The Food Librarian

Fresh Strawberry Daifuku Mochi

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 04:10:00 +0000

Strawberries, Sweetened Red Beans, and Mochi = YUMMY

Hello! I've always wanted to make Fresh Strawberry Daifuku Mochi and finally made it! When I posted photos to Instagram, several people asked for the recipe. I felt I couldn't just give you the recipe because there's some technique involved. So, here is a video of me making Strawberry Daifuku Mochi. It's a fresh strawberry covered with anko (sweetened red Azuki beans, smooth texture), covered with mochi made with Koda Farms Mochiko sweet rice flour.

This video uses the microwave method. You can search the interwebs for a steamed method. I adapted recipes and techniques from Just One Cookbook, Bon Appetit, and my 40+ years of mochi making experience with my family. Also, I worked in a mochi & manju shop while in high school (Sakura-ya in Gardena, CA - um, seriously the best mochi in Southern California), and I helped make mochi during their busy New Year's holiday season.

Hints for success:

Work fast - mochi needs to be hot/very warm when you form it. That's why this is a small batch.
Make sure your hands have potato starch on them to prevent sticking when working with hot mochi. You know what sucks and could hurt you? Having sticky HOT mochi stuck to your hands. It's a pain. Thus, if children are helping, you need to be careful.
If you screw up microwaving the mochi, just make another batch. You are using a small amount of ingredients and your box of Mochiko will give you several batches. (I overcooked it once and had to start over).
Some of the video is sped up so I'm not working that fast. Please know that I've been making mochi and baking for a long time. I can hold hot mochi in my hands pretty easily. I think forming mochi might be one of those "harder than it looks on the video" techniques. But keep practicing and you'll get it! And no matter what it looks like, it's delicious!
I've only ever used Koda Farms Mochiko sweet rice flour made with short-grain glutinous rice. This California family business has been making Mochiko for the Japanese American community forever. Support them and follow them on IG. Also, "sweet" rice doesn't mean any sweetener is added, it refers to the type of rice. (You can't use Bob's rice flour because that is made with medium and long grain rice. You need the short-grain rice flour... just get Koda Farms and you'll be good.)
This isn't the only way to make mochi. The interwebs has lots of videos and recipes. The ratio of mochi, anko, and strawberry varies.
FYI - I can't make this low-carb and have never substituted real, granulated sugar for other sugars. Koda Farms Mochiko is rice flour and gluten-free. Anko (sweetened Azuki beans) is usually gluten-free but read labels carefully.
I have seen people substitute corn starch for potato starch and I think that'll work. You brush off most of the powder.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Koda Farms Mochiko rice flour (link on Amazon) (Hey, I noticed that I have the wrong amount on the video. The correct amount is 3/4 cup Mochiko).
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
Anko (sweetened azuki red beans), smooth (comes in smooth and rough texture. I prefer smooth for mochi) (link on Amazon)
6-8 small or medium fresh strawberries

Preparation (see video for details):

Cover strawberries with a thin layer of anko. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a microwave safe bowl, mix mochiko and sugar. Add water and stir until smooth and well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 1 minute. Remove and stir with spatula.
Return covered dish to the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir.
Microwave another 30 seconds and stir.
Finally, microwave another 30 seconds and stir. Mochi needs to be smooth and sticky.
Microwave times may vary because all microwaves are different.
Spread potato starch on work space, and plop mochi on the potato starch.
Cut small pieces of mochi and form into a circle.
Wrap anko covered strawberries with mochi, placing seal at the bottom.

* I am part of Amazon Affiliates program so I can earn a few pennies if you purchase something - at no cost to you.

Music in video by Ben Sound. Thank you!

Funfetti or Confetti Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 21:46:00 +0000

Funfetti / Confetti Cookies

Funfetti is FUN - I mean, it's in the name! My Bonus Kids Alison, Rosie, and Emily came to Los Angeles to celebrate their grandmother's 100th birthday recently. Pastry Chef Rosie came to my house to bake the desserts, and she made these fun and delicious cookies. Lucky for me (and you), she left her recipe and I made a batch for work.

First, here is Rosie's beautiful grandma and the cookies she made at my house for the party. (If you are in Western Massachusetts, visit Hunt + Hart Cafe + Bakery in Huntington, MA and eat a delicious lunch or dinner made by my friends Helen, Alison, and Rosie!)

Here are the ingredients. In order to soften the butter quickly, chop and lay on a piece of parchment.

After making the dough, scoop cookies. My scoops were a bit wonky on this batch so I took a few minutes to round them in my hands before squashing them a bit. (see photo below)

Freeze the squished (yes, I'm sure that is a baking term) cookies for at least 2 hours before baking. I got 47 cookies from one batch of dough.

The cookies spread a bit and have slight cracking on top. These are small cookies. Rosie makes them about double the size.

Spread a thin layer of melted Candy Melts (we bought ours at Michael's) with an off-set spatula. Have sprinkles ready. You need to work fast because the Candy Melts harden quickly (if it does, just re-melt in the microwave).

You don't need to cover the bottom of the cookie. Coat half the cookie with reserved sprinkles.

You can adjust the sprinkle colors for baby showers, team sports, holidays, and more. I look forward to making UCLA cookies for a big game!

You can skip the top coating altogether and let the colored sprinkles shine through.

Thanks Rosie for a great recipe! Thanks Alison, Emily, and Rosie for being the best bonus kids ever! Love, your bonus mom!

Funfetti or Confetti Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup (300 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon lemon extract
1 Tablespoon almond extract
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch (that worked out to 10 grams for me)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup rainbow sprinkles plus more for decoration

Candy Melts ("white" - I think that's vanilla)

Instructions
Prep: In a medium bowl, measure and whisk together flour, cornstarch, and baking soda.
1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar.
2. Add egg and extracts until light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. On low speed add in flour, cornstarch, baking soda mixture until just combined, a minute or less.
5. Add sprinkles and beat until just mixed in - or you can do this part my hand.
6. Scoop dough rounds onto parchment paper. Flatten a bit with the palm of your hand.
7. Freeze dough until no longer soft, at least 2 hours. (I froze them overnight).

Baking
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I have also baked at 325 F on Convection Bake setting).
9. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets, 2 inches apart as they will spread. Bake straight from the freezer.
10. Bake times depends on size of cookie and frozen state - from 8 minutes to 15 minutes. It's a good idea to bake just one or two to determine the best baking time. Mine took about 13 minutes from frozen solid. The cookie will crack on top and the edges should not be brown - they may look underbaked.
11. Let cook completely before frosting.

Decorating
12. Melt candy melts as directed on package.
13. With an off-set spatula, spread a thin layer of candy melt on half the cookie and sides. Leave the bottom of the cookie bare.
14. Spread sprinkles on the cookie.

Options: You can skip the palm oil in the candy melts and use white chocolate to coat. You can also skip the topping of sprinkles altogether.
Options: Replace almond extract with vanilla extract.

Disclosure: Links to Amazon products are affiliate links. I'll get a few cents if you buy something - there is no cost to you.

Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potato - Bon Appetit

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 05:26:00 +0000

Bon Appetit's Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potatoes

It's been cold. It's be raining. And it's time for soup!

I was down a YouTube rabbit hole recently and started watching a bunch of Bon Appetit videos. I love them - filmed in the test kitchen, these short videos have chefs with great personalities. My favorite series is Claire Saffitz making gourmet junk food like Oreos, Skittles, Instant Ramen (and bickers with Brad in the kitchen). Anyway, my second favorite is Andy Baraghani. He brings his own rice to make a Persian dish and made this delicious soup (watch the video)

Using the most basic of ingredients, you can make and serve this soup in an hour. And that's a Meyer lemon from my mom's tree.

