Adirondack Baker

Peppermint Bark Macarons!

2021-12-16T12:55:00.002-05:00

Peppermint Bark Macarons!

Photo by Ross Kowalewski, @rkiiifoodphotography

Macarons and I have a spotty history. I've tried so many techniques, relied on sworn "best" or "fool-proof" recipes, and short of praying to the macaron gods, have had varied results. I've been both overly confident and totally defeated. I've had different results from the very same batch of macaron batter! The first sheet comes out beautifully, the next lopsided and cracked. In my failures and successes, I've learned a few things but mainly, simpler is better. So, I have a few standard practices that have given consistently great results (see photo above!) and I'll share those tips with you.

My tips - Read first!:

1. Aged egg whites at room temperature - I let them sit overnight on the kitchen counter in a small bowl covered in plastic wrap with holes punched in the wrap. I've also put them in the fridge for a couple of days until I could get around to making the macarons. This dehydrates the whites a bit so they are sturdier when whipped.

2. Addition of egg white powder - about 1 tbs per 3 egg whites which helps to stabilize.

3. Don't beat the egg whites to death

4. Wipe all surfaces (bowl, beaters, silicone baking mats) with white vinegar. NOTE: I have used parchment paper where the macarons stuck/broke, and the silicone baking mats work beautifully! Don't buy the ones with the recessed wells, though. I've read they can be a nightmare! I bought the silicone mats made for macarons with the printed circles.

5. Oven - preheated to 290 F, middle rack and just ONE cookie sheet at a time.

6. Baking time: 14 minutes for smaller Macs, 16 for larger in my oven.

And here's the shocker: rather than fussing with a food scale and measuring ingredients to the precise gram, I have had consistent success using measuring cups for granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, and almond flour.

Equipment needed:

Two mixing bowls

Hand-held mixer

Spatula

Strainer

Measuring cups

heavy cookie sheets

silicone mats with the printed circles

White vinegar/paper towel

Plastic/disposable pastry bag (16-inch - small won't do) note: I wash and re-use these

#12 Wilton tip with a large circle opening

zip top bag

Recipe:

Macaron ingredients:

1 3/4 c. confectioners sugar

1 c. almond flour

3 egg whites, room temperature, aged

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tablespoon egg white powder

gel food coloring - 2 drops

White chocolate morsels or candy melts, about 4 oz.

candy canes, crushed (about 2)

Chocolate buttercream ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 c. cocoa powder

pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

A couple tablespoons milk

Steps to making the macarons:

1. Preparing: Invert a half-sheet pan or other heavy-duty cookie sheet (thin pans don't work, they get too hot) and place silicone baking mat on top. Wipe down baking mat with white vinegar. You'll need at least two pans prepared this way. The macarons cook more evenly on an inverted cookie sheet. The oven air flows more consistently, I've found.

Into a mixing bowl, sift/strain 1 3/4 c. confectioners sugar with 1 c. almond flour. Any almond flour bits that don't go through the strainer can be discarded. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Mixing:

In another mixing bowl that's been wiped down with vinegar: with a hand-held mixer, beat egg whites until foamy, then slowly add in 1/4 c. granulated sugar. Add in 1 generous tablespoon egg white powder (this stabilizes the liquid egg whites). Beat to just-stiff peaks. You'll know it's stiff peaks when the meringue doesn't flop off the beater and creates a 'beak' or when you can turn the bowl over and the meringue stays firmly in place. You can add food coloring at this point. Use a gel color and just a drop or two. Beat another few seconds until color is infused throughout.

3. Macronage:

Now, take about a third of the almond flour/confectioners sugar mixture and fold it in to the meringue, using your spatula to flatten out the batter. Fold in, around, down until it's all mixed in, and do that two more times with the rest of the almond flour mixture. This process is called 'macronage.' Continue to scrape, fold, turn, and press until the batter begins to flow off the spatula and you can form a loose figure 8 with the batter. The STOP.

4. Piping:

Fit a large pastry bag with a round tip (Wilton #12) or similar sized other brand. I trim off the pointed bottom of the pastry bag just enough so the tip can drop in and fit snugly. Twist tip to close off and then place pastry bag in a large cup or glass and open up. Using your spatula, load macaron batter into the bag, leaving a good 6 inches or so empty so you can twist it shut. I use a twist-tie around the bag at the top of the batter so it won't ooze out.

Holding the pastry bag at a straight up-and-down 90-degree angle, pipe batter from bag to form circles using the guides on the mat or just making consistent 1 1/2-inch macarons or as big/small as you like. Give bag a quick flick to stop the flow and move on to the next one.

5. Resting/drying:

When sheet is filled, carefully but energetically tap the bottom of the pan which helps to release any air bubbles. Pop large bubbles with a toothpick. Now, let the pan rest for about 1/2 hour to 40 minutes OR until you can touch the side of a macaron and it's somewhat dried and doesn't stick to your finger.

About 20 minutes into drying, I pipe out the next sheet so it can rest for 40 minutes as well.

6. Baking:

After 40 minutes resting, carefully place macarons in oven and set timer for 14 minutes. If you can wiggle the top of the macaron at 14 minutes, give it another two minutes in the oven. If it's ready, it won't wiggle.

7. Filling:

Cool completely. Match up tops and bottoms by size and fill half the macarons (bottoms) with chocolate buttercream* recipe follows), using about a teaspoon of filling. Gently press bottoms of two macarons together so filling reaches the edge. I find piping the filling to be easier than using a spoon.

8. Make 'em fancy!:

Melt white chocolate or candy melts in a small bowl in the microwave, according to package directions.

Crush a couple of candy canes in a plastic bag to create peppermint sprinkles. I use a zip-top bag and a meat tenderizer, smooth side.

After you dip the top of an assembled macaron in the melted white chocolate, generously sprinkle crushed peppermint on top. Let cool.

9. Maturing (also known as waiting):

Macarons 'mature' in about a day. Before that, they just haven't reached their full, delicious potential. With the filling in place, the macarons absorb some of their moisture and the flavors develop. So, give them the time they deserve. Of course, if you want to 'test' one, I won't tell anybody!

*Chocolate buttercream:

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and VERY SLOWLY mix together on lowest speed (careful, it can fly out of the bowl). Add vanilla and 1 tbsp. milk, and then add more milk a bit at a time until the buttercream reaches a med/stiff frosting consistency. Less is more with milk, add just a drop at a time because if you add too much, there's no going back.

10. Report back!

Let me know if you try this recipe. It's not as complicated as it sounds, but then again, macarons ARE complicated and I wish you (and me!) luck every time!

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

2021-11-29T14:27:00.005-05:00

This recipe comes just in time for your holiday baking!

Oh Christmas Tree!

In the past I have written about this favorite sugar cookie recipe, one I adapted from the Food Network's own Alton Brown. Since he is a food scientist, Mr. Brown understands a recipe on an almost molecular level. I first made these cookies about 10 years ago, if not before. The recipe stands out for many reasons. It comes together quickly with just a few ingredients. It rolls beautifully, I've found, even without chilling. In fact, though the recipe calls for chilling the dough for an hour, I let it rest at room temperature and roll it out without refrigerating. Cookie cutters work like a dream, and re-rolled scraps are as tender as first-cut cookies. This recipe takes to a sprinkling of sugar or a full-on flood of royal icing. It can be as simple or as elaborate as your energy levels dictate. I use it for almost every holiday, and I even roll it into balls and make jam thumbprints. It's a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, with a prominent butter and vanilla flavor. It's almost as easy as buying prepared sugar cookie dough, but so much better. If I can't convince you to try this recipe, let me just say that you are missing out!

Cut-out Sugar Cookie Recipe, adapted from the Food Network and Alton Brown

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (Always!!!)

Stir together:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

Add:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (my addition)

Optional: add 2 tbsp. freshly grated orange or lemon zest and you won't regret it!

The original recipe calls for chilling this dough for an hour. If you don't want to do that, let it rest for a while (maybe 20 minutes) and roll out at room temperature. Also, if you don't want to roll out all the cookies in one fell swoop, you can freeze half of it to roll out another time. I freeze cookie doughs all the time.

On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps.

(IF you are not planning to frost these cookies after baking, before they go in the oven you can sprinkle with decorating sugars.)

Bake for about 9 minutes but check for a very slight browning on the bottom edge of the cookies. That's the true sign that they are ready to come out of the oven. Without that indication, they are likely underdone.

