The Macaroon

This recipe also comes from the HomeMade Life book i just read. I'd been thinking about them ever since i read the recipe, and had preemptively bought the coconut. We awoke this morning to temps in the 30s with sleet/snow/rain coming down. I think that weather recipe calls for a day full of baking warm deliciousness. After eating one macaroon, and only one- that was pretty hard-, I can't stop thinking about the delightful texture. They are like a shout-out to the Almond Joy but with homemade goodness baked right in. I'd call this a cross between candy and cookie. It's something I'd love to pass out at Halloween, except that there are too many parents out there like Dad who suspect a straight pin in every treat. ha. remember that?
Have a glass of water ready to drink after eating one of these. Yes, even Darin will need a full glass of water, not even milk, after this!


Cococut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache

3 cups lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c egg whites (from about 5 large eggs)
1 1/2 t vanilla
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (it's important to use a fine quality chocolate for ganache. i use ghiradelli. 4 oz = a generous 1/2 c)
1/2 c heavy cream


Place coconut, sugar, and egg whites in heavy 2-3 quart sauce pan and stir well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently 10-15 minutes. the mixture will look very creamy as it heats and then it will slowly get a bit drier, with indvidual flakes of coconut becoming discernable. stop cooking with it no longer looks creamy but is still quite sticky and moist, not dry. remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

scrape the mixture into a pie plate of small baking sheet, spread it out a bit to allow it to cool quickly and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

preheat oven to 300. line baking sheet with parchment paper. i don't do this b/c i use stoneware.

using your hands or a small ice cream scoop (i use the scoop b/c it's my new found cookie-baking joy), scoop and firmly pack the coconut mixture into small domes. space them evenly on the baking sheet.

bake the macaroons until evenly golden, about 30 minutes. cool completely on the pan on a wire rack. then remove the macaroons from the baking sheet and set them on the rack. set the rack over the baking sheet.

Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until it is hot and steaming. do not allow it to boil. remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. let it sit for 1 minute then stir until smooth. spoon the warm ganache generously over the macaroons, shaking them gently if needed to coax the ganache down their sides.


refrigerate the macaroons on the rack until the ganache sets at least 2 hours. this is the hardest part b/c you just made these wonderful looking and smelling cookies and you don't get immediate gratification. letting them harden is worth it though! transfer them to airtight container, refrigerate or freeze.



Hmm, what to do with leftover ganache? Oh! I'll use it as a frosting for the "winning hearts and minds cake" i made last week. That was desert tonight! yum! Eric calls this kind of dessert "Death by Chocolate".

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

You know it wouldn't be summer if there wasn't a new zucchini bread recipe posted. this comes from closet cooking, another blog my friend jenn recommended.


1 c zucchini grated
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c oil
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c walnuts (optional)
1/2 c chocolate chips

1. mix zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt and egg in bowl
2. mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and cinnamon togethe
3. mix the wet and dry ingredients
4. mix in nuts and chocolate chips
5. pour batter into greasted 5x9 loaf pan
6. bake in oven at 350 until tester comes out clean, 50-70 minutes (kinda broad range there! i think mine took about 60 minutes to be done)

More than just Chocolate Cake

I've just finished reading a book by the author of the orangette blog Molly Wizenberg titled A HomeMade Life. It was great. She wrote about stories from her life and a recipe that went along with the story.but some of the recipes weren't so practical for say, a family or were a bit out-there (cabbage salad served with pistachios and chocolate???) i filtered through a few of them though, and the first one i tried was of course, the chocolate cake. She calls it the "winning hearts and minds cake" b/c it is so good and she's always made it for someone she wanted to impress. it's basically a flourless chocolate cake, so you know it's dense, creamy, and rich.

7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
7 oz butter, cut into cubes
1 c plus 2 T granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 T flour
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving


preheat oven to 375 and butter an 8 inch round cake pan. line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter this too.

put chocolate and butter into microwave safe bowl. microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring often, until just smooth. when the mixture is smooth add the sugar, stirring well to combine. set batter aside for 5 minutes to cool.

add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. add the flour and stir to mix well. batter should be dark and silky.

pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes until the top is lightly cracked, the edges are puffed and the center of the cake looks set. the center should only jiggle slightyly, if at all, when done.


to remove the cake from the pan, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. then do a little dance with a couple of plates and dump the cake onto one plate, transferring back to another plate to get it right side up. or you can just serve it from the pan you baked it in.