There are 4 garlic cloves and 2 inches of ginger. Man, I love ginger in soup. I used two-ish chicken thighs.

One large sweet potato, with skin on, makes for a yummy change from a plain potato and the color is awesome.

Before serving, shred the chicken thighs with two forks. Super duper easy soup!

Right before serving, a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and soy sauce are added. Topped with cilantro, it's way delicious. I served this to a friend who liked it, and another friend made it and loved it. I've made it twice in 2019 and we're only at January 16 so it's hella good. I hope you make this!

Bon Appetit Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken with Rice and Sweet Potato

Part of the Bon Appetit New Year's Healthyish series

Bon Appetit recipe link: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-rice-soup

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used two plus a little thighs)
1/3 cup jasmine rice, rinsed (rinse until water runs clear)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 t kosher salt
2 small sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½"-thick rounds (I used one large sweet potato)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice)
2 TBSP soy sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, salt, and 5 cups water to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes, until chicken is firm
3. Add sweet potatoes to pan and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened and potatoes and rice are tender, 15–20 minutes longer.
4. Remove chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the pot.
5. Add lemon juice and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Top soup with chopped cilantro

Makes enough for 2 large servings with leftovers.

Recipe by Andy Baraghani. Video with his amazing no-look chopping (I would be in the ER after trying that): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj2j_K8c7XE

Join Andy Baraghani in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Jell-O Christmas Trees

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 21:38:00 +0000

Lime Jell-O Christmas Trees

Jell-O Christmas Trees are easy to make, fun to eat, and super pretty! I just like all things Jello! This is two simple layers of Jell-O, one mixed with a can of evaporated milk, and cut into triangles. If you want, you can add some sprinkles right before serving.

I've had this recipe in my "To Make" files for years...so happy to finally make it! I can image doing this for many holidays - pinkish and reds for Valentines Day, Blue and Blue for a Dodgers game, pastel colors for Easter, and more!

Thanks for Susan for helping me figure out how to cut these into 7 equal trees per row, with leftover scraps. Thanks to my friend JustJenn who came up with a plan that doesn't have leftover pieces. (Yes, I sent a group text as I was making this because my brain was dead and I couldn't figure it out... Yay friends!) Susan even broke out the ruler.

If you add sprinkles, do that right before you serve them...the sprinkles can run. And I tried random red and green sprinkles and it was ugly (see photo of the color running after sitting out for less than 30 minutes). I prefer the Jell-O without sprinkles because the sprinkles add a lot of crunch and I like a smooth Jello.

Merry Christmas! ~ mary

Jell-O Christmas Trees

Original Recipe from Jell-O: https://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipe/138513/christmas-tree-jigglers

Ingredients:

- Boiling water (total of 2 cups, divided)

- 1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (Yo, it's not Sweetened Condensed milk like I use in lots of my Jell-O recipes. Be sure to get Evaporated Milk) (If possible, have it refrigerated before making the Jell-O)

- 2 large packages of 6 ounces each, or 4 small packages of 3 ounces each - Jell-O, Lime flavor (You need a total of 12 ounces of Lime Jello)

Prep: Lightly spray an 8 x 8 inch pan. Wipe out any excess spray. Set aside.

Plain Jell-O Layer:

Pour 6 ounces of Lime Jell-O (1 big package or 2 small packages) into a medium bowl. Add 1 1/3 cups boiling water into the bowl, and stir until completely dissolved (2-3 minutes).
Pour Jell-O into 8 x 8 pan. (I used my Magic Line 8 x 8 x 2 pan)
Refrigerate for 25 to 30 minutes, until set but not fully firm.

Milky Jell-O Layer:

After the Plain Jell-O Layer has been in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes, start on the Milky Jell-O Layer.
Pour 6 ounces of Lime Jell-O (1 big package or 2 small packages) into a medium bowl. Add 2/3 cup boiling water into the bowl, and stir until completely dissolved (2-3 minutes).
Stir in evaporated milk (shake well before opening can).
Refrigerate mixture until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes). Pour over the plain Jell-O layer and return to the refrigerator
Let set at least 4 hour or overnight.

Cutting:

Unmold the Jell-O onto a cutting board. If the whole thing doesn't come out easily, you can cut into 4 equal rows. Then carefully pull out each row onto the cutting board. (See my photos above)
Cut each row into 7 alternating equilateral triangles (you'll have 2 scrap pieces at the end). See photos and my friend Susan's drawing - thanks Susan! (Yes, that's the same Susan from Swedish Bread fame - always helping me out!). I made a cut line template on parchment paper and placed that under the Jell-O.

Optional:

Dip one side of the Jell-O piece in sprinkles.
Important note: Press into sprinkles right before serving...they will eventually start to bleed.
Only use sprinkles that are coated.
I prefer it without sprinkles because the sprinkles add a lot of crunch and I like a smooth Jell-O.

Amazon links (affiliate links - if you buy stuff, I get a few cents without any cost to you):

Swedish Cinnamon Bread (Kanellängd) with Swedish Pearl Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:26:00 +0000

Kanellängd ~ Swedish Bread with Cinnamon and Pearl Sugar

Kanellängd or Swedish Bread topped with Swedish Pearl Sugar is one of my favorite treats of the holiday season. My friend Susan makes loaves of this delicious bread, and I always try to remain a permanent friend so I'm on the bread list. Ha ha. We've always wanted to get together to bake this super pretty bread, and 2018 was finally the year!

This recipe is really special - Susan's mother-in-law brought her recipe from Sweden when she immigrated to America. Susan's husband Rick remembers making bread every holiday season - this was before the ubiquitous Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook so he remembers lots of mixing and kneading. I found recipes online and some have cinnamon and cardamom. But Rick's mom didn't like cardamom so that got nixed. I always love seeing how a traditional recipe is adapted by each family or generation.

Aren't they sooooo pretty!?!? And they are just as delicious!!

The recipe calls for a mix of Swedish and US measurements - isn't that a true immigrant recipe? Rick's mom had her own deciliter measuring cup (100 milliliters = 1 deciliter) that Susan & Rick continue to use to this day. Do you have inherited cooking tools that you treasure?

This dough is a sweet dough made with all-purpose flour, whole milk, butter, sugar, eggs, yeast, and a little salt.

Dough! Kneading a bit before setting it aside to rise!

After an hour, the dough was punched down, kneaded, and divided into 8 equal pieces (using a scale is very handy). Then each piece is rolled out into a rectangle. Brush liberally with softened butter.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the long end as tight as you can.

Pinch seal as best you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet.

Okay. Here's the fun part. Using kitchen shears, cut sections of the log. Cut as close to the bottom of the log as possible. Fold over the just cut section in the following pattern: Center, Right, Left or Center, Left, Right - just be consistent. It's a good idea to pinch the top of each leaf so it keeps a nice pointy top.

Here's another view of the log. Center, Right, Left, Center, Right, Left...until you are done. You will need to nudge the uncut log up on the tray as you proceed to make sure you don't severe the bottom as the log stretches (this will make more sense when you are doing it).

By the way, when you get to the end, cut off any extra dough. Plop all those edges onto some part of the tray. Be sure to egg wash and Swedish pearl sugar those scraps and bake them off. Then you get to eat those scraps when they come out of the oven and save the loaf for your friends.

Cover the shaped loaves with a kitchen cloth and let rest for another hour to rise.

After the second rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and get them ready to bake!

Brush each loaf with an egg wash. Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies. (Oh, in the upper left corner you can see the scrape pile of deliciousness). We fit three loaves on a half-sheet tray.

