Pie dough is one of those things that a lot of people, even some really good bakers, find intimidating.  I’m not exactly sure why, but I’m amazed at the number of people who resort to purchasing the frozen kind.  It’s so easy to make your own, and requires only pantry staples so you can make it at a moment’s notice.  Now I know everyone seems to have their own thoughts on the “right” way to make pie dough.  Some people insist shortening is necessary for a truly flaky crust.  Some chill the ingredients at multiple stages throughout the process.  I have tried probably close to 10 different recipes and at least in my book, they all end up with a pretty similar result.  For me, that means shortening is not necessary (I hate it anyway) and all that meticulous chilling, well, I just don’t think it makes a significant difference.

You can use whatever recipe floats your boat – they are all variations on a basic theme, and there are just a few key techniques that help you achieve that buttery flaky crust we all love.  I have included my favorite recipe at the bottom of this post.  Another great thing is that you can make the dough so many different ways depending on what kind of equipment you have around.  You can simply use a mixing bowl with a pastry cutter or two knives, or you can use a food processor or stand mixer (my preferred method).  The principles are the same no matter what equipment you use so if you don’t have fancy kitchen equipment, do not be deterred!  Let’s make pie dough!

First, mix up all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Usually a combination of mostly flour, a little sugar, and some salt.

(Time out – who’s that super cute little helper in the mixing bowl?)

Now you’ll take your butter and cut it up into small pieces.  The butter does need to be very cold when you start working and if at any time during the process it starts to get soft or melt, chill it until it is firm again.

Toss the butter into the bowl with the dry ingredients…

…and mix until the mixture is coarse and sandy, and the largest butter pieces aren’t much bigger than peas.  (If you are doing this by hand, just cut in the butter with a pastry blender until you achieve a similar result.  If you are using a food processor, pulse the mixture together.)

Then you add a little bit of very cold water to the mixture and mix just until the dough clumps together.  (Some recipes call for part vodka – again, I don’t think it’s necessary.)

Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 30 minutes.  It’s tough to see in the picture but hopefully you get a bit of marbling effect in the dough from the butter – that’s good.  Those areas of still concentrated butter will help with the flakiness.

Once chilled, lightly flour a work surface.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.  I lift up my dough sheet and rotate it every few rolls or so to prevent it from sticking to the work surface.

Check to be sure your dough is large enough to fit your pie plate.

To transfer the dough easily to your pie plate, wrap it loosely around your rolling pin…

…and then unroll it over the pie plate.

Voila!

I take any excess edge pieces and use them to patch any tears or other edges that seem a little short.

Fill with your desired filling (cherries – mmmmmmmmm).

Repeat the process once more if you are using a top crust.  Lay the top crust over the filling, pinch the edges together in a fluted pattern, and cut slits to allow steam to escape.  Brush with egg wash – this is important!  You want a lovely golden pie crust, trust me.  Sometime soon I’ll do a post on a lattice top crust.  Very easy and pretty, my favorite type of top crust.

Basic Pie Dough
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Yield: 1 9-inch pie crust*
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp. very cold water

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix briefly to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and mix on medium-low speed to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the largest butter pieces are not much bigger than peas.  Mix in the cold water on low speed just until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  (This dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)  Remove from the refrigerator.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface.  Use as directed in your desired pie recipe.

*Double the recipe for a double crust pie.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

I just couldn’t let the Fourth of July pass without making some sort of red, white and blue dessert.  In case you are still looking for ideas, this one is easy and beautiful.  Layers of lemon mousse, fresh berries and white chocolate mousse are stacked in whatever serving dish you choose.  I haven’t always been a lemon lover and even though I now like a lot of lemon desserts, lemon curd still grosses me out.  I was super skeptical even after folding the curd into the whipped cream and taking a tiny sample taste.  But something magical must have happened in the time the desserts were chilling in the fridge.  I suppose the flavors needed time to meld.  When I served them, I ate mine in record time.  The white chocolate mousse was of course my favorite component, but the spoonful containing a little bit of each layer was fantastic.  The flavors are so bright, and the light texture makes this perfect for summer.

Here’s the other great thing about this dessert – it’s very adaptable.  If you dislike lemon even more than I do, skip that part of the recipe and melt double the amount of white chocolate you melt.  If you aren’t crazy about white chocolate or are a serious lemon lover, make twice the amount of lemon curd so you can do all lemon mousse.  Personally I’ll continue to make it with both types of mousse because the layering of flavors was just right.  Enjoy!

Lemon White Chocolate Mousse and Berry Parfaits
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Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
5 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tsp. lemon zest
Pinch of salt
¼ cup plus 2 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
3.5 oz. good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
4-5 cups assorted berries (I used sliced strawberries and blueberries)

Directions:
To make the lemon curd, combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers about 170˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface of the curd (this prevents it from forming a skin.)  Cool until the mixture is at least at room temperature.

Meanwhile, combine ¼ cup of the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl with the white chocolate.  Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Once both the lemon curd and white chocolate mixtures have cooled, beat the remaining heavy cream in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  Once the cream is fully whipped, divide the mixture between the two bowls with the lemon curd and the melted white chocolate.  Gently fold the whipped cream into each until well incorporated, smooth and no streaks remain.

Layer the lemon mousse and white chocolate mousse as desired in serving dishes with berries between the layers.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Bon Appetit, April 2009

Andrew turned two a couple of weeks ago.  Um, what?  How is that possible?  It’s truly amazing how time has flown since we were blessed with our little man.  It’s also mind boggling to see how much he has changed in that short time, and how quickly he is learning.  It’s impossible to describe what a lively boy he is and what a huge personality he has, but I’ll just say we feel unbelievably lucky to have him as our son.

Of course, being the planner and party thrower I am, I was very excited to plan this event.  This year I went with a Dr. Seuss theme because Andrew really likes a lot of the Seuss books and he loves the movie “Horton Hears a Who!”  Here are some pictures from our very fun day!

As always, I feel the invitations really set the tone for an event.  These were easy to make and I loved how they turned out!

