Author Archives: Dawn

Summer Sunset

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Summer Sunset

Happy Mother’s Day!!  It is our day – the day where all that hard work is finally recognized.  I hope all you mothers out there had a terrific day, filled with lots of hugs, cards and relaxation.  I had a really nice day, but I must admit, the highlight was this poem that my younger daughter wrote for me:

My Mom is like…

A lightning bolt at the computer,

A technology queen,

A super cook,

A fluffy pillow,

A flower garden,

Some bug spray,

And a no dogs allowed sign!

The other highlight was yesterday – making this amazing cocktail.  Last summer we were at one of our favorite restaurants – where the tables are pretty close to each other.  There was a couple next to us and we were eyeing their food.  They were on their main course, and their food looked incredible. They noticed us staring, so we started talking.  The food conversation quickly turned to cocktails – and he ended up sharing his favorite cocktail with us.  We were still in the process of building out our bar (in an old fashion wardrobe cabinet in our dining area) and didn’t have a lot of good liqueur just yet.  We were in research mode (as we often are), and asking a lot of questions on what we should buy.  He definitely talked up Aperol, which is similar to Campari, but a little less bitter.  It took me a log time to make this drink, as fresh grapefruit is not something usually I have in the refrigerator.  I just happened to have a bunch of grapefruits though that were too sour to eat – so I squeezed all the juice out of them – and remembered this cocktail.  It was a huge hit with my husband and our friends.  Oh, and did you see the color??  Gorgeous.  As always…don’t drink and drive.

So – here’s to all the mothers out there – cheers to you!!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 2 ounces Aperol
  • 2 ounces Gin

Preparation

Place all ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and serve in a martini glass with a twist of orange.  Makes 2 cocktails.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Summer Sunset

Summer Sunset 2

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Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Raspberries

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Chocolate Caramel Tart

The monthly calendar.  I am sure all families have one – and they take lots of different forms.  Years ago when I started the family calendar in the office (a big white board calendar where I write down different events/appointments), I had no idea that it would be something the girls would look forward to each and every month.  At the end of the month, they start asking me when I am going to do the calendar for the next month.  They always want to help also – I write the appointments and events down in different colors – and will draw little pictures when it is really a special day (like their birthdays).  I love working on it when they are in bed – so when they see it the next morning, they are super excited.  I guess I never really thought about it – but it tells them what they have to look forward to for the entire month.  I often find them in the office studying the calendar – which I never do, since my phone tells me exactly where I need to be at all times.  Good thing for technology…  This month is exceptionally busy – in fact this week, we had something going on every night.  Ugh.  Am I ever going to be able to cook again??

A while ago I posted these…and it has taken me all this time to show you what they were used for.  Yes, life is really that busy.  Every year my temple has an auction, and for the past several years, I have offered to bake something for the Dessert Dash.  The first year I really went crazy – and made a Tower of Treats - it took me a few weekends to make all of the treats for that special tower.  After that, I tried to find something very fancy, but that was doable in one day.  This year I did it – not only did it only take one day – I swear it only took a couple of hours.  I remember actually sitting down that Saturday…that may have been the last Saturday I did indeed sit before going to bed.

I knew I was going to make the chocolate-almond toffee – but I was looking for just the perfect dessert to go with it.  The dessert I was trying to find was this amazing chocolate caramel pie that we had at Mama’s Fish House in Maui – I swear it was one of the best desserts I have ever had (ok, I have had a lot of really good desserts – but this definitely ranks high).  I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and although it wasn’t completely the same – it sounded delicious.  The caramel came out beautifully – and that chocolate over the top – WOW.  I really wished I was going to the auction so I could buy this baby.  Unfortunately I don’t know the lucky people who ended up with this – but I am sure it was worth it.  Let’s hope anyway…  So – if you are as busy as I am this month, but need to make something really special – here it is.  Hey – Mother’s Day is coming up – what a perfect excuse!

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into  1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 large egg yolks

Caramel  Filling

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4  pieces
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1/4 teaspoon finely ground fleur-de-sel or fine sea  salt

Chocolate Ganache

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 5 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate,  chopped
  • raspberries for garnish

Preparation

For Crust:

Position  rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable  bottom. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add 1/2 cup butter; process  until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps  form. Press dough onto bottom and  up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack while preparing caramel filling.

