Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Chewy Coconut Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Well, it's back to reality today.

After spending four days in the most magical place on earth, we jumped on a plane late last night and made our way back to Rhode Island. Our plane touched down just before 1 am and we walked through the front door about 30 minutes later. It was a very, very long day but totally worth it to spend a little more time at the parks. We could not have crammed more fun into this long weekend if we tried :)

Oh, and if you're wondering Food Blog Forum Orlando (the food blogging conference that was the primary reason for our trip to Disney) was absolutely amazing! Once I have a chance to get some sleep and organize my thoughts, I'll tell you all about it. Suffice it to say, Disney could not have been more gracious in hosting us, and Julie of The Little Kitchen and Linsday of Love & Olive Oil deserve enormous credit for organizing the weekend. They rock!

I usually do the grocery shopping on Saturday morning, but obviously didn't this week since we were away. In other words, there is almost no food in our house. The freezer is, however, packed with cookie dough so if all else fails breakfast, lunch and dinner will be sugary and delicious! Remember how I told you we were eating much healthier for the past few months? I think we undid all that good in just the past four days. Oh my word, did we ever indulge. I'm afraid to get on the scale and see the damage, eek. That should be enough motivation for me to get to the grocery store tomorrow and get some healthy eats...

Anyway, included among the stash of dough in the freezer are these chewy coconut oatmeal white chocolate cookies. I know, it's a mouthful, but I didn't want to leave anything out. They look simple and unassuming, but these cookies are one of my new favorites! They're made using coconut oil rather than butter, and I also added coconut extract so they are definitely not lacking in coconut flavor. It was a no-brainer to include white chocolate chips as well; coconut and white chocolate is a seriously underrated flavor combo in my book! The cookies are wonderfully chewy with a little bit of added texture from the oats, and since quite a few of you asked about this last time I posted a recipe using coconut oil, I'll also note that they're not at all greasy. I've only tried a few recipes, but I am a total convert to baking with coconut oil. These coconut oatmeal white chocolate cookies are bound to be in heavy rotation here for months to come!

Chewy Coconut Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup quick oats
4 oz white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine both sugars, the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat them together with a hand mixer until well combined. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, beating until just incorporated. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Use a small cookie scoop (mine measures about 1 1/2 inches across) to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-2 inches between the cookies. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the edges of the cookies are set and golden brown, about 9 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough (alternate baking sheets so you're using a cool one for each batch).

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

I was feeling seriously conflicted about what to share today, so I let you guys decide via my Facebook page. The choices were chocolate, cookies or cheesy carbs, and it was super close. Lots of people requested a combination of chocolate and cookies, and I had this recipe ready to go so I was happy to oblige :) And for those of you who wanted cheesy carbs, rest assured I've got that post set up for next week so you won't have to wait long!

Although I rarely make them, I absolutely love sugar cookies. If I put together a list of my three favorite cookies, they'd make the cut, especially if we're talking about this coconut-lime version. I'd honestly never even considered the possibility of chocolate sugar cookies, but when I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cook's Country I immediately put it on my to-do list.

These cookies come together easily - you don't even need a mixer, just a few bowls and a whisk. Also, there's no need to chill the dough so you'll be digging into these in no time! It took me a few tries to get the baking time just right for these guys, and consequently I did a lot of taste-testing. Tough job, but someone had to do it :) The cookies were perfectly chewy in the center with slightly crisp edges. They were delicious on their own, but I also think they'd be a great summer treat with some ice cream sandwiched in the middle.

We are headed to Disney today for Food Blog Forum Orlando! In fact, we're probably on a plane as most of you are reading this. I am so excited to meet my blogging buddies, indulge in some delicious food, and visit the parks! I'm sure I'll be sharing lots of pics over the course of the weekend; feel free to follow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook if you'd like.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
slightly adapted from Cook's Country, April/May 2013

1/3 cup (2 1/3 oz) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (8 1/8 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 3/4 cups packed (12 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the granulated sugar to a wide, shallow dish (a pie plate works well). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

Add 10 tablespoons of the butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20 or 30-second bursts until melted. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until it is completely melted. Set the butter aside for 5-10 minutes to cool until lukewarm, about 90-95 F on an instant-read thermometer. (Don't skip this step - if the butter is too warm the cookie won't bake properly.) Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until incorporated (it's important to make sure you break up all the lumps of brown sugar). Mix in the egg and egg yolk until well combined. Switch to a rubber spatula, and stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.

Shape the dough into balls, each ball should be about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll the balls in the sugar you put in the shallow dish earlier, coating them on all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving several inches of space in between them. Use the bottom of a glass to press the balls down so each of the cookies has a diameter of about 2 inches. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a few pinches of the remaining granulated sugar.

Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are slightly puffy and the edges are just barely set, about 12-13 minutes (the cookies may look slightly undercooked in the center, that's ok). Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking with the remaining dough.

Makes about 24 cookies

Banana-Oat Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

If you follow along on Facebook, you might have seen me mention that I was working on a meal planning post for you guys. I had really hoped to have it up today, but it's just not quite ready yet. If I'm going to share it I want it to be an useful as possible for you, so I'm going to put it on hold until next week - that should give me the time I need to put the finishing touches on it. This one is so long overdue it's almost embarrassing, but hopefully you guys will find it worth the wait!

The time I'd planned to spend on wrapping that post up yesterday was instead spent at the mall shopping for clothes and shoes for our trip to Florida this weekend. If that sounds like fun, let me assure you it wasn't :) I really don't enjoy shopping at all which is probably part of the reason I waited until the very last minute to do it. But, the shopping gods were on my side for once and I actually left with some cute new things. It's been chilly here this week (30-degree mornings in May - what?!) so it's going to be fun to actually get to wear summery clothes in Florida!

Remember when I told you about the glut of bananas around here lately? Well I finally got sick of trying to find ways to bake with them. So instead I made a few smoothies, and this banana-oat version is my favorite of the bunch. I've never made a smoothie with oats before and they did add a little bit of texture, but in a good way - I enjoyed it! The smoothie has a ton of protein so it keeps me full until lunch, which is among my most important considerations when it comes to any breakfast option. Plus, it's super thick and creamy, so I can almost pretend I'm having a milkshake for breakfast. Almost :)

That reminds me, we had the best peanut butter and jelly milkshakes when we were at Disney in December - definitely adding one of those to my must-have list for this weekend!

Banana-Oat Smoothie
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 banana, cut into thirds
1/2 cup skim milk
1-2 teaspoons honey
pinch ground cinnamon

In a blender, combine the oats, yogurt, banana, milk, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and the cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Taste and decide whether you'd like more sweetness - if so, add some or all of the remaining teaspoon of honey and blend again. Serve immediately.

Serves 1-2

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

I should probably fess up, I have a serious obsession with malted milk powder. It's been an ongoing thing for the past two years. Maybe you've noticed - I've made ice cream, chocolate sauce, blondies, and a bundt cake. Have you ever baked with malted milk powder? If you haven't and are curious about why it's such a great addition, it imparts a rich, mildy sweet, slightly nutty flavor to desserts. So, so good!

I'm compelled to try almost every recipe I come across that includes malted milk powder. It doesn't even matter if it's similar to something else I've already made. Take these malted milk chocolate cupcakes, for example. There are already two malted chocolate cupcake recipes on my site, but still, I had to make these. The first recipe is quite different from this one - the chocolate flavor in those cupcakes comes only from cocoa powder whereas this recipe uses unsweetened chocolate. And those were topped with a vanilla buttercream rather than the malted milk chocolate frosting here. The second recipe was more similar - the cupcakes also got their chocolate flavor from unsweetened chocolate and featured a milk chocolate frosting - but there were other differences (the fat used being one) that still made it worth trying a third version.

