Laura's Sweet Spot

We've Moved!

2011-10-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

I have officially started my new blog page at laurassweetspot.com

That's right... I'm a dot com now! All grown up.

So PLEASE, come check out the new site.

All of the old recipes are there.

As well as some incredible new ones.

Hope to see you soon!

; D

This Weeks Delish!

2011-10-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Halloween weekend is officially upon us! Unfortunately my daughter is so young that I wasn't able to have her help me make any fun Halloween treats, but hopefully some of you were able to share that experience with your kids. Next year I will join you! haha Until then, here are some fun filled recipes that I found:

This recipe does require a special tin, but aren't they cute? And who doesn't love pumpkin cake!?

This recipe is not only a great looking craft, but how delicious do they sound... oreo pumpkin cheesecakes? And with the orange creme oreo's, they are just a perfect Halloween dessert.

This is a very clever recipe! If you are a big decadent treat fan than you'll love these pumpkin truffles, which are like little balls of pumpkin pie dipped in white chocolate.

Here is an easy effect to achieve for those of you that aren't too crafty in the kitchen. All you need to do is make circles with some melted white chocolate and then drag a toothpick outward and you have a spiderweb a top delicious brownie bites! Easy, right?

Look- ghost pop's! Adorable. Plus, they are black velvet cake pops with cream cheese frosting.. you can't more delicious than that. And if making your own cake and frosting is too complex, just borrow the decorative ghost idea. You can always make cake pops from the box mix and the frosting can.

This Weeks Pick:

No doubt in my mind, I have to encourage you to make homemade bagels. They were incredible. And they are not as difficult as they seem. Once you make them, you will realize that and be so thankful you took the challenge. Do it, I dare you!

Apple Cake

2011-10-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

This apple cake is different than any I have ever had before.

Imagine 75% apples and 25% batter. Yeah. I'm serious.

I never expected it because the recipe seemed so simple... but as soon as I saw the bowl full of apples next to the bowl full of batter I knew something different was going to happen with this cake.

And the lack of cinnamon!! What kind of apple cake doesn't have cinnamon!?

The kind of apple cake that screams vanilla-rum. You heard me. Vanilla-rum. This was the first time that I tasted the combination and wow! It's truly a show stopper.

I need to point out to you something very important about any kind of fruit dessert. The end result will be only as good as the fruit you use. SO! If you have unripe fruit, you won't get the most flavor out of your dessert. More importantly with this cake... if your apples are dry and gross, they will be in your cake too. So use GOOD apples. Or you'll be kicking yourself in your butt!

This is truly a special cake. One that looks rustic, but rocks a surprisingly sophisticated flavor. And with the simplicity of the batter, you would never know how great this cake was unless somebody told you.

I'm telling you. This cake is great.

It is quite moist and dense so please be sure not to cover it with plastic wrap or something similar. It might get soggy. I assume you don't like soggy cake. Am I right? Good. I simply placed a cloth loosely over the cake because there is no way I can let something sit out uncovered. I just can't. I get shaky.

This is definitely one of those cakes that is the best the day it is made. So try serving it when you have company. Unless you already have a household full of guests that will readily scarf it up.

Also, one quick note- this calls for a 8" springform pan. I used a 9". No biggie. Just check it 5 minutes sooner.

Let me show you how easy this cake is:

Peel and slice 4 good apples. They can be any apple. They can all be different if you want even. Then you'll want to melt some butter. Mix your dry ingredients. Then mix your wet ingredients.

Stir in half the flour to the wet ingredients. Then half the butter... then the other half of the flour, followed by the other half of the butter. Finish by folding in the apple slices. That's it!

Once you pour it into the pan, spread the batter and apple slices out as evenly as possible. You'll have something that looks as beautiful as this.

Bake it for about 50 minutes or until it is gorgeous golden brown. Doesn't it just look so rustic or delicious!?

Check out how moist that cake looks. And forget about getting a bite without any apple slices. It'll never happen.

Now the real way to dress up this cake is with sweetened whipped cream, but all I had was some powdered sugar. So feel free to go that route too.

Marie-Helene's Apple Cake
adapted from "Around my French Table" by Dorie Greenspan
Print Recipe

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

Serving
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène served her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.

Storing
The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature and, according to my husband, gets more comforting with each passing day. However long you keep the cake, it’s best not to cover it — it’s too moist. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter No Bakes

2011-10-26T02:31:00.000-07:00

These cookies have quite the reputation. Not only are they simple because they require no baking, but they are incredibly easy to put together and delicious to boot.

Be absolutely sure to boil the mixture for the full 90 seconds. If you don't do this then the oats won't be cooked at all. They won't be cooked entirely anyways, but they should be softened. It's the boiling that does that job.

Honestly since these cookies are so simple I can't say much more about them...

Except that you should make them. They are delicious.

Also, if you are a fan of no bake treats you may want to check out the chocolate chip cookie dough truffles and the Oreo Cheesecake Cookies on my site.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes
adapted from "Baked: Explorations" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Print Recipe

1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1/2" cubes, softened
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky, but not natural
3 cups rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla extract

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and butter until the butter is melted and the sugar is disolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, stop stirring, and boil for a full 90 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is combined.

Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism or, alternatively, a tablespoon to drop the no-bake cookies onto the baking sheet (leave some room around them; they will spread). Let the cookies cool, the refrigerate them for at least 1 hour. They can be eaten directly from the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Store the cookies between layers of parchment paper in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

2011-10-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

There are countless numbers of butternut squash soup recipes out there. Honestly I am hesitant to say which I think is best. There are way too many options that are so very good. I picked this one because I enjoy the many ingredients that highlight apples.

I absolutely looooove apple cider. I feel like it's just one of those components that dictates the onset of fall. I know we'll soon be moving into winter here but it's still October so stay with me here!

The cider cream in this recipe is obviously optional. It is simple to make and adds an extra "something special" to this soup. The creamy cool, tanginess of the topping is a fantastic contrast to the warm, smooth soup. Cozy...

