you can see where all this is leading.  Pioneer Woman’s version did turn out to be my clear winner.  I made half a batch unbaked, and baked the rest in ramekins.  Though I was very excited at the prospect of the non-baked version, I would not recommend it.  It was okay, but not great.  The flavor of the dry mustard was too strong and it just had a strange texture.  I wasn’t expecting to like the baked version better, but it blew me away.  The texture was perfectly creamy, possibly due to the egg in the sauce, and the cheese flavor was perfect.  The recipe makes a huge quantity but I ended up baking all of it and we ate every last bit over the course of a week.  (I only got pictures of her unbaked version – sorry!)

Now let me say in hindsight, I wish I had used some sort of objective scoring scale to differentiate between all of these recipes (texture, cheesiness, flavor, etc.) but I did not.  I will just quickly summarize my thoughts on the others here, and then get to the good one!

The runner up - smoked mac and cheese from Williams Sonoma.

Alton Brown – this probably ended up being my least favorite of the recipes.  It just didn’t have a very cheesy flavor.  It did taste slightly better as leftovers and I liked the Panko breadcrumbs on top, but I just wasn’t crazy about this version.  

Picky Palate – I was really expecting to like this recipe because it uses some wonderful cheeses (gruyere, mascarpone, etc.) but I thought while it was incredibly creamy, the cheese flavor again was just not strong enough.  (Ben loved this one.)

Ina Garten – This was probably my second favorite of the runners up.  The cheddar and gruyere gave it a nice flavor and I liked the use of cavatappi noodles.  I did skip the tomato slices on top because I just wanted a classic version.

Southern Living (via Elizabeth’s Edible Experience) - This is the only recipe of them all that does not involve making a roux as the base of the cheese sauce.  This is made even quicker and easier by simply adding the milk, flour and seasoning to a container, shaking vigorously and then mixing it with the cheese and noodles.  I was actually surprised at how well this turned out considering how easy it is.  It was good, just not the best.

Williams Sonoma – this was my favorite of the runners up.  I think the smoked gouda imparted a great flavor and the buttery French bread crumbs on top were a great touch.  This was excellent as leftovers, and I would make it again.

Pioneer Woman’s Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheese, grated (I used all cheddar, but I’m sure a combination would be great too)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2-1 tsp. ground black pepper
Dashes of cayenne, paprika, and thyme (optional) – (I used all three)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cook macaroni according to package directions until slightly firm.  Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly and being careful not to burn.  Add the milk to the pot, stir in the dry mustard, and whisk until smooth.  Cook the mixture for five minutes until very thick.  Reduce the heat to low. 

Add the beaten egg to a small bowl.  Take 1/4 cup of the warm sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the egg.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly.  Stir until smooth.  Mix in the cheese, reserving a handful for topping, and stir until completely melted.  Add in salt and other seasonings.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Add the drained cooked macaroni to the pot and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with reserved cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Last week I was trying to decide what new flavor of ice cream I wanted to try next, but so many things sounded good that I was overwhelmed.  Then I realized I had a couple of half empty packages of Oreos leftover from other recipes like this and this.  So, Oreo ice cream it was!  Many times in the past when I have considered making Oreo ice cream, I thought I would just throw chopped Oreos into my favorite vanilla ice cream and call it good.  But then I saw this recipe on Nikki’s blog and I decided to give it a try.  I’m glad I did, because I think the custard base makes this truly worthy of the “cookies and cream” title.  I have always noticed when ordering cookies and cream at an ice cream shop that it seems creamier than your average ice cream, and this seems to be the key.  Don’t get me wrong, that classic vanilla is very creamy on its own, but this French-style batter puts it over the top.  

I made one minor adaptation from Nikki’s version.  She commented in her post that her ice cream was much darker than she had hoped for.  I attribute this to adding the cookie pieces while the ice cream maker is still mixing.  In my experience, this simply mashes your mix-ins and makes scary noises.  I prefer to fold in all my mix-ins by hand once the ice cream has been transferred to a storage container, so that they are left intact and the batter is still a nice cream color.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
15-20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped 

Directions:
Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.  Heat until bubbles form around the edges.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and well combined.  Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.   Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5-8 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon (about 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).  Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until completely chilled.

Once the mixture is well chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Once the mixture is softly frozen, transfer half of it to a storage container.  Add half of the chopped Oreo pieces and fold in gently with a rubber spatula.  Add the remaining ice cream and Oreo pieces to the container, and fold once more until the mixture is evenly combined.  Freeze until completely hardened. 

Source: adapted from Pennies on a Platter