**this cake gets better the next day if you put it, covered, in the fridge over night. or she says it also freezes well. it was good the first night, a little warm (bc i couldn't wait to let it cool completely) but it has been even better the next day and the next day b/c i wrapped it well and put it in the fridge. the texture improves with time!

Pain Perdu. Or Just French Toast

This was my dinner before night shift so i was not inspired to take any pictures (night shift is oh so uninspiring) However, it was phenominal and i highly recommend it for breakfast or dinner. from cooking light.

3/4 c milk
2 T sugar, divided
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 (1 oz) sliced diagonally cut day old french bread (about an inch thick)
2 c sliced strawberries (i used peaches b/c i still have lots of them!)
2 t grated orange rind
4 t butter, divided
2 T powdered sugar

1. combine milk, 1 T sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt and eggs in a large bowl. stir with a whisk. place bread slices in 13x9 inch baking dish; pour egg mixture over bread, turn to coat. let stand at room temp for 20 minutes, turning occasionally until eggs is absorbed.

2. combine strawberries, orange rind, and remaining 1 T sugar in small bowl. let stand 20 minutes.

3. melt 2 t butter in large non stick skillet over medium heat. add 4 bread slices to pan. cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side until golden. repeat procedure with remaining slices.

4. place 2 bread slices on each of 4 plates. sprinkle with 1 1/2 t powdered sugar and top each with 1/2 c strawberry mixture.


* wish i had pictures b/c it was so yummy looking and tasting.

These Pork Chops Rocked My Face Off

as soon as you are finished reading this post, go to the grocery store and buy these ingredients and make this ASAP! this has to be one of my new favorite meals of all time! and this is saying a lot b/c Bolivia nearly killed pork for me forever. having it every day for 3 years straight pretty much garanteed i'd never eat pork again. tonight was the first time i've made pork since eric and i have been married (that's 4 years!) we bought a nice center cut boneless pork chop and i'm sure that only helped the recipe.

Grilled Pork Chops with Shallot Butter
8 (7 oz) center cut pork chops ( i bought 4)
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 t ground black pepper
2 T olive oil
2 t finely chopped fresh chives
1 t finely chopped fresh thyme
1 t finely copped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves minced
2 T butter, softened
2 1/2 t minced shallots
1/4 t grated lemon rind

1. prepare grill

2. sprinkle both sides of pork chops evenly with 1/2 t salt and pepper. combine oil, chives, thyme, rosemary and garlic, stirring well. rub oil mixture evenly over both sides of pork. place pork on grill rack and grill 6 minutes each side until done. remove pork from grill and let stand 5 minutes. sprinkle with remaining 1/2 t salt.



3. combine butter, shallots, and lemon rind stirring well. spread about 1 t butter mixture over each pork chop. let pork stand an additional 5 minutes.


we had this with Quinoa with Herbs and Mixed Olives. which also rocked my face off.
both recipes are from cooking light

Quinoa Recipe

2 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 c quinoa, well rinsed (at least 3 times)
salt
1/2 c pitted and thinly sliced black and green olives
1/2 c pine nuts, toasted
1/3 c fresh bail leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c parsley finely chopped

1. in large saucepan or deep skilet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring often until softened about 3 minues. add the garlic and cook just until fragrant about 30 seconds. add quinoa and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.

2. stir in 2 1/4 c water, season with salt and bring to ab oil over high heat. lower heat, cover and simmer unilt the water is absorbed about 15 minutes. let stand for 5 minutes. add the olives, pine nuts, basil, cilantro, and parsley and toss with a frok to combine. season with salt.

just for the pictures

this recipe is good, probably great in fact, but it's nothing too incredibly special. so i wasn't going to post it but the pictures were just so good, and in the end, the final product tasted so good i had to put it up. it's a great standby, something to throw together when you didn't have time to shop that day and aren't sure what to have for dinner. i suggest Bacon Avocado griddle pizzas. loosely based on a rachel ray recipe.