Top each loaf with a generous amount of pearl sugar. (Try not to eat all the pearl sugar out of the bag like I tried to do...it's so tasty and fun). Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees (length depends on the size of your loaf). Our 8 loaves baked for 19 minutes.

Done! Yum! After 5 minutes, remove from tray and move onto cooling racks.

Kanellängd - Swedish Bread Recipe (via Rick's mom)

Bread dough:
5 dl (deciliter) whole milk = 2.11338 US cups
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons)
2 dl sugar = .85 US cups
1 egg
1 tsp salt

2 packages active dry yeast
1 T granulated sugar
18-20 dl all-purpose flour = 7.6 to 8.45 US cups

Filling:
Softened butter (about a stick)
Sugar
Cinnamon

Topping:
Egg
Swedish pearl sugar (I purchased it at Surfas. Can be found on Amazon (affiliate link) or King Arthur)

Equipment needed:
Kitchen shears
Parchment paper
Baking sheets

Instructions:

Make the Bread Dough:
Heat milk, butter, sugar over low heat until butter is melted.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Temper the egg with a little of the milk mixture, then pour it into the milk mixture and mix well. Add salt. Set aside to cool a bit.

In another small bowl, combine yeast and 1 T of sugar. When the milk mixture is lukewarm, add 1/4 cup to bowl and whisk together. Set aside for yeast to start bubbling.

When the yeast is ready, start making the dough. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add 10 dl (about half the flour). Add the remaining milk mixture. Add the yeast mixture. Mix dough until combined and then add remaining flour, 1 dl at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of bowl. Remove from bowl onto floured surface. Knead a few minutes then set aside in a bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour.

After dough rises for an hour, punch down dough and knead about 50 times on a floured surface.

Divide dough to make loaves (we made 8 loaves so we used the scale to equally divide the dough.)

Shaping & Baking:
With a rolling pin, roll out dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread softened button on the entire surface of the dough (we used about 1 T per loaf). Sprinkle sugar to cover the butter, then sprinkle cinnamon.

Roll the LONG side tightly and seal the edges by pinching the dough together. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Using kitchen shears, cut the dough into 1/4" sections and shape (see photos above). Place cut sections in the pattern: Center, Left, Right, Center, Left, Right, and repeat.

Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and place in warm area to rise another hour.

After an hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush loaves with a lightly beaten egg (no added water) and sprinkle with the delicious Swedish pearl sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (Of course, it depends on how many loaves you make. When we made 8 loaves, they baked for 19 minutes.)

After 5 minutes, move loaves onto racks to cool. These are delicious warm from the oven. Can be kept at room temperature until you gift them to friends and family during the holiday season (or keep them for yourself to eat!) They are lovely warmed in the toaster over too. Enjoy!

I made this!

Thanks Susan and Rick for years of friendship and for sharing this wonderful tradition with me!

Merry Christmas! ~ Mary the Food Librarian

Notes:
Savor The Flavour has a recipe that includes cardamom and a orange glaze. They have the segments go right or left (we have right, left, and center) and they make one big log.

BBC Food has a video (with really interesting music) and they make two cuts (left and right) and one big log.

Brownie Crinkle Cookies (The Boy Who Bakes recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 08 Dec 2018 01:02:00 +0000

Brownie Crinkle Cookies from The Boy Who Bakes recipe

Do you have one hour? Then you have time to make these cookies! Really, they are super easy and fast. I can wake up super duper early and make them before work (and I leave home at 6 am). Sometimes, I don't have time to let them cool so I just lug the half-sheet pan into work. My co-workers don't mind. And I'm sure your friends won't mind too.

This recipe is from The Boy Who Bakes. I love Edd Kimber, cookbook author and winner of the BBC2's Great British Bake Off. He has engaging videos and fun content on Instagram. Earlier this year, he brought us heaven...in the form of a brownie cookie.

Baking these cookies is so much easier than baking brownies - you don't have to wait until the brownies are cool, cut them into squares, and place into cupcake liners. This is a brownie. In the shape of a drop cookie. Oh, did I mention there is sea salt? Yes there is.

I'm excited to come back to blogging with this recipe. I've been making these cookies All. The. Time. I would think colleagues would get sick of them...but apparently they have no trouble finishing them off. Let's go. - mary

The Boy Who Bakes emphasizes this and I concur. You need GOOD ingredients for this to work. It has two types of chocolate: Dark chocolate and Dutch Cocoa. I use the Trader Joe's Belgium Dark Chocolate and Valhrona Dutch Cocoa (purchased at the new Surfas location in Los Angeles - so excited they are back!!)

The other thing that's key in this recipe is timing. You should mise en place your ingredients, preheat your oven, and have two parchment lined trays at the ready.

(The photos are from two different baking sessions in case they look slightly different.)

A few colleagues have said these are their favorite cookies and I should bring them to every meeting.

Process photos: Melt chopped chocolate and butter over double boiler.

When the chocolate is melted, start the stand mixer containing the sugars and eggs. Beat for exactly 5 minutes.

The final batter is thick and easily scooped into mounds.

Top with flaked sea salt.

I use Jacobsen Salt Co. - Hand Harvested Pure Flake Sea Salt. It's really delicious salt. I even carry some around with me in a little tin - from Amazon (affiliate links)

Recipe: Brownie Crinkle Cookies
(adapted from The Boy Who Bakes)
200 g dark chocolate (around 65-70% cocoa solids), chopped - I use Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate pound bar
125 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
150 g sugar (original recipe calls for caster sugar, but I use granulated sugar)
100 g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
130 g all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoon (about 18-20 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (not natural) - I use Valhorna cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt - I use kosher salt

Flaked sea salt for sprinkling - I used Jacobsen's

As the Boy Who Bakes stressed, timing is important. Be sure to have a preheated oven at 350 F ready to go, parchment lined sheet trays (I use 2 half-sheets), as well as all your ingredients scaled and ready.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2a. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
2b. Using a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when melted.
3. As soon as the chocolate is melted, beat together the sugars (granulated and brown sugar) and eggs in a stand mixer with whisk attachment for 5 minutes (set a timer...you want 5 minutes).
4. Scrape down sides of mixture and add the melted chocolate & butter mixture. Beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until combined.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once and mix just until combined. I usually stop early and finish folding with a spatula until blended. But hurry...you gotta get this into the oven.
6. Scoop with disher (cookie or ice cream scoop) so they are uniform in size. (Note: Boy Who Bakes makes them really big. He fits 6 on a tray and I get at least 12.) They do spread so don't crowd them on the tray.
7. Sprinkle some flaked sea salt on top of each cookie. (When I started I didn't put enough salt on each cookie, so don't be afraid).
8. Place in center of oven and bake for 12 minutes. They will develop a crinkled top and puff a bit. I bake with the tray in the center rack and only bake one tray at a time.
9. Remove from oven and let rest on the tray until they are cool. Because they are soft, don't move onto a cooling rack until they are cool.
10. Enjoy!

Link to original recipe:
http://www.theboywhobakes.co.uk/recipes/2018/3/29/j9cnerut0as1ec0fcdiawsc4usi7ss

Some products used and The Boy Who Bakes cookbooks (affiliate links to Amazon's program - if you buy something, I get a few cents to buy more ingredients, and it doesn't cost you anything)

Starbucks Inspired Homemade Protein Bistro Snack Pack

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 19:39:00 +0000

Starbucks Copycat Protein Bistro Packs

You know those packaged Starbucks Bistro Protein Packs? I love to pick them up along with my "Tall, Decaf, Soy, No Foam Latte" (yes, a little high maintenance order there...but I can't have caffeine and I want as much soy milk as possible so no foam...but I digress). Anyway, the latte is already $3.75 and the protein pack "snack" adds another $5.25 to the order and poof...the balance on my Starbucks app goes away pretty quickly.