I'm so glad I did because they were fantastic! Besides, you can never have too many chocolate cupcake recipes, right? These cupcakes are rich and chocolatey and though they bake up with a fairly tight crumb that's not a bad thing because they're still very moist. The frosting might have been my favorite part though. It's made with milk chocolate, so it's sweet with a mild chocolate flavor. It also includes malted milk powder so you're getting that malty flavor not only in the cupcakes but also the frosting. The consistency was great for piping too, always an important consideration in my book. These cupcakes went to work with Shane and from what I hear were devoured in record time so I wasn't the only one who loved them :)

Just a note: the frosting includes a 2-hour refrigeration period so you'll want to factor that into your plans if you're going to make these!

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
barely adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

Cupcakes
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups (14 oz) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (5 oz) malted milk powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
12 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (5 oz) malted milk powder
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

malted milk balls, optional garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder. Whisk until well combined. Add the chocolate and butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in the oil until combined. Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, along with 1 cup of the milk and beat on low speed until combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice. In a measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour half of this mixture to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed until incorporated then add the second half and beat again on low speed until everything is combined (scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary).

Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about 3/4-full. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes, then remove them to the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Add the chocolate to the bowl of your stand mixer. In a small saucepan whisk together the malted milk powder and heavy cream. Set the pan over medium heat, and stirring almost constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate (do not stir yet) and then cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth (it's important that all of the chocolate is completely melted - if not, you're going to wind up with chunks of chocolate in your frosting). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until well chilled.

Place the bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Start mixing on low, and gradually add the pieces of butter to the chocolate mixture in the bowl - let one incorporate before adding the next. After you've incorporated all the butter, increase the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and thick. (You can chill the frosting again if it is too soft, but I didn't have to.) Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with a malted milk ball, if desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Tilapia Piccata

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

If you're a hockey fan, I really, really hope you were able to watch the Bruins game last night. It was epic, easily one of the best hockey games I've ever seen. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a huge Bruins fan; it would have been equally as awesome no matter which teams were playing. Having the Bruins involved just made it about a million times more stressful for me. Down 3 goals they mounted a huge comeback late in the 3rd period to send it to overtime, where they scored the game winner! Shane was already in bed, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't able to sleep through my celebratory screams...

I didn't get much sleep either last night, the adrenaline high kept me up for several hours. Totally worth it :) I'd like to say there's a nap in my future, but since we're leaving for our trip to Florida in just a few days(!), I have to power through and start checking things off my to-do list. It's shaping up to be a crazy, exciting week!

Luckily, when I planned our meals for the week, I knew we'd be busy so I kept things really simple. Among the dishes on our menu is this tilapia piccata, which is a new addition to our weeknight rotation. Setting aside salt and pepper, there are only 6 ingredients required to make this meal and it can be thrown together in under 15 minutes. Tilapia is dredged in flour, quickly sautéed and then a really simple pan sauce is made with butter, wine (or vermouth, in my case), lemon juice, and capers. Fresh, flavorful and fast - there's not much not to like here. The recipe does include more butter than I've been cooking with lately but it still only clocks in at just over 200 calories per serving so I have no problem enjoying it a few times a month.

Oh, and apologies for the so-so pics - I was chasing the light when I photographed this, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from sharing with you :)

Tilapia Piccata
just barely adapted from Cooking Light, March 2007

{Note: the pan sauce has a strong lemon flavor, which we enjoyed, but feel free to use slightly lemon juice if you prefer something slightly more mild.}

4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon drained capers

In a wide, shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the fish in this flour mixture, coating both sides lightly. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large nonstick skillet and set over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add the fish. Cook for about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side, or until the fish is browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove the fish to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the vermouth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted and combined. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Hope you all had a good weekend, and a nice Mother's Day! It probably couldn't have been more gray and rainy here, but we made the best of it. Yesterday I met up with Shane's parents and we dodged the raindrops to watch him run the Cox Sports Marathon. After all these years of watching him train and run races, I still don't know how he does it. 26.2 miles is no joke! He ran a new personal best finishing in just over 3:25 - awesome, right? In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon (his long term goal), he needs to improve his time by another 20 minutes or so, but he's inching closer with every race. Yay Shane :)

(Oh, and many thanks to Shane's dad for most of these pics - he's our official race photographer!)

Last night Shane made his inaugural trip to our local ice cream shop and rewarded himself with a giant bowl of ice cream. One of the perks of being a runner, I guess! It's almost enough to make me want to get out there and start training... Actually, no it's not. I'll stick with Shaun T, I think.

No doubt we'll be eating a lot of ice cream in the coming months, and while there will be more trips to our local shop, I'll be making a good majority of it at home. Considering summer hasn't even started yet, I've actually tried quite a few new recipes already. I shared the double cookie dough ice cream a few weeks ago and today I'm bringing you this peanut butter fudge swirl ice cream. I knew it would be good - I mean, you can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate, but Shane and I both agreed this was one of our favorite homemade flavors to date. It has so much peanut butter flavor! Combine that with the fudge sauce swirled throughout and a perfectly smooth and creamy texture, it was heavenly.

Best of all, the recipe makes more fudge sauce than you need for this ice cream so you have extra to drizzle on top every time you grab a scoop. If you want to throw a brownie under there too, well even better :)

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogergyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough

{Note: I haven't tried making this ice cream with regular peanut butter so can't say what difference it makes. The ice cream gets pretty hard in the freezer, it'll be easier to scoop if you let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes first.}

Fudge Ripple
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup 1% milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/4-1/3 cup fudge ripple

To make the fudge ripple: Whisk together the sugar, water, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Remove the pan from the heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the chopped chocolate and set the pan aside for 1 minute, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Do not add to your ice cream until very cold.

To make the ice cream: Add the heavy cream, milk, half of the sugar, and the salt to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining half of the sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale in color. Add the peanut butter to a second heatproof bowl and set aside. Slowly add the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour back into the saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 170-175 F on an instant read thermometer). Strain the custard into the bowl containing the peanut butter and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (overnight is good). Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. As you transfer the ice cream to an airtight container for storing, drizzle in the fudge ripple every so often. (You can really add as much or as little of the fudge sauce as you want - the quantity listed above is just a suggestion.) Once you've add add of the ice cream, gently swirl with a butter knife. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes about 1 quart

Blackberry Pie Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

I just adore this time of year, not only for the gorgeous spring weather but because berries finally start coming into season! Berry season is my favorite :) I hold my breath with anticipation each week walking into the grocery store to discover what types of berries they'll have available, and then I inevitably stock up on way more than I could possibly hope to eat and/or bake with. It'll be even more fun when I can get them at local farms, but up here in Rhode Island we're about a month out for strawberries and raspberries and closer to two months for blueberries. Needless to say I'm incredibly jealous of my blogging friends in the south and out in California who have already been able to go and pick berries!

You'll notice I didn't mention blackberries above and that's because they're the exception to my berry-loving rule. Those giant seeds in blackberries just aren't doing it for me so I never, ever eat them as is. I will, however, bake with them because I do like their flavor and the baking usually softens the seeds so they're not as noticeable.