I printed out some of my favorite quotes from Dr. Seuss books and hung them in the entryway with red and blue streamers to help set the fun atmosphere of the party as soon as guests walked in.

I couldn’t get a good shot with all of the quotes in the same picture, but there were seven of them.  It was tough to narrow it down!

I’ve seen this birthday banner idea popping up all over the place.  I just couldn’t resist making one myself!  It was fun and easy to make and guests loved looking at it.  So did Andrew!

So, I’ve been positively dying to create a sweet table or dessert buffet, and I thought the red and blue colors would really pop.  Boy, did they!  It was difficult to get a good shot of the whole table so I took a few different pictures.   Here is what was included on the sweet table:
Red velvet whoopie pies
Oreo truffles with blue candy coating
Marshmallow pops with blue candy coating
Sour cherry candies and berry blue Jelly Bellys
Pretzel rods dipped in red and blue candy melts with sprinkles
Red and blue rock candy
Strawberry pops
Caramel corn (you know I can’t resist it)
Coke in glass bottles with red and blue striped straws (I love Coke in glass bottles – it’s an obsession)

I made this little banner to hang above the sweet table.

Instead of making a birthday cake large enough to feed our 30-some guests, I opted for cupcakes with a small 6-inch cake at the top of the tower.  Turns out, making a cupcake tower is easy as can be and it makes for a really nice presentation.

I made “Thing 2″ cupcakes using red velvet cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, and blue cotton candy for the “hair”.  I thought these looked really cute and everyone seemed to get a kick out of them.  One thing to watch out for with the cotton candy topping is, as you probably know, cotton candy dissolves in contact with liquid – and frosting.  Thank goodness I did a test run early in the day and found that it dissolved after 30-60 minutes, so the topping was the very last thing I did before guests arrived.

Of course I just could not resist doing green eggs and ham for the food, so I went with green deviled eggs and ham and cheese sliders.  People loved it!

Wow!  These sliders were so awesome.  I loved them and I’m not usually much of a ham person.  They were devoured quickly.  I’ll be sure to share this recipe in the future!

I kept the non-sweet food table pretty simple.  Other than the green eggs and ham, we did a veggie tray, fruit skewers, and potato salad (not pictured).

The birthday boy had a fantastic time, and really loved the cake (can you tell?)  I had ordered him a cute “Thing 2″ t-shirt to wear but the Etsy seller I ordered from shipped it the day before the party (despite assuring me she had shipped it one week prior.)  Fail.  This shirt seemed to work though!

Our living room was positively covered in toys, wrapping paper, boxes, etc.  Andrew dove right in.

Of course I had to make some favor cookies for the guests.  I made the little “thank you” tags with a stamp and red embossing power – cute and easy!

Oh, how I love this boy.

Vendor Information
Bake It Pretty – red cupcake wrappers, red and blue striped straws
Paper Source – thank you stamp, red and blue polka dot papers
Oh! Nuts – red and blue rock candy, blue cotton candy

It was about about 5 minutes after the last of the chocolate macarons had been devoured when Ben (okay, and I) wondered where all the macarons had gone.  I needed to make more, stat.  Thankfully I already had a list as long as my arm of different varieties I want to try, so inspiration was not lacking.  This time I opted for pistachio macs with chocolate ganache filling.  They were every bit as wonderful as I expected.  I really wanted to fill them with a pistachio buttercream, but after shelling and peeling the pistachios for the cookie shells, my fingers couldn’t take it any more.  (I swear I bought peeled pistachios at Trader Joe’s once before, but now I can’t find them!)  Of course, ganache never hurt anything and it went beautifully with the pistachio cookies.  And now they are gone, and I need to make more.  Which flavor will be next?

*If you’re new to making macarons, be sure to see my chocolate macaron post for step-by-step photos and information on why measurements are provided by weight only.
*Quick note – it is spelled macaron, not macarOOn as so many continue to call them.  These are two entirely different cookies.  Major pet peeve.

Pistachio Macarons with Chocolate Ganache Filling
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Yield: about 25 sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
For the macarons:
225 gm confectioners’ sugar
60 gm blanched, slivered almonds
65 gm pistachios
3 egg whites (about 100 gm), aged 1 day at room temperature
25 gm granulated sugar
Green powdered food coloring (optional)

For the ganache:
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. almond extract (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, combine the confectioners’ sugar, almonds, and pistachios in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the nuts are very finely ground and the mixture is well blended.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.  Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.  Mix in the powdered green food coloring, if using.  (Start with only a little bit at a time.  Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it away.)  Add the ground nut/sugar mixture to the mixing bowl and gently fold in to the egg whites using a wide spatula.  The mixture should remain shiny and flow easily.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip.  Pipe rounds (approximately 1 inch in diameter) onto baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats.  Let rest for 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 315˚ F.  When they are finished resting, baking for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool completely before carefully removing from the baking sheets.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan, just to boiling.  Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.  Allow to sit for 3 minutes.  Using a whisk in small circular motions, combine the cream and chocolate until a thick ganache forms.  Whisk in the butter until well incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the almond extract, if using.  Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until firm enough for piping.  (Speed the process up by chilling in the refrigerator or freezer, whisking every 10 minutes or so.)

To assemble the cookies, match up the cookie shells by size.  Pipe a dollop of ganache onto the flat surface of one cookie of each pair.  Top with the other cookie and sandwich together, pressing gently to push the ganache to the edges of the cookies.

Source: adapted from Use Real Butter, originally from Tarlette

Not too long ago I did a tutorial on my favorite homemade pizza dough.  Baked on a pizza stone, I honestly didn’t think homemade pizza could get better.  I was wrong.  It turns out that cooking pizza on the grill takes it to a whole new level.  I’m sorry I didn’t try it sooner, but I don’t think anyone could blame me after hearing all the horror stories that often accompany grilled pizza attempts.  Cracked pizza stones, dough and toppings sinking through the grates and onto the coals, or having a completely cooked pizza that gets dropped on the ground or falls apart during transfer.  It’s understandable to be intimidated but I’m here to tell you, it’s time to get over those fears because this meal is too good to miss.