Every time I pick one up, I think "I can make this myself." Also, I don't eat the cheese that's inside so I'm wasting food - in addition to the plastic container. But the little tasty bread rounds are my favorite and the limiting factor in making the packs myself.

After some Googling, I went to Whole Foods and found these Ozery Bakery Snacking Rounds (Muesli flavor - they also have apple cinnamon and cranberry orange). How awesome! You get 14 buns for $3.99 - that's only 29 cents a bun! Math in my head explodes when I think of how many protein packs I can make myself for the price of one from Starbucks. These are really yummy and you can freeze them to dole out over 14 days!

This box of grapes was $3.99 from Trader Joe's.

Also from Trader Joe's - Almond Butter

I already had a set of these "salad dressing/small stuff" containers by sistema. However, after I filled them I realized they were a tad too big for the LunchBot container to close completely. But it's not a big deal for me because I carry it from my car into the work refrigerator, and don't have it bouncing around in a backpack. However, if I find shorter containers, I'll get them.

A hard boiled egg is added along with some carrot sticks and a couple strawberries. The Starbucks container holds a piece of cheese which I never ate and apple slices. Since I always have a whole apple at work to snack on, I put in carrot sticks. They act as a spreader of peanut butter on the bread round too.

It all goes into this divided stainless steel LunchBots. I've had it for years and love it. I lost the lid for a time and was able to buy a replacement from their website (turns out it was under my car seat...must have been snacking on the drive). Note: it is divided but not water/leak proof between the sections so it's good for "dry" foods.

You can get the box on Amazon and I've seen them in Whole Foods and The Container Store. (I use affiliate links on Amazon so I get a tiny percent if you follow the link and buy stuff. I usually turn around and buy cookbooks on Amazon).

I'm excited I found the Ozery bread rounds and can make my own healthy snack pack! It's hella cheaper with a ton less waste too! Hope you make some too! ~ Mary

P.S. Where have I been? I've been without a kitchen for 3 months as new cabinets were installed and a few construction hiccups came up. I'm happy to say I have a sink and oven again!! Whoo hoo! See you soon!

Dorie's Cookies - Jammers with Jam and Dulce de Leche

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 20:00:00 +0000

Dorie's Cookies is out!

We can make Dorie's Cookies! Let's do this!

Dorie's cookies are so good and now she has a WHOLE cookbook dedicated to cookies! You have to get it. First of all, it's heavy. If you think this is just a flimsy cookbook of cookies, you are so wrong. It's Dorie! Of course she gives us all her best cookie recipes!!

I was fortunate enough to be gifted Jammers from her former cookie store Beurre and Sel. They were sooooo delicious. I knew what I had to make first!

Jammers are shortbread dough, topped with jam and surrounded by a buttery streusel topping. Really, does it get any better?

To get 1/4" dough, I roll the dough between parchment paper and use these yard sticks as guides. The guides are really a lifesaver as I'm not a good roller. I recently purchased these Rose Levy Beranbaum guides for thinner doughs (they come in 3/32" 1/8", and 1/16"). I haven't used them yet and am looking forward to giving them a spin.

I used these Ateco 2" and 3" rings. Dorie's book explains how you can make them in a muffin tin too. Amazon sells them, but I bought a dozen each from Webstaurant Store online (Ateco 4901 3" Round and Ateco 4903 2" Round). They are super sturdy and will last a lifetime. [Update: I just bought a dozen more of the 2" rounds so I can bake 24 cookies at a time]

I used Cherry jam. I love Bonne Maman jam. The best! Dorie says you need a thick jam and their jam is super thick!

These cookies are so buttery delicious. Seriously delicious. It's like the rich jam is sitting on a cloud of butter goodness and topped with streusel. I can't even.

Filled with Dulce de Leche (Trader Joe's sells really good prepared Dulce de Leche in a glass bottle).

I can't decide what I like better - the big or small ones. I like them both!

You can find the recipe in Dorie's Cookies. It's also on Epicurious, but you really need to get this book. Great holiday gift too!

Can you believe it'll be December this week? I better get going on my Christmas cookies - of course, they'll come from Dorie's new book! ~ mary

Full disclosure: I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program and if you click on the links and buy something, I get a few cents - doesn't cost you anything.

Black Friday Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 18:23:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I ate way too much.

I'm not a big Black Friday shopper. I haven't been out at the stores in years. However, I caught an online sale that is really great. The Instant Pot Pressure Cooker is having a big Black Friday sale on Amazon! IT'S $69!!!! It's 47% off. Dude. I bought mine in early October for $120.

I've only had it for a month but it is the coolest! I made a pot roast in an hour. Yesterday, I grabbed the turkey carcass, threw in some carrots, onions and leftover herbs and in less than 2 hours I had crazy good broth. My friends just made pork chili with tomatillos in 30 minutes. I'm still exploring (read: watching lots of YouTube videos...really like FloLum's video series).

I like the electric pressure cooker because it's a set it and forget it appliance. With the stovetop ones, you need to adjust the flame once it comes to pressure.

Bon Appetit wrote about it today - I like the title "The Instant Pot Will Change Your Life—No Joke". Really!!

And while you buying the Pressure Cooker, you should pick up Dorie's Cookies! Dorie Greenspan does it again with a great cookbook all about cookies! I'm working on a post for Dorie's Jammers - So delicious. Here's a sneak:

Enjoy your holiday weekend! Talk to you soon, Mary

Disclosure: I'm an Amazon affiliate and get a few cents if you buy something using the link above (helps me buy more stuff on Amazon!)

Blondies via the New York Times Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 21:53:00 +0000

Blondies

I can't believe it's already November! What what!? Here are some yummy blondies I made recently...to celebrate a fixed oven!

My oven died for a few weeks. The repair person cancelled an appointment, then that got rescheduled, only to find out that the problem was electrical. Then we had to ask around for an electrician and that person finally came out to fix the issue. But...YES! The oven is back! Sweet.

I just got the digital subscription to the New York Times. I already get the digital edition of the Los Angeles Times so more often than not, you'll find me reading the news my phone! I'm exploring more of the Food Section in the New York Times and this recipe looked great!

P.S. I've missed blogging. Things got busy in my life and motivation waned. I also post a lot to social media and don't want to write up a post. But as I type this and as I browse older posts, I love the diary format of the blog. It doesn't matter if one person to 100 people read it, it matters to me when I look back through the years. Trips taken, Meals consumed, Bundt cakes made. So, I hope to post more... they'll probably be quicker posts. My blog was never about capturing the best photo (man, there are tons of other blogs out there that are so much prettier) but it's about capturing me trying to bake from scratch and keep some memories. I hope I can write up some posts during my lunch hour or at least be a little more efficient. We'll see! Take care and see you soon! - mary the food librarian

I really like Blondies because they are easy to cut and go. Sometimes scooping dough can take time so spreading it out in a pan makes life easy.

You need to bring this to a meeting a work. I guarantee your co-workers will love you.

Blondies
adapted from the New York Times

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 ⅓ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (recipes called for white chocolate chips but I don't really care for white chocolate, I used Nestle chocolate chips)
¼ cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits (recipe called for coarsely chopped Heath Bar)
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (recipe called for pecans but I didn't have any so I used walnuts)

Instructions
1. Prepare a 8-inch square pan. I make a parchment sling, sprayed with baking spray, for easy removal.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Melt the butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick) in a saucepan. Remove from head and stir in the sugar and molasses, and transfer the mix to a large bowl to cool.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. When butter mixture is cool, whisk in the egg until slightly fluffy.
6. Fold the flour mixture, then the chocolate chips, Heath bar and nuts.
7. Spread the batter into the pan with an offset spatula.
8. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 27 to 30 minutes.
9. Cool then cut into squares.