Cool on pans for about 10 minutes and then cool completely on wire rack. When completely cooled, you can frost.

Royal Frosting: I use this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction blog. It's a wonderful recipe and is linked here.

I do hope you try this recipe this holiday season. I have a feeling it will be your go-to sugar cookie recipe if you do!

I Reject Dieting!

2021-11-17T14:13:00.010-05:00

I REJECT DIETING!

Food and I have had a tumultuous relationship. Most of my young life, I ate what my mother served. As one of seven children, we looked forward to every meal. My Mom made it work. Feeding a family of nine most nights was a feat in itself. We never over ate - there wasn't surplus food after any meal. Leftovers? What were they? We always had enough and it was always delicious, if not simple and utilitarian at times. My mom served basics like spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce and an iceberg salad. Meatloaf and roasted potatoes. Tuna Casserole. Goulash (we called it Beefaroni). Roasts were for Sunday dinners or holidays, and there were memorable holiday meals. We enjoyed simple desserts like Junket custard, Jello (with milk poured over!), Cool and Creamy pudding, or a Friehofer's fruit cookie. I remember loving sliced bananas with milk and sugar. And then there were the occasional treats - we all knew how to add and divide because it there was a box of 24 Popsicles, each kid got three. No more.

My relationship with food got a bit more complicated when I became aware of my pre-teen body, when I developed fat in areas where it didn't previously exist. When you have six siblings, eyes are always on you and brothers can chime in when, perhaps, they should not. I remember one family drive where we approached a bridge where a sign read "Weight limit, 10 tons" and one brother yelled, "Stop! Jeannie has to get out." Ouch. I have long since forgiven him, because he IS a wonderful grown-up brother, but that moment, and others, planted a seed that fully sprouted into a lack of confidence and self-doubt. I actually was thin then, but knew I was fat. Then, I started taking note of everything I should and should not be eating, and I thought everyone else noticed, as well. Here I am, still stung by those words.

Thinking about food constantly had other side-effects. I became obsessed with creating food that was different than the trusted meals and desserts my mother served. My sister Patsy gave me a little metal recipe box for my 12th birthday (I think it was 12) and I started clipping recipes from all of my mother's "women's" magazines before she even had time to read them! I got in a bit of trouble for that. But my recipe box filled up, and I still have it to this day. My Mom indulged my new interest and supported my baking and cooking. The added benefit was that our family enjoyed home-made desserts.

That obsession with food was at the same time I started dieting. My first diet was one where I started eating Swiss Miss yogurt. Yogurt was fairly new to the market where I lived and was almost seen as an exotic health food. I am sure it wasn't, but I managed to get through high school ranging between 115 and 120 pounds. Once I started dieting my weight climbed about five pounds a year, steadily, which became a yo-yo cycle of instability and more self-doubt. I'd diet on Monday. I'd diet on the first day of the month. The first day of the year. For Lent. I'd diet for the upcoming summer. For a fall wardrobe. For a class reunion. Before getting pregnant. After a baby. From Halloween through New Years Day - what a miserable time to deny myself! I dieted ALL THE TIME and the weight kept creeping back and then some. My self-confidence was crushed as I placed so much personal value on the scale. It was indeed a vicious cycle, one which I am afraid imprinted my daughters (and for which my older, wiser self apologizes.)

Finally, now that I am beyond my mid years and am into my later years, after having tried so many diets to become the me I always felt I was supposed to be, I have had a revelation. My personal value is NOT tied to my weight. I am not in search of a vain goal. My goal at age 67 is to have the healthiest next phase as I can. I've tried all these: I am not a Weight Watcher (WW); I am not plant-based (though I love plants); I am not Keto which for me is not sustainable. I am not Vegan, though I tried that too. I have learned that all or nothing in any circumstance does not work for me. The imprinted middle-child in me is much too rebellious. You tell me 'no?' I'm going for it. So, I have come to terms that I am not a dieter. I am an eater, and I choose to eat foods that are good for me. If I have an occasional treat, I accept that and move on. I am a baker, for goodness sake! So, my practice is: low carb as possible, lots of color, tons of water, iced coffee whenever I want it, healthy protein, lower fat options, and a spoonful of ice-cream if my body tells me it's necessary. For me, dieting is about denial and failure. Eating is about putting good things in my body that not only nourish but bring joy, especially when consumed with friends and family.

At this time of year, when some of us may dread navigating upcoming holiday meals and what we will 'allow' ourselves to eat - let go, just a little bit. Have a bit of this, some of that, and allow yourself the true pleasure of partaking of food traditions that mean a lot to you. It's no fun to leave a holiday feast regretting that you didn't enjoy it as much as you might have. Feed your body and your soul! And take a walk for you, not for steps or your smart watch or a spreadsheet. Walk to see the night sky, breathe in the fresh air, clear your head. Everything doesn't have to be measured data to tell you you did a good job.

I will continue to bake, to show it off, to eat delicious meals, to pay close attention to my health 'numbers' and to act accordingly. Giving myself permission to reject dieting is a healthy way for me to take control of my healthy and happy future.

PLEASE comment below if any of this resonates with you.

XO,

Jeannie

The Adirondack Baker

Photo credit

Old-fashioned Baked Egg Custard

2021-11-14T09:43:00.004-05:00

BAKED EGG CUSTARD

Old-fashioned baked egg custard is a comfort food that brings back memories of childhood. I used to make it for my children. It is simple, delicious, and soothing all at the same time. My son used to request it when he was a little boy. Making it again yesterday was reliving a happy memory. With just a few ingredients, it blends together quickly and bakes in a water bath in the oven. The most difficult part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool! It needs no embellishment, no fruit, no whipped cream. It's perfect all on its own, just the way it is. It makes a great breakfast or brunch dish as well - eggs, milk, slightly sweet. What a terrific way to start (or end) the day!

Baked Egg Custard - serves four

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Spray or lightly butter 4 standard-sized ramekins or custard cups (you may have enough for 5)

Have a larger pan ready that can fit the ramekins within

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar (or equivalent sweetener of choice)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

A dash of salt

nutmeg for sprinkling

Directions:

Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla. I used my Ninja blender to do this but you can use a mixer or whisk.

Scald milk but don't let it come to a boil - when tiny bubbles appear on the edge of the pot, remove from heat.

Take 1 cup of the hot milk and gradually blend into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.

Pour the tempered egg/milk mixture back into the rest of the scalded milk. Mix thoroughly.

Place ramekins in pan. Divide custard among ramekins and sprinkle tops with nutmeg.

Pour hot tap water halfway up the pan being careful not to get water into the custard.

Carefully place pan in preheated oven (careful, it is heavy).

Bake 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center of one of the custards comes out clean.

Once the pan has cooled a bit, remove ramekins and let sit for a while.

Now the hard part - wait while the custard cools in the fridge!

Alternately: you can bake one large custard in a casserole dish - bake for about an hour.

Do you have a memoryof a favorite childhood dessert? Please share in the comments below!

A Nice Collection of ADK Baker's Thanksgiving Recipes

2021-11-12T11:02:00.005-05:00

Last night I was thinking that, rather than reinvent the wheel, I would did into past blog posts to bring you a few great recipes for Thanksgiving. And at the end, a glimpse into the Thansgivings we experienced growing up - such happy holidays for all nine O'Farrells!

Be sure to open each link for not only the recipe, but the memories which are just as delicious!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

1. Fool-proof Make-Ahead Gravy, thanks to Jody Shepson!

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/fool-proof-make-ahead-gravy-and-easier.html

2. Mashed Potato Casserole

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/mashed-potato-casserole.html

3. Cornbread Casserole

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/enter-holidays-and-kathryns-cornbread.html

4. Roasted Butternut Squash Mac 'N Cheese

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2013/11/roasted-butternut-squash-mac-n-cheese.html

5. Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2012/11/campbells-green-bean-casserole.html

6. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/whoopie-pies-pumpkin-style.html

7. Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/pumpkin-swirl-cheesecake-with-ginger.html

8. Pumpkin Walnut Fudge

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2013/11/pumpkin-walnut-fudge-for-thanksgiving.html

9. The Morning After - Stuffing Cakes

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-morning-after-stuffing-cakes.html

10. Memory of my childhood Thanksgivings!

http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgivings-past.html

I would LOVE to hear comments, so please add your thoughts below! And be sure to use that search bar on the left for any recipes you don't see here. There are a lot of them!