I've had these blackberry pie bars that Josie posted on my to-do list forever, and when I stumbled upon a crazy good deal on blackberries recently, I knew the time had come to finally try them. The timing was perfect to share them at our early Mother's Day get-together too. They're super easy to whip up, and I liked the result even more than I expected to. Buttery crust, sweet springy fruit filling, crumble topping - so much goodness going on! The texture of the filling is hard to describe - almost custardy but not in a bad way. I'm not a custard person, but I dug this filling. The bars were a hit with my mom and step-dad so I sent them home with most of them to remove the temptation for me to eat them for breakfast this week :)

Blackberry Pie Bars
adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather via Pink Parsley

{Note: the flavor of the almond extract in the filling definitely comes through so if you're not a fan of almond-flavored things you may want to substitute vanilla extract.}

Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling
2 large eggs
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
16 oz fresh blackberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of your food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the pieces of butter are very small (like pebbles) and the mixture is crumbly. Transfer 3/4 cup of this mixture to a small bowl and set aside to use for the topping. Dump the remainder of the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer to form the crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and set. Remove the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling: in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blackberries. Spread the filling over the crust (distributing the berries evenly). Top the filling with the reserved crust mixture - I like to squeeze in my hand to form clumps then sprinkle over the top so the pieces vary in size.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the bars are set (the topping won't really brown much). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. To more easily cut them into squares, refrigerate briefly before serving. (I actually liked these best after an hour in the fridge!)

Mother's Day Recipe Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

For the past three or four years Shane and I have hosted a Mother's Day brunch for our moms. I love coming up with a special menu to share with them! It's the least we can do to say thank you for everything they do for us :) Our plans are a little different this year; we'll actually be down in Providence on Sunday morning cheering Shane on in his marathon, so brunch is on hold for a year. However, I know a lot of you may be planning to do something special for mom so I've pulled together some of my favorite breakfast/brunch recipe ideas. Some sweet, some savory, and many that can be made ahead of time - hope this helps with your menu planning!

1. Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
2. Asparagus and Gruyere Frittata
3. Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage
4. Zucchini, Tomato, and Ricotta Tarts
5. Maple Syrup Pancakes Muffins
6. Triple Chocolate Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze

7. Chocolate Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Topping
8. Homemade Croissants
9. Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash
10. Southwestern Black Bean Salad
11. "Best" Blueberry Muffins
12. Bacon, Leek, and Cheddar Mini Quiches

13. Blueberry Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
14. Rhubarb Crumble Pie
15. Glazed Grapefruit Cake
16. Strawberry Lemonade
17. Ultimate Cinnamon Buns
18. Coconut Buttermilk Pound Cake

Ok, and just one more - I can't help myself. I made these mum cupcakes three years ago, and they still rank as one of my favorites. They're deceptively simple, but have a major wow factor. They can even pull double duty, first as a really unique centerpiece on your table, and then a delicious dessert! Give them a try, I know you'll love them :)

See you tomorrow, I'll have one more springy dessert idea for you before the weekend!

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

In just over a week we're jumping on a plane and heading to Disney - yay!! And yes, we were just there in December, but this time we're going down not only to enjoy the parks, but also to attend a food blogging conference. It'll be my first one ever, and I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to finally meet so many of my blogging friends!

If our trip to Disney in December was any indication, there will be a whole lot of delicious food consumed while we're there next week. We had a few of our favorite meals ever on our last trip, we're still talking about them 5 months later. Silly me, I thought the miles and miles we walked around the parks would counterbalance all the food we ate but, yeah, not so much... Yoga pants were my friend for the plane ride home :)

So part of me feels like I should be eating salads morning, noon and night this week in preparation for the decadence that I know is coming. I haven't been though because, as I've mentioned, I don't like making salads at home. In fact, one of the only times I do actually put in the effort to make them is when we have company over. I served this spinach salad with strawberry champagne vinaigrette for our early Mother's Day celebration this past weekend. It's fresh, colorful and just perfect for spring! I've never made a dressing like this vinaigrette but I just loved it. Sweet from the berries, tangy from the vinegar and with just a little effervescence from the bubbly champagne. The original recipe included goat cheese on the salads as well, and if you're a fan, I think that would be nice here too.

This salad would be a great addition to any Mother's Day brunch! And just think, after you make the vinaigrette, you can use the leftover champagne to make mimosas :)

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette
barely adapted from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Epicurious)

{Note: I haven't tried it, but Annie mentioned white wine works well as a substitute for the champagne.}

Dressing
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt

Salad
Baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
Toasted and sliced almonds
Sliced fresh strawberries

Add the strawberries, cider vinegar, champagne, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a mini food processor (or your blender). Puree until the ingredients are well combined and smooth. In a blender or food processor, combine the strawberries, vinegar, champagne, sugar and salt. Process until the mixture is well combined and completely smooth. Transfer to an airtight bottle or container and refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the salads: Divide the baby spinach leaves among the serving bowls, then top with the almonds and strawberries. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads.

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

I'm not very picky when it comes to seafood - I'll try just about anything once and there's not much I don't enjoy. On that short list? Raw fish like sashimi and smoked fish (salmon, herring, etc - not a fan of any of it). Funny story, the first time a friend brought me to try sushi, we actually wound up ordering sashimi instead. I can't remember the details of how or why, but I was fully expecting sushi rolls and that's definitely not what showed up at the table :) I was brave and tried quite a bit of it that day, but was not a fan and to this day, it's still not my thing.

On the other end of spectrum is salmon, which is one of my very favorite things to eat period, not just in the seafood category. Crab and lobster are up there too, but let's face it, they're a lot of work for not a ton of meat. I do actually like cracking them apart and digging out the meat - it's messy, but fun! However, when I'm starving and just want to dig in, neither would be my first choice...

We eat salmon pretty infrequently, mostly because I'm cheap and it's usually not, so it's a real treat when we do. A few weekends ago I picked up a gorgeous center cut piece of salmon and we tried this super simple recipe. This truly could not be more quick and easy - the dish comes together in about 10 minutes! You start off by whipping up a quick glaze of fresh herbs, honey, wine, oil, and mustard in the food processor then broil the fish for a few minutes, brush with the glaze and pop back under the broiler to brown the glaze and cook the fish through. It's equally perfect for getting dinner on the table on a busy weeknight or serving to company on the weekend. Rich, buttery salmon with a fresh, tangy glaze - completely delicious! I added a little bit of honey to the recipe to balance the sharpness of the mustard, and it was perfect. This dish makes me want to buy salmon a whole lot more often!

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis (via FoodNetwork.com)

2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
6 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets
lemon wedges, to serve

Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, honey, wine, oil, Dijon mustard, and whole-grain mustard in the bowl of a small food processor or in your blender. Process until the ingredients are combined then transfer to a small bowl.

Set an oven rack about 4-5 inches from the broiler element, and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 2-3 minutes, then remove the fish and brush the sauce over them (a thin layer is good, don't go too crazy). Continue broiling for 4-5 minutes, or until the glaze has browned and the fish is just cooked through. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Monday already? The weekends always go by so quickly, in the blink of an eye it's suddenly Sunday night and we're preparing for another long week.

We had a really fun weekend while it lasted. Shane's been itching to see the new Iron Man movie so we were at the theater first thing Saturday morning to catch a showing. I enjoyed both the first and second movies, but I think the third was my favorite! We haven't seen a movie in the theater in ages, but I don't think it'll be long before we're back again. Hangover 3, anyone? I'm not even going to confess how many times we've seen the first two...

Yesterday we had an early Mother's Day celebration with my mom. Shane's running a marathon next Sunday and we'll be seeing his mom then, but we didn't want to forget about my mom! We hosted a laid-back cookout, and Shane was in charge of manning the grill, but I did try a few new recipes. Don't worry, I'll be sharing them with you this week so you can make them to spoil your mom too!