Fresh Peach Cake (Barefoot Contessa)

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 12:25:00 +0000

Fresh Peach Cake

Hello! I know, it's been forever since my last blog post. I've been working, eating, catching Pokemon, listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, and hanging out with my friends and family. I have been baking, but most of the stuff are repeats or greatest hits (brownies, bundts, and cookies).

I'm now on Snapchat...so if you want to take a look at the mundane covered in stickers (isn't that what Snapchat is about?!), then I'm @foodlibrarian on Snapchat.

So, onto this cake! It's summer and that means hella stone fruit. However, I missed my weekly Farmer's Market run and had to pick up peaches at the supermarket. Oh, the sadness. These peaches were so boring and lacking in flavor. I thought about adding them to a smoothie...and baking with them. I figure adding some sugar and spice would liven these up!

As I type up this post, I realize I made this cake with nectarines and almonds in 2011, but totally forgot about that post. It's 2016 and 2011 was a long time ago! :)

On my Snapchat, I started at 4 am and took photos of the process. Making the batter, peeling peaches, layering the batter... and then I realize I'm using the wrong size pan. I had an 8" instead of 9" square. It was before 5 am and I had that wishful thinking moment of...let's bake it and just see what happens. Well, it was terrible because the center never cooked and the edges got dry. I was quite sad when I tossed that mess. (Remember, the difference between 8" and 9" square isn't just "an inch". 8x8=64" and 9x9=81" so that is 17" difference (yes, you should factor in the height, but for simplicity sake, I just want to say that using the right pan size is important!)).

But luckily (?), I had two more bad supermarket peaches and tried again after work! Here goes:

(Some of these photos are from the error 8" square pan, but you get the technique. Two layers of batter and peaches!)

Recipe:
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Peach Cake

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used 2 large eggs from the fridge, put in warm water for 5 minutes before use)
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (her recipe calls for 3 large peaches but I used 2)

Topping:
1/2 cups (100 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. I created a parchment paper sling for easy removal.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. This is the topping. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of the KitchenAid with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy on medium speed (about 4 minutes). With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined.
6. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.
7. The recipe says to bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. However, my cake took 60 minutes to bake (both times I made this cake, so don't be surprised if it take a little longer).

Meyer Lemon Curd Bars

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 03:29:00 +0000

Meyer Lemon Curd Bars

Make These Lemon Bars.

Just do it.

There isn't much to say about it.
So, go. Make them!

I like lemon bars made with cooked curd because the lemon flavor is just soooo much more intense.

I used Meyer Lemons. Look at that color!!! I didn't sprinkle powdered sugar on top because...that color!

This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe - found on Leites Culinaria: http://leitesculinaria.com/3357/recipes-lemon-bars.html

I made these as part of a gift package I brought to one of our libraries. It's a small library... hope this was enough for the eight person staff! I made some to go boxes too...because it's good to share. :)

What are you doing still reading this post?! Get the recipe, grab lots of lemon and eggs, and make it! :)

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 22:51:00 +0000

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake

Chocolate + Espresso + Amazing Crown Bundt Pan = Simply Delicious!

You know that "Japanese Clutter" book (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo)? Well, she tells you to hold up every single item you own and ask, "Does this bring me joy?" If not, you toss it without regret because you only want to surround yourself with things that make you happy.

Therefore, I just want to tell you... I want to surround myself with this new Nordic Ware Bundt pan (and its cousins, all my other Bundt pans). This Crown Bundt is the diva of my Bundt world - totally cool and layered in gold.

(As an aside, I found the book interesting although sometimes crazy, but she has revolutionized my drawers so I now "stand up my folded clothes" and it saves so much space. Really.)

I'm excited to show you the new 70th Anniversary Nordic Ware Crown Bundt pan. Isn't it pretty? It's amazing that family-owned Nordic Ware has been making bakeware for 70 years! Most of their pans are made in America too.

As I've said for years on this blog, the best Bundt pans are made by Nordic Ware. And as you've seen over the years, I only have Nordic Ware in my kitchen!

Inside the Nordic Ware Crown Bundt. I really appreciate Nordic Ware's crisp lines in all their pans. The humps in the traditional bundts are well-defined and the designs really hold in the finished cake.

This design was made specifically for the 70th Anniversary Celebration and honor Nordic Ware’s Scandinavian roots. It's a great 10 cup Bundt pan to add to your collection. And look at it!!! It's gold! For the first time ever, it has a limited edition sparkling gold-metallic finish. They have two other Bundts in the collection that have gold finishes too.

Hey, it's an Olympic year, so you deserve a Gold Bundt in your collection.

Here's a side view of the cake. This was a big hit at work. It's a perfect Bundt for a meeting or brunch - goes nicely with coffee or tea.

For this recipe, I was inspired by my favorite Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt, but switched up the flavors. I added some instant espresso powder to highlight the chocolate flavor, and used butter and coconut oil. It's super easy to make - you just need to melt some ingredients and mix. No KitchenAid mixer is needed.

If this new Crown Bundt pan doesn't spark joy in your life, then you are doing it wrong :)
Get the pan from Nordic Ware!

Disclosures: The nice folks at Nordic Ware gifted me the Crown Bundt product. Opinions are my own. Also, I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program and make a few cents if you click on some product links.

Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup coconut oil (it was solid when I measured it)

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

5 T cocoa powder (I use 30 grams of Hershey's cocoa)

1 cup water (it goes faster if you use hot water)

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions:

Prepare 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan (I prefer to use a baking spray (with flour) but you can also butter and flour the pan). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

2. Place water, coconut oil, butter, instant espresso powder and cocoa in a small pot and heat until melted, whisking to combine together. Remove from heat.

3. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture, and whisk by hand until combined.

4. In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and vanilla. Add to the batter and combine.
5. Add the sour cream and combine with the whisk.

6. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. It will be a runny batter.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven and pan), until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and let sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack and let cool completely.

9. Eat plain or dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Honey Pineapple Ginger Granola

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 21:55:00 +0000

Honey Pineapple Ginger Granola

I love granola! It's perfect on yogurt, cottage cheese or with some milk. I love the combo of toasted oats, nuts and dried fruit. I don't make it enough...but that'll change because I really like this recipe for Honey Pineapple Ginger Granola! It's simple, fast, and tasty!

This granola is filled with sweet, spicy and all things in between! It has old fashioned oats, Dried Pineapple, Crystallized Ginger, Dried Cranberries, Pepita Seeds, Walnuts, and Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, and Nutmeg. The secret sauce is a combo of honey and coconut oil.

This recipe is inspired by "Honey and Hazelnut Granola" that Valerie Bertinelli made on her Food Network show. She used hazelnuts and dried apricots. Also, her batch was larger (I halved the basic ingredients).

I used walnuts and pepitas seeds, along with 2 cups of old fashioned oatmeal. I never have quick-cooking oats that were called for in the original recipe, but everything turned out fine with the old fashioned oatmeal.

The nice folks at Costco sent over some products to try including Kirkland Organic Coconut Oil and Kirkland Organic Honey. I've noticed that Costco is carrying a lot more organic products, including fresh produce. I made the Carrot Ginger Soup earlier with the Coconut Oil, and I've been using it to make popcorn practically every day. I already use the Kirkland Organic Honey (comes in a three pack). When I get sick, the first thing that usually hits me is a sore throat. I always reach for my honey bear (shouldn't honey ALWAYS come in a honey bear?), lemon juice and lots of hot water. My folks use the honey as well - my dad likes honey as the sweetener in his coffee.