Please, please, pleasssse... when you use leeks, you NEED to wash them! This is how I do it- I slice the leeks however dictated in the recipe, then I place them in a bowl of water and gently push the rings apart so that the sand in between the layers can come off. Let them sit in the water for 5 minutes or more. The sand and dirt will be gathered at the bottom. I pick them up in handfuls, right out of the water without disturbing the water much. Lay them out on paper towels or a cloth and pat them dry. No matter how clean you think your leeks are to begin with, trust me they are NOT. I've had too many meals ruined by the sand in leeks... definitely learned my lesson the hard way.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream
adapted from "The Bon Appetit Cookbook" by Barbara Fairchild
Print Recipe

5 Tb butter
2 1/2 lb butternut squash, cubed and roasted (about 6 cups)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large)
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage leaves
5 cups low salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider, divided
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery. Saute until lightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add broth and 1 cup cider.; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Or puree with immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil remaining apple cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider.

Mix whipping cream into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with dollop of cider cream.

Bagels

2011-10-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

Unless you live in NYC and get them fresh from the bakeries in the morning, you've never experienced a bagel until you've made your own. I will forever be making my own bagels now. Yup. No more Thomas's or Lender's for this family.

And when you think about the idea of homemade bagels you instantly imagine a terribly complex process that is nearly impossible. It's not, I swear. It's a little daunting to read through at first, but when you go through the motions for the first time you'll realize, it's not bad at all. Let me walk you through the process!

Take the flour, water and yeast and mix together to make a sponge. You don't have to do this with an electric mixer. You can do it by hand. If you do, you're crazy though, this dough is pretty dense.

Make sure you let the dough sit long enough for it to bubble to the point of deflation when tapped against the counter, about two hours. I ended up letting my sponge rise for an hour, then putting it in the fridge for a while because something came up. When I came back to it about two hours later, I set it back out at room temperature again for about another hour.

By the end of the sponge's rising period it will look like this and the bubbles will pop and it will deflate a bit when tapped against the counter.

At this point, add the remaining flour along with the yeast, salt, honey/malt/brown sugar.

As you can see I used honey.

Knead it for 10 minutes or until you can stretch it without it tearing and it passes the window pane test.

You'll end up with a very dense, beautifully elastic dough.

Divide the dough into balls weighing 4.5 oz each. There will be about 12 depending on the density of your dough and how much flour you ended up using.

Cover the balls of dough with a damp towel and let them rest for about 20 minutes.

Shape the dough balls by pressing your thumb into the center and stretching into a ring with a diameter of about 2 to 2 1/2 inches. The elasticity will cause the center hole to shrink when placed on the sheet pan, that's why you need to stretch it so large when shaping.

Set them across two sheet pans lined with parchment that has been misted with cooking spray.

Spray tops with cooking spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Let rest for about 20 minutes.

They'll look like this by that time. Not too much of a difference.

They'll be puffed up just a little bit, see.

Now it's time for the float test. Take one bagel, or rather sacrifice one bagel, and drop it gently into a bowl full of cool to room temperature water to see if it sinks. If it does not and stays a float then the bagels are ready to be retarded overnight in the refrigerator. Take the float bagel out and place it back on the sheet pan. Cover the bagels back up with plastic wrap.

I went so far as to cover them loosely with aluminum foil on top of that.

The next day they will look like this. Take them out of the refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before you want to start making them so that the dough can come up to room temperature.

Aren't they just awesome looking?

Now once the water comes to a boil, dump in 1 Tb baking soda.

Plop in as many bagels that will fit in your pot without overcrowding them too much. They are pretty forgiving when they touch, but let's not test our luck here.

Boil them for about 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. The longer you boil them, the chewier they will be.

Flip them onto their other side and boil them again for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Take a spider strainer or mesh strainer and gently lift the bagels out of the water and onto a sheet pan lined with parchment and dusted with cornmeal.

You'll want to dust with the cornmeal or else they may be difficult to come off the parchment after baking. I'm telling you this from experience. Don't be cocky now.

This is what they will look like before going into the oven to bake.

This is where you'll want to sprinkle on any toppings you may want to add.

Here are the beauties, all boiled and baked.

Not too bad for being homemade, right???

You'll want to slice one open as soon as they cool so you can see how amazing they taste.

See, how perfect the texture of the crumb is. Oh my goodness.... I want one now.

We like to toast our bagels.

Then spread them with some cream cheese. We're a cream cheese family.

Feel free to use butter... jam... whatever your regular bagel accompaniment may be.

Bagels
adapted from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinart

makes a dozen
Print Recipe

Sponge
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
4 cups (18 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 ½ cups (20 ounces) water, at room temperature

Dough
½ teaspoon (.055 ounces) instant yeast
3 ¾ cups (17 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 ¾ teaspoons (.7 ounce) salt
2 teaspoons (.33 ounce) malt powder OR 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar

To Finish
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, rehydrated dried minced garlic or onions, or chopped fresh onions that have been tossed in oil (optional)

1. To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speeds with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining ¾ cup flour to stiffen the dough

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all the ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 81 degrees F. If the dough seems dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achiever the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feels satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

4. Immediately divide the dough into 4 ½ ounce pieces for standard bagels, or smaller if desired. Form the pieces into rolls.

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Proceed with shaping the bagels

7. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pan. Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. if it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float, return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute flip them over and boil another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-line sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you decided to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.) If you want to top the bagels, do so as soon as they come out of the water. You can use any of the suggestions in the ingredients list or a combination. I make a seed and salt blend.

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only 1 pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.) After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer.

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

This Weeks Delish!

2011-10-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, have I been baking/cooking up a storm this last week for you guys! Can't wait to show you what's been going on in my kitchen. Look forward to the next few weeks : D

Now let's see what has been brewing in the kitchen of my fellow bloggers this week-

Any sweet and salty fans out there? (personally raises hand) Here's a great one that's not too difficult to whip out! Popcorn, peanuts and pretzels folded together and pressed into bar form. AND all glued together with salted caramel. OHHH looks so good!

Here is a pumpkin recipe for all you seasonal bakers out there. Pumpkin Coffeecake. It is made from a boxed yellow cake mix, so that automatically makes it easy. This recipe even tops it off with a streusel and brown sugar glaze!

Familiar with the sweet treat buckeyes? Well let me introduce you to the buckeye cupcake! ohhhh boy! Can you imagine?!

Can you guess what these are?? They are cute little pockets of cookie dough filled with apple pie filling! That's right, they are apple pie cookies. SO cute.