These peanut butter and chocolate sandwich cookies weren't part of yesterday's cookout, I actually baked them several weeks ago and they were devoured in record time. That said, I think if you made a batch and packaged them up nicely to send home with mom she'd be a happy camper! You can never go wrong with the classic chocolate and peanut butter combo, right?

You only need five ingredients to make these cookies, and surprisingly you won't find butter, oil, or flour anywhere on the list. No waiting for butter to come to room temperature is always a huge bonus in my book :) I wasn't sure what to expect, but these cookies were so good! They're wonderfully soft and chewy, and only get better when you sandwich them around a rich chocolate filling. A little bit of butter in the filling keeps the chocolate shiny, I just loved the way it looked. These sandwich cookies are completely addictive, you definitely won't be able to stop at just one! I've already got my sights set on making them again, and I have a few ideas for variations I'm eager to try too.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
from Fine Cooking

Cookies
2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling
10 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix briefly just until combined.

Use a small cookie scoop (mine measures about 1 1/2 inches across) to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-2 inches between them. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are puffed and cracked, about 10-11 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough (alternate baking sheets so you're using a cool one for each batch).

To make the filling: Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and completely smooth. Let stand for 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture has cooled and thickened slightly.

To assemble: Match the cookies in pairs by size. Spread a few teaspoons of the filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich the cookies together, pressing the filling to the edges. Set the sandwiches aside for about 20-30 minutes to allow the filling to set completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 25-30 sandwiches

No-Bake Margarita Cheesecake Freezes

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

It wouldn't be Cinco de Mayo without a margarita, right?

Except instead of bringing you a beverage, I'm going the dessert route. Because let's face it, if the choice is to drink my calories or eat them, I'm eating them every single time. It's a lesson I learned the hard way. I remember the first time we were down in the Caribbean I drank my weight in pina coladas without realizing that each of them had like a million calories. I nearly had a heart attack when I stepped on the scale after we got back! Ooops...

Besides, Shawnda has the beverage route covered. Seriously, if you're a margarita fan, her collection of recipes is a must-see.

I don't have a ton of no-bake dessert ideas on the blog, so I'm really excited to add a new one today with these no-bake margarita cheesecake freezes. Although this dessert is especially fun for Cinco de Mayo, I can definitely see enjoying it all summer long! It's cold, creamy, and refreshing not to mention seriously simple to throw together.

You start with cream cheese, Greek yogurt and a little bit of sugar, then add all the good stuff that makes it margarita-flavored: lime juice and zest, tequila and Grand Marnier. Finally, whip some heavy cream (side note: I love making whipped cream with just a bowl and a whisk lately - it makes me feel so accomplished to do it by hand instead of with the mixer!) and fold it in then freeze the entire mixture for just 30 minutes. The dessert is garnished with a buttery graham cracker crumble in place of the crust you'd typically expect with a cheesecake. Don't forget to salt the rim of the serving dishes - it makes for such a fun presentation!

Hope you have a great weekend :)

No-Bake Margarita Cheesecake Freezes
adapted from Martha Stewart

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus extra for serving dishes
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 graham crackers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
coarse salt, for serving dishes

Add the cream cheese to a medium freezer-safe bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the yogurt, confectioners' sugar, lime zest, lime juice, tequila, and Grand Marnier, and beat until well combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold to incorporate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes, or until firm (if you leave it in the freezer for much longer than that, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping).

Meanwhile, add the sugar and graham crackers to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Use a fork to stir together until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Using a juiced lime, run it around the edges of your serving dishes, then dip the dishes in the coarse salt. Scoop some of the cheesecake mixture into each of the serving dishes, and top with the graham cracker topping.

Serves 4

Cilantro Lime Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

White rice is a major guilty pleasure of mine. After eliminating most refined carbs from dinner time at our house, white rice is the last man standing. A few years back we did try to make the switch to brown rice. I served it for months on end, hoping we would eventually acquire a taste for it, but it never happened. I'll still make it occasionally just because I know it's so much better for you than white rice, but truthfully 85% of the time we're having rice, it's white rice.

Ok, now that I've gotten that off my chest, can we talk about cooking rice for a minute? Why does it have to be so darn finicky? I have a go-to cooking method for my rice, and it yields consistent results, but they're just consistently ok :) The rice always turns out just a little more sticky than I'd ideally like it to be. Do you have a secret to perfectly cooked rice every time? I won't lie, if I had the room to justify another appliance, a rice cooker would be high on my list!

A few weeks ago we had a Mexican night, and I decided to try cilantro-lime rice rather than our usual plain rice. Given our love of Mexican food, I'm not sure why I waited so long to finally make this happen at home. The recipe is a copycat of Chipotle's version, and Shane and I both thought it was awesome! I was a little skeptical about the cooking method as it's unlike any I've ever used to make rice, but it turned out perfectly. My favorite way to enjoy this rice is to make homemade burrito bowls, but it's really the perfect side to just about any Mexican meal.

Looking for more ideas for your Cinco de Mayo festivities?

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Carnitas

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Make-Ahead Mini Beef and Cheese Empanadas

Mini Chicken Taco Cups

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Check back tomorrow for one last boozy dessert idea! :)

Cilantro Lime Rice
from SkinnyTaste.com

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Add the rice, water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the oil to a medium saucepan. Swirl the pan gently to combine. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking until most of the water has evaporated - you're looking for the water to just barely cover the rice. When you reach that point, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat then uncover and place a clean kitchen towel over the pot. Place the cover back on and set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, the lime juice, and the cilantro to a medium bowl. When the rice is ready, transfer it to the bowl as well. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Churros with Mexican Hot Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

I'm still not sure where April went, but today marks the start of May, and I am all kinds of excited! The Stanley Cup playoffs started this week, which easily makes this my favorite time of year. I just love hockey, and though I'll obviously be rooting for my Bruins, I'll be watching every one of the games I can.

Also? We're just a few days out from Cinco de Mayo, one of my favorite food-related holidays ever. To me, it's the perfect excuse to eat Mexican food for the next week, no questions asked. From chips and salsa to taco, enchiladas and quesadillas, I just can't get enough. Oh, and of course, dessert! Have you seen this fried ice cream my friend Michelle posted yesterday? I'm so intrigued!

When I started thinking about recipes I wanted to share with you in advance of Cinco de Mayo this year, I kept coming back to churros. If you can believe it, I've never actually had one in my life! In fact, the only place I think I've ever seen them is the little food stand at BJ's. Weird, right? As much as I love the soft pretzels from BJ's, I didn't want my first experience with churros to be from a cafe in a warehouse club :) So, I resolved to make my own!

I had no doubt we'd love these. I mean, what's not to like about fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate? It's a no-brainer. They're actually fairly simple to make too; the dough comes together using just a wooden spoon and a saucepan on your stovetop. To achieve the classic churro shape, you just pipe the dough into the oil with a star tip and then quickly fry to brown the churros and cook them through. The churros were so amazing warm - soft on the inside with that crispy cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside. I was in heaven - it's one of those times I was very glad I'm completely over my fear of frying! The only downside? These churros really are best shortly after frying so don't let them sit around too long before you dig in.

I'm so glad to have crossed churros off my baking bucket list. I highly recommend trying them, but if you just can't be convinced to fry, these churro cupcakes I made last year are a great alternative!

Churros with Mexican Hot Chocolate
barely adapted from Epicurious

{Note: if you can't find Mexican chocolate, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate would work too.}

Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mexican Hot Chocolate
2 1/2 cups milk (low-fat is fine, I used 1%)
5 oz Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped

Churros
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
2 large eggs
vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a wide, shallow bowl. Set aside.