Gifting Half-a-Batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies

2021-11-10T09:26:00.002-05:00

I love to gift food. Yesterday morning I got up early, before work, to make chocolate chip cookies for my co-worker Lisa's birthday. Her birthday was last Friday but she took the day off, and then there was the weekend, and then Monday we treated her to lunch but I forgot to bake! So, early yesterday I made a half-batch of chocolate chip cookies, boxed them up, and delivered them to her office. (Note: the box pictured is actually a pie box, ordered from Amazon, perfect for a half-batch of cookies!).

Previously, I asked Lisa what her favorite baked thing is. She replied that it's chocolate chip cookies. I asked if she liked them crispy or chewy, and she said "I've never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn't like!" Knowing I didn't need to make a full batch to create a nice gift, I halved my regular recipe. Halving this recipe yields about 2 dozen, perfect to fill a gift box or your cookie jar.

Here's the recipe:

HALF-BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

Mix together:

1 softened bar (4 oz.) unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Whip that together until light and fluffy.

Add:

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat well.

Lightly stir together and add:

1 cup plus two tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

I use a small cookie scoop but you can use a spoon to distribute about a tablespoon of dough per cookie, about 2-inches apart. I get 12 to a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, checking to see that the outer edges are beginning to brown but the centers are just about set - still light in color but no longer wet. Sometimes I add another minute to get there. I bake two cookie sheets at a time.

Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove from pans to wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!

PS - Dear readers: if you share this post with your friends, I will greatly appreciate it! I am working to get my readership back to previous levels. That will take some time, I understand, but a little boost will certainly help. Thank you!

Easy No-Knead Sourdough Bread

2021-11-03T11:18:00.000-04:00

EASY NO-KNEAD SOURDOUGH BREAD!

My baking friend Matt Kopans shared this super easy no-knead sourdough bread recipe, and it changed my bread-baking life! There's no yeast, just a few ingredients, and only a few steps. Like many people, my sourdough journey started in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was March 2020, and I heard Deanna Fox on WAMC's Food Fridays program. She was talking about the process of making a sourdough starter and baking bread. I was hooked. I looked her up on Facebook and signed up for her on-line Sourdough Bootcamp. My starter and I were on our way.

Many pretty loaves of sourdough later, my friend Matt posted a picture of a beautiful loaf of no-knead sourdough bread, something he stirs together at night and pours into a loaf pan in the morning. Simple as that. So, I enthusiastically asked for the recipe and Matt graciously shared.

For measuring (for the most part) I use a digital food scale and if you don't have one, I encourage you to get one. I got mine for about $15. Worth its weight in gold. (How did I ever get by without one for six + decades?)

Directions: The night before or at least 8 hours in advance, in mixing bowl weigh (if you don't have a food scale you can look up measuring-cup equivalents online):

450 grams all-purpose flour
350 grams un-chlorinated water (I fill a jug/pitcher and let it sit out for a day and the chlorine dissipates)
10 grams salt
2/3 cup (not weighed, just measured) discarded and unfed sourdough starter. After you take this out, it's a good time to feed your starter. NOTE: if you do not have sourdough starter, ask around. It's been such a phenomenon I bet you have a friend within six degrees who will share a cup. Or, you can order it from King Arthur Baking Company.

Mix well. I use a Danish whisk which is also great for mixing other batters - brownies, pancakes, things you don't need to pull out a mixer for.

At least 8 hours later or next morning:

Place a cake pan full of water in the bottom of your oven. This provides a moist environment for a softer crust.

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees Farenheit

Grease/spray loaf pan. Mine is a 9x5 with straight sides. Makes great slices for toast/sandwiches.

Pour dough into pan.

I sprinkled Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Aldi's on top but a naked loaf of bread is beautiful, too.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan to cool completely.

Happily cooling and looking pretty!

Thanks so much for the warm embrace as Adirondack Baker enters its second act. It is an honor to share recipes with you!

Oatmeal Cookies Deserving of a Pedestal!

2021-10-28T21:56:00.006-04:00

LOADED OATMEAL COOKIES

Even though it's only been a day since my first post in revitalizing this blog, I am motivated to write another because I made these cookies last night and they came out great! These are for Russ, my very own, grown adult Cookie Monster! He LOVES oatmeal cookies.

If you've ever purchased the cylinder of Quaker Oats, you'll notice that under the lid is the recipe for their famous cookies. It's my favorite basic oatmeal cookie and bakes up crispy on the outer edges and soft on the inside. I make these often. So don't throw that lid away! Mine is tucked into my cabinet so any time I want to make them, it's there regardless of what brand of oats I have on hand.

Below is my adaptation of Quaker's original recipe:

LOADED OATMEAL COOKIES

Makes approximately 4 dozen average sized cookies or 2 dozen large cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Have ungreased cookie sheets ready (or line with parchment).

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons of soft butter (I use unsalted)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I double the 1tsp. to 2, because I love it)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats - quick or old-fashioned (not steel-cut)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use mini)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

In large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter with sugars and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. To this, add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Add oats and mix or stir in till evenly distributed. By hand, stir in raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, and coconut. This is a workout so use your heaviest wooden spoon and get in there!

I used a spring-loaded ice-cream scoop to make large cookies and fit 6 on a half-sheet baking pan. Then I squished them down a bit to level them out. If you want to make smaller cookies, you'll get a lot out of this batch using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon. (You can also half the recipe if you want. I do that all the time, less of a commitment!) With this batch, I made 16 large cookies and still had a lot of cookie dough left so I froze that for Russ's next visit.

Bake for 12 minutes (+/-) for large cookies or 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies. You want to look for brown edges but still light, moist centers. If it looks wet in the middle, give them another minute or two. Crispy brown outer edges, light, moist centers. Your individual oven will behave differently than mine, so you just have to watch it. They take as long as they take.

Let cookies rest about 5 minutes or so, and remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies were so large they didn't fit in my cookie jar, so I put them on a pedestal!

Deserving of a pedestal!

If you'd like to see previous cookie posts from ADK baker, click here: http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/search?q=cookies

Back in the Saddle! With a small cheesecake recipe you'll love!

2021-10-27T15:36:00.012-04:00

Hello my friends!

Welcome back! It's been a long while and much has happened since I last posted. With an eye toward the future, this blog is back in action. I will be posting regularly, something I have greatly missed and look forward to! I am committing to at least once a week, on Wednesdays, if not more.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who've followed my posts and who come back, again and again, for recipes you've grown to love. The blog has remained active even though I hadn't been posting, which warms my heart. You may notice, it's had a facelift.

It's probably time for a re-introduction. Here are the stats:

Jeannie O'Farrell Eddy, blogger, Adirondack Baker (adirondackbaker.blogspot.com)

I am a true boomer - born in the mid-50s and grateful for growing up in the subsequent decades. As one of seven siblings, I learned the value of family as community early on.

Still working full-time, I am looking forward to retirement next spring so I can spend more time baking, cooking, writing, and enjoying time with my favorite people!

I am a Mom and Grandma and spend a lot of time with kids and grandkids.

My 'boyfriend' Russ and I just marked 24 years together, long-distance! He lives in Central New York and I live in Glens Falls, New York in a 121-year old bungalow that is my Shangri-la. It's about a 4-hour drive and we see each other at least a couple of times a month. He's my guy for life. I guess 24 years is proof of that!

This blog began as part of my master's thesis. I graduated from Skidmore College as an adult in 2003 and earned my masters in 2009. My masters thesis was on relationships in the kitchen and how they've evolved with the advent and advancement of technology. It was a fascinating topic to research, starting with outdoor kitchens that moved into the home, with sinks, stoves, the first appliances, cabinets, etc. all the way to today's modern, tricked-out kitchens. I read many food anthologies and researched old catalogs. I came to learn that food is so much more than something we consume. It is relationships. It is tradition. It is community.

With that in mind, I am welcoming YOU back to my blog, and I can't wait to get started, again!

Thank you!

Jeannie

And (drum roll...) here's the first recipe for Adirondack Baker, second shift! It's a small cheesecake and goes together so easily. I think you'll love it!

Small Cheesecake (serves 6-10)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit - Prepare 8" round springform OR regular 8-inch round cake pan (cake pan set-up directions below).