Now this post, you HAVE to check out this post.... it's all about how to make ammmazingly perfect corn dogs and cheese on a stick. I will be making these. That's all I have to say.

Pick of the Week:

I absolutely urge you to try the pumpkin pancakes that I shared this week. Especially if you are a pancake enthusiast. They are SO good! They make you feel like you are diving into fall. Just awesome.

Poppy Seed Lemon Cake

2011-10-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Don't be deceived. This isn't a lemon cake. This is a poppy seed cake. It has the nuttiness of the poppy seed, the crunchiness and the very distinct flavor. You may not think poppy seeds have much flavor because you're used to them being used sparingly. Well this cake is LOADED. No, overloaded with poppy seeds. So face it, if you don't like poppy seeds, you're not going to like this cake.

Honestly, I think it needs more lemon. Haha I first took a bite and expected the flavor of a lemon poppy seed muffin. Nope. Not even close. The original recipe calls for only 1 1/2 Tb lemon zest... I would add at least 2 Tb.

So, if this cake isn't anything to brag about why am I putting it up here? Well, it isn't one of my top favorites, but it was still good.

Plus the whole recipe structure is SO unique!!!

A cake comprised of a TON of egg yolks, equal parts flour, cornstarch and poppy seeds, as well as a whole cup of butter. Have you ever heard of such a thing?! It's madness. So, needless to say the texture of this cake is nothing that you have probably ever tried. And since poppy seeds aren't as ubiquitous in America as they are in Europe, the flavor is probably new to you too.

The recipe calls for an 8" bundt or tube pan. I used a 10" tube pan so it was done maybe ten minutes sooner. You have to play it by ear.

Poppy Lemon Seed Cake

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Print Recipe

2/3 cup sugar
8 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt (edited to add this)
2 sticks (1/2 pound or 1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit
1/2 cup poppy seeds (I got this from one 3-ounce spice bottle)

Preheat the oven to 325°F Butter and flour an 8" fluted bundt or tube pan generously. (This cake very much wants to stick. Don’t let it!) Butter the dull side of a 10-inch piece of foil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the sugar with the egg yolks and whole egg at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and very fluffy, about 8 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the egg mixture and fold in along with the pinch of salt with a rubber spatula. At medium speed, beat in the butter, then beat in the poppy seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover tightly with the buttered foil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the foil and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely before serving, at least 30 minutes.

Tortilla Casserole

2011-10-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Casseroles are so much fun. Plus they are an easy meal. Seriously. You can't get any easier than throwing food together all in one dish. Way easier than cooking up some meat along with 2 or 3 sides.

If you have kids, you know the wonders of a casserole.

Aside from that, they are super yummy : )

When I found this particular casserole I was pretty confused about the recipe. I originally assumed that it was made from flour tortillas and then layered similar to a lasagna. I read further and realized it was tortilla chips. Kind of weird right?

THEN the tomato mixture sounded like it was going to be pretty loose so I thought, how in the world does this recipe work!? You just pile slop onto the chips??

I decided to trust the recipe and just go with it. After all, it came from the Cook's Illustrated people.

Man, it was hard not to make any changes...

Since I'm sharing the recipe with you, you can probably guess that everything turned out okay haha Well, you're right! The casserole was very good and definitely a keeper.

As I went along with the recipe I realized that the tomato mixture must be so loose because it hydrates the tortilla chips. RIGHT. Then I began assembling just as it was written and I started to question how the chips were supposed to be layered. The bottom layer was SO sparse... it didn't makes sense to me. Again, I went with it. It's all about trust, right people? And again, I was right to do so. It all came together beautifully and made for one very easy, very yummy casserole!

NOTE: a lot of people do not like beans. This recipe contains beans. So if you are a hater then just substitute out the beans for corn or something that would be similarly delicious. Okay? : D

I should also probably point out that this recipe calls for a 8" square pan. If you are trying to fill a 13" x 9" pan for a big family then you will want to double it.

Tortilla Casserole
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

1 Tb vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1cup low sodium chicken broth
1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tb minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (or parsley if you are not a cilantro fan)
5 cups tortilla chips (3 oz), broken into pieces, not crushed
2 cups shredded mexican style-cheese

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat oil in sautee pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken brother and bring to simmer.

Stir in beans, tomatoes, and chipotle into sauce and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, 3 Tb cilantro, 3/4tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Spread 1 cup tortilla chips over bottom of 8 inch baking dish and top with 1 cup chicken mixture. Spread 2 more cups tortilla chips into dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Spread remaining chicken mixture into dish and top with remaining tortilla chips. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese on top.

Bake until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.

Honey Nut Brownies

2011-10-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

I had some honey I had to use up before we moved. A LOT of honey... so I looked and looked to find a recipe that used a whopping amount of honey. This recipe uses 1 whole cup! Pretty substantial, especially for a brownie.

Although this brownie obviously contains chocolate... the flavor is distinctly honey.

Since honey is a very different type of sweetener than sugar, the typical brownie companion, the texture is very different than the everyday brownie. Honey is hygroscopic and so it lends these to be a very moist, kind of cakey brownie.

And sticky.

But for all the differences these brownies have from the generic brownie... they are GOOD.

If you are a classic brownie lover that doesn't stray into the realm of blondies, butterscotch brownies, cheesecake brownies, mint brownies, etc, you may not be a fan. If you are looking for a new twist or are just a honey enthusiast, then I suggest you give these a shot. Try something new.

Honey Nut Brownies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspans "Baking from my Home to Yours"
Print Recipe

I suggest adding a cup of semisweet chocolate chips with the nuts if you want to boost the chocolate flavor

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup honey

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, until smooth. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 x9 pan with foil or parchment paper.

Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and salt together on medium-high speed until light and foamy. Add the honey, sugar, and vanilla and continue to beat for two minutes, or until well blended and smooth. Reduced the mixer speed to low and add the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing only until just incorporated. On low speed still, add flour and mix until it just disappears into the batter. With spatula fold in the nuts then scrape into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the brownies have risen and are beautifully brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a rack, peel away paper/foil and invert onto another cooling rack. Cool to room temperature right side up.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

2011-10-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this post is a bit misleading.... the actual pancakes I made were not pumpkin. They were sweet potato. I know! False advertisement... BUT the recipe that I used was really for pumpkin pancakes, so for the sake of not getting our pancakes confused let's just pretend here that I had complete access to canned pumpkin. Okay?