To make the hot chocolate: Add the milk and chocolate to a medium saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is steaming and the chocolate is nearly melted, with just a few small bits remaining. Using an immersion blender (or if you don't have one, transfer to a traditional blender), blend the mixture until it is foamy and emulsified. Set aside while you make the churros - you can place the pan back over low heat to warm the chocolate right before serving.

To make the churros: Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and water in a medium saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to melt the butter. When the mixture reaches a simmer, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously stir until the flour is completely incorporated - the mixture will be quite thick. Place the pan back over the heat and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the dough is very smooth and sticky. Take the pan off the heat again and cover with a lid. Set aside for 15 minutes. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, using the wooden spoon to stir until fully incorporated before adding the next. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Add enough oil to a large Dutch oven to come to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat until the oil registers 375 F on a candy thermometer. When the oil is ready, hold the pastry bag just barely above the oil and pipe 4-inch ribbons of dough directly into the oil. Use scissors or a small paring knife to cut the batter. Don't overcrowd the pan, add just a few at a time. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through - flip the churros a few times to brown them evenly on all sides. Remove with a spider strainer and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a few layers of paper towels to drain. Return the oil to 375 F before adding a new batch of churros to the pan. Toss the churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat and serve with the hot chocolate.

Blueberry Swirl Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

In an effort to lose a couple of pounds before his marathon in a few weeks, Shane's taken to eating bananas for dessert quite often instead of cookies, brownies, ice cream, or whatever else I've baked that week. I never thought I'd see the day! He doesn't really eat fruits or veggies period, nevermind as a dessert replacement, but I guess this marathon training is serious business :)

I suppose I've been a little overeager in buying bananas for him though, because it seems that I am winding up with a few brown ones on the counter at the end of every week. And while I could freeze them, it's likely they'll just get forgotten about in the mess that is our freezer, so I've been baking. A lot. Maybe you've noticed a few more banana baked goods than usual showing up around here lately? I've been trying to space them out, but in just the past few weeks we've had banana bread nutella whoopie pies and peanut butter and banana nutella swirl muffins. Apparently I also really like bananas and Nutella together...

But today we're switching things up. After buying a jar of wild blueberry preserves to make mini pb & j pies, I was eager to find another use for it, particularly one that would also allow me to clear the bananas off the counter. If there's one thing I know, it's that fruit flies love bananas, and though I'm not quite sure it's warm enough yet for them to make an appearance, I'm not taking any chances!

So, I took a banana bread recipe from Cooking Light, and pretty heavily adapted it to not only make it even healthier, but also to include a blueberry swirl running through the center. The bread is made with half whole wheat flour as well as nonfat Greek yogurt, and yes butter - but only 4 tablespoons for the whole loaf, so not too bad. I reduced the sugar as well since the preserves are fairly sweet. The result was a really moist and tender loaf with a bright purple swirl - pretty and delicious! You could probably justify this for breakfast if you wanted, but it's also a great afternoon snack. Banana overflow problem solved, for at least another few days :)

Blueberry Swirl Banana Bread
heavily adapted from Cooking Light, September 2003

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup wild blueberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the bananas, yogurt and vanilla until completely combined. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients, beating just until the batter comes together (it will be thick).

Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan, spreading into an even layer. Gently warm the preserves slightly (either in a small saucepan or in the microwave). This makes them easier to spread. Pour on top of the batter in the pan, spreading into an even layer. Add the remaining half of the banana bread batter on top of the preserves (be sure to cover completely).

Bake for about 1 hour, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You may want to keep an eye on the bread in the last 15 minutes, I wound up tenting mine with foil to prevent the top from browning too much. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan and cool completely on the rack.

Homemade Cheez-It Crackers

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Happy Monday - how was your weekend? We had the most gorgeous spring weather, it was amazing! I wanted nothing more than to grab a good book and sit outside on the deck for hours, but we had other plans. We spent Saturday trying to whip our yard into shape: first mow of the season, pruning the plants, new mulch, etc. Being a homeowner is so exciting sometimes, isn't it? :)

I was hoping to get my herb garden going too, but ran out of time so that'll have to wait. I'm still deciding what to plant; last year I actually did fewer herbs but tried jalapeños for the first time as well as tomatoes. The jalapeños are a definite repeat, they were incredibly easy to grow and it was so satisfying just to walk out the back door when I needed one for a recipe! The tomatoes didn't do nearly as well (partially due to my black thumb and partially thanks to the squirrels), but I'm tempted to try again anyway. Maybe cherry tomatoes this year?

I spent yesterday in the kitchen trying new recipes, and have a few I can't wait to share with you. But before we can get to those, we have to talk about these homemade Cheez-It crackers. They've been sitting in my draft folder for over a month, and given how awesome they are, that's about a month too long! I have to confess, I never liked Cheez-Its growing up. We always had them in the house because my brother was obsessed with them, but they just weren't my thing. I'm oddly particular about cheesy things - to this day, I still don't eat cheese as a stand-alone item, it has to be gooey and melted or baked into something. You could put the most gorgeous cheese board in front of me and I wouldn't touch it. I know, I'm weird.

So even though I wasn't sure I'd like these, I am obsessed with making homemade versions of store-bought items (wheat thins, moon pies, peppermint patties, and croissants, to name just a few), so I couldn't help but try. This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen, and not only does it call for just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand, but it's so simple. When the crackers emerge from the oven, they are buttery, crispy and seriously cheesy! About an hour after I packed them up, I decided I needed just one more, and upon opening the container was hit with the most glorious cheddar cheese aroma. I would have paid to package that scent into a candle... If it's not already obvious, I loved these crackers.

Who knows, maybe I'd be a fan of the store-bought ones now (it's been 15+ years since I've had them), but since I've discovered I can make them at home myself, I'll probably never find out :)

Homemade Cheez-It Crackers
from America's Test Kitchen Feed (step-by-step pictures also available here!)

{Note: the annatto seeds are completely optional, they just give the crackers their orange color. I didn't have any luck finding them locally and ordered mine from Amazon.}

3 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon annatto seeds, coarsely ground
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch

In a heatproof bowl, stir together the water and annatto seeds. Allow to steep for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the seeds and save the (now orange) liquid. Let the liquid cool to room temperature.

Add the cheese, butter, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes together and starts to stick to the sides of the bowl, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cornstarch, beating until incorporated - the mixture should look like coarse sand. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid the annatto seeds steeped in and mix just until the dough starts to come together. (If the dough seems too dry, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of additional plain water to bring it together.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a rectangle with a thickness of 1/16-inch. Using a pastry cutter (or if you don't have one, a pizza cutter or sharp knife will work) cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips, then cut 1-inch squares from those strips. Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheets - you can pack them in pretty tightly, they don't spread much.

Grab a skewer, and using the flat end, poke a hole in the center of each dough square. Bake the crackers until the edges just begin to turn gold brown, about 18-20 minutes. Allow the crackers to cool completely on the baking sheets. I thought these were best on the day I made them and 1 day later, but they'll keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:15:00 +0000

Over the course of the past few months, I've slowly been giving up a lot of the carbs we were eating with regularity around here. I'm mostly talking about things like pasta, bread, and pizza. I've always been a believer in the idea of all things in moderation, so I will eventually add all of these foods back to our diet. And when we do, I think it'll be a lot easier to practice moderation. It just felt like we needed to temporarily hit the reset button, if that makes sense.