CRUST:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (if you don't have graham cracker crumbs, you can use any dry cookie. I actually used Cinnamon Life Cereal in a pinch!)

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp. melted butter

CHEESECAKE FILLING:

1 lb. cream cheese (two blocks, room temperature)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Pan set up: spray spring form pan with vegetable spray. If using 8-inch round pan, cut a circle out of cardboard, just a bit smaller than 8-inches. Cover in foil. Before placing it inside the pan, make a sling of a folded length of foil, about 3 inches wide and long enough to hang over the side of the pan. Insert sling into the bottom of the pan with ends going up the side and over, outside the pan. Then drop the foil-covered cardboard (smooth side up) into the pan and press down firmly. Spray bottom and sides with vegetable spray.

If using a spring form pan, wrap the outside and bottom tightly with foil and place on cookie sheet.

Make crust: Mix in food processor or blend with fork - graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into bottom of pan and up the sides a bit if you have enough.

Bake crust, alone, for 10 minutes in preheated oven.

Meanwhile, mix filling:

To large mixing bowl, add soft cream cheese (must be soft or you'll have lumpy cheesecake) and sugar. Beat very well, scraping bowl as you go. Add vanilla extract and mix till incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, mix in sour cream until very smooth.

When the crust comes out of the oven, let it sit for a minute then add the filling. Smooth top with a spatula.

Place a pan of water on the floor of your oven. This provides moisture that prevents the cheesecake from cracking. I use another cake pan and fill it about half way up. Be careful - it may splash.

Place cheesecake on center rack of oven.

Bake for one hour. Turn oven off. Crack door open (I use a pot holder)and let sit for another hour.

Let cool and then refrigerate.

(Is that a pretty cheesecake, or what?)

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the revival of ADK Baker! Please comment below and let me know what you'd like to see in the future. Coming up are baked apple cider doughnuts, pumpkin whoopee pies, key lime pie, crock pot beef stew, and kitchen sink chocolate chip cookies. And more, and more, and more!

MORE ADK BAKER CHEESECAKE RECIPES HERE: https://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/search?q=cheesecake

Keto crust recipe for a REAL pizza!

2018-09-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

I wanted pizza - desperately. Despite continuing to bake a lot for other people (!) since July I have been following the Keto way of eating. It's a LCHF lifestyle (low carb/high fat) which to many seems counter-intuitive, but for me it's been transformative. My blood sugar levels have improved dramatically, and I've lost an impressive bunch of pounds. I eat delicious food, and seriously have very few cravings, though I thought pizza was out of my life forever. But it's not! I've found a wonderful recipe for a Keto pizza crust which uses shredded mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, an egg, and some almond flour. That's it. (see link at bottom of post for a number of sources). I had toyed with the idea of making my own cauliflower crust but it is WAY too work intensive, and the manufactured versions have all kinds of carbs from different types flours. Manufactured cauliflower crusts are a great resource for the gluten-free market but not for those of us living on a minimum of carbohydrates.

Last night I made my first Keto crust and I was floored - it is an amazing substitute for a yeasted pizza dough. The mozzarella cheese provides the same elasticity as a yeasted crust. The real key is to par-bake the crust for about 10 minutes so it has the structure to support the sauce and toppings which will bake for an additional 10 minutes. I cut it into 4 slices and two were plenty. I gave the other two to my neighbor Suzanne and she loved it!

Here's the recipe:

Keto Pizza Crust Recipe
(pre-heat oven to 425F)
makes enough for one approx. 10-inch round (or similar-sized rectangle) pizza. Can be doubled for a larger pizza.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. full-fat cream cheese (1/4 of a standard 8 oz. block)
3/4 cup almond flour (can be found in bulk bins at grocery stores and health food stores)
1 egg

Sauce:
Low carb pizza sauce: I used Rao's which is 3 carbs per 1/4 cup, some have more but still, for a whole pizza it's negligible. Rao's is comparatively expensive but tastes great. At $4.99, you still get 4 pizzas out of a jar, which is pretty reasonable.

Toppings of your choice including:
1.5 cups of more mozzarella cheese
A sprinkling of grated parmesan
A little dried oregano if you have it
Then, whatever you want!

Prepare pan:
Line baking pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil

In large microwave-safe bowl, melt shredded mozzarella cheese with cream cheese for one minute.
Stir.
Microwave for 30 seconds more. Remove from microwave.

Vigorously stir in almond flour and egg until a soft dough forms. Mix as well as you can. It will be a "spotty" dough with areas of cream cheese and almond flour. Just do the best you can. It comes out fine.

Dump out onto parchment paper on baking pan.

THIS is the interesting part. Your hands have to be WET to spread this properly and so it won't stick to your hand. I used a small bowl on the side and immersed my palm in the water, and then patted the dough into shape, dipping my hand into the water often. Don't let it get too thin but spread it to the size you want. It's pliable and you can work with it. I made a rectangle about 8x11 but you could get a good 10-inch circle too.

Once your dough shape is formed to your satisfaction, place pan on center rack of preheated 425F oven and set timer for 10 minutes. You want some light browning to happen.

Remove crust from oven and spread 1/4 c. pizza sauce. It doesn't seem like much but it's plenty for a small pizza. I then sprinkled grated Parmesan and a few flakes of dried oregano.

Toppings go on top of that - first, the shredded mozzarella cheese. I used pepperoni (see photo) but plan to make the next one with thinly sliced mushrooms, green pepper and Vidalia onion. (Can't wait!).

Bake pizza for 10 minutes more at 425F.

Remove from oven. Let it sit a minute or two. Cut.

1/4 pizza crust is 4.5 grams carbs, 4.5 grams protein per myfitnesspal.com app

Inspiration source:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fathead+pizza+dough&atb=v120-3&ia=recipes

Cape Cod Chocolate Chip Cookies!

2018-07-23T16:32:00.001-04:00

CAPE COD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I wish I could say this recipe evolved from a wonderful experience enjoying these cookies on a vacation on the Cape, but no. This is a recipe I made up in my head and then executed last week for my regular Weekend Platters that I deliver to friends in the area. Happily, it was a success first time out! This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe with the additions – to make it Cape Coddy - of dried cranberries and crushed Cape Cod Potato Chips.

They were a HUGE hit for all who tried them, especially my BF Russ who is a die-hard oatmeal raisin cookie fan (you'd never know his fondness for cookies by looking at him - he's 6'4" and no body fat!). He loved these so much he ate 8 of the remaining large cookies over 3 days this past weekend. He took the last one “to go” when we said good-bye on Sunday 'til the next time. It’s a good thing he did or I would have devoured it the minute he drove away!

Last Weekend's Platter: these cookies, banana bread muffins, blondie bars, and blueberry scones!

CAPE COD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Have a ¼ cup measure or ice cream scoop ready for portioning out cookies

Ingredients:

(makes about 24, 4-inch cookies)

12 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, a bar and a half

4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening (I know, but it is a small amount and provides a necessary light quality)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use vanilla bean paste, pricey but worth it)

2 large eggs

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet or darker chocolate chip morsels

¾ cup dried cranberries (I used a 6 oz. pouch)

1 cup coarsely crushed Cape Cod Potato Chips (regular flavor) – I put chips in a quart-sized zip bag and hit it a few times with a rolling pin to about ½ inch sized pieces so they don’t get lost in the dough.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and shortening for a minute or two.

Add both sugars and mix very well until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and crushed potato chips.

Using a levered ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measure, portion out dough on parchment-lined cookie sheets or baking pans. Leave a couple of inches between cookies, and squash each portion down a bit with a couple of fingers to flatten them out so they bake evenly. I get 8 cookies per standard cookie sheet. You can reuse the parchment paper for the next batch.

Note: I keep two racks in the center of the oven, one just a few inches above the other. I bake two pans at a time and rotate them with about 3 minutes to go. This may seem a little OCD. If you don’t want to do that, just bake one pan at a time in the center of the oven.

Set timer for 10 minutes and check. What you want to see is a browning beginning around the edges and the middle still looks pale but not wet (see photo above). I always have to add a minute or two but it depends on your oven.

Cool pans on rack for a few minutes and then move cookies to racks to cool completely. They can then be stored in an air-tight container or zip bags.