Alright, lets begin with the pancake component of this masterpiece. Pumpkin Pancakes. Ever had them? Well, if you haven't you are absolutely missing out! Unless, of course you don't like pumpkin. In which case I ask you, "what's wrong with you?"

Not only does adding pumpkin give your morning indulgence a boost in nutrition but the flavor just soars. These have a perfect hint of spice and everything about them screams fall.

The recipe I am giving you was the second pancake recipe I tried in an attempt to find one I felt worthy of sharing. The first was sweet potato pancakes and called for 1 lb sweet potatoes to be cooked and mashed before adding. Well, that recipe was terrrribly misleading. I have sweet potato puree coming out of my ears from the baby, so I just weighed out 1 lb sweet potato puree. WRONG. They came out dense and soggy. SO gross.

I moved on to a pumpkin pancake recipe and hit the jackpot. Light. Fluffy. Perrrfect. THIS is what a pancake is supposed to have for texture. It's a dream.

What can possibly make this dish an even bigger winner? Buttermilk Syrup. I am absolutely not going to deny what maple syrup could do as a pairing for these pancakes, but buttermilk syrup.... another "if you've never had it you have to try it" recipe.

This was the first time I met buttermilk syrup. Oh my. It's like a caramel flavored, vanilla scented syrup. Ughhhhhh, incredible!!! And you don't need a candy thermometer or anything fancy. Just boil the few ingredients. That's it. Done. Just make sure you have a decent sized pot because once you add the baking soda it takes off.

Pumpkin Pancakes
adapted from Martha Stewart
Print Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

Buttermilk Syrup
adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Print Recipe

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tb light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

In a LARGE pot, combine butter, sugar, buttermilk, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will fizz to TWICE THE SIZE or more, so make sure you use a good-sized pot! Set it aside to thicken while stirring occasionally. Pour over waffles, pancakes, and French toast to make them oh. so. much. better!

This Weeks Delish!

2011-10-15T01:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sooo excited to be back up and blogging! I know that last week I missed sharing with you, all the amazing recipes that I've been finding online, but this week I have things put back together and I am ready to go again.

It's FALL.... holidays are right around the corner! Let's get those seasonal recipes rolling!!!

Oh pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin... I'd like to point out that pumpkin is just as good savory as it is sweet. Here's a nice cross- a pumpkin yeast bread! You can make it sweet with a jam or honey butter or you can just slather on some cream cheese or plain butter.

Here is something sooo clever that is meant for Halloween! Jell-O worms made from straws... so smart.

One day... one day I will make pumpkin cheesecake. That is, when I have enough people around to make sure that I won't eat the whole thing by myself.

THIS recipe here, it's genius. Have you ever made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies before? Well they always come out cakey. This blogger found a fantastic way to make chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Here is another Halloween idea for those of you that have kids and want to do something fun to celebrate! Mummy Dogs. This blogger has a whole collection of fun things. Check it out.

This Weeks Pick

And Finally, the dish that I recommend you try from this weeks repertoire-

Everybody always goes on about oreo truffles... cake balls... well I'm sure those people haven't tried these! I mean hello! Cookie dough truffles...

Dark Chocolate Health Nut Clusters

2011-10-14T01:35:00.000-07:00

It is very rare that I find myself enjoying sweets and simultaneously thinking "this is so healthy! I am being SO good eating this..." Well, this is one of those rare moments that I treasure so much. These little chocolates are good for you. I promise. Of course, they are only good for you if you don't sit down and eat half of them in one session (unlike myself). Everything in moderation they say.... yeah right.

Well, let's go over the ingredients in these-

Dark chocolate: antioxidants
Nuts: healthy fats
Dried Fruit: antioxidants
Bran Sticks: loads of fiber

Do you see what I am saying?

Honestly I think I got a bit too excited and dropped mine too big. I definitely wouldn't go any bigger than a tablespoon otherwise they are hard to eat because they melt in your fingers before you're done eating them. Plus, you eat them right out of the fridge and they are a bit hard to bite into, so go smaller when dropping them. Bite size.

Now if you take a bag of dark chocolate chips and melt them into any combination of the last three ingredients in this recipe, you have the perfect sweet snack. Now by any combination I mean any type of nut/dried fruit in any ratio, just as long as you add in about 2 cups total of mix-ins. Just play it by ear, if the mixture looks dry, don't keep adding things. I think about 2 cups is the perfect ratio of mix-ins to chocolate.

Now let me tell you about these bran sticks. I know they can be off putting, just by the name. Trust me though. I swear by these things. They are low calorie and chocked full of fiber. Plus, when they are covered with chocolate they have no resemblance to bran, they just have a perfect crunch. Even without chocolate coating them, I think they are great. They really are yummy. I eat them by themselves with milk almost everyday. But please. When I say Fiber One... I mean it. Do NOT buy All Bran Bran sticks. You'll be sorry.

So go ahead and play around with some combination of add-ins that you really like. Seriously, you can make any kind of chocolate cluster that you like, that's what is sooooo great about this type of treat! It is completely forgiving and totally adaptable.

Be sure to store these in the fridge though! Or else you will have soft, gooey chocolate globs on your hands. And while messy may be fun sometimes... this probably isn't one of those times. Just sayin'.

Dark Chocolate Health Nut Clusters
Print Recipe

12 oz bag Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnut, almonds or pecans)
3/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or apricots, etc)
1/2 cup Fiber One Bran Sticks

Melt chocolate chips in double boiler or in microwave. Mix together all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Drop about tablespoonfuls on a sheet tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Place in fridge to set. Store in fridge in air tight container between sheets of wax or parchment paper.

Spaghetti Bolognese

2011-10-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

This was actually the first time that I've ever had bolognese. Needless to say, it was the first time that I have ever made it... absolutely will not be the last either! Jeez, I've really been missing out. I usually just eat spaghetti with a basic meat sauce, sometime meatballs. This, this is spectacular.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with what bolognese is, it is usually a meat sauce made from a mixture of meats (veal, pork, beef) depending on the recipe of course. It's not just the meats though... the whole sauce is different then the standard. It uses an array of vegetables to boost flavor, usually carrot, celery and onion- a general mire poix. Milk is simmered with the tomatoes to make a creamier sauce, although I would never call it a cream sauce. You would never know that there was milk in it.