For Caramel Filling:

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low  heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring  until mixture is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet  pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream  (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add butter and stir over low heat until  caramel is completely smooth. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir in salt.  Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm caramel into crust. Let stand at room temperature  until completely cool, about 45 minutes.

For Ganache:

Bring  cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Whisk until  smooth. Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes.  Pour ganache evenly over caramel filling. Refrigerate tart uncovered until  chocolate is firm, about 2 hours.

Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and  refrigerate.  Top with raspberries before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Raspberries

Chocolate-Caramel Tart 2

Sweet Lavender Scones

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Sweet Lavender Scones

Wow – I can’t believe it has been a week since my last post – this week just flew by, and before I knew it, I already missed my mid-week window.  It has been a little busy around here, between work and kids stuff, there hasn’t been a minute to spare.  Why is it that every year I forget how busy the end of the school year gets?  Just 6 more weeks to go…and since I am not a Super-Mom, things are bound to slip through the cracks.

The other week we were talking about the mom of one of my older daughter’s friends.  She categorized her as a Super-Mom – I agreed, not really knowing what the definition was.  So – I asked if I was a Super-Mom?  Both my girls unanimously agreed that I was not.  So – I asked what the criteria was to be a Super-Mom, and they explained the following:  you don’t work, you are on the PTA, and you can have lots of kids at your house at any time day or night.  Ok, so I guess I failed on all points.

The other day I was telling some Moms about this at boot camp – both stay-at-home moms, and one of them added:  and you probably don’t have fresh-baked cookies for them when they get home from school.  BUT WAIT – so I might not have them ready for when they come home from school – but my children probably eat more fresh-baked goods than any other kid at school – unless their parent owns a bakery!!  So don’t I get any points for that??  I guess not.

The grass is always greener on the other side – I have plenty of friends tell me how lucky I am that I never stopped working – now that their kids are in school and they are looking for a job, it is near impossible to find something being out of the workforce for 10+ years.  The truth is – I love working, and although I would make a great stay-at-home Mom, I enjoy the challenge of trying to keep everything together.  There are some people who actually think I am pretty good at it (not including my children).  So – for all you stay-at-home Moms – you should feel proud that you are a Super-Mom.  You might not ever be told that – but I am telling you that right now – my kids think you are Super-Moms, and hey – that is worth something.

So – I guess when I made these scones from Bon Appetit (which were FABULOUS, BTW – so light and flavorful) – and they loved them so much – they each had 2 for breakfast each morning.  They even told me I was the best Mom ever – but I was not a Super-Mom.  I guess I have to take what I can get…

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking  powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried  lavender buds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher  salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking  soda
  • 3/4 cup  (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch  cubes
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons finely  grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla  extract
  • 2  tablespoons sanding  or granulated sugar

Preparation

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to  425°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk 3 cups flour and next 5  ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter; rub in with your fingers until mixture  resembles coarse meal.

Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, zest, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add  wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until shaggy dough forms.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until dough  forms, about 5 turns. Pat into a 10×6″ rectangle. Halve dough lengthwise. Cut  each half crosswise into 4 squares. Cut each square diagonally in half into 2  triangles. Divide between baking sheets. Brush with 2 Tbsp. buttermilk. Sprinkle  with sanding sugar.

Bake until scones are golden and a tester inserted into the  center comes out clean, 13–15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Sweet Lavender Scones

Rhubarb Jelly

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Rhubarb Jelly 2

I am just too busy right now…I have so many things I want to do, and the weekends just seem to fly by and my lists just get longer.  Jam season is among us, and I feel like I could spend days in the kitchen (before it gets warm), cooking down fruit into a glorious state – just ready to pour into jars.  I had all intentions of making some this weekend – but too many other things got in the way.  I just hope I am not missing my opportunity for some of the ripe fruit – particularly rhubarb…

Last year when I took the jam class that really gave me the itch, one of the recipes we made was a wonderful rosemary rhubarb jelly.  It was a glorious pink color – like a pink rose – and the taste was incredible.  Even my younger daughter couldn’t get enough of that jelly with her peanut butter.  At that point the rhubarb was just about done in the markets – and I was so disappointed – but I had so many other jams and jellies on my list, I didn’t think too much about it.  I figured it would be at the top of my list for this year.