CREAM OF TOMATO AND CHEDDAR SOUP

2018-04-15T17:49:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's been forever since I've posted here, and today I am inspired to share a recipe I just made up about an hour ago. It's the simplest thing made with easy ingredients you might already have on hand. This recipe for Cream of Tomato and Cheddar Soup is something I was thinking about before it came together. I was driving home from Russ's house in Central New York this Sunday morning, about a 3.5 hour drive, made even longer by the winter weather and icy driving conditions we're NOT enjoying on April 15th! For our breakfast, Russ made feta omelets served with Monk's Bread rye toast, and driving home I didn't feel hungry enough to stop for lunch. I broke up the ride with a visit with my grandchildren (who you've met before on this blog).

A lot of time has passed since my regular posting, and if you've followed this blog in the past, you might be surprised to find that Henry is about to be 10 years old! Peter is 7, and baby girl Willow is now 2. They are the joys of my life. We had a good time visiting today for about an hour or so, and then it was time for me to get going.

Henry, Peter, and Willow on a recent walk near Grandma's House, with bubbles!

I left my daughter's house around 2 pm, feeling hungry and wanting something really delicious but also nutritious. I pushed away the inclination to stop at Pizza Jerks in Glens Falls for their veggie barbecue pizza (so good!) and headed on home to make something from scratch.

In my cupboards I found a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. My wheels started spinning and I decided this cold and gloomy day called for cream of tomato soup, and this recipe came to life.

(NOTE: lately I've been using vegan and vegetarian recipes, and have found that my preference/decision is to have occasional dairy/eggs. I'm not labeling myself as any type of food consumer, unless I can call it "Jeannie-ism." Must have flexibility in my life!)

CREAM OF TOMATO AND CHEDDAR SOUP

Ingredients in order of use:

Two tablespoons olive oil
One sweet onion, diced (I used Vidalia)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I buy pre-minced garlic in a jar)
8 oz. tomato sauce
14.5 ounces of diced tomatoes, including liquid
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups vegetable stock (I used frozen stock that I made a few weeks ago)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
two "splashes" white wine (about 1/4 cup total)
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with enough cold water to make a thin slurry
two tablespoons grated parmesan or pamesan/romano cheese
2 ounces cheddar cheese, diced in a 1/4 inch dice, or pre-shredded
More cheddar cheese for garnish

In deep saucepan or pot over medium heat, sautee onion in olive oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sautee for two minutes more.

In blender or Magic Bullet, pour in the 8 oz. of tomato sauce and add sauteed onion and garlic. Blend completely and return to pot, setting heat to medium.

Blend diced tomatoes in liquid and add to pot.

Add vegetable stock.

Add salt and pepper.

Stir in heavy cream, milk, and white wine.

Bring to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add cornstarch slurry and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Stir in cheeses and turn heat to lowest setting.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with strips of cheddar cheese.

This tasted so good to me, I had to write it down and save it for future reference, and thus this sudden blog post. It came together in less than half an hour, so if you are in the mood for a warm, creamy, substantial tomato soup, give this a try. One idea that might take it over the top - grilled cheese croutons! Make a well-toasted grilled cheese sandwich, cut into small squares, and toss on top of bowls of this yummy soup! Or, pour over cooked tortellini. So good!

Homage to My Mom - Mother's Day 2016

2016-05-06T07:02:00.000-04:00

Mom

Momma. Mommy. Mom. Madre. Mother. Grandma.

As Mother’s Day approaches, it’s clear that my perspective of the day has changed. When my kids were little, it was all about me. Now, it’s about my daughters and how proud I am of their love for their children: Katie with her boys, Henry and Peter (now 8 and 5 ½, and Meghan with newborn Willow, just 6 weeks old). Of course, I can’t help but feel so blessed to have Mary Lou Eddy, my children’s paternal grandmother, in my life. She’s an incredible woman and I have loved her since I first met her in 1969; so many wonderful mothers in our lives to celebrate, as we should.

Initially, Mother’s Day was ALL about my beautiful mother; as I made her construction paper hearts with too much glue and glitter when I was little. Later, buying her the “perfect” card in a Hallmark store, so she would know how much I loved her. With six siblings, there’s a need to make your voice heard! There’d be a little gift to go along, nothing fancy, just something to show her my love. Later, there’d be dinners out and Mother’s Day brunches – I remember an especially lovely brunch at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, where the buffet featured fancy foods including Lobster Newburg and chocolate éclairs. My mother, Virginia McGeehan O’Farrell, loved dining out more than almost any other activity. When we asked her, as children, what she wanted to make for dinner, she’d respond, “Reservations.” Ba dum dum.

As my first impression regarding the institution of motherhood, my mom was the epitome of what a mother should be. She appreciated it. She and my father had been married a long time before their first child, my brother Michael, arrived. After almost eight years married and a slight medical intervention, Michael was born. The following ten years saw the arrival of six more babies – Patsy, Steven, Jeannie (me), Ginny, Danny, and Anne. While my mother was certainly flat-out busy, she always had time for a hug, a kind smile, a generous laugh. She was beautiful in that Irish kind of way – dark, dark hair and blue eyes. Standing all of 5-foot two (and eyes of blue!), her presence was more than her height. Her clever sense of humor won her life-long friends. Life was not easy with one car and a husband who was away for a number of work days at a time. The minute he arrived home on a Friday, we’d all pile into the car and go for a “little spin” just so our mom could have a change of scenery, and maybe a dinner out for this family of nine!

My mom was a homemaker. That was her chosen career after working on Wall Street before babies. I don’t remember her working constantly (as she must have for a family of nine) with laundry and dishes and cooking. She managed it all so well. Our house was always presentable and people could show up at any time without notice. There were coffee klatches around our formica kitchen table, ash trays out, wafts of Newport cigarette smoke circling our heads (yikes) as we enjoyed the neighborhood banter and goings-on. It’s not like that now. People were home more in the 1960s and our home seemed to be a hub of activity for my mom and her friends, and for our friends as well. Sometimes my mother would warn the ladies around the table, “Little kettles have big ears.” I know what she meant, but that statement doesn’t even make sense!

My mother was a devout Catholic. We observed every Holy Day of Obligation and never missed Mass on Sunday. Even after it was deemed OK, we never had meat on Friday. We went to confession (reluctantly), sometimes just before Mass which I found humiliating, exiting the confessional. If we didn’t have a hat or a veil entering church, she’d bobby-pin a Kleenex to all the girls’ heads. Our family took up the entire pew. My mother went to church to go to church, not to be seen. She let us leave after Communion if we had to be somewhere. As long as we made it from Homily through Communion, we were good.

We moved a lot, as kids. Here are the locations of our births: Santa Monica, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Dayton, Colonie NY, Saratoga Springs. No more births after Saratoga Springs, but the moving continued to Clifton Park NY, Moorestown NJ, Huntington LI, NY (twice) and back to Saratoga Springs. My mother used to joke that she should have married Mr. Mayflower, of the moving van company.

I have so many memories of my mom. She suffered through a heart attack at 68, losing our Dad when she was 74 – they were a match made in Heaven. To witness a love like that is a gift and a hard act to follow, I must say! But we were blessed to have been raised in that home. After my dad passed away, the spark left my mother’s eyes. She had us and her grandchildren, all adored, but she missed my father. Virginia McGeehan O’Farrell lived to be 82 years old, and we’ve been missing her for over fourteen years now. She loved and was loved greatly, and we are left with memories that make us smile more than cry, now. What I wouldn’t give to hear her voice once more, to hold her hand which I noticed, the very last time I held her hand, was so much like my own.

The memories sustain us. I must have been barely two years old, around 1956, when I remember being in our living room on MacArthur Drive in Saratoga. I stared as my mother was walking away. She turned and focused right back on me. It’s odd to think that I knew what beauty was as such a young child. She was beautiful. Her curled black hair, her bright blue eyes, but most beautiful was her radiant smile for me. It reached me and was inside me, and I realized joy.

Jeannie O’Farrell Eddy

Mother’s Day 2016

Red Lobster-Inspired Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe!

2015-04-10T17:41:00.001-04:00

My sibling family loves Red Lobster. It's our guilty pleasure when we want to get together for each others' birthdays (I'm one of 7 siblings, and here it is National Sibling Day!). It's an easy place to grab a big table, preferably tucked in a corner away from serious diners, where we can enjoy an hour or so of silly conversation, distorted memories (!), inappropriate birthday cards whenever possible, and gift-opening. There are some restaurants where you can do that easily, but none better that RL. The restaurant holds a sentimental meaning for all of us, as well, since our Mom loved to go there for our birthdays and "just because."