I chose to include dried pineapple, crystallized ginger and dried cranberries in the granola. You can have any dried fruit you want, although the crystallized ginger adds a special ginger flavor.

How do you eat your granola? I like mine on top of plain yogurt or cottage cheese!

Honey Pineapple Ginger Granola
Makes 3 cups of granola
Inspired by "Honey and Hazelnut Granola" by Valerie Bertinelli

2 cups oats (I used old fashioned oats)
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) walnuts, chopped
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) pepitas/pumpkin seeds
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup dried diced pineapple
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 pieces of crystallized ginger

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oats and nuts.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the honey and coconut oil until melted. Remove from heat.
5. Add spices and salt to the honey mixture, and stir to combine.
6. Pour hot mixture over the oats and nuts and stir until everything is well coated.
7. Spread oats onto baking sheet.
8. Bake until toasted, about 25-30 minutes. Mix at half-way point.
9. Let cool then add the chopped dried fruit. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Disclosure: Costco sent me some products to try including Kirkland Organic Coconut Oil and Kirkland Organic Honey. I was not paid for this post. Opinions are my own.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 06:07:00 +0000

Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Oil

Soup for you! You have to make this delicious and yet easy to make soup! It's super fast too...in 30 minutes you get soup! And it reheats nicely in the microwave so it's perfect to bring to work too. The carrots have a little sweetness, the sweet potato adds body, and the ginger gives it such good flavor.

And why is there a huge tub of Organic Coconut Oil in this mise en place? Well, the nice folks at Costco reached out to me and gave me a few items from the store. I haven't used coconut oil before so it was a treat to get this. My family has been a member of Costco since the Price Club days. There are so many things I buy at Costco - contact lenses, gasoline, tires for my car, blueberries, raspberries, that rotisserie chicken, photo center for prints, King's Hawaiian rolls, Nestle Chocolate Chips, hella oral hygiene stuff (Sonicare toothbrushes, floss and those little pick things for between your teeth...yeah, a little TMI there), paper towels, TP, dog beds for Cidney, televisions (I've bought three for my family over the years), and yes, on occasion, the famous food court's frozen yogurt, slice of pizza and a hot dog with sauerkraut (yes, ask for the sauerkraut - it's on their secret menu). I can go on and on... what are your favorite items at Costco?

I'm extra excited because my Costco is getting a bigger Costco! The Torrance Costco is always so busy - it needs more room. They are building a bigger Costco right next door to the existing one...with more parking! It will even have a car wash!

Costco's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil makes your kitchen smell very tropical when you are cooking with it. (By the way, you may read about me hatin' on the coconut, but I only hate the coconut strands and flakes because they feel like dental floss. I love coconut flavored stuff.) Coconut oil has no cholesterol and can be used in place of oils and butter. It has a low melting temperature so although it is solid, it melts really quickly in your pan. I'm excited to try some new recipes - including a cake where the coconut oil replaces butter, and coconut oil popcorn! I'll post those when I attempt them!

The Carrot Ginger soup is so easy to make, and it takes about 30 minutes total!! You just saute the shallots and ginger in coconut oil, then put in the carrots, sweet potato and water. Cook until tender and then go crazy with your immersion blender!

This recipe can be vegan if you skip the optional yogurt or sour cream topping.
~ mary

P.S. NPR's Planet Money Show (my favorite!) did a great piece on the history of Costco and membership shopping. You should listen to it - it's very interesting!

FCC Disclosure: Costco gifted me Virgin Coconut Oil. Opinions are my own. Dude, I love Costco.

I used Young Ginger I purchase from the Torrance Farmer's Market. It comes with big stalks and you can boil the leaves to make tea (photo from 2012 on the left). Young Ginger isn't as fibrous as regular ginger, and it is much more mellow than its older sibling. I love young ginger! It's only available for a short time so I buy a bunch and freeze it. NPR wrote a piece about young ginger you might want to read...and try to find some!

Carrot Ginger Soup
Adapted from: Martha Stewart Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6 cups, about 8 servings

1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon or more minced ginger (I used young ginger that isn't as strong so I used a little more)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups water
Sea salt
Optional: Yogurt or sour cream

1. In a medium post, melt coconut oil and then add shallots and ginger. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add carrots, sweet potato, water and a 1 teaspoon sea salt.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the veggies are cooked and tender.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a blender to puree the soup. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Scones

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 14:02:00 +0000

Girl Scout Thin Mint Scones

One of the best times of the year is Girl Scout Cookie Season! And what better way to bake with seasonal ingredients than to use Thin Mint Cookies!!!

I've made these before, but those scones were square and I wanted to tell you about the ease of scooping your scones. Well, there isn't much to tell. It's EASIER. It's FASTER. It's perfect when you are baking at 4 am!

I usually buy 8 boxes of Thin Mints for my "seasonally eating" season!

It's really easy to make scones. One bowl and no mixer. Doesn't get much easier than that!
Cut in the cold butter - you can use a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers. Rough chop a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. The packages seem to get smaller and smaller...I think this package has 16 cookies in one sleeve. Add this to the dough and mix to blend. Then you just stir in some heavy cream and mix together, but don't overmix. I use a scooper to make the scones - sometimes I make bigger scones with a bigger scoop, or more scones with a smaller scoop. You may need to press the dough into the scoop so everything holds together.

Brush an egg wash on the scones or you can use some extra heavy cream. I sprinkle some sanding sugar on top, but sugar in the raw or granulated sugar would work too. The "bigger" sugar gives a really nice crunch.

This batch has larger scones and a few smaller scones! Something for everyone!

Recipe: Thin Mint Scones
Adapted from: Cream Scones from the Art and Soul of Baking (page 152). This is a very good book - find it on Amazon or in your library.

Scone Dough:
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz or 50 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 stick butter (4 oz) (cold, cut into pieces)
1 cup (8 oz) heavy whipping cream (cold)
1 c chopped Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies (one sleeve of 2016 cookies was 16 cookies)

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten OR more heavy whipping cream
2 T sanding sugar or granulated sugar

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers, cut in the butter. (The book uses a food processor, but I like to make scones by hand...less to clean up!). Add the chopped Thin Mint cookies.
4. Pour in whipping cream. Blend together quickly (I use my hands and/or a spatula). Do not overmix.
5. Scoop scones (or you can form into a circle or square and then cut shapes).
6. Place on parchment or Silpat covered baking sheet. Brush with egg wash or heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake for 14-16 minutes (depending on your oven and size of scone) until golden brown and delicious.

Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles - Perfect Potluck Salad

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 14:56:00 +0000

Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodles Salad

When that sign up sheet for the office potluck goes around, put "Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodle Salad" next to your name. My colleague brought salad to our potluck and I ate many portions. It's a perfect potluck or Superbowl Party salad! And it's so easy to make!

Trader Joe's sells this broccoli slaw mix in the veggie section. Buy it. Your work is almost done.

Broccoli slaw is great because 90% of the work is done for you! You simply add some nuts and ramen noodles (I would eat these dry all the time in college...who hasn't?) A simple salad dressing tops the whole thing.

This was a second batch I made...this time without the green onions because I didn't have any. Still delicious!

This is a great potluck salad because it keeps, but it is also yummy for lunch or with dinner. You can add some pieces of rotisserie chicken if you wish too.

Recipe:
Broccoli Slaw with Ramen Noodle Salad

1 cup sliced almonds (it's best if you toast the almonds. I've made it both raw and toasted)
12 or 16 oz package broccoli slaw (Trader Joe's package is 12 ounces, I use 1 1/2 packages)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 packages "oriental" flavor ramen noodles, uncooked, broken up (seasoning packets reserved for the dressing)
1 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 packages of ramen noodle seasoning packets
½ cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss almonds, broccoli slaw, green onions, noodles, and sunflower seeds to combine.