1 c lukewarm water
2 1/4 c flour
One 1/4 oz package active dry yeast
1 t sugar
salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, thinly sliced crosswise (i used a small onion)
1/4 c olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
pepper
3 avocados (i only had 1 avocado. oh well)
one 12 oz package bacon (i used however much i felt like. and it wasn't a whole pkg)
1 bunch watercress (i just used some greens i had in the fridge)

1. in large class whisk together the water, 1 T flour, yeast and sugar. let stand 5 minutes until foamy. meanwhile combine flour and 1 tsp salt in mixer bowl. using the dough hook pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and mix until dough forms a ball. transfer to large greased bowl and cover. let rise until doubled in size about 1hour.

2. in large bowl toss together tomatoes, shallot, olive oil and vinegar. season with s/p. let stand at room temp. in medium bowl mash avocados.

3. preheat large skillet and add bacon, cook until crispy. drain on paper towels.

4. preheat griddle over high heat or 400 degrees. on a lightly floured work surface divide dough into 4 pieces then flatten each one into a disk. stretch each disk into 10 inch round. brush one side of each round with olive oil and working in batches transfer to griddle oiled sides down. ( here i chopped up some garlic and put it in a small bowl with the olive oil. when i brushed the garlic infused olive oil over the dough little pieces of garlic went along and created a mouthwatering smell and taste!)


cook the dough lightly brushing the tops with more garlic oil and flipping once, until browned, about 6 minutes on each side.

5. spread the avocado evenly on a crust, toss the greens with the tomato mixture and scatter over the pizzas. crumble the bacon on top. i also crumbed some goat cheese i had in the fridge on the very top, but i think feta cheese would also taste great.

the kitchen smells like peaches

that's because i Have 5 pounds of them on the counter waiting to be made into this tomorrow!

Oatmeal Cookie-Peach Cobbler

you can make this in idividual ramekins with one dollop of dough on top of each. baking time remains the same.

topping:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
2 t vanilla
1 large egg
1 c flour
1 c old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

filling:
11 c sliced peeled peaches (about 5 lbs)
1/3 c sugar
2 T flour
2 T lemon juice
cooking spray



1. preheat oven to 350

2. to prepare topping place first 3 ingredients in large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. add vanilla and egg. beat well. combine 1 c flour, oats, baking powder and salt. stir with whisk. add flour mixture to sugar mixture beat at low speed until blended. cover and chill 30 minutes.

3. filling: combine sliced peaches, 1/3 c sugar, 2 T flour, and fresh lemon juice in bowl. toss to coat. spoon mixture into 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. dollop 12 mounds of chilled dough over peach mixture at even intervals. bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Toffee Squares

ohhh i can't wait to make these. actually i can wait b/c i'm tired today, but i am looking forward to making them. it's from sweetamandine blog. i'll post pictures when i make them.

2 sticks butter
1 c brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1/4 t salt
3-4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/5 c pecans, toasted and chopped


preheat oven to 350

cream together butter and brown sugar. mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and then the flour. press dough evenly into an ungreased 9x13 pan. bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.

remove the baked crust from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the chopped chocolate. using a rubber spatula, spread the melting chocolate in a thin layer over the entire crust. sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and allow to cool slightly.

cut into squares while still warm (using a pizza cutter) remove squares to rack to cool. allow to cool completely until the chocolate has set.

makes 30-40 squares.


** made these yesterday 9-7-09. and... i was disappointed. they smelled so good and looked so good but the flavor was just not enough toffee for me. but i'm a toffee fiend so maybe 'normal' toffee lovers will like this well enough. and despite the recipe suggesting that you remove them from the pan while warm i was unsuccessful at that. they kept falling apart, falling through the cooling rack wires... i let them cool completely and then removed them and put them in the fridge. today the consistency is much better but still, not enough toffee and too much butter!

Garden Harvest Cake

from cooking light. this isn't a cake. it's a morning bread. and it's dense, moist, and delicious! the first time i made the loaf and the second i made the cupcakes so i could freeze them more easily.

1 c flour
3/4 c sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c grated peeled granny smith apple (about 1 medium)
1/2 c grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 c shredded zucchini
1/4 chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 350

2. combine flour and the next 4 ingredientws (through salt) in a loarge bowl. add grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and walnuts to flour mixture. toss well. combine canola oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a small bowl wtirring with a whisk. add egg mixture to flour mixture stirring just until combined. spoon batter into 8x4 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. remove cake from pan. cool completely before slicing.