My issue of Summer Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated arrived last month and as soon as I saw that they had a recipe for grilled pizza, I was pumped.  Problem solved, no more fears, Cook’s Illustrated never fails me.  When I got into the kitchen after a long work day and was ready to make dinner, I realized that they called for an entirely different dough recipe than my standard – the one I had thawed in the fridge ready and waiting.  It irked me a little because I don’t want to have to make a different dough just for grilling.  I want to use the staple dough that I keep in the freezer at all times.  So, I decided to wing it.  Essentially all I took from the magazine was a general method, but that is really all I needed to make this meal a success.  You can read the recipe for all the guidelines but the main strategies I took away from this was:
1. Oil the grill grates well,
2. Make individual pizzas.  They transfer more easily and are sturdier in general.
3. Cook the dough rounds alone prior to flipping and adding the toppings.  This provides the structural integrity to allow the pizzas to finish cooking with the toppings in place.

There is really not much to it besides that.  I have written the recipe with the toppings that I used, but feel free to use whatever toppings you prefer.  If you decide to go the route of lots of veggies as I did, I recommend salting them to extract some of the excess liquid.  I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary if you are crunched for time, but I think it helps prevent a soggy end result as some veggies (especially the ones I used) can hold a lot of water.  Happy summer everyone!

Grilled Pizza
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Ingredients:
Thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash
Thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt
½ batch homemade pizza dough, at room temperature*
Olive oil
Thinly sliced red onion
Fresh basil, minced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Heat a grill to medium-high heat.   Place the slices zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes in a colander set over the sink or a large bowl.  Toss with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.  Let sit 20-30 minutes to drain excess liquid.

Meanwhile, transfer the pizza dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into four equal portions.  Let rest 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, shape each piece of dough into a flattened round, about 6-7 inches in diameter.  When the coals are heated, generously oil the grates (I use a wad of paper towels dipped in olive oil, and hold it with tongs).  Carefully place the shaped dough rounds onto the grill and cover.  Let cook until nicely browned on the bottom surface, and large bubbles appear on the top surface, about 3-4 minutes.  Carefully remove the partly cooked dough rounds from the grill for topping.

Transfer the dough rounds to a work surface so that the cooked side is facing up (this is the side that will hold your toppings).  Top evenly with sliced zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and red onion.  Sprinkle with minced basil, freshly grated Parmesan and crumbled feta.  Season with pepper, to taste.  Carefully return the topped pizzas to the grill, cover, and let cook until the bottom surface is nicely browned and the cheeses are melted, about 4-6 minutes.  Remove from the grill.  Serve warm.

*This is a recipe where sturdy pizza dough is a must, so I don’t think the store-bought kind from a can would suffice.  I do think something like Trader Joe’s would work, though I have not tried it myself.

Source: inspired by Cook’s Illustrated and everyone who raves about grilled pizza

If you come around these parts much at all, you know how much I adore cut-out sugar cookies, and how much I enjoy decorating them with royal icing.  I sure do, but I can also really appreciate the goodness of a straight up classic sugar cookie.  They should be golden, somewhere between puffy and chewy, and definitely on the large side.  When I flipped across the recipe title “Sugar Saucers” in The Pastry Queen cookbook I thought, perfect!  But then I read the recipe and I was totally turned off.  This recipe uses part butter (yay!) and part vegetable oil (ick) for the fat.  I can handle veggie oil in some cake batters but it just seemed wrong to me in a cookie, so I skipped them.  I put the idea aside for awhile and eventually I thought, what the heck, I’ll give them a shot.  I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with the end result and I’m not sure I have enjoyed a plain sugar cookie this much before.  The texture was perfect – a delicate sugar-sprinkled crust on the outside that gives way to a soft, chewy interior.  Of course now I’m very curious to try the same recipe with butter in place of the oil just for the sake of comparison, and I’ll be sure to update with my results when I do.

Sugar Saucers
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Yield: about 12 large cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sugaring the tops
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest of half a lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  Whisk together to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the vegetable oil and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated.  Mix in the granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar until well blended, about 1 minute more.  Beat in the egg until incorporated.  Blend in the vanilla and lemon zest.  With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes before proceeding.

Using a dough scoop (I used a large scoop), drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart.  Press the dough down evenly to flatten slightly and sprinkle with additional granulated sugar.  Bake about 12-14 minutes for large cookies (8-10 minutes for smaller cookies), until the edges are golden.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with any remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: barely adapted from The Pastry Queen

My son Andrew is a very smart little boy.  I know, I know, every parent thinks their kid is smart.  I’m no exception.  But I have lots of evidence to support this theory.  I won’t bore you with details of all the amazing things he already knows how to do.  I’ll just tell you this – he loves these waffles.  So much so that every morning since I first made them (weeks ago now), the first words he says in the morning are, “Waffles?  Okay, waffles!”  You see, he thinks that if he says, “Okay, ____!” then he has essentially gotten approval from us and will receive whatever he is asking for.  Smart, and maybe a little manipulative ;)

Not only does Andrew love these waffles, but so do Ben and I.  I’ve made some really wonderful waffles like chocolate, cinnamon apple and banana, but I had yet to find my go-to classic plain waffle recipe to be dressed up any way we want.  This is the one.  Thanks to the yeast, these waffles have an amazing depth of flavor that stands up to whatever you choose to top them with.  The texture is quite light and airy, but still sturdy enough to soak up syrup and blueberry sauce.  I suppose the only drawback is they do require enough advance planning that the batter be prepped the night before.  But I consider that a positive because when you wake up all you have to do is mix in a couple final ingredients, plug in the waffle maker and go.  Don’t worry though, I will soon be sharing a morning-of waffle that requires no planning ahead.  Since creating the waffle monster, it has become necessary to have both at my disposal!