Late in the summer a friend of mine called me – she really wanted me to teach her how to make jam – with the fruit from her garden.  She had frozen a ton of rhubarb and raspberries – two of the fruits that I didn’t have time to turn into jam.  I was so excited.  I found a recipe in Food in Jars for rhubarb jelly – and boy was it amazing.  I actually made this jelly last summer, and it has been sitting in my pantry all this time.  We have been slowly going through my stash of jam/jelly, and finally it was time to open this one.  The color was not nearly as pink as the first time I made it in class – but I think it was the variety of rhubarb that we were using.  The stalks were not deep red  – but it didn’t matter at all.  The jelly tasted incredible.  My younger daughter told me again last week, “Don’t ever buy jam or jelly in the store again – I will only eat yours.”  Ok – so is that a compliment or what??  I may not be super-mom (a story for another time) – but boy can I make jam and jelly.  Maybe they will let it go to the top of the list next weekend…

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, chopped
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 (1.75 ounce/50 g packet) powdered pectin

Preparation

Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound.

Combine the chopped rhubarb and 3 cups water in a pot.  Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rhubarb has completely broken down and the water is tinted a vivid pink.

Line a large, fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.  Pour the cooked rhubarb through.  Let it sit and drip for at least 30 minutes.  Do not press the rhubarb pulp, as that will make your jelly cloudy.  Discard the solids in the sieve and measure out 4 cups of rhubarb juice.

Measure the sugar into a bowl. Whisk the powdered pectin into the sugar to blend.  In a large, nonreactive pot, combine the rhubarb juice and the pectin-spiked sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the volume in the pot is greatly reduced.  While you continue to stir, clip a candy thermometer to the pot and watch until the pot reaches 220 degrees F.  There will be a great deal of foaming and bubbling before it reaches this point.  It should look thick and syrupy and the bubbles should look glossy.

Test the set of the jelly using the saucer test (place a saucer in the freezer when you start – when you think the jam is done, place a drop on the plate and return to the freezer for 1-2 minutes, it should wrinkle when you push on it).  If it doesn’t pass, return the pot to the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes before repeating the test.  When the jelly has reached the desired consistency, turn off the heat and fill the jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 4 half-pint jars.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Rhubarb Jelly

Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

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Dairy-Free Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze 2

I am tired – I actually think my body still thinks it is in Paris – that is until mealtime.  Then it knows, it is no longer in that wonderful food paradise.  I am also a little depressed…I am in love with a city that is thousands of miles away.  And the food here is good – but nothing compares what I experienced last week.  The ingredients are just better there.  The farmer’s markets are overflowing right now with beautiful looking produce.  Oh, and the cheese and bread, and just when you think it can’t get any better – the pastries.  All those butter-rich pastries.

So of course I couldn’t help but wonder…what about the people who are allergic to dairy, or allergic to gluten?  Do they starve in France?  Of course not – first of all, I hear there are far fewer people with allergies there because of how the food is regulated.  Still – there is enough fresh food there for just about anyone to survive.  My husband will do just fine there – especially since he has now successfully introduced gluten back into his diet – as well as eggs.  We are now down to soy and diary – and to tell you the truth – those are actually pretty easy to stay away from.  Things are looking up.

It was my husband’s birthday the other weekend, and I had to make him something special.  We actually discussed it for a while, and settled on these delicious dairy-free cupcakes that I have made before.  Because he is not a huge marshmallow fan – I decided just to melt dark chocolate, and create a glaze.  Wow – these were something else.  They were intensely chocolate – almost too much for me to handle.  He loved them though, and the girls had a fun time decorating.  It was a win-win.  Now if I could just beam myself back to Paris with my husband and two girls – then we would have a win-win-win.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (3 1/2 ounces)

Glaze

  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with papers. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil, vanilla, and 1 1/4 cups water; whisk until smooth. Fold in chopped chocolate. Scoop into cupcake wrappers, around 3/4 full; smooth top. Bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, 17-20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To make the glaze, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a metal or glass bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water.  Stir frequently to prevent scorching.  When the chocolate is completely smooth, it’s ready.  Working with one cupcake at a time, spoon a heaping teaspoonful of melted chocolate on top.  Tilt and rotate the cupcake to coax the chocolate out to the edge.  Alternatively, use a knife or icing spatula to spread the chocolate.  The top of the cupcake should be entirely covered with a thin layer of chocolate.  Spoon on more chocolate as needed.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