I think of bolognese as a much more intricate Italian meat sauce. SO worth the extra effort.

This recipe actually uses carrot, onion and mushrooms, which I find to be a smart substitute. Mushrooms have a much stronger flavor than celery. They are also found to be have strong umami (savory) flavor and distinct meatiness. The exact mushrooms used are dried porcini's reconstituted. The reconstituted water is even added back into the sauce, boosting the flavor even more, if possible.

The vegetables are chopped and then pureed in the food processor to make the sauce nice and fine. LOVE it.

Did I mention that there is pancetta? Mmmmm, pancetta. The Italian bacon.

This is a great recipe. Please try it.

Weeknight Bolognese
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1¼ cup white wine (Riesling, gewürztraminer, white zinfandel, xx)
½ small carrot, peeled and chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces
½ small onion, chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces
3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch pieces
28 ounces whole tomatoes with juice
1½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small garlic clove, pressed through garlic press or minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1¼ pound meatloaf mix or equal amounts 80 percent lean ground beef, ground veal, and ground pork
1½ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cover porcini mushrooms with ½ cup water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover bowl with plastic wrap, cut a few steam vents with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Using fork, lift porcini from liquid and transfer to second small bowl; pour soaking liquid through mesh strainer lined with paper towel. Set porcini and strained liquid aside.

Bring wine to simmer in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Set reduced wine aside.

Meanwhile, pulse carrot in food processor until broken down into rough ¼-inch pieces, about ten 1-second pulses. Add onion; pulse until vegetables are broken down to ⅛-inch pieces, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer vegetables to small bowl. Process softened porcini until well ground, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary. Transfer porcini to bowl with onions and carrots. Process pancetta until pieces are no larger than ¼ inch, 30 to 35 seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary; transfer to small bowl. Pulse tomatoes with juice until chopped fine, 6 to 8 one-second pulses.

Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and porcini; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground meats, breaking meat into 1- inch pieces with wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Add milk and stir to break meat into ½-inch bits; bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium, and continue to simmer, stirring to break up meat into small pieces, until most liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until combined, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reserved porcini soaking liquid, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper; bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced and sauce is thickened but still moist, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in reduced wine and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

2011-10-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

I know that we have left the season of "no bake" treats, but I just had to slide this one on here before it was too late.

I know personally... I LOVE cookie dough. Some people find this worrisome because of the whole food borne illness thing from raw eggs. A valid concern. Which! Can always be addressed with pasteurized eggs. I, myself, find it concerning so I never have raw cookie dough outside of the oh-so-amazing chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

However, I have found a solution to the raw cookie dough/food borne illness dilemma!!

THESE chocolate chip cookie dough truffles.

Taste like real cookie dough made with eggs... but wait- they contain no eggs. So how then? How!?

Good question. Sweetened condensed milk. SO clever! And SO very very good at replicating the texture of chocolate chip cookie dough. It's not exact. But it is realllly close. And once dipped in chocolate, it is difficult to notice the difference.

So, because I am good to you, I give you chocolate chip cookie dough truffles!!

Genius...

If you like no bakes, check out my oreo cheesecake cookies recipe and my chocolate peanut butter no bakes recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Print Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (replace 1/2 with chopped walnuts optionally)

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

In mixing bowl or in large bowl with hand held beater, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, beating for 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually add flour, alternating with milk, ending with flour. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto waxed/parchment paper. Place in fridge for about an hour or until firm. Roll into balls. Place in fridge for another hour to firm up again.

Melt bag of semisweet chocolate chips in large glass bowl over pot of simmering water. Dips balls with fork, coating evenly. Place back on paper and return to fridge to harden.

Honey Corn Muffins

2011-10-10T02:58:00.000-07:00

I've always loved cornbread. I am very picky about my cornbread however. I don't want my cornbread to be dry and crunchy. I don't so much as mind it being crunchy I suppose, just as long as that doesn't lend to it being dry. More important to me is it being moist. Cornmeal has a tendency to dry out baked goods so it's hard to find a decent cornbread sometimes. Especially down here in the South... no offense. Not a fan. Anyways, I have a recipe that I very much like for cornbread here. You can also read more about my cornbread ranting there also.

However! This post is about corn muffins. Similar, but not the same. Muffins themselves tend to be dry because they so easily become over baked. These are NOT dry. NOT. I promise. They are made with buttermilk which improves the moistness and offers tenderness to the crumb.

And you read right. These are honey corn muffins. They don't scream honey when you bite into them, but there is definitely a signature sweetness that the honey brings to the table. Subtle and just right. Not only are these sweetened by honey, but they also have a tad granulated sugar and brown sugar to them. I know... some of you are probably appalled about the whole sugar in the corn muffin thing. Get over it. These are fantastic. The "Baked" owners never let me down.

Honey Corn Muffins
adapted from "Baked Explorations" by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Print Recipe

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray making sure spread evenly along the bottom and up the sides of each cup.

In a medium bowl lightly whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the buttermilk, honey and butter until combined and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, both sugars and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and fold the dry into the wet until just combined.

Fill each muffin cup about three quarters full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy.

Applesauce Snack Cake

2011-10-07T04:26:00.000-07:00

YAY! Fall is here : D This is my absolute most favorite time of the year. I just love all the flavors and dishes that are associated with fall- pumpkin, apple, spices... ohhhhhhhh, SO amazing!

Here is my first fall kick off recipe! Apples are just such a great fruit to bake with. Probably my favorite.
This cake tries to emphasize the apple flavor by reconstituting dried apple slices in apple cider then reducing the mixture down. It takes the apple slices and processes them with unsweetened applesauce to come up with the base of the recipe. Genius if you ask me. It is Cooks Illustrated after all, it's to be expected.

This cake is so soft and so moist! With just a delicate touch of spice to it. And the top is crunchy from a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Did I forget to mention that by using applesauce it probably cuts down on the amount of fat in a normal snack cake recipe? Disregarding the whole stick of melted butter that's used that is....

Really a good snack cake recipe. Not overly sweet with frosting or icing so it does truly make for an anytime of the day snacking treat.

