One of the things I always enjoy when I visit my mother is looking for new recipes in the big stack of magazines that she subscribes to. I used to receive all sorts of magazines but then I found that they just sat around my apartment collecting dust and looking very slick, pretty, and unread. So I stopped getting everything but Coastal Living — because I will have my own beach house someday if it kills me. Granted I’m three months behind on reading that magazine too.  Last night Watson kindly reminded me of this by chewing half the cover off the most recent edition that has been decorating the coffee table for a few weeks.

Due to the time change the evening before I unfortunately woke up insanely early on this particular Sunday morning in Maine (5 AM?!). So I had plenty of quiet time to go through oodles of shiny magazines. I found a butternut squash curry recipe and carefully tore it out, then I gleefully removed a page of clever instructions detailing how to make a series of focaccia ’tiles.” I even managed to sneak away with a coupon for 50 cents off a bottle of McCormick spice, and then I stumbled upon a page of cookies that intrigued me. Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint cookies stared back at me and I couldn’t look away. Typically I’m not a fan of fruity cookies. I’d rather have chocolate chips any day of the week, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this recipe and all the funky preserve possibilities that you could top them with.

Originally I wanted to use grape jelly when I made the cookie recipe, but then I discovered a jar of Carrie’s homemade raspberry jam in the fridge while I was cleaning. Oh the treasures you’ll find when you organize that great frozen behemoth in your kitchen…So onto the puffy peanut butter balls went tiny spoonfuls of seed-studded ruby red goodness. They were simply delicious and elicited the perfect taste memory of jam sandwiches housed in childhood lunchboxes covered in She-Ra characters. While the raspberry jam was delightful I definitely want to try topping these treats with other jams and jellies. What do you think would be the best combination?

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints
Originally published in Martha Stewart Magazine

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough, and form into balls. (Erin’s Note: Or you can use a cookie scoop and make 14 large cookies, instead of 40 tiny ones, and call it a day). Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake until cookies are puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and make indentations in centers by pressing with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven, and bake until edges are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely.

Heat jam in a small saucepan, stirring, until loosened, about 30 seconds. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation. Cookies can be stored in a single layer for up to 1 week.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

CK and I split the holidays. We spend Thanksgiving in Connecticut with the Kelly clan and then have Christmas in snowy Maine with my Family. The Kelly’s are Thanksgiving connoisseurs. The festivities at this day long celebration of football and food are an epic exercise in stamina. Below are a few rules and/or insights I’ve garnered over the years and have chosen to share so that you will survive the day should the opportunity ever be bestowed upon you.

Rule #1: Tread lightly through the Artichoke dip lest you ruin your appetite.

Rule #2: Watch your intake of Beaujolais Nouveau. Over indulgence in delicious once-a-year wine may result in embarrassing stories told about you at next year’s soiree. Proceed with caution.

Rule #3: Wait your turn. Don’t reach across the table in search of that second roll or you may just catch your sweater on fire via some very pretty flaming fruit.

Rule #4: You will absolutely put an enormous spoonful of Aunt Kara’s Ambrosia, that CK made all by himself, (yeah right…) on your plate and you will eat it AND like it or else.

Rule #5: Do have a piece of CK’s dad’s Toll House Pie. Even if you’re so full you feel like you’re going to explode. There’s always room for pie. Make sure to use your fork to even out the sides too. You don’t want to put the pie away uneven, right?

Rule #6: Several short hours after the main dinner you’ll find yourself overwhelmingly compelled to join in when all of the Kelly’s inevitably start to make “Dirty Bird Sandwiches.” Don’t resist. Just go with the flow.

And that my friends is how you celebrate Thanksgiving with CK’s family. So do tell. What sort of shenanigans take place at your family gatherings?

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Thanksgiving’s Greatest Hits

Since taking an adult cooking class on pizza making taught by Ron Sarni at Create-a-Cook in Newton, Massachusetts last winter CK and I have been experimenting with various pie toppings almost every week. Of all the combinations and experiments we’ve attempted the one we come back to time and time again is this simple BBQ Chicken Pizza creation. Of course, I doubt we’d be quite so pizza addicted if it wasn’t for the incredible dough recipe that we were given in the class. It comes out perfectly every single time…well, except when I forgot to replenish the flour stash and substituted bread flour for all-purpose. CK complained about the state of that batch of dough the entire time he was shaping it.

Speaking of CK, making pizza for dinner has become a sort of tag-team affair for us. I prep and tend to the dough, and then he shapes it and adds the toppings. He’s also a total prince and does the dishes too so it’s like a double kitchen holiday for me. This is probably another reason why I tend to suggest pizza so often *wink* *wink*

Erin & CK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza
Inspired by Ron Sarni’s Techniques of Italian Cooking Class at Create-a-Cook.

For the Dough:
Adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field via Ron Sarni’s recipe recommendation
Erin’s Note: This recipe will make four individual sized 12-inch pizzas. I generally half the recipe though without incident.