Granola Cookie Wedges

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Granola Cookie Wedge 2

We are nearing the end of our vacation, and what a week we have had.  Every year it gets better and better – and each year my daughter is able to appreciate the food more and more.  I can’t wait to bring my younger daughter here next year – I really think she is going to love it.  I am fortunate that they are both adventurous eaters, and can definitely appreciate a very good dessert…

Today we had a magnificent lunch – and my parents have gotten to know the Directeur of the restaurant.  He told us today that he loves cookies and brownies – and in particular, he loves a good pumpkin pie.  With all of the amazing pastries in Paris, it is hard to believe that someone would rather have a good cookie or brownie – if you ask me, I would vow to never eat those again, if I could have pain au sucre and tarte au fraises outside my front door whenever I wanted.  He told us there is nothing better than a nice chocolate cookie with some coffee in the morning.  I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.  I know the grass is greener on their side.

The other week I decided that I would try and make something homemade each weekend that I could easily pack in the girls lunches for treats.  The packaged treats are garbage – and if you are going to eat a cookie, why not make it good with real ingredients?  I found this recipe in Cooking Light – and it went with my whole simplicity theme – making cookies in a pie pan instead of individually – brilliant!!  I have had skillet cookies before (wow…) but have never thought to make them like this to store.  The girls LOVED them, and they lasted the entire week, and still tasted good.

So – these are not Paris pastries, but as I go back to my real life – this is what we are stuck with for now.  Seriously though, things could be a lot worse…and then again, there is always Paris to look forward to in the future.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  large egg white
  • 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
  •   Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, oats, nuts, and chocolate chips to sugar mixture; stir until just combined.

Scrape the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate coated with cooking spray, and spread to edges using a spatula. Bake at 350° for 13 minutes or until set. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Cut into 8 wedges.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Granola Cookie Wedges

Granola Cookie Wedge Test

Dairy-Free Truffled Pommes Anna

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Dairy Free Truffled Pommes An

Slowly I have been embracing this whole dairy-free diet (among other things), that my husband has been trying to stick with.  I definitely love cooking and baking with butter, but there are other ways to make delicious tasting food, and I have been testing them out.  Fortunately when you are baking, olive oil is a great substitute for a lot of things – and to give food a richness that you get from butter – a little truffle oil can definitely do the trick.

I love truffles – pretty much any kind of truffles, but to be honest, I have never really had real white truffles.  Someday I will though…and it is fun to look forward to that.  In Paris, there is a store that is all about truffles.  My daughter is also really into truffles because once when we were visiting Paris – she had some truffled macaroni and cheese – and she was hooked.  I think I was over 30 the first time I tried truffles – she obviously has a head start.  So during this most recent trip to Paris – we walked by the Maison de Truffle.  We had never been in before, but it was early in the day, and didn’t look crowded. We entered the store and we got an immediate whiff of that wonderful truffle smell.  My mother was very interested in the truffle candies they had on sale, and asked if she could buy just one to try, and they said that they only came in a box of 10.  Then the woman opened this big glass jar though – and asked if she wanted to try one.  I thought my mother would give her a hug.  Not only did she give my mother one, she gave one to my daughter and I as well.  This was the most unusual candy I have ever tried.  It was the consistency of Halva (an Israeli treat) with a strong truffle flavor - out of this world.  My daughter didn’t eat hers…so I still have a secret stash when I really need to remember Paris.

The last time I made these Pommes Anna, I was overwhelmed with the flavor – it was amazing – the butter and truffles were too good to be true.  I decided this would be the perfect candidate to try dairy-free, by substituting olive oil for the butter.  I have to say – I really didn’t miss the butter at all.  The key though is to get it nice and crispy, and once you get the flavor of that truffle oil, that’s all you need.  For those of you cutting dairy out of your diet, you should definitely give this a try.  In fact – make it for someone that loves dairy, and ask the, if they miss the butter – they will be too overwhelmed with the truffle oil to even answer…

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine 2 teaspoons thyme and kosher salt in a small bowl.