Applesauce Snack Cake

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

¾ cup (2 ounces), dried apples, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup apple cider
1½ cups (7½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅔ cup (4¾ ounces) sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position; hear oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

Bring dried apples and cider to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook until liquid evaporates and mixture appears dry, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, whisk flour and baking soda in medium bowl to combine; set aside. In second medium bowl, whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Measure 2 tablespoons sugar-spice mixture into small bowl and set aside for topping.

In food processor, process cooled dried-apple mixture and applesauce until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed; set aside. Whisk egg and salt in large bowl to combine. Add sugar-spice mixture and whisk continuously until well combined and light colored, about 20 seconds. Add butter in three additions, whisking after each. Add applesauce mixture and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; using rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined and even moistened.

Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula. Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons sugar-spice mixture evenly over batter. Bake until wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Run knife along cake edges without parchment to release. Remove cake pan by lifting parchment overhand and transfer to cutting board. Cut cake and serve.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

2011-10-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

I don't eat salads a lot... I'd rather eat my vegetables cooked rather than raw.

I'm sure a lot of you out there agree with me.

That's why I am more of a soup person.

Plus I have this thing about cucumbers... and they always make their way into salads. It's wierd. I won't bore you with the details.

But! Here is the thing- this salad. It's good.

You need to take it seriously though and look at the components. If you don't like the components of the salad, it's just never going to work out. Your doomed from the start. I'm mostly talking about you people out there that hate beans.

So let's see- a magical combination of chickpeas, olives, red onion, tomato, cucumbers, feta and romaine? If there is anything there that you just can't move past then you're not going to like this salad.

If you're feeling pretty good about all those ingredients then consider yourself lucky! Because this is one great salad.

All the textures and flavors.... they just work. And this is coming from a non-salad, soup person.

Here's a side note- Are you a cucumber freak too? For me, its the skin and the seeds... I just can't handle it. I have to make sure to buy the little gherkin, pickling cucumbers and peel them and then cut them into quarters to cut off the seeds. I even go as far as chopping the cucumber into pretty small pieces. So after a little adjustment, I really have no problem letting cucumbers into my salad.

Don't get me wrong though, you can always personalize a salad to your own tastes. I could have left out the cucumbers. Or if I couldn't find cherry tomatoes (which I couldn't) I could just seed and de-water roma tomatoes, then chop those up. Or! If kalamata olives aren't your thing, go ahead and use regular black (which I also did... too much sour, vinegar flavor is a turn off for me). Salad's are tweakable.

I almost forgot! This is a Cooks Illustrated recipe after all so it has to involve some sort of clever technique. They salt the water loaded veggies before tossing everything together! This extracts all the extra water that pools once the dressing is mixed, isn't that great? I just love it, it made SUCH a difference. The flavor wasn't watered down at all and nothing got soggy even after sitting for a while. GENIUS.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
Table salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (Optional.)
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 romaine heart, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Ground black pepper

Combine cucumber, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt in colander set over bowl and let stand 15 minutes.

Whisk oil, vinegar, and garlic together in large bowl. Add drained cucumber and tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, onion, and parsley; toss and let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, 5 minutes.

Add romaine and feta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

2011-10-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

OH boy, oh boy, oh boy....I have been waiting quite a while to share these bad boys with you!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate fans better try to contain yourselves because this is a spectacular combination of the two. Spectacular I tell you! And they are one of THE easiest treats I have ever made. How is that for appealing, huh?

Before I go into the details of these bars, I better mention to you all again- peanut butter and chocolate are not my favorite combination. So, as a non-peanut butter and chocolate enthusiast, I am telling you, these bars are a MUST for you to make. Now that is saying something.

Remember how I said that these were easy? Well... let me rephrase that- "easy" if you have a cooking/candy thermometer. I know. I too hate it when special equipment is called for in a recipe, but if you don't have one, you realllllly should invest in a thermometer. I use mine at least once a week. I thought I lost it once. I might of cried. Don't worry, I found it.

Anyways! Lets break these bars down.

Bottom Layer: A candied crust of rice krispies... Mmmmmmm, yum.

Middle Layer: Milk chocolate peanut butter! Literally all you have to do is mix melted milk chocolate into peanut butter. Could that be any easier?

Top Layer: Dark chocolate ganache. Same thing as middle layer- just melt 3 simple ingredients together!

As you can see, the hardest part of this entire bar is the bottom layer. And truly, if you already own a thermometer, it's simple- just bring the ingredients to 235 degrees F. Thats it. Then mix them with the krispies. Quickly. And Evenly. Seriously, be quick and even about this. They harden pretty fast and if you don't distribute the syrup evenly then some bars have bites that are much harder than others. It's weird. I mean don't get me wrong, if that does happen, they are still delicious. I'm just a perfectionist so it bothered me a bit.

You should also know that I made these bars twice. One pan directly after the other... it was kind of pathetic. I actually ended up trying to put a twist on the second pan by first browning the butter and adding a nice pinch of salt- a trick I picked up from my salted brown butter rice krispies. I do believe that there was a nice difference in the taste. But that adds a few unnecessary steps that takes away from the incredible simplicity of the bars, so you can disregard my experimentation. Plus, although I thought it was great, it took away from the peanut butter as the dominant flavor.

This recipe uses an 8" square baking pan which some of you may not have. But I bet you have a 9"x13" pan... if you would like to adjust the recipe for that size, just double it. This recipe isn't baked, it's just chilled in the refrigerator, so the pan size doesn't have to be exact. If you have a 9" square pan, you can absolutely use that without any adjustments, your bars will just be a smidge shorter.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
Adapted from "Baked: A New Frontier in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Print Recipe

Crust
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tb light corn syrup
3 Tb butter, melted

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter
5 oz milk chocolate, coarsely chopped or chips (scant 1 cup)
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Icing
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 tsp light corn syrup
4 Tb (1/2 stick) butter

Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square pan. Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a spatula to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees F. Remove from heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture, evenly into the bottom of the pan (not up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

In a large nonreactive metal bowl (or glass pyrex bowl), stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hr, or until the top layer hardens.

In a large nonreactive metal bowl (or glass pyrex bowl), combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hr or until the topping hardens.

Cut into 16 squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.

Kipfel Cookies

2011-10-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

I am BACK!