In a bowl or mason jar, whisk together the sugar and vinegar until sugar is dissolved (the original recipe said to heat the sugar and vinegar together to dissolve. I did that once and your whole kitchen smells like vinegar so I didn't the second time and it all worked out.) Add oriental flavor seasoning packets. Whisk oil into vinegar mixture.

Pour dressing over slaw mixture; toss well. Chill at least 1-2 hours or overnight. Toss before serving.

Mochi Day 2015 - Mochitsuki

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:48:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Yes, I realize it is January 23, 2016, but I'm behind schedule... and many of my resolutions are already broken (one being to blog more, of course! :)

Anyway, I use this blog to tell you about some recipes, but also to keep a diary of "stuff that happens." It's fun for me to go back through old posts and remember what I was doing when I made that batch of chocolate chip cookies. Nowadays, I'm mostly documenting the trivial and delicious on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, but I wanted to capture moments from our annual mochi making day.

My Japanese American family has been making mochi every year for over 40 years. It's a family tradition. Often, it's the only time I see some of my cousins! Here are some photos of the process... for you to see, and for me to remember! My friend JustJenn make a short instagram video too!

Happy New Year!

150 pounds of rice = 3000+ pieces of hand-formed mochi. Now we're ready for the New Year.

A photo posted by Jenn Fujikawa (@justjennrecipes) on Dec 27, 2015 at 3:32pm PST

Here we go: Our assembly line for making 150 pounds of mochi for Japanese New Year oshogatsu 🍡 @foodlibrarian Family Mochi Day 2015

A video posted by Jenn Fujikawa (@justjennrecipes) on Dec 27, 2015 at 11:04am PST

Here's a short video of the process. Imagine this going on all day...

Yeah, that's 15 bags of rice for me to wash the night before mochi day.

We always have a crazy big potluck lunch...I made some Spam musubi!

The first batch...

Steaming hot rice goes into a grinder and it gets extruded (it's super hot) and someone cuts off a piece. Then someone grabs that burning hot dough and puts it into a muffin tin. The muffin tin is definitely not traditional, but it helps us keep the size consistent, and it's easy for newbies to join in the process.

Why hello there...lovely mochi!

What happens to all these 3,000+ pieces of mochi? It's traditional to eat a piece of mochi in a special soup called ozoni on New Year's Day...you get lots of good luck and health and all that good stuff. So we divide up the mochi and many people deliver some to friends and family so they'll have mochi for new years. I like to toast mine in the toaster oven and eat with soy sauce and sugar, or kinako and sugar. (The mochi is not sweetened - this is plain, pounded rice mochi).

My friend Jun came with her family for the first time. Here is Sage enjoying fresh off the line mochi. He said, "oishii" (delicious)! Next year, he's going to help out!

How many people come to Mochi Day? I always thought it was about 40 people or so... this year we counted and there were 70 people! We have a bouncy castle in the front yard, mochi making on the deck, tons of food everywhere, two rooms for mochi cooling, one room for packing up the mochi, and, of course, a video game area for some of the kids! :) I have mochi in the freezer to eat throughout the year when the fun happens again.

Happy New Year!

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake in the Party Bundt

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 05:16:00 +0000

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries

I should just call this post, "THE PARTY BUNDT IS AN INSTANT PARTY." NordicWare brought back the Party Bundt. I didn't even know about this awesome bundt pan until my friend East Coast Mary aka ECM (yes, I'm West Coast Mary) sent me a link. When I said, "OMG. This is the greatest!!!" Then, being the sweetheart she is, she promptly wrote back, "Don't get it!"

Luckily, my birthday is in December and so is Christmas! Thanks so much ECM for my December Birthmas gift of the Party Bundt. I will use it all the time and think of you!

Look at those humps! It makes it so easy to cut perfect sized slices!

NordicWare Party Bundt (Amazon) or Nordic Ware or King Arthur Flour

I received the pan and knew I had to use it for an upcoming dinner party. When I asked my friends for their favorite desserts, they both said Vanilla. Thus, the Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito that appeared in Bon Appetit! I made this Bundt during I Like Big Bundts celebration, and it was time to make it again.

OMG. Look all those humps. Those lovely bundt cake humps! Whenever I bring a Bundt to work, I precut it into many slices (moderation and all that). But you have to cut in-between the humps of a regular bundt pan...but with this Party Bundt, everyone gets a hump (be careful not to say "Gets To..." instead of "Gets A...").

This recipe is called Vanilla Bean Bundt...but I didn't have any Vanilla Beans. Besides, they are so expensive. So I used the next best thing: Vanilla PASTE. It has all the micro vanilla bean seeds and it is much more economical. Look for Nielsen-Massey Vanillas 4-oz. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste at your local cooking store or Amazon.

This cake has a nice crumb. It's hardy enough to take strawberries...and a side of ice cream if you wish. It keeps for a few days too...if it lasts that long.

I Like Big Bundts with Lots of Humps! :)

Recipe:
Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries
Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon bourbon and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise with the seeds removed)
1/2 cup buttermilk

Vanilla Glaze
2/3 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons (or more) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste)

Strawberries Topping
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar

Cake
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare the bundt pan (I use spray)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (5 minutes or so).
4. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating until combined after each edition.
5. Add vanilla paste.
6. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk until just blended.
7. Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top.
8. Bake until a skewer comes out clean. Check at 45 minutes (recipe calls for 55 minutes, but mine only took 45 minutes).
9. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes and then invert on the rack and cool completely before applying glaze.

Glaze

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl. If it's too thick, add a little more milk.
2. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let stand for 15 minutes before eating.

Strawberries

Toss strawberries and sugar in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, tossing occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Serve with the cake and enjoy!

Brown Sugar Cookies with Nordic Ware Cookie Stamps

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 13:39:00 +0000

Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies with Nordic Ware Cookie Stamps

Jazz up your cookies with these Nordic Ware Geo Cookie Stamps!

I'm not much of a decorator and don't have a passion to decorate my cookies or cakes. Hence, my love of the ultra easy Bundt cake! Well, Nordic Ware has created a great way to easily decorate cookies with these awesome Geo Cookie Stamps and they sent me a set to try!

Making these cookies is almost too easy. Make the dough, chill, roll out golf ball size balls...and press! These were made with a brown sugar, sugar cookie dough.

It's important to place these on an ungreased cookie sheet! I'm so accustomed to laying out a piece of parchment (I buy it in cases of 1,000 sheets so I have lots of parchment on hand) that I tried it with parchment. Well, believe me when I say that wasn't the best idea as I had to peel the dough off the cookie stamp. When I tried it without the parchment, it worked like a charm! The cookie stuck to the pan so I could easily peel off the cookie stamp.

Nordic Ware sent me this Big Sheet baking tray too. If your oven is wide, this will make baking much easier as it fits more cookies! Professional made aluminum pans are the way to go when baking cookies, and these baking sheets give you evenly browned cookies.

The cookie stamps are made with heavy cast aluminum and have wooden handles. Aren't they pretty?! You should lightly grease, oil with a brush, or spray the cookie stamp before starting to press. I gave them a quick spray with baking spray.

I can see kids having a really good time making these cookies with the family. You could make a batch of peanut butter and sugar cookie doughs and let them go to town. I put a few sprinkles on some of the cookies, and left some plain. The design on the stamps are just so pretty that leaving them plain really showed off the ridges.

These are the Geo Cookie Stamps set of three. Nordic Ware also sells the All Season Cookie Stamp set and the Holiday Cookie Stamp set. I've seen the Holiday set for sale at Target too. I imagine those make very festive cookies without having to break out to royal icing. Win!