Lemon Bars

I found this on a blog called sweetamandine. It makes a 9x13 pan, which is a lot of lemon bars, if you ask me. but still, they are delicious!

crust:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1/2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla

filling:
7 large eggs
2 1/2 c sugar
2 heaping T grated lemon zest (about 6 lemons)
1 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6)
1 c flour
powdered sugar for dusting

preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan

make the crust: cream together the butter and sugar in the an electric mixer. mix in the vanilla. combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low add to the butter until the dough just comes together. using floured hands, gather the dough into a ball and scoop it into the center of the greased baking pan. press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan, chill.

bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until very lightly browned. let cool on a wire rack. leave the oven on.

make the filling: whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice. slowly add the flour, whisking all the time. pour the filling over the cooled crust. the crust does not need to be room temperature but warm, not hot.

bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set. let cool and cut into bars or triangles and dust with powdered sugar.

i dusted the whole pan with sugar and now, a few days later, all the pretty white stuff has absorbed into the lemon bars so it's not nearly as pretty as it was the day i made it. so maybe dust just before serving.

The Cake I Almost Made You for Your Birthday

This is a Praline Bundt Cake. The pecans are TASTY!! I had all the ingredients to make this for you when we came to City of Rocks, but it seemed like a lot of steps, and I didn't make it. But, it's good:) I am enjoying it now and thinking happy birthday thoughts for you!

1 c chopped pecans

1 c. butter, softened

1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 (16 oz) bag dark brown sugar

4 large eggs

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 (80z) sour cream

2 tsp vanilla

Praline icing

Sugared pecans

toast 1 c pecans . There are 2 ways to do this...the way the book tells you and the way I do it! 350 for 5-7 min in a single layer in the oven, or my way, single layer in the micro for 5-6 min, stirring every 2 min.

preheat oven to 325

beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

sift flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in toasted pecans and vanilla. spoon into a greased and floured 12 c. bundt pan.

bake at 325 for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool for another 3o min.

prepare praline icing, spoon immediately over cake, sprinkle top with sugared pecans.

Praline Icing

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c butter

1/4 c milk

1 c powdered sugar, sifted (this gets out the lumps. I didn't do it and it looked lumpy)

1 tsp vanilla

bring first 3 ingredients to a boil over medium heat. boil, whisking constantly for 1 minute. remove from heat, whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir gently 3-5 minutes until it starts to thicken.

Sugared Pecans

1 egg white

4 c pecans

1/3 c granulated sugar

1/3 c light brown sugar

whisk egg white until foamy; add pecans and stir until evenly coated. (I only did 1 c pecans. you don't need 4 cups unless you want to eat them as snacks later. I cut down on the sugars) Stir together the sugars and sprinkle over the pecans. stir gently until they are evenly coated. Spread pecans in a single layer on a lightly greased foil lined jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 18-20 min or until the pecans are dried. stir once after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. store pecans in a ziploc for 3 days room temp or 3 weeks in the freezer.

A Brief Digression

I wrote a while ago about this blog also being about the home and garden as well as food. As for the garden part I don't have a lot to say b/c my garden is partially pathetic this year. Your bird net saved the lettuce and the 10 sugar snap peas I got this year. My string beans are simply pathetic- tough, stringy, weirdly large.... sigh. i miss fresh green beans. Anyway, the cucumbers are about to be fruitful and the tomatoes are still completely green and just hanging out. i have gotten a few black plum tomatoes- an heirloom variety i highly recommend. anyway, i wasn't going to talk about the garden.

Home: I just got home from Costco where I purchased a memory foam mattress topper. what do you think? I wasn't ready to spend the full amount on a whole mattress yet, but my body has been pretty achey during the nights since my surgery. i also bought memory foam pillows to see if i can ease the tightness in my neck at all. tonight will be the first night sleeping with both, and i'm so excited to go to bed!

Fresh Mozzerella is the key

this is another recipe from Orangette. It sounds like just a baked pasta recipe, but i think the fresh basil and mozzerella really make it something special.