1- 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1-1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for brushing the crust
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp salt

**You Can Mix the Dough By Hand:**
Stir the yeast and sugar into the water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until foamy about 5 minutes.
Stir in the oil. Mix the flour and salt and stir, 1 cup at a time, into the yeast mixture, beating well to get all of the lumps out.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until soft and satiny, but firm, about 8 minutes.

**Or You Can Choose to Mix the Dough in Your Mixer:**
Stir the yeast and sugar into the water in a mixer bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the oil with the paddle.
Mix the flour and salt and add to the yeast mixture.
Mix until the dough comes together.
Change to the dough hook and knead at medium speed until soft and satiny but firm, about 3 minutes. Finish kneading briefly by hand on a lightly floured surface.

Erin’s Note: At this point place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Then punch the dough down, cover it again (I prefer Press’n Seal for this), and allow it to rise a second time for approximately 30 minutes.

Next, pre-heat the oven to 500ºF. Liberally sprinkle your baking sheets with olive oil. Divide and shape the dough. Generally, we cook one pizza per pan. For BBQ Chicken Pizza layer the below toppings in the following order: BBQ sauce, cheese, chicken, red onions, and finally pepper. Bake for 10 minutes and then immediately remove the pizzas from the pans and place them on a cutting surface or board. Slice and serve.

Toppings for One Pizza:
1 cup shredded roast chicken.
2/3 cup BBQ Sauce (Erin’s Note: Our preferred brand is Bull’s-Eye Original).
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (Erin’s Note: We’ve also used various blends of Parmesan, Fontina, and Gouda before. Any or all of these cheeses make a great topping).
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

It’s been three weeks since the debut of my new foodie product haven, Yummery, and I wanted to thank all of you for reading (and possibly shopping) along with us. If you haven’t already done so I hope you’ll consider subscribing to the RSS feed, following us on Twitter, or becoming a fan on Facebook.

In case you’ve missed out on some of the great finds we’ve been blogging about I thought I’d share a small selection of our most viewed items. I hope you enjoy them! In addition, I’d like to thank CK, Hänni, and Carol for being my shopaholic cohorts.

1. Cupcake Beanie 2. Stonyfield Farms Pumpkin Pie Yogurt 3. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale 4. Mac-N-Cheese Costume 5. Sexy Strawberry Shortcake Costume 6. Yeowww! Catnip Banana

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

It’s All About Yummery

My desire for Le Creuset to release their line of pink and lavender pieces in America is a well known and much complained about topic of cookware conversation. I simply can’t understand why they would keep such lovely colors overseas. Europe, Asia, and South Africa are so lucky. Anyway, I only have two eBay searches that are emailed to me every single morning and they involve pink (otherwise known as “antique rose“) and lavender Le Creuset products.

Originally I desperately wanted a pink dutch oven but after seeing how gorgeous the purple oven was online I decided that I would splurge on it first. So when I found out last week that I got the new job that I wanted so desperately I congratulated myself with a naughty Le Creuset splurge. I ordered a 3.5 quart lavender dutch oven and two precious ramekins shaped like a heart and a flower respectively from a really excellent eBay seller. I would highly recommend using her if you’re in the market for some rare Le Creuset colors.

This is just the beginning though. My new goal is to have an entire collection of pink and lavender pieces. I think I’m going to need a bigger kitchen, or at the very least more shelf space. Anyway, what should I cook in this gorgeous pot first? Risotto? Soup? Some mulled wine perhaps?

PS: Just an FYI that this color is actually branded as “Lilac Mist” by Le Creuset.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Lavender Le Creuset

This is the pumpkin muffin recipe that I grew up on. When a batch of these super moist breakfast treats came out of the oven on a cold fall morning they were eaten with a relish that would frighten mere mortals. Thankfully the recipe makes approximately one million muffins, or more muffins than a small family could possibly ever consume on one lazy Sunday. This means that when you wake up on Monday and want to hit the snooze button you actually have a tangible reason to get out of bed.

Yes, these pumpkin muffins are that good and since they use vegetable oil instead of butter they retain the incredible soft crumb that they have straight from the oven for several days. Of course they very rarely last this long to actually test the validity of my theory but I personally guarantee my claim nonetheless. Please trust me when I say that this is the last pumpkin muffin recipe that you’ll ever need to look-up.

Erin’s Mom’s Pumpkin Muffins
Yields: a LOT of muffins (two-three dozen; depending on the amount of batter you use per muffin cup).
Erin’s Note: No worries – you can half the recipe and still get excellent results.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400º. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Grease a muffin tin or fill your tin with cupcake papers. Fill the wells with the batter until they are 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and then complete the cooling process on a wire rack.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

My Mom’s Amazing Pumpkin Muffins

At one point I used to Tivo half of the Food Network’s programming but now I have it down to just a few. The celebrity chefs I still enjoy watching include Ina Garten, Ellie Krieger, and Anne Burrell. I especially love how exuberant Anne is about food. She exclaims and makes sweeping gestures all while whipping up these mouthwatering rich dishes that make me want to lick my television screen. I think some people find her a bit abrasive but I feel like I learn something new each time I tune in.  There’s something about her upscale comfort food style of cooking that really speaks to me.