Pasta was probably the hardest to eliminate, simply because we ate a ton of simple pasta dishes for dinner and I've had to find ways to replace those meals. Shane is still in the midst of marathon training, and carbs (especially pasta) were very much part of his diet so it's required some creativity to make sure he's getting what he needs. To be clear, he hasn't given up the foods I talked about above, he's just not eating them as much as he used to since I cook dinner 99% of the time, and am not making them. Poor guy :)

As for bread and pizza? I honestly don't miss them as much as I thought I would. I do, however, miss making them in my kitchen. Is that weird? Luckily, homemade bread is super easy to share, and someone is always willing to take it off my hands so I do still occasionally get the chance to whip some up!

This week I decided to tackle pita bread. I've only made it once before (over four years ago!), so it was a long overdue project. I went with a whole wheat version this time - well, partially - the recipe uses a combination of bread and whole wheat flours. This recipe takes some time, but almost all of it is hands-off; it'd be a great weekend project if you're looking for one. Let me tell you, the result is oh so worth the effort. Store-bought pitas always seem dry and bland to me, but this homemade version is incredibly soft and tender!

The pitas puffed up like crazy too - I knelt in front of the oven door watching the magic happen with each and every one. It never gets old! Shane filled a few of the pitas with mini turkey meatballs I made for dinner one night, along with tomato sauce and cheese. It looked so good! I definitely missed bread a little bit that night :)

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
recipe adapted from Cooking Light, March 2009, method adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride (originally from Gourmet)

1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (about 100-110 F)
10 oz (about 2 1/4 cups) bread flour
4.75 oz (about 1 cup) white whole wheat flour, divided
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
cornmeal

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the sugar, yeast and 1/2 cup of the water. Whisk both flours together in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 35-45 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and doubled in size. Add the remaining water, the remaining flour, the sour cream, oil, and salt to the dough mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed until a rough dough comes together (you may need to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl once or twice). Knead the dough on low speed for 5-6 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape into a ball. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then add the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, sprinkle two baking sheets with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 500 F. (If you have a baking stone, place it on the middle rack of the oven to preheat as well. If you don't, you can either bake the pita bread directly on the oven racks or the back side of a baking sheet.)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, shape the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk. Roll the dough out to about a 6-inch circle (add additional flour if the dough is sticking). The dough may spring back, just let it rest for a few minutes then try to roll again. Transfer the dough to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough (I put 4 round of dough on each baking sheet). Loosely cover each of the baking sheets with a kitchen towel and set aside for about 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly puffy.

Transfer a few pitas at a time to your baking stone (or the oven rack or baking sheet - whatever you're using). Bake for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until puffed and golden then flip the pitas over and bake for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the pitas to a wire rack to cool. Continue until all pitas have been baked.

Makes 8 pitas

Pass the Cook Book Club: Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Lattice Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Part of the reason I started this blog many years ago was because I wanted to participate in the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. And bake with them I did - for nearly 4 years! Along the way I joined two additional baking groups as well. I loved discovering new-to-me blogs and making new friends through the groups. When Tuesdays with Dorie wrapped up nearly a year and a half ago, though, I was ready for a group break. I wanted more freedom to cook and bake what I wanted, and not have to worry about posting deadlines.

And now, after a little hiatus, my batteries are recharged and I'm excited to be jumping back into the mix with another group, the Pass the Cook Book Club founded by Kita of Pass the Sushi. The idea is simple: each month three recipes are chosen from a selected cookbook, and then each member of the group makes and blogs about one of those recipes. It's a great way to start getting more use out of the cookbooks sitting on our shelves! And the group only posts once a month, which I find much easier to keep up with as compared to a weekly requirement.

This month, the group is exploring The Picky Palate Cookbook, by Jenny Flake who blogs over at Picky Palate. Of the three recipes selected from the book, two were savory and one was sweet. I'm sure it comes as a shock to no one that I made the sweet one! I am powerless to resist a mini dessert, so these peanut butter and jelly lattice pies were a no-brainer.

I adapted the recipe in two ways. First, I made my own pie dough rather than using store-bought. I'd been wanting to try the recipe my friend Courtney posted and this was the perfect opportunity. I've made a million and one pie doughs, but this one is probably the best yet. I'll feel more comfortable saying that after I've tried it a few more times, but my results were great this go-round! The dough was so easy to work with and when it was baked, was incredibly flaky and buttery.

My second change to the recipe was to use wild blueberry preserves in place of strawberry. I'm not sure I've ever made a pb&j with blueberry preserves in my life, but the flavor just called out to me at the store. The pies are super simple, the filling consists of just a little bit of sugar mixed with peanut butter and a dollop of the preserves. The assembly of the pies may look complicated but it's really not, and once you get into the groove it goes very quickly.

I almost didn't want to eat the pies when they came out of the oven, they were so darn cute! But of course I had to sample one. And it was fantastic!! It's definitely an example of turning just a few quality ingredients into something special. The mini pies taste just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but instead of soft, white bread you get a tender, flaky crust. Total comfort food. It's the perfect little three bite dessert, and I'm pretty confident kids and adults alike would love these.

Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Lattice Pies
adapted from The Picky Palate Cookbook by Jenny Flake, pie dough adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook via Cook Like a Champion

Pie Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling
1 9-inch pie crust
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup wild blueberry preserves
1 egg white plus 1 teaspoon water (egg wash)
sparkling sugar (to garnish)

Add the flour, sugar, and salt together to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse about 4-5 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Scatter the pieces of butter over the mixture and pulse again, until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Drizzle the water into the bowl, and pulse just until the dough starts to hold together - try to work it as little as possible (it took about 3-4 pulses for me). If the mixture is still dry and doesn't come together, you can add 1 more tablespoon of water.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape into a 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before you roll it out. (Make ahead note: you can store the dough in the refrigerator for 2 days or freeze for 1 month.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch circle, lifting and turning as you go to make sure it's not sticking. Add more flour as necessary. Using a 2 1/2 to 2 3/4-inch round cutter, cut circles from the dough. Reroll the scraps as necessary to get 12 circles. Gently ease each of the circles into a well of the muffin pan.

In a small bowl stir together the peanut butter and sugar. Drop a heaping teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture into each of the mini pie crusts. Then add one teaspoon of the blueberry preserves to each crust as well.

Gather the scraps of dough and roll them to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into about 1/8-inch-wide strips that are roughly 2 inches long (you'll need 4 strips per pie, or 48 of them in total). Use the strips to form a little lattice crust on each mini pie (I did a tutorial here if you need help on how to do this.) Gently press the edges of the lattice strips so they adhere to the bottom crust. Combine the egg white and water in a small bowl and whisk until foamy. Brush the egg wash over the exposed crust. Sprinkle with the sparkling sugar.

Bake the mini pies for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the mini muffin pan to a wire rack and immediately run a thin knife around the edges, especially where the preserves have bubbled over. Allow the pies to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove them to the wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 mini pies

Almond Flour M&M Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

A few months ago I decided to get serious about trying to master macarons, so rather than continuing to buy and grind my own almonds, I set out to buy almond flour. I nearly had a heart attack when I discovered just how crazy expensive it was, even at my favorite "cheap" grocery store! I held off that day, figuring I'd check Trader Joe's since I often buy nuts there at a good price.

And when I finally made it to Trader Joe's a week or so later, and saw it for about 1/3 of the cost in the grocery store, I felt like such a genius! I snapped it up and drove home feeling mighty proud of that purchase. That lasted for all of about a week until I realized what I'd scored was not almond flour, but almond meal. Almond flour is made from ground blanched almonds (ie skins removed) whereas almond meal is not so there are brown specks of the skin throughout. The almond meal wasn't very finely ground either, there were some fairly large bits in my batch. For most recipes, it wouldn't be a big deal to substitute the almond meal, but for macarons it just wasn't going to work unless I spent a huge amount of time sifting, and I wasn't terribly keen on that idea.