Put olive oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet coated with cooking spray. Arrange a layer of slightly overlapping potato slices in a circular pattern in pan; sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt mixture and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil. Repeat layers 4 times, ending with truffle oil. Press potato mixture firmly to pack. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes without stirring.

Cover with foil, and bake at 450° for 20 minutes on bottom rack in oven.

Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Loosen edges of potatoes with a spatula or knife. Place a plate upside down on top of pan; invert potatoes onto plate. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Dairy-Free Truffled Pommes Anna

Apple-Molasses Upside-Down Cake

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Apple Mollases Upside Down Cake

Cast Iron pans are a secret weapon.  Yes, they are heavy enough that they could actually be used as a weapon, but that’s not what I am talking about.  I love my cast iron pan, but I hardly ever use it!  The problem is, because I don’t use it very much, whenever I go to use it – I usually have to re-season it.  It is not that hard, but kind of a pain.  It is always completely worth it though – particularly for baking.  The one thing I have not done yet is use my cast iron pan to bake something on the Big Green Egg…now we’re talking.

The other week I signed up to bring dessert for book club.  I decided that I would make two desserts – one for the kids, and one for the adults.  What did I make for the kids?  Of course these…but I wanted to do something completely different for the adults.  Something that was easy, not too heavy, but that looked appetizing enough for everyone to try it.  I was so happy when I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it called for a cast iron pan.  It had been a while since I baked on my cast iron pan, and it was time.

It was a little risky to make this when we were trying to think spring, but I think I pulled it off.  The apples really made this dish – the cake had such an intense flavor that the apples offset it nicely.  Most of the Moms had a taste, and many of the kids did too.  Now, all I have to do is make this on the Egg to give it a nice smoky flavor…now that would be something else.

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted  butter
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose  flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher  salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground  cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking  soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking  powder
  • 3/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons grated  peeled ginger
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3-4 Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples,  (about 2 pounds), peeled

Preparation

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Melt butter  in a 10-inch (as measured across the bottom) cast-iron or other ovenproof  skillet; set aside. Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder  in a medium bowl.

Whisk molasses, egg, ginger, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large  bowl. Whisk in sour cream, then milk. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients, then 3  tablespoons melted butter from skillet. Set aside.

Place 1 apple on a work surface  stem up. Cut a large piece of  apple from 1 side, leaving core behind. Rotate apple and repeat twice for a  total of 3 large pieces (a triangular core will remain). Repeat with remaining  apples.

Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar to butter in skillet. Cook over  medium-high heat until sugar begins to caramelize, 2-3 minutes. Add apples; stir  to coat. Cook apples rounded sides down for  3 minutes, then turn over and cook  flat sides down until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes longer. Space apples  evenly in skillet flat side down and pour cake batter over.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until a cake tester inserted  into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30-40 minutes.

Let cake cool in skillet for 10 minutes, then carefully invert  onto a plate. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Apple Mollases Upside Down Cake

Frascatelli with Pecorino and Broccolini

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Frascatelli with Pecorino and Broccolini

My husband has been away this week, which means we have been stuffing our faces with gluten and dairy.  I am so sick of pasta right now, I never thought I would see the day.  We had three nights of pasta dishes, and one night of pizza…boy could I use a big hunk of meat right about now.  I have to say, the meals have been delicious, but thank goodness he is coming home tonight.  So, what did I make?  Well, I definitely plan on sharing two recipes with you – with this one being the first.  Of course each night we had to discuss whether the dishes were “blogworthy” and this one got a resounding “YES,” which I really wasn’t expecting…

I used to make homemade pasta quite often – that was before I had children, and I could be in the kitchen for hours on end, with no interruptions.  My husband bought me this really awesome pasta machine – and drying rack.  It has all sorts of attachments, and I would try many different varieties.  This of course was before he realized that pasta was not his friend – although the strange thing is he actually does ok with homemade pasta, figure that?  The pasta making stopped years ago – and now when I am craving that delicious bite – I go to one of my favorite Italian restaurants, where they really do it right – Spinasse is definitely on top – and their pasta is to die for…seriously.  Months and months ago – I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and the cooking and hands-on time was only 30 minutes.  Basically the caption was – “the one homemade pasta suited for weeknight dinners.”  Well, that had me right there.  So, I finally tried it out – of course I made a few changes of my own – and it took me a little longer than 30 minutes – but not much.  The kids LOVED this – and I did too.  The dumplings were a little more all-dente than I would have wanted, but they had a wonderful taste and bite to them.  I thought they were perfect with the broccolini (since I didn’t have any mustard greens in the house that the original recipe called for).  Also – I added half the amount of butter (reflected below), and thought that was plenty – after all, it was a weeknight dinner.