2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes
5 T unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion,peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
salt
red wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb small ish pasta, such as orecchiette, chiocciole, rigatoni or ziti
1/4 to 1/3 lb parmesan cheese, grated
3 (4 oz) balls fresh mozzerella
fresh basil leaves

dump tomatoes and juices into large saucepan. add butter, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and couple pinches of salt. place over medium heat and cook stirring occasionally for 45 minutes (i fudged it to 30 minutes b/c otherwise dinner was going to be really late). remove and discard the onion halves. using an immersion blender-i want one of these!-(or a food processor) blend the sauce until mostly smooth. return it to saucepan and continue to simmer it over medium heat for another 45 (or 30 if you are me) minutes until it has thickened to the consistency of a usual tomato sauce. it's alright if it's a bit loose but you want it to have a least a little body. taste it for salt and acidity and if needed add a small splash of vinegar.




preheat oven to 400.

when sauce is almost ready cook pasta to al dente. drain well and toss with with half the tomato sauce and a handful of the parmesan. take out a large (at least 9x13 or 10x15) baking pan. put a layer of pasta in the pan, followed by some of the sauce, handful of parmesan, chunks of mozzerella, and a few torn basil leaves. repeat layers until all ingredients are gone, ending with a layer of cheese on top. bake for 15 minutes until warm and bubbling. then, broil the top for a minute or two until golden.

I now cook in French.

To continue my gourmet theme, i have tried something called Gribiche sauce. It is basically a fancy, french mayonnaise, and yet it is so much more. I know, i hate mayonnaise too so it's almost a sin to call this sauce 'mayo'. I found the recipe from a food blog i've followed called Orangette (.blogspot.com). I really like the blog and decided to go out on a branch and try this sauce. I believe Orangette got this recipe from some place called Zuni's Cafe that published a cook book. so now i am passing it along to you. She recommends this sauce over grilled fish or poultry, fried seafood, roasted potatoes, boiled shrimp, asparagus, or boiled potatoes as a potato salad. We have had it over boiled fingerling potatoes (that i bought from the farmer's market last week- i'm so gourmet! :) ) and over grilled salmon. it has been fabulous both times!There's some still in the fridge that i plan to have over grilled chicken this week.


Use a very mild tasting olive oil. if your oil is bitter use a mixture of it and a more neutral tasting oil like canola.

2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 T sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 large egg
1 T dijon mustard
salt
1 1/4 c mild tasting olive oil (i only used 1 c)
2 t thinly sliced chives
2 t finely choped parsley
2 t finely chopped chervil (i left this out, geez a girl can only buy so many fresh herbs!)
1/2 t chopped dill (i used dried)
2 T capers, rinsed and dried, coarsely chopped


Combine shallots and vinegar in small bowl, and set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the sauce.

Put the egg in a small saucepan of barely simmering water and bring it to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for about 4 minutes, drain and put egg in a bowl of ice water to cool completely. you are basically soft boiling an egg here


when egg is cool crack and scrape it into medium bowl. add mustard, pinch or two of salt. mash it all together and then begin whisking in the oil, just a few drops at first, then gradually increasing the flow to a thin stream. stop adding oil when the mixture is satiny and has lots of body- like a hot fudge sauce. Stir in the herbs and capers. add the vinegar and shallots, adjust salt to taste.




garden fresh beets!

I like a saucey pizza...

I know we have a lot of recipes for pizza sauces. But i think i just found the all-time favorite. this is super easy to do, doesn't require any heating, and Eric will usually whip it together while I'm making the dough. Even better.

New York Style Pizza Sauce
Cooking Light

This makes enough for 2 pizzas:

7 T water
2 T chopped fresh bail
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 t dried oregano
1 1/2 t sugar (or maybe honey, i haven't tried that yet)
1 t minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. stir with a whisk.


*I think i have finally discovered why my pizza dough/crust sometimes sticks to the bottom of the pan/cooking stone. I think i use too much sauce! Even with using a pampered chef stone, when i first did this recipe i used the entire amount of sauce on one pizza crust. The crust stuck, much to my disappointment. Next time I only used half the recipe of sauce and froze the other half. the pizza turned out great. problem solved.

Wait for it, Wait for it

These brownies took me part of an entire afternoon to make and when I saw the recipe in the magazine I knew it would come to that. However, the picture of the finished product was so amazing I decided I really did have to go for it. I may also have been affected by the fact that I was working a night shift and happened upon the picture/recipe at about 3 AM. At that time of the morning most over-the-top rich, delectable, strongly-flavored things sound good. And I also figured, what else am I spending my time doing these days, really? This is the perfect time to be spending copious amounts of time trying new recipes. So, be prepared for some gourmet recipes to be coming from my kitchen. These Brownies take a long, long time, but my-oh-my are they worth it!
I am missing the best picture- the final product! I'll try to get one up. Otherwise you can find it at bonappetit.com if you search the brownie name.