You can decorate the cookies with sprinkles, colorful nonpareils, colored sugar, or silver dragees (dragees aren't sold in California...friends from the East Coast ship them to me).

Thanks Nordic Ware Nordic Ware for sending me these Cookie Stamps! They make decorating cookies super easy. I'm looking forward to making peanut butter cookies - forget the boring fork cross-hatch, these will look so much better!

Recipe: Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
1 egg at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 2/3 cup (372 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Sprinkles, colored sugar, or other decorations

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
5. When you are ready to bake...
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Make golf ball size balls of dough and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Stamp with the Nordic Ware Cookie Stamp. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
9. Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack.

Disclosure: The family-owned Nordic Ware company, located in Minneapolis, provided me with the Cookie Stamps and Baking Sheet. Opinions about the products are my own. And, as you know by my Bundt pan obsession, I mean collection, I'm a super fan of Nordic Ware!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt - Get ready for National Bundt Day!

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:35:00 +0000

Hello!

Just a quick post to tell you to grab your favorite Bundt pan! It's National Bundt Day on November 15th. You know me, I Like Big Bundts and I Cannot Lie!

Here's the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake that I adapted from Love & Olive Oil's blog. If you want more ideas of what to bake, check out my I Like Big Bundts page for inspiration.

I was out of milk so I used evaporated milk. Also, I used Pumpkin Pie Spice rather than cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves spices.

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Adapted from Love and Olive Oil (Original Recipe)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joe's)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk (original recipe called for 1/2 cup whole milk but I didn't have any in the house at the time)
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache Topping:
6 ounces (3/4 cup) heavy cream
6 ounces chocolate chips

Directions for Bundt Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray or butter and flour.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well.
5. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well. It may look curdled, don't worry.
6. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of milk.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Spoon batter into Bundt pan and smooth out. Baked 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes and then invert to cool completely.
10. When completely cooled, glaze with ganache.

Directions for Ganache:
1. Heat heavy cream until it barely simmers.
2. Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for 1-2 minutes.
3. With a whisk, slowly mix together until everything is melted and smooth.
4. Let sit until pourable or spreadable consistency (depending on how you like your glaze) and spread on the cooled Bundt.

Some of my favorite Bundt pans:

Apple Raspberry Crisp from Bon Appetit

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Apple Raspberry Crisp

I made this in April. It's now November. And I'm finally posting it. Yeah, I'm a bit behind.

But now it's perfect for fall!

This is sooooo easy to make. I just love crisps warm from the oven. Sooo delicious. I brought this to a morning meeting at work.

I got a lot of liquid at the bottom of this crisp. There is 1 Tablespoon of flour in the fruit; when I make it again, I think I'll increase the flour just a bit if I'm using frozen raspberries again. Or, I will thaw the raspberries and drain the juice. A couple of reviewers on Epicurious got a lot of liquid too.

Apple Raspberry Crisp
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Fruit Mixture:
1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 5 large), peeled, quartered, cored (recipe calls for them to be thinly sliced, but I diced mine into cubes)
1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries (unthawed) (I used Trader Joe's) (next time, I think I might thaw the raspberries and drain some of the liquid)

Topping:
1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Fruit Mixture: Mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon flour in a large bowl. Add the apple slices and raspberries and toss them in the flour. Put fruit in a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish (my dish was a bit bigger).
3. Topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and flour). Add chilled butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form. Sprinkle topping over filling.
4. Bake until apples are tender and topping is golden brown and set, 1 hour or so. Cool at least 20 minutes before eating. Eat warm or room temperature.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling!

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 16:46:00 +0000

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling!

Happy Halloween!

Here's a muffin that fits in with the season! (Unless you are in Los Angeles right now and experiencing huge Santa Ana winds and lots of heat).

Cidney the Girl Dog is going to be a Bumble Bee. Yes, there is even a little video. Yes, I'm obsessed. But let's move onto the muffin.

This muffin has pumpkin.
This muffin has cream cheese.
This muffin has a streusel topping.

What's not to love?

The muffin was moist, but I think I can get away with a smidgen less oil. Next time I'll try that and let you know.

These were really loved at my meeting...you should treat your co-workers to some!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins
Recipe from MyRecipes.com (Julia Dowling Rutland, Coastal Living, April 2013)

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (one block)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter, cold

Muffins:
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (original recipe: 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk (I used low-fat milk)

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prep muffin tins with paper liners - this recipe makes 24 muffins.
2. Cream cheese filling: Mix together cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Streusel topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the butter until large crumbs form. Place in refrigerator until needed.
4. Muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 3/4 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, and milk. Fold egg/pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until just moist. Don't overmix!
5. Spoon batter muffin pan, 1/2 way to top. Dollop about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture in center of batter (I used a small cookie scoop), and top evenly with remaining batter until muffin is 3/4 full. Sprinkle top with streusel mixture.
6. Bake 20 to 23 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 02:52:00 +0000

Pumpkin Muffins

It's Fall.

It actually rained in Los Angeles today!
Of course, we are expecting it to be 95 degrees on Saturday.

But the calendar says "Fall" so I'm diving into pumpkin 24/7.

How have you been? I think this blog is still turned on. I've been really busy lately and had some losses - don't worry, not deaths. My best friend moved 3,000 miles away and my boss of 9 years left for another library system. Very sad times. Oh, and it was 1000000000 degrees in Los Angeles for weeks so I didn't want to turn on the stove to experiment and try new recipes. I was still baking some mornings...but many of the same items I can make in my sleep - scones, brownies, cookies and Texas Sheet Cake.

Last week, on October 1st, it was the start of my pumpkin season. Here are some super easy pumpkin muffins via Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin via Gourmet Magazine. It's an easy pumpkin muffin with a light dusting of cinnamon/sugar.

Pumpkin Muffins
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/3 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) sugar

Topping:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Place 12 cupcake liners (or spray with baking spray) in a muffin tin.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie pie.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Don't overmix!
6. Dish batter into muffin tin.
7. Mix together the topping ingredients: sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over each muffin - you'll probably have leftover, I didn't use it all.
8. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Crisp for Two

noreply@blogger.com (The Food Librarian) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 04:21:00 +0000

Fresh Peach Crisp for Two

It's Sunday so that means I'm at my parent's house for #breakfastwithdad. My mom heads to church and I hang out with my Dad. We have breakfast, Dad walks with his walker, physical therapy exercises and then a whirl in the wheelchair with me pushing and Cidney the Girl Dog strolling with us through the 'hood.

This morning, I made a Peach Crisp for Two. My parent's kitchen lacks many baking supplies (probably because I took all of them when I moved out more than 20 years ago!) If I do bake at my folks, I often measure things out at my house and then assemble and bake at their house. But this morning I was tired and late so I made it at their house with a single measuring cup. So, the measurements aren't perfect!

This has Peach (Fruit) and Oatmeal (Fiber) so it's totallllly a breakfast food! :) I can eat crisps all day long.

I'm sad that summer is coming to an end. Fewer stone fruits in the Farmer's Market... so until the last peach is picked, make fresh peach crisps!

Peach Crisp for Two
Ingredients:

Fruit mixture:
2 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
Couple dashes of ground cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (I used old fashioned oatmeal)
1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the fruit, sugar, flour and sugar in a small bowl. Place mixture in two ramekins.
3. Using your fingers or a fork, cut the butter into the topping ingredients until it is crumbly and holds together slightly when squeezed.
4. Divide topping on top of fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins), until the fruit is bubbling.

My dad and I split one of these for breakfast and I'll leave the other one for my mom and dad's dessert tonight!