We always look forward to RL's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. They are served warm from the oven, tender, and so flavorful. I looked online for a copycat recipe, but most I found used a biscuit mix as the base. For our quiet Easter dinner at my daughter Katie's last week, I wanted to make them from scratch, so I adapted Alton Brown's biscuit recipe and added my own version of a hot butter and herb glazing at the end. The result - nailed it! They went so well with Katie's Easter ham and Bill's scalloped potatoes! I also made a birthday cake for my daughter Tricia - she requested retro with a strawberry cake mix with rainbow chip frosting (home-made version of rainbow chip, of course!). I made it just as she requested, and she loved it! But back to biscuits...

Here's a photo of the DEEE-licious copycat biscuits followed by the how-to:

My take on Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuit!

COPYCAT RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Spray cookie sheet with vegetable spray
Makes 12+

In large mixing bowl, stir together:
2 c. all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Cut in to flour mixture:
(with 2 knives or a pastry blender - or pulse in a food processor!)
4 tablespoons shortening (or 2 butter/2 shortening) until the size of small peas

Stir in:
1 cup cold buttermilk (no buttermilk? Make your own: add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a 1-cup measure and fill with milk, wait 5 minutes)

Stir in:
1 cup very finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Stir until all the dry ingredients are well combined. Using an ice cream scoop or something that will give you about 2 good, full tablespoons (even a real spoon!), drop dough onto cookie sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed up and browning on all the little edges and nooks.

Take out of oven and immediately brush with this mixture:

2 ounces (half a stick) of butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley (I didn't have any, left it out)

Let them cool a bit, and then place hot biscuits in a towel-lined serving bowl.

Now, go on and enjoy these like my siblings and I do! (as well as the rest of the family!)

Circa 1961, Saratoga Springs, NY
L-R: Anne, Danny, Ginny, Jeannie (Me), Steven, Patsy, & Michael

Love my six terrific siblings (including that one odd ball!)! And God Bless our mother, Virginia McGeehan O'Farrell. We miss her terribly. Seven children in 10 years. She surely is a saint!

And the winner is....Carol Facteau!

2015-04-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Carol Facteau of McCormick, SC. Carol won the March comment contest and will receive a dozen assorted scones which will be baked and shipped early next week! So, even if you are far, far away, if you win, I will ship! :)

In the meantime, this little goodie came out of my kitchen this morning. It's for my friends Ralph and Mimi who are taking it with them to Connecticut for Easter. They call me every time they need a little cake (and there was that one unfortunate time I completely forgot, but they forgave me!)...

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all my followers!
I am grateful for each and every one of you!

A new contest is underway for any comments posted to this blog during the month of April, winner announced May 1st. Who wants a dozen scones?!

Good luck!

Jeannie
the ADK Baker

Spring Green Smoothie!

2015-03-27T08:07:00.001-04:00

SPRING GREEN SMOOTHIE

Last weekend I caught a show on PBS entitled "What Are You Hungry For?" where Deepak Chopra, among many wise and smart things, advised viewers to "Eat the rainbow." The more colorful the food, the more health benefits to be derived. One of the green foods he advised us to incorporate into our menus is, here it comes (and you know it already, I'm sure)…KALE. I am not a fan of kale. I have not given it a fair shot, though, and decided to let it back into my grocery cart and kitchen for another chance.

My work hours are crazy this time of year, and I am rarely home to cook a dinner meal. And when I am home, I tend to make it as easy as possible with (gasp) a bowl of cereal or, if I am feeling ambitious, a grilled cheese sandwich. True confessions from a food blogger, though I give myself a pass because most of what I post is baking-related!

So, I thought, how the heck do I actually get that kale into my body? The solution: a breakfast smoothie! I was hesitant to make a green drink, because, to me, they are visually unappealing. But, I decided to grow up, snap out of it, and started stacking kale and other colorful ingredients in my Magic Bullet container.

Here's my recipe, in order of how I added them to the container:

SPRING GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein (you can use whatever protein powder you prefer)
1 loose fist-full of baby kale
6-8 Frozen pineapple chunks - makes your smoothie nice and cold
1/4 sliced banana
10 red grapes

Over this stack of color, I pour in enough unsweetened coconut milk to bring it about 1/2-3/4 of the way up the container.

And finally, 1 or 2 ice cubes

I screwed on the blade section to the Magic Bullet and let it whirl until it all looked smooth and incorporated.

It wasn't an ugly green! It was a light minty green that seemed to say, "Welcome spring!"

It was cool, and delicious, and tropical! I tasted NO kale, but it was beautifully flecked throughout the smoothie. The primary flavors were pineapple and banana.

Now, that's my new way to start the day with lots of color!

A Little Sunshine is the Best Prescription!

2015-03-24T19:42:00.002-04:00

Sunshine and Warmth
My happy place!

This is a little photo-diary of a great vacation.

Last week my friend Joanne Dwornik and I finally traveled together for a little get-away to Boca Raton, Florida. We made our reservations in January when we both, at the same exact time, had had it with winter. Still, there were many frigid weeks between the reservation and the trip, and then more winter greeted us when we returned home on the official first day of spring - along with a 10-hour lay-over in Baltimore due to icing issues!

The older I get - my 61st birthday was the day before we flew out - the more I understand the snow-bird phenomenon. After December, winter no longer sparkles with crystal beauty as it does through the holiday season. By January, it's…

"OK, I've seen you, I've felt you chilling me to the bone. I thought you were really beautiful for those first few weeks, but now, you're not beautiful. You are work and all you are to me is dirty snow banks and difficult traveling. You can go now. Next time, remember that short-term guests are best!" Winter didn't get the hint. It's March 24th and this is what I see outside my window at work today:

March 24, 2015
Spring, where the heck are you???

Who could blame people who decide to "winter" in warmer regions? I can't, that's for sure. I say, the more power to you! If you can swing it, GO! Take those few months to refresh, to thaw out, to escape the harsh reality of a northeast winter, which really is a greedy season. It takes up more than its allotted months here. Winter seems to start at the end of October, and here it is, nearly April, no spring in sight.

So, off to Florida we went. Joanne has family in Boca Raton. We stayed in Joanne's father's beautiful home with his lovely wife Christa. Joanne lost her Dad last summer, and this was going to be an emotional transition for her, being in the home he shared with Christa, her Dad not there. Christa made it as warm, welcoming, and comfortable as possible, and I was happy Joanne wanted me to come along. There was so much happy talk of her father's life, his passions, his loves - of his daughters, of Christa, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren - but it seemed we talked a lot about his boats! It was a lovely little reunion for them, and I was a guest soaking it all in. Happy energy.

Needless to say, we had the BEST time in Florida. With two travel days (Monday and Friday) we had all of Monday evening, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to soak up the sun. Monday evening, we had dinner at Villagio in Boca Raton.

Our first morning!
What a way to wake up!

Happy Hour!
Joanne's killer margaritas!

Villagio, Boca Raton
I had spaghetti and meatballs outside under the stars!

Tuesday, we spent a beach day near the Boca Inlet, and since it was St. Patrick's Day, we stopped on the way home at an Irish bar, Duffy's, and picked up three corned beef dinners to go.

Boca Inlet - beautiful!

Just seeing this again makes me happy!

Sand Shamrock!

Photo shoot on the beach!

Take-out for St. Patrick's Day
Delish!

Wednesday, we had another beach day, and then had dinner with Christa, Joanne's Uncle Dick and Aunt Helene at a lovely Chinese restaurant. The servings were so abundant, we had plenty for left-overs the next night.

We spent the day Thursday in South Beach! How I love it there! We strolled up and down the ocean-front restaurants and businesses, and went on to have lunch at Joe's Stone Crab, an iconic landmark and so, so elegant!

Loved watching this little girl enjoy the ocean!

Joe's Stone Crab
South Beach, Miami!

After left-overs Thursday night, we watched The Voice, and then Christa and I had to move to another TV to get our "Scandal" fix! We both screamed at one point during the episode, and if you watched the show, you probably know where!

Our last morning, sigh....

Hated walking away from the ocean,
but have happy memories to return to!