Yeasted Waffles
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Ingredients:
½ cup warm water
2¼ tsp. active dry yeast (I use instant – either is fine)
2 cups whole milk, warmed
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl.  (If using active dry yeast, let stand to dissolve 5 minutes before proceeding.)  Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour to the bowl.  Whisk until well blended and smooth (you can also use an electric mixer.)  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.

When you are ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron.  Preheat the oven to 200˚ F and place a plate in the oven.  Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth.  The batter will be very thin.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.  Transfer finished waffles to the warmed plate in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter.  Top as desired with butter, syrup, etc.

Yield: depends on the size/shape of your waffle iron (I make a half batch for our family of three)

Source: slightly adapted from Orangette, originally from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Today is June 21 which means that summer has officially arrived.  Most of us have been experiencing summer weather for quite some time, which is why I’ve never really paid much attention to the calendar dates of the seasons.  (In fact, it is a huge pet peeve of mine that the calendar seasons are so out of sync with the weather – just ask Ben.)  The longer I blog and the more the archives grow, the greater chance that there are some really fantastic past recipes that readers may miss because they weren’t a recent entry.  I thought I would start doing a feature at the (calendar) beginning of each season to highlight some of my personal favorites with you.

I hate the thought of ever having to choose a favorite pie, but if it came down to it my choice would be this blueberry pie.  There is something magical about blueberries after they are cooked and this pie is the embodiment of summer for me.

I used to be lukewarm about pickles until I met this recipe.  Now, I positively can’t get enough of them.  Excuse me while I run and make some.

For me, the very best thing about summer is the abundance of fresh produce, specifically fruit.  Right now my fridge is bursting with so much produce, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make use of it all.  (I will though, I am determined!)  With beautiful bright colors and natural sweetness, combined with vanilla pastry cream it’s positively irresistible in the form of this tart.

Living in the midwest, we don’t tend to use the grill all year round.  (Well, my dad does, but we won’t go there today.)  In summer I try to take advantage of the grilling season by planning at least one or two meals per week on the grill.  These burgers make it into the rotation frequently.  To us, they are the perfect classic burger – nothing fancy or odd, just the right ratio of the usual suspects to take them from good to great.  (They also require the perfect burger bun, in my opinion.)

Berries can be extremely pricey during some parts of the year, but in summer there seems to be a magical few weeks when they are all dirt cheap.  That’s the time to make this summer berry pie.  The lovely berries and their deep jewel tones almost look too pretty to eat.  Almost.

A beautiful summer evening, grilling up some fabulous chicken fajitas while you sit outside on the patio and indulge in a margarita or two = perfection.  That is what I’ll be doing this Friday night, for real.

Cold weather has never deterred me from making or eating ice cream, but the heat of summer certainly makes me crave it even more than usual.  This chocolate ice cream is perfectly thick, creamy and well, chocolatey.  Such a classic treat.

At the end of summer many home gardeners end up with a plethora of zucchini.  Zucchini bread, cupcakes, everything are baked at a frantic pace.  This easy side dish is one of my favorite uses for zucchini, and it is fun to make (I love squeezing out all the water!)

Mississippi mud pie combines two of my favorite treats in one – pie and ice cream.  Very different than a fruit pie a la mode, but certainly no less delicious.  Coffee, toffee, and chocolate?  Yes, please.

This cherry tomato salad is my new favorite summer side dish.  Fresh cherry tomatoes are the perfect match for crisp, cool cucumber and tangy feta in a simple dressing.  It’s love, I tell you.

Sorbet can be the perfect ending to a hot summer day when you want something lighter than ice cream.  This one in particular screams summer to me, with its beautiful magenta color, smooth texture, and sweet-tart flavoring.  It’s good stuff.

For me, one of the very best things about summer is home grown produce.  Pizza margherita is my very favorite because in summer, you can step outside for tomatoes and basil fresh from your own garden.  With homemade pizza dough, it just doesn’t get much better than that.  Except in the form of this tomato mozzarella tart with basil garlic crust – same flavors, but they take on new life in this savory tart.

Summer gatherings spent cooking hot dogs over a fire and ending with s’mores are a popular past time.  This s’mores layer cake is a fun variation on the classic flavor combo, and is an ideal dessert for any summer get together.

It may not be true of everyone, but most people eat with their eyes first.  This is why I prefer cookbooks that have a picture for every recipe.  Despite my best efforts, I sometimes skip over perfectly lovely recipes because there is no picture to make me realize their potential.  Thankfully this recipe was a recent choice for Tuesdays With Dorie, and after seeing it on blog after blog I couldn’t wait to try it.  I’ve made several desserts combining chocolate and raspberries before, but I don’t think you can ever have too many.  This tart is wonderful for many reasons – rich and chocolatey studded with gorgeous ruby red berries, simple to make yet impressive to look at even without a garnish.  I’m very glad to have it in my repertoire because it is suitable for so many occasions.  Enjoy!

Soft Chocolate and Raspberry Tart
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
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 filling:
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2½ tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup (6 oz.) fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

Directions:
To make the crust, 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 400˚ 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 20 minutes.  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, 5-10 minutes more.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300˚ F.  Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.

Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Add the chocolate to the bowl and heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.  Remove from the heat.  Meanwhile, bring the cream and the butter just to a boil.

Pour the cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand 30 seconds.  Whisk together gently until smooth and well combined.  Then stir in the sugar, eggs and egg yolk.  Rap the bowl against the counter gently to break any bubbles that might have formed.

Scatter the berries over the bottom of the crust, then pour the chocolate mixture over the berries.  Bake for about 30 minutes, so that the filling does not jiggle if you tap the pan.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Source: crust from Williams Sonoma, filling from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

I’m not embarrassed to admit my love for certain Mexican chain restaurants that serve massive, calorie-laden burritos – gotta love the Q!  Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer authentic Mexican food but sometimes Mexican fast food just hits the spot.  A quick peak at the nutritional value for any of my favorite entrees from such establishments is enough to send me running to the gym so as much as I may love it, we only indulge a few times a year.