We have officially made it to Germany and have a place to live along with all of our furniture as well as all the other important necessities in life... such as the internet : ) And now that we are equipped, I can start sharing all the recipes that I've been indulging in since I last left you!

What better way to begin posting again than with a traditional German sweet- the kipfel.

I would like to take this moment to specially thank my good friends mother, Deb, for sharing this cherished family recipe with me. I am SO thankful and will be adding these cookies to my baking repertoire of most enjoyed treats!

Alright now lets get serious about these kipfel's. First of all, now that I am in Germany and have explored the world of kipfel's more directly, I've come to understand that there are two types of kipfels. One is a shortbread type cookie made with ground nuts that is shaped into a crescent.... which to me actually says crescent cookie (or even crescent shaped mexican wedding cookies...), but we'll just go with it. Then you have the kipfel's that I am about to share with you, which although quite a bit more labor intensive, I find to be superior : )

You start out with a verrrry rich dough that is loaded with all the deliciousness of butter, egg yolks, and full fat sour cream (don't you dare do it.... you, the one thinking you can substitute lower fat sour cream!)

Does somebody want to argue with me about the deliciousness of saturated fats? Yeah, didn't think so.

Sorry, I'll go on now. So! Once you have very easily put together this dough you let it chill so it is easier to handle. You then continue on by shaping the dough into balls. I actually weighed each and every one of mine... because I am that person. I started doing 1 oz balls but then decided that was a bit too big, so I scooted down to .8 oz which I found more pleasing hehe

And I hate to say it, but then you have to chill the dough balls... I know, I hate waiting on recipes too, but hey- good food takes time! Plus, now you have time to make the filling. So go ahead and finely chop the walnuts and mix them with egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract. YUM!

Now- assemble! If I was good to you I would have taken step by step pictures... unfortunately my kitchen isn't good to me and natural light just doesn't exist. Sorry that it didn't work out that I could be that good to you : ( Maybe I'll be better to you now that I am in Germany and I have a new kitchen...

But, I have faith that you can figure this out on your own. One at a time, roll out the dough balls into a pretty flat circle. Use your judgement on thickness. I think my circles were like 6" in diameter....? I can't really remember- Sorry : / Then use about a teaspoon full of filling- don't get too over excited and overfill the cookies! The egg whites DO cause them to puff up and in must cases the dough cracks a little... So try to reign yourself back when you are filling these up. Roll them into crescents and pinch and seal the edges until you have beautiful looking cookies!

Alright, if you are super nervous about cookies spreading too much or melting into a pile of butter *cough* me *cough* refrigerate those bad boys! Trust me, sometimes its worth the extra insurance to wait 30 minutes for them to chill. I mean, you just spent half a day working on these and you were way too perfectionistic about shaping them- do you want to gamble here? haha I guess all my disasters have made me paranoid (melted piles of shortbread..). Ya know what? You're probably more daring than I am, so why don't you just go ahead and put those in then. You should be fine.

Now because the dough isn't sweetened I think a little toss in confectioner's sugar while they are still warm from the oven is appropriate.

Yup. Perfect.

One of my favorite things about these cookies was that they froze perfect. Even with the confectionary sugar! And they were even SO good straight from the freezer (what can I say, sometimes I get a craving and I don't have the time to wait for a cookie to thaw...)

And I love that the dough isn't overly sweet, really quite addicting. When I brought them home to my family they were gone within 24 hours. And I brought home 4 different baked goods... these were by far the favorite.

So go ahead and treat yourself to some German goodness and bake up a batch of these cookies!

Kipfel Cookies
Courtesy of Deb Keener
Print Recipe

Dough:
4 cups flour
1 lb butter (4 sticks), room temperature
8 Tb sour cream (1/2 cup)
8 egg yolks

Filling*:
12 oz walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract

powdered sugar, for dusting

Beat the butter until smooth, add sour cream and mix until incorporated and smooth again. Beat in egg yolks until batter is uniform and once more smooth. Add flour and mix until just incorporated. Refrigerate until chilled (several hours or overnight).

Make dough balls about the size of walnut and place them in the refrigerator to chill for several hours.

While dough is chilling make the filling by mixing together all the ingredients until fully incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll doughs balls into a thin circle on a lightly floured surface. Place about a teaspoonful of filling in the center. Roll dough over filling and shape into a crescent, pinching the edges to create a seal (if you want to be extra cautious, brush water around the edge where the seal is going to be created before you begin to shape.)

Place on cookies sheets and bake 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Toss in bowl of powdered sugar or sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Cool on wire rack.

*The original recipe given to me for these cookies had double the amount of filling that I wrote in the recipe. I didn't even use up half the filling, thats why I scaled it down to half, but if you want to stick to the orignal, double the filling written in the recipe.*

This Weeks Delish

2011-07-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is officially my last post for a while. I am going on blog hiatus. This Monday the movers are coming to get all of our stuff including my friend, the computer. Now, I will be returning as soon as possible- don't fret! Unfortunately when moving overseas.... as soon as possible is likely in the realm of two months. Wish us luck in Germany! And until my return I hope you enjoy all the posts I've made over the last three months : )

Here are a couple I found from other blogs this week:

I haven't had an M&M cookie in forevvvver! These just looks so scrumptious and fun : D I love fun ideas.
Ughhh, I SO need to make this- I love spinach and mushrooms! Together in a slow cooker as a lasagna... tooooo good.
I've never had a fool before. They look so creamy and delicious. This blueberry fool looks so yummy!
I think the idea behind these oreo peanut butter layer pies is SO clever- how easy and incredibly delicious....
Alright, another one from picky palate.... this girl is amazing at coming up with insane combinations! Gooey cookies and cream chocolate cake bars anyone?

This Weeks Pick:

Absolutely these Chewy Brownies from Cooks Illustrated. I was really impressed with the recipe. I know, it's just a basic brownie.... but seriously, it's a really realllly good homemade brownie recipe! The texture is amazing and it is so easy to throw together. It's definitely one of my favorite brownie recipes.

Cooks Illustrated Best Blueberry Muffins

2011-07-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Before I started baking, my favorite thing to buy from the bakery was a blueberry muffin. Not because the bakery that I purchased them from had especially good muffins or anything. I just really like blueberry muffins. I don't know if you've noticed... I actually just really like blueberries haha.