So, if you are itching for some homemade pasta – but know you don’t have the time to do it justice - give this recipe a try.  It would be great with a delicate tomato sauce as well (that we had two nights ago with meatballs).  There is a lot you could do with these beauties.  It’s been a fun food week – but I can’t wait for tomorrow!!!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups  semolina flour (pasta flour)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch broccolini (baby broccoli)
  • Freshly ground black  pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan

Preparation

Spread semolina flour in an even layer in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Fill a small bowl with 1 cup water and set next to dish. Working in 4-5  batches, gather your fingertips and thumb of 1 hand together and, working  quickly, dip into bowl of water, lift hand from bowl, and splatter water over  semolina. Repeat several times until surface of semolina is dotted with ragged  wet patches about the size of a nickel. Let stand until water is absorbed,  forming individual dumplings, about 5 seconds. Using a fish spatula or slotted  spoon, turn dumplings over to coat with semolina, then transfer to a sieve.  Shake gently over same baking dish to remove excess semolina; transfer dumplings  to a large rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining semolina and water until  all of the water or all of the semolina has been used (there may be some water  or semolina left over).

Working in 3-4 batches, cook dumplings in a large pot of  slowly boiling salted water (if the water is boiling too rapidly, it may break  up the dumplings), gently swirling water once or twice to prevent sticking,  until al dente, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer frascatelli to  another large rimmed baking sheet.

Steam the broccolini so it is crisp tender.  Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until  butter is foamy and browned bits form on the bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Add  cooked frascatelli and toss gently to coat. Add broccolini and fold gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper  and divide among bowls. Top frascatelli with grated Pecorino.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Frascatelli with Pecorino and Broccolini

Chocolate-Almond Toffee

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Chocolate-Almond Toffee

I have to admit, I have been rather fascinated with making candy lately.  It started a while ago, but any chance I get, I seem to be making more candy.  First of all, everything I have made so far has been super easy, if you know how to use a candy maker.  Which reminds me…I remember years ago – I was deathly afraid of using a candy thermometer.  If I came upon a recipe that called for one – I would just skip it.  I didn’t own a candy thermometer, and had no desire to.  I was in serious denial.

I am not sure when I actually broke down and bought one, somehow I have blocked that out of my memory – but all of a sudden I ran out of excuses.  I knew that I couldn’t put it off any longer, I had to start using the candy thermometer.  One of the first really successful candies I made were these…and boy did these give me the bug.  Now, I look for reasons to make candy.  Mostly I have been focused on the hard candy – aside from those caramels.  I can’t wait until I have some time (someday), and I can start making things out of this cookbook that I got a few months back.  Everything looks so darn good.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light (yes, I know, seriously??) and couldn’t wait to give it a try.  I finally made it to go with a special tart – just to put it over the top – which hopefully it did.  I know that these candies were to die for.  I was eating the scraps, and I almost didn’t want to call the girls down to share – yes, these were that good.  They were not to hard, but just perfectly crisp – with that nice thick layer of chocolate, and then the slivered almonds.  My mouth is watering now.  Good thing I was making these for an event, or I would have eaten the entire batch.

Sometimes it is good to do something that scares you – I take that back – it is always good to do something that scares you – just like change, it helps you to grow.  So, why not do something that scares you – and end up with this in the end?  Come on…I dare you.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash of salt
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring just until combined; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 325° or until syrup begins to caramelize. Stir in vanilla and salt. Working carefully and quickly, pour sugar mixture onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper; spread to desired thickness. Let toffee stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate over warm toffee; let stand 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate in a thin, even layer over toffee; immediately sprinkle with chopped or slivered almonds. Let stand 1 hour or until completely cool. Break toffee into pieces.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chocolate-Almond Toffee