That was a really long and winded way of explaining why you're going to suddenly start seeing recipes made with almond meal/flour around these parts - I've got an entire bag to get through :) It's not something I've used before but I've found a ton of recipes I'm excited to try!

Brownies seemed like as good a place to start as any. Shane was excited when he saw me making these - until I confessed I was using almond meal. He's not a fan of nuts or nut-flavored things, to say the least. I asked him to keep an open mind and when these came out of the oven he sampled and absolutely loved them! I only had a tiny corner of one, but I was equally enamored. They were fudgy and rich, and colorful too thanks to those mini M&M's on top! I think Shane wound up eating almost the entire batch himself, most of them in the manner you see below. Something tells me it's not the last batch of almond flour brownies I'll be making...

PS - Recipe for the ice cream in Shane's brownie sundae coming next week, it's a good one!

Almond Flour M&M Brownies
adapted from The Wannabe Chef

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 oz semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup mini M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposing sides so you can lift the brownies out easily once they're baked. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the semisweet chocolate and the butter to a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso until incorporated. Set the bowl aside so the mixture can cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until combined. Add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Finally, stir in the almond flour with a rubber spatula just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking ban, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the mini M&M's evenly over the surface of the batter. Bake the brownies for about 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (Do not over bake, or the brownies will dry out.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan and slice before serving.

Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Muffin or cupcake? Breakfast or dessert? Those are the things I wondered about when it comes to these triple chocolate chip muffins.

Here's the thing: they are technically muffins in most ways you traditionally differentiate between the two. First, they're made using the common muffin mixing method where the dry and wet ingredients are whisked together separately and then gently combined. Consequently, their texture is not as light and fluffy as that of a cupcake - muffins are more like mini quick breads than mini cakes. Also, they don't have any frosting and you can never have cupcakes without frosting! And no, I'm not counting that drizzle on top as frosting...

But let's be real, as much as we want to call these muffins and therefore justify them as breakfast, it's pretty hard to do. The sheer amount of butter, sugar, and chocolate called for by the recipe puts them squarely in the snack or dessert category. They're pretty much the very definition of dessert posing as breakfast under the "muffin" label :)

That said, if you're going to do chocolate for breakfast, you might as well do it right. And with that as your goal, you can't do much better than these muffins! As the name implies, they include three types of chocolate - melted semisweet chocolate incorporated into the batter, semisweet chocolate chips mixed-in for flavor and texture, and a drizzle of melted white chocolate over the top. There's even a bit of instant espresso powder to really enhance the chocolate flavor. I've started adding instant espresso to almost everything chocolate I bake, but if you don't have any, you can absolutely leave it out. These muffins are completely decadent but oh so good! Whatever time of day you enjoy them, they're bound to be a hit.

The recipe comes from the Joy the Baker Cookbook, which I've been baking from quite a bit lately. I just noticed it's on sale for $8 at Amazon, a total steal!

Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook by Joy Wilson

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
5 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Combine the butter and chopped semisweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Add the brown sugar to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk, and whisk until completely incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, gently stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4-full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely.

Meanwhile, add the white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the cooled muffins.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 12-16 muffins

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

My struggle to find healthy lunch options has been well-documented here. My favorite lunch foods to make at home are anything but healthy, things like grilled cheese and mac and cheese from a box. I actually love salads too, but only when someone else is in charge of preparing them for me. They just taste better when I don't make them myself (aka I'm lazy at lunch time)! I've even resorted to trying those frozen microwaveable meals, and while there are a couple I like, they contain quite a bit of salt and never leave me feeling satisfied for very long.

When I turned over a new leaf and started trying to make better choices a few months ago, I was on a mission to find ideas that (a) were simple enough that I wouldn't be able to find an excuse not to prep them and (b) so tasty that I wouldn't mind eating them multiple days a week. I'm up to about three or four go-to recipes that I rotate through, and while I'd like to add a few more, I'm on the right track. I'm definitely not a picky eater, but when it comes to lunch, I guess I've realized I sort of am...

These loaded baked sweet potatoes became a fast favorite here as soon as I tried them. The potatoes are stuffed with a trio of veggies - mushrooms, onions and bell peppers - as well as black beans, all of which have been seasoned with Mexican spices. A little bit of cheese, salsa, and fat free Greek yogurt (infused with more Mexican flavor via taco seasoning) top it all off without adding a ton of calories. This recipe serves four, so I make the veggie/bean mixture at the start of the week, and then simply reheat it and microwave a potato for a fast and easy lunch on subsequent days. The grocery stores around here only sell monster-sized sweet potatoes lately so I often just use half of one to keep the portion size reasonable. It's delicious and super filling!

What are your favorite quick, easy and healthy lunch ideas?

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
barely adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

{Note: you can use store-bought taco seasoning, or make your own. I'll be posting a homemade recipe soon!}

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
4 oz mushrooms, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup salsa
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Wash the potatoes, scrubbing them thoroughly. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, then cook in your microwave until the potatoes are fork-tender. My microwave has a "baked potato" button which comes in handy, but about 10 minutes should do the trick for all 4 potatoes. (If you don't have a microwave, you can also bake the potatoes in the oven.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and taco seasoning. Add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the pepper, onion, mushrooms, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the black beans and continue cooking until warmed through.

Cut an opening in each potato that goes nearly from end to end (leave a little room on each end). Press on the ends of the potato to open it up. Fill each potato with 2 tablespoons of the cheese, a heaping 1/3 cup of the veggie mixture, 2 tablespoons of salsa, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture, and then garnish each with 3/4 of the scallions.

To make ahead: prepare the yogurt sauce and veggie mixture, then transfer to separate airtight containers and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve, just cook the potato and reheat the veggies.

Banana Bread Nutella Whoopie Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I wish I could say I'm consistent and diligent about working out, but truthfully, I go through phases. For years I belonged to a gym and was pretty good about getting there four or five times a week. I got bored doing the same thing though, and at the time the gym didn't have classes, so I stopped going. I need a lot of variety in my workouts to keep me motivated!

Last year I discovered Insanity and was obsessed with it for months. Then the holidays rolled around and, well, I got lazy :) I started back up again this week and oh my word, I had forgotten about the muscle soreness! My legs have been like jello all week.

I figured all of those extra calories burned warranted at least a little treat, right? Not to mention, it's been an incredibly tough week with the events in Boston and now in Texas too. I can't remember a time when I've been as glued to the tv as I have been this week. I've been craving comfort, and for me, food is comfort.

I took the overly brown bananas on our counter and rather than make banana bread, turned them into fluffy little sandwich cookies. They're tender and cakey, and the addition of cinnamon gives them warmth. I couldn't resist sandwiching my absolute favorite Nutella buttercream between the cookies. Basically I look for any excuse I can to make that frosting, it is so crazy good. Plus, bananas and Nutella are a can't resist combo! I think I'm back on a whoopie pie kick lately, so you can probably expect to see a few more varieties here before long. Hope you aren't getting sick of them...

One quick note: if you want to keep things simple, you can absolutely portion the batter for the cookies using a small cookie scoop. However, just be aware that you probably won't get perfectly round, smooth cookies. If that matters to you, pipe the batter onto the baking sheets instead. This is just an iphone pic, but the cookies on the left were made using a cookie scoop and the ones on the right were piped.

