Dawn's Recipes

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dawn — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:38:51 +0000

I was craving chocolate chip cookies the other day, but I’ve outgrown my previous recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are so commonplace. I wanted something truly remarkable. I decided to experiment by taking about 3 or 4 different cookie recipes I really enjoy and combining my favorite elements from each. The result is a crispy-chewy cookie that was not overly sweet (thanks to bittersweet chocolate chips, but use semisweet if you prefer) and just a touch of saltiness to balance it out. One challenge I often face with cookies is how much they spread while baking. I don’t like my cookies … Continue Reading →

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Dawn — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:16:12 +0000

I came up with this recipe in my desperation to use up all the apples I was getting from my winter CSA. It’s fortunate that my daughter loves raw apples so much, but I really prefer mine cooked. I thought I’d see if I could replicate the taste of apple pie a la mode by cooking a pie filling on the stove top, then using that as a mix-in for the ice cream. It worked! I considered making some pie crust and crumbling that in as well. Two problems occurred to me. One is that I’d have to decrease the … Continue Reading →

Meat and Bean Chili

Dawn — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:34 +0000

I think I’m enjoying the winter CSA I joined even more than I enjoyed the summer/fall CSA. Both are great, but the winter version includes such items as locally raised meats, cheeses, milk, and even root beer in addition to the late harvest/cold storage fruits and veggies. Our most recent share included a pound of ground goat meat. If you’ve never had goat, it’s similar to but gamier than lamb. It can replace beef in just about any dish, and it stands up particularly well in spicier recipes. I decided to take inspiration from a bit by comedian Ron White … Continue Reading →

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Dawn — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:29:40 +0000

The holidays have come and gone once more, and I’m finding myself left with far too many candy canes. I could throw them out and feel guilty about the waste. I could put them away with the ornaments and hang them on the tree again next year. (Hey, it’s not like they’ll go bad!) Or I could turn them into a cool, creamy treat that’s perfect for enjoying while sitting by the fire. This ice cream is custard based, which means it contains eggs. If you have an egg allergy, you may want to give this recipe a try instead. … Continue Reading →

Easy Apple Butter from Your Slow Cooker

Dawn — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:35:53 +0000

Just about any apple you can eat will work with this recipe. I had a bunch of random varieties (Honey Crisp, Macoun, Cortland, etc.) that I got from our local CSA, so I used a mixture. The plethora of apples I received this year was actually the main reason I decided to make this recipe. I just didn’t have room to store them all. Luckily, apple butter is delicious, easy to make, and uses LOTS of apples. It also makes your house smell amazing! So be cautious if you decide to let it cook overnight. You might wake up with … Continue Reading →

Bacon Caramels

Dawn — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:45:43 +0000

One year Starbucks put salted caramel hot chocolate on their menu. What an incredible drink! The way the smoked sea salt played off the sweetness in the chocolate and caramel was music to my taste buds. I missed it dearly when it was gone and eagerly awaited its return the following year. It never came, and I fell into despair. Okay, not really, but I was sorely disappointed. This year, however, they did something even more amazing! Salted caramel mocha…just like the salted caramel hot chocolate, but with some of the sweetness cut with coffee. Yum! Around the same time … Continue Reading →

Winter Squash Soup

Dawn — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:32:19 +0000

This is a great soup to enjoy in the fall or winter. It’s fragrant, smooth and just creamy enough to satisfy without seeming too heavy. As with a good tomato soup, I can think of no better accompaniment than a grilled cheese sandwich. Use any variety of winter squash you like (aside from maybe spaghetti squash), or use a combination of 2 or 3. I had a nearly 5-pound red kuri squash on hand which worked perfectly. You may use vegetable stock instead of chicken if you prefer. Recipe: Winter Squash Soup Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour … Continue Reading →

Oven Roasted Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

Dawn — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:47:32 +0000

Gosh, I just put the whole recipe in the title, didn’t I? I’t feels strange to be talking about “winter” squash when summer is barely over, but winter squash is what’s coming into season in New England right now. Last year I got so much butternut squash in my CSA shares, I actually got blisters from cutting it all up. Squash is delicious! I only wish it wasn’t so hard to chop. Luckily the acorn squash I got in this weeks share takes much less effort with the knife. One cut through the center, and you’re done. I included measurements … Continue Reading →

Salsa Cruda

Dawn — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:33:10 +0000

I love this salsa. It is such a versatile recipe. In addition to the traditional way of serving it with tortilla chips, I’ve had it on top of burgers – both beef and turkey. This morning I discovered it works great as the veggie in a frittata. My husband’s reaction: “The eggs are outdoing the bacon for flavor. It’s a battle to the death!” The original recipe instructs you to seed the tomatoes. I’m lazy, so I skip that step. It’s entirely up to you. My reasoning is that plum tomatoes don’t have a lot of seeds (or the surrounding … Continue Reading →

S’mores Tarts – Little Bites of Chocolate Summer Bliss

Dawn — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:29:20 +0000

I first saw s’mores tarts in the bakery case at a local café and thought they were a brilliant idea! I didn’t get one right away, but I kept thinking of them. Next time I returned to the café they were gone. I thought they must be easy enough to make, then life got in the way and I forgot. Recently a local restaurant put them on their dessert menu. Yum! I was fortunate enough to have them twice before they were replaced with another decadent dessert. This time I sucked two of my friends into the obsession with me. … Continue Reading →