Despite our long, flight-delayed trip home, it was a wonderful five days. Joanne and I both wish we had stayed longer, but we had to get back to real life eventually. I must say, as hesitant as I was to leave the warmth and sunshine, it was lovely to come home to see the happy faces of my grandsons Peter and Henry, to reconnect with my kids, to see my siblings and realize that there's nothing more important than family - whether I am experiencing that myself, or feeling welcome as my friend generously brings me into her own.

Life is short, let them know you love them.

Pineapple Toasted Coconut Muffins, a Little Helper, and a Great Short-cut!

2015-03-12T18:53:00.001-04:00

This morning, my grandson Pete came up to my Granny flat and said (he's four) "Hey Grandma, let's get baking!" I knew what was coming next, a suggestion for chocolate chip cookies. I intervened with my own suggestion for muffins, and he loved the idea. He wanted blueberry muffins, but I had no blueberries. I did have coconut and pineapple, and I also had a GREAT short-cut - a box of Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin mix. I took the cinnamon topping packet away and will use that another time, for cinnamon rolls or some other treat. I urge you to buy a couple of boxes of this mix - it is so versatile and works great in a pinch! It's about $2.50 or $3.00 in the grocery store and worth its weight in gold!

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple Toasted Coconut Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit

Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners

Ingredients:
cake pouch from a box of Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix (save cinnamon mixture for another time)
1 egg
2/3 cup water (or pineapple juice!)
1 cup coconut, toasted (I used sweetened)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, not drained
Sugar for topping, granulated or sparkling

Directions:
In mixing bowl, with wooden spoon, stir together mix, egg, water, and pineapple. Stir in toasted coconut (directions follow).

To toast coconut: place coconut in dry skillet on stove top. Heat to medium/high heat and stir the coconut until toasty brown. Watch this constantly as it can burn in an instant. As soon as it's nice and brown, remove from the heat and stir into muffin mixture.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.

Cool about 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from rack to finish cooling completely.

ENJOY!

PS - don't forget the comment contest - FREE scones awarded to winner on April 1st. Any and all comments on any and all blog posts - even going way back - made during the month of March or late February are entries! See the comment section below? Where it says "Comment as:" use the drop down menu and choose Name/URL or Anonymous and just write your name or include your name in the body of your comment. I want YOU to win!!!!

It's all about the bread, 'bout the bread, no trouble!

2015-03-11T00:22:00.001-04:00

I have avoided baking bread for years, decades! How can I call myself a baker and refuse to bake yeast bread? This fear of baking anything with yeast was unreasonable and unfounded. Recently, on a Sunday evening, I realized there was no bread in the house and the plan for brown-bagging sandwiches for work that week was stalled. Normally, such a bread shortage would send me to the nearest Stewart's Shop but on this particular Sunday night, it was snowing hard and the roads were bad. That was all the motivation necessary to bake my own bread, and bake bread I did! Taste of Home's warning to hold off on slicing the loaf until it's cooled down is a good rule! While it's so hard to resist the aroma of fresh-baked bread right out of your oven, if you try to slice a loaf of bread that's hot out of the oven or too warm, the loaf will collapse. So, go find something productive to do and come back to slice a cooled and delicious loaf with a slathering of soft butter!

The terrific recipe is linked here from Taste of Home, and it made two beautiful loaves. I read through the ratings on the site, and most were rave reviews. There were good tips about cutting and storing the loaves (I sliced both loaves and froze portions!). With packets of yeast in the cabinet, and all the simple ingredients on hand, I thought "Why not give it a shot?" and I am now a bread baker! That's a very cool skill to add to my baking repertoire!

So, check out this LINK to this recipe for Basic Homemade Bread from Taste of Home, and be brave. If you never have before, go ahead and bake your own bread (for less than a dollar a loaf!). Then, see if you ever want to pay almost $5.00 for a loaf of store-bought bread again! And tell me what you think about it!

PS - it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some lovely soft butter nearby once the loaf has cooled enough!

Beautiful loaves!

I am a bread baker!

Welcome Baby Cake and a Broccoli Salad!

2015-03-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated the upcoming arrival of our family's newest member, a baby boy, due to arrive in mid-April. His parents, Jack and Kristin Bishop, are excited and ready to meet their little man. He will be the first grandchild for my sister Anne and her husband John, and this baby is already loved beyond measure by both families who can't wait to meet him!

To celebrate, we held a baby shower for Kristin. Baby Bishop has already had two parties in his honor! The first was in a restaurant in Brooklyn near where Jack and Kristin live, and was hosted by Kristin's Mom and three sisters. Yesterday's celebration was hosted by my sister Anne at her home, for those of us who live in the Saratoga Springs area where Jack grew up. It was a lovely welcoming party for the baby and a celebration for Kristin.

Kristin is an exceptionally beautiful mom-to-be, and she and Jack will be terrific parents, no doubt about it. I am so excited for my sister and her husband John, and for Kristin's parents. There's nothing like that first grandchild, and every grandchild thereafter, to experience again the beauty and wonders of the world, to see things with fresh eyes, things that may have escaped our notice as the demands of life and work have taken over. For me, becoming a grandmother was a life-changing experience, and continues to bring joy to my life that I never could have imagined. I so look forward to meeting Baby Bishop, and witnessing how his presence will bring that same joy to my sister and her family. Blessings to this little fella!

Below I share photos of the cake I made for Kristin's shower, as well as a recipe for the party. It's for a Broccoli Pasta Salad, and is so delicious, There were left-overs, so I had it for dinner tonight and didn't need another thing!

Two cakes, yellow and chocolate fudge, split and
alternately stacked to make a striped cake

I was up to 3 am working on the detail
for the fondant pieces. Labor of love!

Kristin loved it!

Aftermath!

My broccoli pasta salad!

Hope you enjoy the photos. Here's the recipe for the broccoli pasta salad - it was de-lish!!!!

BROCCOLI PASTA SALAD
Early in day or day before

12 oz. pasta, cooked al-dente and drained (I used gluten-free penne pasta but you can use anything you like)
florets from one head of fresh broccoli, cut into smaller florets
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp, and crumbled*
3 tablespoons very finely minced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing (much like a cole-slaw dressing):

1 cup mayonnaise (I use regular Hellman's)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk

In large bowl, toss together pasta, broccoli, crumbled bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and walnuts.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over tossed ingredients, mix until everything is well-coated. Refrigerate overnight or for a few hours. Before serving, toss and if it seems dry, add some milk a bit at a time until it's moistened again.

ENJOY!

*vegetarian version - omit bacon and substitute pan-fried provolone cheese - slices are heated up on a sprayed skillet until browned on both sides. Let cool and break into small pieces. This provides the same smoky element as bacon.

Thinking about what matters most...

2015-03-05T16:50:00.001-05:00

This winter seems to be extreme in so many ways. Sub-zero temperatures, mountains of snow, more darkness than sunlight, and concern about the health (especially) and happiness of people I love - these factors have all come together in an imperfect storm to create the most severe craving for a brief escape - sunshine, warmth, and getting the heck out of Dodge (aka The Great Northeast)! In response to all of that, my friend Joanne and I are heading south to sunny F-L-A in 10 days, Boca Raton specifically, and just the thought of our 5-day jaunt is lifting me out of this winter fog.

I am NOT a winter person. If it weren't for my kids and grandchildren, I'd be figuring out a way to live in a place where palm trees always sway in the wind, where salt air kisses my face, where the sound of waves lulls me to sleep, where fish is always the main course, and where my mind and body can slow down. I can't have that permanently, but can escape to it once in a while.

As much as I love my job, I find myself calculating each day, each week, to get to the next weekend, to the next time I can just stop. It doesn't happen, though, because even on those precious days off, the hours are filled with things I don't get to do on a work day. That's why getting away, going on a vacation where I am physically removed from the to-do, should-do, want-to-do, don't-want-to-do lists is such a welcome interruption to a too-busy, though self-imposed, life.

This week I am attending a 3-night seminar on retirement planning. With my 61st birthday just around he corner (yikes), I find myself wishing to fast-forward to my "FRA" or full-retirement age of 66. How crazy is that? I don't want to rush the next five years just to collect my retirement and Social Security benefit. Maybe I'll get there and decide to keep working. Who knows? What I do know is that NOW is the time to savor each busy day, each crazy week, every packed weekend. Now is the time to enjoy my grandsons as I witness their growth and personalities developing in leaps and bounds, to spend MORE time with my kids and really talk to each other as they grow into their 30s and 40s, to realize just how lucky I am to have my sisters and brothers in my life, to appreciate the almost 18 years Russ and I have had together. Now is the time to cherish the friendships of life-long as well as good new friends and to deliberately tend to all those relationships instead of putting them on hold, waiting until this, or that, happens.