Anyways, I don't know if you have ever tried making homemade blueberry muffins before.... but there are about a million different recipes out there. They can range from recipes using buttermilk, whole milk, sour cream, yogurt, butter, oil, etc. The list goes on in any combination of those ingredients. And most of them claim to be the best. Well, I won't tell you these are the best, but I will tell you that they were especially delicious. If you know me, you know that I don't like saying that certain recipes are the best. I just don't think it's right to make such a proclamation- who knows what else is out there in the unreached recipe world?

So, back to these muffins. They were realllllly good. And I will most definitely be making them again. They were moist and packed with flavor, something that is not always the case with muffins. Most blueberry muffins simply have blueberries stirred about the batter. These had a blueberry reduction that was swirled into the batter. THEN they were sprinkled with not just granulated sugar, but lemon sugar. Lemon zest was rubbed into granulated sugar to infuse the oils. Those are the kind of extra steps that put baked goods over the top. This one was successful. I will tell you, I was hesitant with the sugar because I felt like there was more than I could possibly spread across just 12 muffins. I ended up not using it all. Dumb. Don't be dumb like me. Use it all. Seriously, don't sprinkle and say good enough like I did. Take a good tablespoon or so and mound and spread it around the batter top. I realized afterward that it is the granulated sugar topping that creates that crisp, crunchy shell of a muffin top that is everybody's favorite. So since I didn't add all the sugar, I didn't get the full effect. Don't be hesitant like me, just go for it. I give you permission.

The other thing I did, which goes against all cardinal rules of baking, was overmix the batter a bit. UGH. ALWAYS mix just until the batter comes together- then stop. Well, let me tell you why I over mixed it a little. The batter is really, really lumpy. It is human nature to want to get those lumps out.... so I gave the batter a few extra stirs and then I caught myself because the stirring wasn't loosening up the lumps so I was just making my dough tough (not tender) by over mixing... I am really upset about this. And at that point I still needed to stir in the berries (which I honestly had forgotten about ha) and swirl in the blueberry jam reduction. So not only had I already over mixed a bit, but I stil had to mix some more. They still came out beautifully and soft, but I am convinced they didn't reach the height of their greatness because of my OCD and those darn lumps. SOOOO basically, when you go to make this, stop mixing when there are still a few dry bits of flour and then add the blueberries. You'll be much better off.

Best Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (12½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (if you have a scale weigh it, don't measure it - it's worth it)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
*If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk.

Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon (I used my potato masher) several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

For the topping- Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until combined, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using small spoon, gently swirl berry filling into batter. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 15 to 19 minutes (don't over bake), rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 muffins

Sweetened Cream Cheese Spread

2011-07-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Easy, simple recipes are the best. Especially when the outcome is terrific. That is how I feel about this cream cheese spread. It is THE most basic thing you could make... but it is sooooooo good!!! And you can do so much with it too!

I call this a spread and not a dip because the consistency is a little thick. If you wanted to make it into a dip for say, fruit, just add a little cream or half and half. Milk may do the trick, but it will lack in flavor and probably make it more water than anything else.

Anyways, you can use this for lot's of stuff. I like it on cinnamon raisin bread- yummmm! But you could spread it on graham crackers or cookies or brownies... The list is endless. You could put it on plain toast or flavored bagels. You can even flavor the spread by adding cinnamon to it. Then it would really be a hit a plain toast! Imagine. This is just so good and so easy. Definitely a staple recipe.

Sweetened Cream Cheese Spread
Print Recipe

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients together in small bowl with spatula.

Ranch Dressing

2011-07-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I don't really like salads. When I do have one though, I much prefer a cream dressing to an oil one. I know... not the healthier option, but that is just my preference. Ranch dressing is one of my family's favorites. We always bought it or made it from the packet though. I've never had homemade ranch until now.

It was simple to put together and easy to tailor to your own tastes. You could add extra spice with cayenne pepper or hot sauce. You could make it extra herby by adding more of your favorites. Or you could make it very plain. You also add buttermilk to meet your own desired consistency, which gives you the option of making it thicker for a veggie dip. It is a great option for all you ranch lovers out there!

Ranch Dressing
adapted from Pioneer Woman
Print Recipe

1 clove (to 2 cloves) garlic
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 Tb fresh chives
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
buttermilk, as needed to desired consistency

optional add ins: vinegar, hot sauce, dill, paprika, oregano, etc.

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about an 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. Chop the parsley, chives and any of the optional herbs very finely and add to the garlic.

In a bowl combine all ingredients, adding other optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired.

Chewy Brownies

2011-07-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another brownie recipe that I would like to share with you. If you haven't realized this yet... I love brownies. If I was going to pick a favorite dessert, I would have to say brownies. And that is seriously saying something since I love so many desserts oh SO much! But brownies or any type of brownie bar is a favorite of mine.

These brownies in particular are a new favorite. Oh goodness where to begin. Let's just start with the most obvious. They are chewy. Chewy in the good sense. Chewy in the sense that they are not dense like fudgy brownies or cake-like and soft like other brownies. They have the perfect bite to them. I like them when they have cooled for a couple hours so they aren't straight from the oven goo, but not solid either. Just perfect. Although, I dare you to wait that long to try one.

Cooks Illustrated created these out of the idea that they would like to reinvent the box brownie into a homemade brownie. Kind of defeats the purpose but okay. They nailed it. They certainly remind you of the boxed brownie... but really, like a million times better. Yeah. A million.

Easy to make? Couldn't be easier. It is a matter of dumping things into a bowl and mixing with a whisk- no mixer required. A very simple brownie recipe.

Really, if you like brownies, you've got to make these. They are very good. I don't think I could possibly choose a favorite brownie recipe, but these have got to be one of the best. And trust me, I've made a lot of brownies...

I always line my pan with parchment paper to make removing and cutting easier.

You just pick the brownies right out of the pan once they've cooled completely.

Then you start by cutting in half and diving it into how many brownies you desire.

With this pan, I divide in half and then cut each half into thirds. After that I go lengthwise into fourths.

Then I've got 2 dozen from a 9x13 pan.

Chewy Brownies
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Print Recipe

1/3cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2large eggs
2large egg yolks
2teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2cups (17 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 3/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4teaspoon table salt
6ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling using the following steps: Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.
4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.