Burrito bowls (basically a burrito minus the tortilla) are a popular menu item in these restaurants, and are often referred to as “naked” burritos.  (I’m a little wary of having that word in the title of a blog post.  Who knows what sort of weird searches could lead people here?)  I never order them myself because if I’m going to indulge, I go ahead and get the tortilla.  But this concept is perfect for a quick and easy, healthy weeknight meal.  I used leftovers from other meals to make these burrito bowls and they were so simple to throw together.  I was pleasantly surprised with what  a great meal this turned out to be.  Tasty, filling, and far better for us than the restaurant burrito.   This isn’t really even a recipe, just a general meal idea, so I have linked to the various components I included in my burrito bowls.  They are incredibly adaptable to suit your own tastes so feel free to experiment!

Burrito Bowls
Ingredients:
Cilantro Lime Rice
Spicy Citrus Black Beans
My Favorite Salsa Ever
Grilled Chicken (next time I’ll use this tequila lime chicken)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream

Inspired by Qdoba, Chipotle, etc.

I get questions all the time from readers, friends and family regarding my menu planning strategies.  To some, it may seem that menu planning, grocery shopping and cooking dinner every night require tons of thought, time and effort on my part.  On the contrary, I find that planning such things ends up saving lots of time and money in the long run.  So I thought a post explaining my thoughts, tips and tricks might be a useful resource for some readers.

Why I Plan a Weekly Menu
We all have to eat everyday. It’s one of our most basic human needs.  But just because it’s a need doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable.  In fact, I think it absolutely should be!  I never want to fall into a rut where we make the same things over and over (and over…) because there are just so many wonderful meals to try.  As much as I love pasta, I don’t want to eat it every night of the week.  When I plan our menus I make sure there is variety, with different types of meals throughout the week.  If we have a high fat meal one night, I try to counterbalance with lighter meals the rest of the week.  I aim to incorporate a variety of proteins as well as vegetarian meals into the rotation to keep things interesting.

Cooking at home is both more economical and healthier than eating foods from restaurants (or frozen or processed foods.) I feel so much better making all our food and knowing exactly how it was prepared.  In addition to planning main dishes, I plan all our side dishes too.  It helps ensure that we are eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables, and keeps every meal well rounded.  This is for the health of myself and my family.  As for the cost factor, I can feed our family of three (including a lot of baking for others) on $80-120/week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Pretty good deal, if you ask me.  Not to mention, if you already spent the money on groceries, you’ll be far less likely to head out to a restaurant.

My free time often feels nonexistent, so it is imperative that I use my time wisely.  By planning a menu, making a shopping list, doing one grocery trip per week, and knowing what meal I will be cooking each night, I save lots of time that could be wasted running to the store for little trips or standing in front of the refrigerator wondering what to make each night.

The Process - Planning the Menu
Now that you know why I plan a menu, here are the things I take into consideration when planning.  (I realize it seems I spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about food but after all, I’m a food blogger.  It’s what I do.)

What sounds good? Always the first thing I think about.  Anything I’ve been craving, it goes on the menu.
How busy is the week? Some weeks are busier than others, and that definitely needs to be taken into consideration.  If I have a lot of other commitments, there is no way I’m spending more than 30 minutes on dinner (but I still make it – just plan simple meals!)
What ingredients do I have around? I’ve found anytime I focus on using items I already have on hand, our grocery bill is significantly lower.
Keep it balanced. If the thing I was craving was a hamburger, I’m not going to plan the rest of the week with meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, etc.
Round it out. Plan side dishes to go with all the main dishes to balance each meal.  If you are making macaroni and cheese, don’t plan other starchy sides like potatoes or bread – eat your veggies!
Sales or coupons? It’s not usually a big priority for me, but occasionally I do look at our store’s weekly ad to see if they have any great deals I should incorporate into my menu, or even items I want to stock up on for later.

Make a List
Once the menu is planned, I make a shopping list.  I gather together all the resources I need including cookbooks, magazines and my laptop.  I look at every single recipe that I plan to make during the week and write down all the ingredients I’ll need.  Even if it is a recipe I’ve made a million times, I still look at it because it’s inevitable I will forget something if I don’t.

While I’m making the list, there’s always a few items where I think, “Maybe we have enough…” but I’m not totally sure.  I write those in the upper right corner of my shopping list.  Once the list is complete, I go to the kitchen for a quick inventory check to see if I actually do have those items or if I need to buy them.  It definitely helps to keep from buying something you already have a ton of (except in my case for oatmeal, which I continue to buy in mass quantities.)

I’ve been buying the majority of our meat and poultry products from our local butcher.  If I plan to buy anything there, I call ahead and place the order so we can just stop by and pick it up on the way home from the grocery if need be.

Now, I shop!  One crucial thing for me is to cross off each item as I buy it otherwise I will always, always forget something.  The list needs to be totally scratched out by the end of the shopping trip.

The Kitchen is Stocked
Once all the groceries are home, I do a quick check of expiration dates in case any meat, poultry, etc. needs to be frozen before the date I’m planning to use it.

Obviously it isn’t a requirement, but having a place to display the menu definitely comes in handy.  Ben can just look at the board whenever he wants to know what is for dinner.  I’m sure this would also be helpful with older kids who can read.

Each evening before bed or in the morning before I leave for work, I check the menu to remind myself of what I will be making for dinner and to move any necessary items from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw during the day.  If I do have some free time in the evening, I may do a bit of prep for the next night’s meal chopping vegetables, making a sauce, etc. so that there is less to do when I get home.  This is especially helpful when I have planned a more labor intensive meal for a weeknight (like my favorite enchiladas).  I can still have whatever yummy food I want, but the work is split between two nights.

That’s it!  Maybe it seems crazy, but the organization makes everything so much easier.   Hopefully this is useful to some of you!