Because there are no guarantees.

Love to all of you, especially those who are facing the hardest trials right now. xox

Melted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2015-03-03T13:19:00.002-05:00

My grandsons always want to make cookies, always. Of course, I don't give in to that every time they climb the stairs to visit my granny flat, but this past Sunday, cookies were made. Henry's and Peter's number-one choice is always chocolate chip. I had just cleaned up my kitchen, and didn't want to make a huge production of it, so I went back to a very simple recipe that I adapted years ago from one my good friend Betsy always made. In one saucepan, she melted the butter, stirred in the rest of the ingredients in stages, and her cookies were in the oven in nothing flat. One pot, a wooden spoon, some measuring utensils and a cookie sheet are basically all the equipment needed. And because Pete (4 years old) is waaaay into it, he measured everything, cracked the egg, and stirred it all up. And because Henry (he's almost 7) would rather play games on my Kindl and wait for the cookie dough to magically appear (official taste tester - Little Red Hen anyone?), I didn't have too much work with the project, other than clean-up! Of course, they both like rolling the dough into small balls and placing them on the cookie sheet - which I rearrange when they're not looking! I had to remind them that if the dough went in their mouths, there'd be fewer cookies coming out of the oven. They seemed OK with that! Pete insisted on making a snake-shaped cookie that flattened into a very wide snake when it was baking. It was the first cookie he chose as soon as they had cooled to a safe temperature. There's nothing like little boys with melted chocolate on their faces as they enjoy cookies they just made!

Melted butter chocolate chip cookies!

MELTED BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper (an indispensable kitchen item!).

4 oz. (1/4 lb. stick) unsalted butter, but you can use salted if that's all you have
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Toll House)

Directions:
In medium saucepan over low heat, completely melt one bar of butter. Stir in both sugars and mix well. Take off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. With wooden spoon, beat in egg and vanilla.

Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl, and then add to mixture in saucepan. Stir until completely incorporated and there is no trace of flour. Let sit for a few minutes to make sure it's cool enough for the chips. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Roll tablespoons of dough into balls. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet 2-inches apart. I can fit a dozen or 15 on a cookie sheet. Flatten balls just a bit with two fingers.

Bake 9-11 minutes (mine were done at 10 minutes). The lighter they are, the chewier they will be, at around 9 minutes. If you like a crisper cookie, go longer.

Cool for a few minutes and remove to wire rack until there's no risk of burning your mouth!

Master cookie makers!

There's Pete's snake cookie, right there!

And I've done a little more baking, too. Delivered this one this morning to surprise Susan, a quilting buddy of my sister-in-law Lynn. Besides quilting, Susan loves her new motorcycle. Their quilting group was surprising Susan with it at lunch, and Lynn just called to tell me it was a hit!

Birthday cake for Susan who loves her motorcycle AND quilting!

Happy March, my friends. I'll be back soon, promise! And don't forget the comment contest! A dozen scones go to the winner, announced April 1st. Comment on ANY blog post through March 31, as often as you like, and you are entered to win, and I'll ship if you are at a distance. Just be sure to leave your name so I know who to award the scones to!

Scone Obsession

2015-02-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

I know, SCONES, SCONES, SCONES! Lately, I've made more scones than anything else. Just this week I sent a batch out to my good friend Chris in Colorado who loves them just because, and another batch to one of my true BFFs, Sue. Sue, with her husband Pete, returned home to Michigan to be with her family and to say fare-well to her Dad Ken who passed away - the loss of an amazing and accomplished Veteran from the Tenth Army Division.

Other people send flowers or make donations - I bake. It's what I do...

My scones aren't true scones in the Irish or British sense. Mine are more like a scone-Danish hybrid. I make many, many layers of butter-studded dough, like a Danish. You can see the process here in a series of photos from a previous blog post, and of course, the finished product photo below:

Lemon swirl scones are a favorite!

There's something so basic, so un-techy about making scones. The only mixing utensils you need are a bowl and a fork! No high-tech gadgets, no fancy-schmancy mixer or food processor. A bowl and a fork - oh, and a measuring cup and some measuring spoons.

I love to share my scones so much that I am holding a raffle at the end of the month, winner to be announced April 1st. The winner, no matter where you are, will get a dozen of my full-sized scones. That's a $25 value!

Here are some photos I took this morning of scones-in-the-making. I made strawberry swirl, brown sugar cinnamon raisin swirl, and maple walnut swirl (with maple syrup from Nightengale Farm in nearby Galway, NY! Take a look:

These will be brown sugar cinnamon raisin swirl scones!

And maple walnut, with pure, local maple syrup!

Hope you enjoy these little snippets of my scone-making obsession. Let me share a dozen with you - comment below (as anonymous with your name if you have trouble) and it might be YOUR name I announce on April 1st!

All the best,

Jeannie

Your Adirondack Baker

Hello!

2015-02-25T18:29:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends! I have missed you! My cookbook project has been on the back burner, so to speak, with a busier-than-ever job (4 nights this week) and lots going on with grown kids and not-so-grown grandchildren. I am re-envisioning this ambitious project to be an e-cookbook, downloadable and affordable, with photos and text, of all my favorite recipes. So, bear with me as creative inspiration and time come and go! I am excited about it and hope you will be, too!

I don't know what it's like where you are, but here in Middle Grove, NY, USA, this winter has been horrendous with well-below average (well below zero!) temperatures all of February, and I am hoping that March will show us at least a few signs that spring is on its way. I'm headed to sunny F-L-A March 16-20 with my good friend Joanne, and I CAN NOT WAIT to be warm, to feel the sun, to smell the ocean, to do nothing but read and drink and walk on the beach and eat (repeat, repeat, repeat!). It'll be a short-but-sweet escape, and when we get back, spring will be that much closer. Anyway...

Needless to say, I haven't stopped baking. Thought you might like to see some of the more recent concoctions from my kitchen. And maybe an updated photo or two of Henry and Peter! Henry's about to be 7 in April (!) and Pete is 4 going on 12! Here are photos with blurbs.

Thanks so much for reading - I'll be back in the saddle soon, promise! And just to make things interesting, comment on this post (below) and one of you will be winning a dozen scones. I ship, so anyone can enter! I'll announce the winner on April 1st. Like old times! :)

4-layer pastel swirl cake
for soon-to-arrive baby Sophia's shower

And baby feet cookies for baby Sophia!

Martha Stewart's Banana Chocolate Swirl Bread

Pete my kitchen helper!

Ready for the celebration to begin!

Peter, me, and Henry at the
Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College (my workplace!)

For my boys...

My grand boys!

Scones galore!

For my friend Lisa's wedding in
December - such a lovely bride!

It's Cookie Season!

2014-12-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I'm dusting off the blog to bring you a few cookie recipes for the holidays! Starting with this one, Soft Sugared Ginger Snaps! My grandson Pete and I made these this morning. I had planned to make them a few days ago but realized that I didn't have molasses. Finally bought some last night on my way home from work. Can't make ginger snaps without molasses! Anyway, for a kid who loves everything chocolate chip, he really loved these cookies. In fact, when he left my part of the house to go home today (I have a granny flat over their garage) he took all the cookies with him! (He's four!)

This recipe makes a cookie that is soft and chewy on the inside, with a sugared outer crust that gives just a bit of crisp resistance. They are perfect and round and beautiful, and the aroma of warm winter spices just makes the entire house feel like Christmas!

(I'm also in the middle of baking a large Christmas wedding cake, so it's a miracle I found time to do this!)

Here you go!

SOFT SUGARED GINGER SNAPS
oven - 375 F, cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
bake 8 minutes
Makes 28-32 cookies

Directions:

Stir together in medium bowl, and set aside:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

In large mixer bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter together till light and fluffy
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
Then beat in:
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. vanilla

And finally, beat in:
1 egg

When it's all mixed together, place mixing bowl in fridge for about 10-15 minutes.

Roll dough by hand into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls to coat completely in :

bowl of white sugar for coating (a couple of tablespoons)

Place 2-inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Slightly flatten with the bottom of a glass (just squish a little, not too much.)

Bake in preheated oven (375 F) for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes and remove to cooling rack.