Banana Bread Nutella Whoopie Pies
cookies from Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, filling from Devil's Food Cupcakes

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream (light is fine), at room temperature
1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 1-2 medium bananas)
2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup Nutella
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk (I used 1%)
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

Use a wooden spoon to stir the brown sugar and oil together in a large bowl, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Switch to a whisk and whisk in the sour cream and bananas until incorporated. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredient to the bowl with the wet and use a rubber spatula to gently fold just until incorporated.

Using a small cookie scoop (mine measures about 1 1/2 inches across - you'll need to adjust the baking time accordingly if yours is larger), portion the batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. (Or, alternatively, pipe the dough onto the baking sheets - see text above.) Bake (one sheet at a time) for 11-12 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with all of the dough, alternating baking sheets.

To make the Nutella filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and Nutella on medium speed until well combined. Mix in the vanilla and milk. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated then increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Match the cookies in pairs by size. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe a small amount onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich the cookies together, and press the filling to the edges.

Note: Yield will depend on size of your cookies - I halved the recipe and got 16 sandwiches

Fluffernutter Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Do you guys know what a fluffernutter is? It was only recently that someone mentioned to me that it was a New England thing. I guess it makes sense given that marshmallow creme originated in Massachusetts, but up until now I had assumed that people all across the country were familiar with them. Maybe you are? Fill me in!

So, if you've never heard of a fluffernutter, it's a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme. Oh, and always on that super soft white bread. When we were kids it was just as common to have a fluffernutter in your school lunch as it was a peanut butter and jelly. And truthfully, I liked the fluffernutter more because I found the jelly made the white bread a little soggy by the time lunch rolled around. This morning as I talked to Shane about this post he started singing the fluffernutter commercial (yes, there was a commercial) and of course I found it on Youtube so I could share the ridiculousness with you guys. Don't blame me if you can't get it out of your head once you listen :)

The flavor profile of a fluffernutter is so simple, but it's also incredibly nostalgic for me and to this day, I still love it. It's probably been 10+ years since I had one (I'm thinking I made a few in my college days), and after baking with marshmallow creme recently, I developed a craving. Rather than make a sandwich, I went with dessert. I've seen a ton of peanut butter and jelly cupcakes on blogs, but never a fluffernutter cupcake; I think it's time we remedy that!

I kept the cupcake as simple as the sandwich. The base is a tender, peanut buttery cupcake while the frosting is a quick buttercream into which marshmallow creme is infused. The marshmallow creme is a pain to get out of the jar and into the mixer, but once incorporated, the frosting has the perfect consistency for piping and it's not as super sweet as you might expect. Fluffernutter cupcakes were a big hit here, with kids and adults alike. I'm already looking for an excuse to make them again :)

Fluffernutter Cupcakes
peanut butter cupcake adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (via Annie's Eats), marshmallow creme frosting from chocolate marshmallow whoopie pies

{Note: if you pile the frosting ridiculously high on your cupcakes like me, you'll probably want to increase the frosting recipe below to make 1 1/2 times as much.}

Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light), at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
7 1/2 oz marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, beating until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients in three additions and the buttermilk in two, beating just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the prepared pans, filling each about 2/3-full. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes, then remove them to the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat until incorporated - the mixture will become crumbly at first, just keep beating and it will come together. Add the marshmallow fluff and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cooled cupcake.

Makes about 20-22 cupcakes

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:20:00 +0000

We went through a really rough stretch a few months ago when we started trying to eat healthier dinners. I'd planned our meals for the week, and was genuinely excited about all of them. But one night after the next, we choked down something that was just barely edible - a super dry and bland pasta bake, buffalo chicken salad that wasn't nearly as exciting as it sounded, flavorless chili...the list goes on. It was oh so tempting to just pick up the phone and order pizza on a few of those nights. I'm sure Shane wished I had, but he was a really good sport about the whole thing.

We hit a breakthrough the night I made this pan-seared shrimp recipe. Shane and I each took our first bite, looked at one another and breathed a sigh of relief. Dinner was actually good for the first time all week! We've never gobbled up a meal quite so quickly :) I've since made the recipe at least three more times, just to confirm it wasn't a fluke, but this continues to be a favorite meal here.

There's so much to love about this recipe. First, it is literally one of the fastest dinners I've ever made. From start to finish we're talking maybe 10 minutes, if that, so it's perfect for any night of the week! Second, hoisin sauce. I continue to be completely obsessed with the stuff, the sweet and tangy combo just works for me. And perhaps best of all, at least in my book, it's low in calories and the portion size is quite large. It always leaves me feeling satisfied!

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze
barely adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced (to garnish)

In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, water, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. Spread the shrimp on a double layer of paper towels and pat the tops dry with additional towels (you want both sides good and dry!). Season both sides with salt and pepper, as well as the sugar.

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the oil and heat until shimmering. Add half of the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 1 minute per side, or until they are cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and the other half of the shrimp.

When the second batch of shrimp are cooked, add the first batch back to the pan along with the hoisin sauce. Toss the shrimp until they've all been coated with the sauce. Garnish with the scallions when serving (we like to serve over rice).

English Muffin Toasting Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Tracey Wilhelmsen) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Before I get to today's recipe, I wanted to take a minute to share some thoughts about yesterday's events.

Shane took this photo of the finish line at the Boston Marathon two years ago. The race is a constant, nearly daily, topic of conversation in our house as Shane trains with the hope of qualifying to run this great race. We watched in horror yesterday as news of the attack came out. Our hearts are heavy today, and our thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.

I wasn't sure what to post today, but I kept coming back to this English Muffin Toasting Bread. English muffins always remind me of pre-race mornings - a muffin smeared with peanut butter is Shane's breakfast of choice before he runs. Actually, with the exception of those mornings that I cook eggs, he eats an English muffin pretty much every day. In other words, we go through a ton of them! For the longest time I've wanted to start making them for him instead of buying them. While I've made homemade English muffins, to churn them out routinely in the quantities we'd need always seemed like a daunting task, one I may not be able to keep up with.

I think I've found the solution though, finally, in this English Muffin Toasting Bread. It is so unbelievably simple, especially for a yeast bread. If you haven't jumped into the world of baking with yeast, I can think of no better place to start. This bread requires absolutely no kneading - you simply mix the ingredients together, dump them into the loaf pan to rise briefly, then bake. Start to finish, the entire process will take you only about 90 minutes (and most of that is hands-off time).

The recipe produces an absolutely gorgeous loaf of bread, probably one of the best I've ever made. Cut into slices and toasted, the bread is heavenly! It has a crisp exterior with a soft, tender interior and little holes that trapped the butter we spread over it. I was able to cut one loaf into enough slices to last nearly a week so next time I'll make two loaves and freeze slices for a quick, easy, homemade breakfast. The only thing left to do is figure out if I can make a whole wheat version...

English Muffin Toasting Bread
from King Arthur Flour

cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan
3 cups (12.75 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil

Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with cornmeal.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast. Mix on low briefly just to combine. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, stir together the milk, water, and canola oil. Microwave to between 120 and 130 F, or if you don't have a thermometer, until the mixture is hotter than lukewarm, but not so hot you can't comfortably put your finger in it.

Add the liquid mixture to the bowl of the mixer. Starting on low, and increasing to high speed, beat the dough for 1 minute. It will be sticky and soft, that's fine. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. I sprayed my rubber spatula with nonstick cooking spray and used that to spread the dough since it was so sticky.

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes, or until it's just barely risen above the edge of the pan. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F.

Bake bread for 22-25 minutes, or until it's golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the side registers 190 F. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out. Allow to cool completely before slicing.