Did you think maybe I was done bombarding you with Oreo awesomeness?  Nope, not even close.  Seems I just can’t get enough Oreos lately.  Combine them with a fudgy brownie (my major weakness) and a cream cheese swirl – well, it just doesn’t get a whole lot better.  I made these for an end of the year parent night in Ben’s classroom and I enjoyed them so much, I seriously considered making something else for the event so I could keep these to myself.  I did give them up but have been missing them ever since.  Guess I better make them again soon!  Word is that these were the most popular of the various desserts I sent, and they were gone in no time.  That speaks for itself, no?  This recipe is easily doubled in a 9 x 13″ pan (and quite frankly, I can’t imagine making them any other way.)

Oreo Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
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Ingredients:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1½ cups coarsely chopped Oreo cookies
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8×8″ baking pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar.  Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; whisk together to combine.  Add the eggs to the pan with the butter-sugar mixture and whisk until well blended.  Whisk in the milk.  Transfer the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the Oreo cookie pieces.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

To make the cream cheese mixture, combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until well-blended and smooth.   Drop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter in dollops.  Use the blade of a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture together with the brownie batter, creating a marble effect.

Bake for about 22-24 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.  (I prefer to refrigerate once the brownies have cooled to room temperature to make for easier slicing.)

Source: adapted from Sugar Plum

It’s funny now when I look back on the past and remember when I thought I didn’t like seafood.  I realize now that I only felt that way because I had never tried any that was properly prepared. (Hellooo, frozen fish sticks?)  Also, I’m from Indiana.  We aren’t exactly known for our abundance of fresh seafood in these parts.  After lots of summer vacations in South Carolina and ordering seafood in plenty of fancy restaurants with great ingredients and great chefs, I positively love it.  I order it probably 90% of the time when we’re dining out – like the two pound lobster I ate during our anniversary date last week (sorry, lobster!)

Now that I know where to get good quality seafood I enjoy preparing it at home.  I still don’t do it quite as often as I might like because it’s fairly pretty expensive to get the good stuff around here, but I do my best.  This crab dip has been on my mind for quite some time, just waiting to be made.  As soon as I was in the vicinity of a store that had good crab meat, I was all over it.  This is a quick snack or appetizer to whip up.  I made it in under 15 minutes while we were running out the door to visit family.  I brought it along and it was devoured in no time.  It’s decidedly not health food so I was glad to have people to share it with.

Creamy Stovetop Crab Dip
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Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, minced
12 oz. lump crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
½ tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes.  Add the crab meat to the pan, including the juices in the can.  Stir in the cream cheese, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Parmesan.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until all the ingredients are warmed through and the cheeses are bubbly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm with crusty bread, crackers or pita chips as desired.

Source: slightly adapted from White on Rice Couple

As if I needed another dessert addiction, it seems I have found one – cheesecake bars.  They are just too convenient!  My favorite indulgent dessert packaged into a smaller, more portable, and slightly less guilty serving.  Then, throw into the mix the classic flavor combo of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow – I stand no chance in resisting.  I loved ‘em.  Another bonus was getting to use my kitchen torch.  It is so fun to use and in this case, it really helped achieve the authentic campfire s’more flavor because the marshmallows rapidly caught on fire (don’t worry, I quickly blew it out!)  My only change for next time will be to add a bit of sour cream to the batter to provide more creaminess that I found slightly lacking.  I have indicated this in the recipe below.  I already have my eye on the next type of cheesecake bars I want to try – stay tuned for that!

S’mores Cheesecake Bars
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup marshmallow cream
2 tsp. cocoa powder
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the topping:
1½ cups mini marshmallows
Milk chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8×8″ baking pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork until well combined.  Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚ F.

To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and marshmallow cream.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and eggs until incorporated.  Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until the center is just set (does not jiggle when shaken gently.)  Remove from the oven.

Evenly top the cheesecake layer with the mini marshmallows.  Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough so the marshmallows begin to melt into each other.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the tops of the marshmallows.  (Alternatively, this can be done underneath the broiler with a very watchful eye.) Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, drizzle with melted milk chocolate if desired.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from Sugar Plum

As much as I love the traditional Mexican rice and refried beans that are often served alongside Mexican food, sometimes it is nice to change it up a bit.  Recently I made these shrimp enchiladas, an old favorite I just can’t get enough of.  Instead of refried beans, I made these spicy citrus black beans, and instead of Mexican rice, I made this cilantro lime rice.  This was a great variation on a theme and the citrus flavors paired well together.  Another perk of this recipe in my mind is its simplicity.  If a side dish is complicated, I’m not likely to make it, especially when the main dish is fairly involved (as with enchiladas).  This is as simple as cooking the rice, blending up the cilantro-lime mixture, and stirring it all together.  That’s the kind of side I can handle!

Cilantro Lime Rice
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Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped

Directions:
Combine the rice, 2 cups water and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, stir briefly, cover and reduce the heat to low.  Let cook, covered, until the water is absorbed and rice is fluffy and tender, 16-18 minutes. (Cooking time can vary depending on the brand of rice.  Check the package directions.)

While the rice is cooking, combine the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic and 2 tablespoons water in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Stir the mixture into the cooked rice and fluff with a fork.

Source: adapted from My Baking Heart, originally from Everyday Food, April 2008

How many wonderful things can be combined in one 9-inch pie plate, you ask?  Cookie crumb crust – check.  Homemade coffee ice cream – check.  Creamy chocolate ganache – check.  Toffee bits – check.  Yep, it sounds and tastes pretty wonderful to me.  Ice cream pies are fabulous desserts because they require little work.  Basically just spreading ice cream into a pie crust, adding some other sweet things to jazz it up, and voila!  Great dessert, minimal effort.  For me the hardest part about this was having the coffee ice cream in my freezer and not eating it.  I have serious will power issues when it comes to this ice cream.  But good news – there was some left over, and it was promptly devoured by yours truly (and Ben, who made me share – sheesh!)  Of course you can use store-bought ice cream and make it even easier, but I haven’t bought a single container since acquiring my ice cream maker.  I just love homemade ice cream!

This is a recipe from the very early days of the blog and I just couldn’t bear for it to be lost in the archives, or ignored because of the hideous picture (which I remember thinking was awesome at the time ::shudder::).   This has got me brainstorming tons of fun ice cream pies for the summer.  I just can’t decide which to try first!