After I watched Burrell make her self-titled recipe, Pommes Chef Anne, I finally tabled all of my prior excuses as to why I shouldn’t purchase a mandoline and went out and picked one up. It’s not especially fancy but it does the job for the time being.

I also really wanted to make this with multi-colored potatoes so instead of simply composing the potato cake from russets I opted for utilizing a bag of red, blue, and yellow roasting potatoes. This doesn’t show through as distinctly as I’d hoped but I still feel that it gave the dish a nice twist. In the end CK and I demolished the entire plate in one sitting. Simple dishes made well will always pay off. This is doubly true if they’re also pretty to look at.

Pommes Chef Anne
Originally published by Chef Anne Burrell

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean (Erin’s Note: I used red, blue, and yellow roasting potatoes).
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano
Kosher salt
Special Equipment: Mandoline, 8-inch nonstick saute pan

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Working 1 potato at a time, slice very thin on the mandoline. It is important to work with purpose here (quickly) because the potatoes will discolor. Do not put the potatoes in water because this will wash the starch off the potatoes. Coat an 8-inch nonstick saute pan with olive oil, using the potato slices starting from the center make concentric circles of potatoes. Remember that eventually the bottom will be the top so it is important for the first circles of potatoes to look pretty. Brush each layer with olive oil and every 2nd or 3rd layer sprinkle liberally with grated Parmigiano and salt. After every layer of potatoes press the potatoes so they are very compact. Repeat this process with the remaining 2 potatoes.

Place the pan of potatoes over medium heat and cook until the olive oil begins to sizzle and the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom. Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place a tight fitting lid on the pan. Drain the excess oil out the side of the pan. THIS STEP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: After the excess oil has been drained, completely flip the pan so the cake is turned out onto the bottom of the lid, then slide the cake off the lid back into the pan so the brown side of the cake is now up and the top becomes the bottom. We see now why draining the excess oil is important – if you attempt this without draining the oil it will drain out on your wrist and burn you.

Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the cake is fork tender. Cut into wedges and serve.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Pommes Chef Anne

When CK and I were first dating he lived in Westborough which was just a short jaunt to the Cold Stone Creamery on route 9. When you’re thin and in brand new love it’s easy to forget that one day four years later all of those trips to Cold Stone Creamery for the romantic act of sharing a decadent treat covered in peanut butter cups and brownie chunks actually will add up. But since this is decidedly not a diet blog we wont dwell. Instead I’ll just ruminate fondly on my love of cake batter ice cream.

Of course traditional vanilla cake batter ice cream is all well and good, but my favorite cake happens to be “pink cake” or in more formal terms not coined by “little Erin” circa 1984 this would also be known as strawberry cake mix.

During my birthday in June this year I had a momentary panic attack when CK and I were unable to find a box of this coveted cake for him to make for me. Until I moved away from home this was the type of birthday cake I requested almost every year of my life.  My grandmother would bake the mix into pretty layers covered in white icing and decorated with pink roses edged with mint green leaves. Then in the center, in her picture perfect writing (how she manages to do this even in frosting is beyond me) would be a pink “Happy Birthday Erin!” Thankfully though CK and I were able to scrounge up a box at a grocery store in Newburyport so all was again right with the birthday continuum.

This creamy ice cream is even better than traditional cake batter varieties because well…it’s pink and it’s strawberry. The pretty color looks absolutely festive, especially when topped with a dusting of pastel jumbo sprinkles. As for that whole weight gain thing I’m doing my best to only eat a little each night for dessert.

Strawberry Cake Batter Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

1 cup strawberry cake mix such as Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Strawberry Cake Mix
2 eggs (Erin’s Note: if you’re worried about using raw eggs you can always substitute pasteurized eggs or egg product. You can also adapt this recipe to be used with a cooked custard base).
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 drops of red food coloring just to make sure you get the brightest possible pink color.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue to whisk until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, vanilla, cake mix, food coloring, and milk and whisk to blend. At this point I like to chill the batter in the refridgerator for two hours and then freeze according to my ice cream maker’s manufacturer instructions, but if you are pressed for time feel free to skip this step.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Strawberry Cake Batter Ice Cream

Today is an exciting day! I’d like to introduce you all to Yummery. Yummery is very pleased to meet you.

You’re probably wondering who Yummery is, right? Well Yummery is a new shopping-centric website for all things food related. As much as I’d like to I can’t take all of the credit for this new project. CK actually came up with the idea. Once again he’s the brains and I’m the beauty…or something like that.

Our ultimate goal with Yummery is to provide you with a shopaholic foodie fantasy where you can discover all manner of unique items from aprons to zesters and everything in between. Hopefully I’ll be able to alert you to a product that you simply can’t live without. If that happens then my work here is done. So please check Yummery out and let us know what you think. If it tickles your fancy then please consider subscribing to the RSS feed. In addition, we’re also on Twitter.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Meet Yummery

Want more Watson and Dexter? You can view their weekly adventures on my personal blog XoXo, Erin.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

The Weekly Adventures of Watson & Dexter: The Cape Cod Potato Chip Caper