Layered Brownies with White-chocolate caramel and bittersweet chocolate Ganache
from Bon Appetit

Candied Pecans
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c water
1 c pecans halves, toasted

Brownies
1/2 c unsalted butter
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c plus 1 tsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 T flour
1/8 t salt
1/2 c plus 1 T sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla

White chocolate Caramel
3 T water, divided
3/4 t unflavored gelatin
4 1/2 T sugar
pinch salt
6 T heavy whipping cream
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, diced, room temp


Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

8x8x2 metal baking pan


Candied Pecans: Lightly butter baking sheet. Stir sugar and 1/4 water in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until sugar syrup is light golden, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Add pecans and stir until syrup coats pecans, about 1 minute. Immediately pour pecans out onto prepared baking sheet. spread in single layer with heatproof spatula. cool completely. coarsely chop nuts.



Brownies: Preheat oven to 350. Line 8x8x2 metal baking pan with foil. butter foil. combine 1/2 c butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. remove from heat. cool slightly. whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture. whisk until blended. Add cocoa mixture, whisk until blended. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan. smooth top (layer will be thin).
Bake brownie until tester comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18-20 minutes. Allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer. cool completely in pan on rack.


White chocolate Caramel: Spoon 1 T water into small bowl. sprinkle gelatin over and stir to blend. let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 T water, sugar and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) reduce heat to low. stir to dissolve any caramel bits. remove from heat. let cool 5 minutes. aded gelatin mixture. stir until gelatin dissolves. add white chocolate. whisk until melted and smooth. whisk in butter. pour caramel atop cooled brownie. spread evenly to cover completely. chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Waiting for that deep amber color that never came. I stirred and stirred and finally just decided to go with what I had. Now the brownies have a milky white middle layer instead of a caramel colored layer. Oh well, it still tastes good.




Bittersweet Ganache: Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. add chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. cool until mixture is slightly theckened but still pourable, about 15 minutes. pour ganache atop caramel on brownie, spread just to edges. sprinkle chopped candied pecans evenly over. chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours.

Using foil as aid, lift brownie out of pan. place on work surface. foild foil sides down. using sharp knife trim off about 1/4 inch of brownie on all sides. cut brownie into 8 bars.


This is what happened after i was all finished!

jelly filled donuts

So, here's the pic of the jelly filled donuts I made. I'm not posting the recipe bc you probably wouldn't make them. Anyway, just google jelly filled donuts if you want to some day. I added the sprinkles, of course!

Molasses-Oat Bread

1 cup uncooked regular oats

2 cups boiling water

2 packages active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 1/2 tsp salt

6 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use 4 cups fresh ground wheat flour and 2 1/2 bread flour)

1 large egg

2 Tbsp uncooked regular oats

Combine 1 cup oats and boiling water. Stirring well. let stand 20 minutes or until mixture reaches 115

Combine yeast and 1/3 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes

Combine yeast, oats mixture, molasses, and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mixing well. Add 2 cups flour, and stir until smooth. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 45 min or until double.

punch dough down. and divide in half ; roll 1 portion into a 14x7 inch rectangle. roll up dough, starting at narrow end, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch to seal ends. place dough, seam side down, in a well greased 9x5 loafpan. brush loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with remaining oats. cover and let rise in a warm place 45 min or until double in bulk.

bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.

Boysenberry Cobbler

You could use any kind of berries for this. The crust is cakier than other cobbler recipes that might just use a pie crust for the top. But I really enjoyed the texture and flavor of the batter. Eric helped put all the ingredients together while I sat at the dinner table and simply supervised. So, you could have the kids help with this one!

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened


***Batter***
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Light cream, whipped or ice cream



Directions:

Gently wash berries; drain well. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to berries; toss lightly to combine. Turn into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Dot top with 2 Tablespoons butter.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Make batter: In medium bowl, combine all batter ingredients; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop in portions over filling, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking. Bake 35 minutes, or until fruit is tender and crust is golden. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Lemony Hummus

I made this back in May I think and realized I never posted the recipe. It's delicious!


Hummus:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained



To prepare hummus, combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.