Mississippi Mud Pie
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
1¼ cups chocolate cookie crumbs, such as Oreo
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp. sugar

For the ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup plus 1 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling and garnish:
½ cup toffee bits, divided
3-4 cups coffee ice cream, softened

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  In a small bowl, combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar.  Toss with a fork until well combined and all the crumbs are moistened.  Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool while you make the ganache.

To make the ganache, transfer the chopped chocolate to a small heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1 minute.  Whisk the mixture in small circular motions until the ganache forms.  Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated.

Spread a thin layer of ganache over the bottom of the pie crust, just enough to cover it completely (about 1/3 cup).  Sprinkle half of the toffee bits over the ganache.  Transfer the pie plate to the freezer and chill for about 30-60 minutes, until the ganache is set.  Leave the remaining ganache at room temperature, whisking occasionally.

Stir the ice cream with a spoon or spatula to be sure it is evenly softened and spreadable.  Mound the ice cream into the pie shell and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.  Return to the freezer and chill until the ice cream is set, at least two hours.

If the ganache has firmed up while the pie was chilling, soften it again by heating in a double boiler or microwaving in 20-second intervals, just until it is spreadable but not hot.  Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of ganache over the ice cream.  Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top.  (Work efficiently, as the ganache will harden quickly after making contact with the ice cream.)  Return to the freezer and chill at least 1-2 hours.  Reserve any remaining ganache and let cool until thickened.  Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe on decorative swirls, if desired.  Chill until set.

Let the pie stand at room temperature for several minutes before slicing.  Use a warm, dry knife to slice and serve.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

This spring is the first time I came to truly appreciate asparagus.  I’ve made some great dishes with it before, but I think this risotto is what officially converted me.  When I saw this recipe on the cover of Bon Appétit for May, I mentally filed it as “need to make – soon!”  So, I did.  And you know what?  It was a lot like the spring green risotto, except as with pasta instead of rice and the addition of bacon.  The flavors are remarkably similar, which I consider a very good thing because I’m just a little bit in love with the risotto.  I can just imagine how much better it would have been with fresh peas from the farmers’ market, and you better believe I’ll be making it again just as soon as I can find them.

Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta
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Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta, such as fettuccine
3 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shelled fresh peas (blanched 1 minute), or frozen peas
1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon zest
2-4 tbsp. fresh parsely, minced and divided
¼ cup fresh basil, minced and divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the pasta just until al dente according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.  Return the pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the pancetta or bacon just until crisp, and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.  Pour off almost all of the grease from the pan.  Return the pan to the heat and add the asparagus.  Sauté for 3 minutes.  Add the peas, white parts of the green onions, and garlic to the pan; sauté until fragrant and just tender, about 2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the vegetable mixture, ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, green parts of the green onions, Parmesan cheese, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, half of the parsley and basil to the pot with the cooked pasta.  Toss well until combine.  Add additional pasta water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Transfer to a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle with the pancetta, remaining parsley and basil.  Serve immediately with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.

Source: adapted from Bon Appétit, May 2010

I’ve never been one to think decorated sugar cookies were too complicated or time-consuming.  None of the steps take all that long and anyway, they are fun to make!  But for those that need a quick, low maintenance sugar cookie, look no further.  These are even easier than drop cookies because you just press the dough into a pan, bake, frost, slice and serve.  You get the taste of a sugar cookie without all the fuss.  This makes a huge quantity of cookies (depending of course on what size you cut them).  I did think they were a little lacking in flavor as written, but the recipe is a great base for adding whatever flavoring suits your taste.  Next time I’ll definitely add lemon zest and vanilla bean and have indicated this below, but orange or almond extract would also be wonderful.  Same goes for the frosting – this one is fine, but feel free to use your favorite.  Whatever floats your boat!

Also, a quick announcement – the winner of the Chocomize giveaway is…….
Erica, who said her customized chocolate bar would include: “…dark chocolate with Oreos, peanut M&M’s, and…maybe those candy orange slices?  Yum!”

Congratulations, Erica and thanks to everyone who entered!  Don’t forget that even if you didn’t win, you can still receive 10% off your Chocomize purchase with the coupon code annieseats.

Sugar Cookie Bars
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Yield: about 4 dozen bars

Ingredients:
For the cookie bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Zest from 1 lemon
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.   Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (mine was 12 x 17″).  Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla, seeds from the vanilla bean, and lemon zest.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda.  Stir together with a fork to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed just until incorporated.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer.  Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Blend in the vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the milk.  Tint as desired with food coloring.  Spread over the cookie in the pan, cut into bars and serve.

Source: adapted from The Repressed Pastry Chef

I have a rather fearless nature in the kitchen.  Almost any time I find a recipe that is complicated, time-consuming and involved?  I see it as a challenge – and a fun one at that!  However, for a long, long time, I have been extremely intimidated by French macarons.  These delicate little sandwich cookies are très chic and many people think of them as the next cupcake as far as food trends go.  They can be made in any number of flavors and colors, and every time I see them I yearn.  But these little babies are not exactly known for their easy-going nature and so I have put them off.  I was ridiculously nervous that I would fail because so many things could go wrong.  The wonderful thing about the food blogging world is that you can learn from the expertise and failures of many other people.  I’ve read lots and lots of entries about macarons (particularly those by Tartlette, the unofficial queen of macarons) and finally decided it was time to go for it.  At the rate I am saving various flavor combinations, I really need to get going if I want to try them all in my lifetime.  So, this year for Mother’s Day, my gift to myself was conquering macarons.

It was a difficult decision even deciding what type to try first, but eventually I concluded that before I start investing in various powdered food colorings, I should successfully make a basic macaron and so, I chose chocolate.  (You are all shocked, right?)  I have to say, for all my worrying, everything went perfectly.  I attribute my success entirely to the fantastic advice and pointers of Helen (Tarlette) and Jen.  I took pictures along the way to hopefully help anyone who decides to try these.  And you should…because believe me, you’ll be seeing a lot more macarons around these parts soon and you’ll want to keep up!

Ben and I found these sweet little bites totally irresistible.  Most of the treats I bake are quickly shared with friends, family and coworkers but these were kept at home for ourselves and they disappeared in an embarrassing amount of time.  In fact, I actually had to employ the trick I use with my beloved caramel corn and put them on a really, really high shelf so I wouldn’t eat them before dinner.

Note: You’ll notice all the measurements for this recipe are listed by weight.  A kitchen scale is, in my opinion, an essential and is necessary for making macarons.  Attempting to make these by volume measure would likely be a waste of time and ingredients so volume measurements are not provided.

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

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

Directions:

Pulse the almonds in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and process until blended.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until a smooth, shiny meringue with stiff peaks forms.

Add the ground almond mixture to the bowl with the meringue and quickly but gently fold together using a wide rubber spatula until no streaks remain.  You want to achieve a thick batter that ribbons or flows from the spatula when lifted.

Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.  Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain wide round tip.  Pipe into small rounds on the prepared baking sheets (each round should be about 1-1½ inches in diameter), spaced about 1 inch apart.  Let sit at room temperature for about an hour to develop a hard shell.

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size.  Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before moving the cookies.

(Look, they have feet!)

While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache.  Combine the cream, butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream mixture to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.  Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk gently in small circular motions until the ganache forms.  Blend in the espresso powder.  Let the mixture cool until it is thick enough to pipe.  (To speed chilling, transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator and let cool, stirring every 10 minutes, until thickened.)

Macs baked on parchment paper – a few had less than perfect bottoms.

Baked on the silpat – all were perfect!  (Hence, I have now invested in a second silpat.)

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

Source: Use Real Butter, who adapted it from Tartlette

Man, that’s a long recipe title right?  And it’s really still missing a few components like the grilled chicken and broccoli, but I didn’t think it needed a full paragraph for a title.  This is an old recipe from the archives that I recently rediscovered, and I enjoyed it so much I though it deserved a second go-round.  It’s easy enough to throw together pasta with some cheese, protein and veggies and get a pretty decent meal out of it.  I really love this meal though because all the components combine to make something really special.  The roasted garlic provides a ton of rich flavor to the sauce without making it heavy.  This meal is very adaptable – quick enough for a weeknight, but nice enough for company.  Just make sure to plan ahead and roast the garlic in advance!

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, White Cheddar & Wine Sauce
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Ingredients:
8 oz. tube shaped pasta, such as penne
1½ tbsp. butter
¼ cup roasted garlic paste*
1½ tbsp. flour
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched until crisp-tender
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

*To make roasted garlic paste, peel the outer papery skins off two heads of garlic, leaving the heads still intact.  Slice about a quarter off the top of each head so that all of the cloves are partly exposed.  Wrap the heads in foil and bake at 350˚ F for one hour.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Once cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels and smash with a fork to make roasted garlic paste.

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, whisk in the roasted garlic paste and cook just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.  Whisk the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes.  Stir the white wine and broth into the pan.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cheddar and stir until melted.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in the broccoli florets and chicken pieces, and cook just until heated through.  Mix in the cooked pasta until evenly coated with the sauce. Serve warm.

Source: adapted from Good Things Catered

So maybe you’re thinking, “Annie, don’t you already have a delicious Oreo cupcake recipe on the blog?”  Yes, you are correct.  But I have to ask you – can you really ever have too many Oreo cupcake recipes?  I didn’t think so.  This version is quite different than the first Oreo cupcake recipe I posted.  That version has a chocolate cake base with an Oreo whipped cream frosting.  This one is a vanilla cake with lots of Oreo chunks mixed in, a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting, and a surprise half Oreo at the bottom of the cupcake.

Both versions are wonderful in their own way and I’m not sure which would win in a fight, but I do know that these are irresistible.  These were another coworker birthday choice, and even though I didn’t think anything would ever top the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, I think these are the new favorite for many people.  Personally I loved the big chunks of Oreo throughout the cake, and the Oreo half at the bottom was hugely popular with all who tried them.

If you’re a skilled Oreo-twister, you may be better than I am at getting all of the cream filling off onto one side of the cookie.  I prefer to speed up the process by using a small paring knife to slice one half off leaving the filling attached to the other side.  You can use the remaining non-creamy Oreo halves for garnish if desired.  Personally, I require still-sandwiched Oreos for my garnish because they look and taste better.  For best results, garnish just before serving because the cookie on top will get a bit soft from the frosting (they still taste great though!)

Caramelized onions are magical things.  Don’t get me wrong, I love onions in all different contexts – raw, sautéed, grilled, you name it.  But caramelized onions are in a category all their own.  They are a wonderful topping for focaccia bread, delicious paired with brie in bite-sized appetizers, and brilliant in French onion soup.  Well, this tart is another phenomenal use of caramelized onions because they are paired with flaky, buttery puff pastry.  Can you say yumtown?

I have to admit that I can no longer bring myself to use the store-bought puff pastry because homemade tastes so much better, they can’t even be compared.  The homemade version really doesn’t take all that much effort, just a few steps of rolling out, folding, and chilling (step-by-step pictures here).  But, if you do go the route of store-bought puff pastry, this is a quick and impressive appetizer.  If only I didn’t know just how much butter was in the puff pastry, I would make short work of this tart as a meal all by itself.

Caramelized Onion Tart
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. white wine (optional)
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (or 1 half batch homemade puff pastry)
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the sliced onion, thyme, sugar, salt, pepper and white wine to the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have fully caramelized and are golden brown in color, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together the ricotta and egg yolk until smooth.

To assemble the tart, lay the puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet and fold in each edge about 1 inch.  Spread the ricotta mixture over the puff pastry.  Sprinkle about half of the Parmesan cheese over the ricotta mixture.  Layer the caramelized onions evenly over the ricotta mixture.  Top with the remaining Parmesan.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden and baked through.  Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.  Slice into squares or rectangles and serve warm.

Source: adapted from Savory Sweet Life