Author: Dawn

Rhubarb Jelly

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn10 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn10 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

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

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

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

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookes Change is good – sometimes it is hard, but in the end, it helps us grow and learn.  I actually look forward to change – most of the time.  There are facets of my life that need to be in a constant state of change, and others that need to hold steady.  For example – I have some friends that feel the need to rearrange the furniture in their homes all the time.  I never know  just where the couch is going to be when I enter the living room.  That would drive me nuts.  Fortunately for my husband, I like to place the furniture once – and unless I have a really good reason – I leave it there.  It’s funny, last summer I decided to rearrange the outside furniture – it had to be done.  The girls came outside, and my younger one actually started crying.  Too much change is hard…good thing she eventually got used to it, just like I told her she would. At work, I need change.  I am always looking for the next shake-up.  It actually keeps things interesting – because I have a history of getting bored pretty easily.  Fortunately I work at the right company, because things are always changing.  You just have to blink, and everything turns upside down.  We use the word agile a lot – I love that word, it is a delicate version of the word change.  It makes it seem elegant, in a very smooth way.  I’m sure the next time one of my daughters throws a fit about things being off – if I ask them to be agile, they will instantly calm down. Another part of my life that needs constant change – is food.  I almost never make the same dish twice – and if I do, it is an exceptional recipe.  Last night I made refrigerator casserole – I just took everything from the refrigerator that I had to use up – put it into a pan with some rice, and made a delicious meal.  My husband loved it – and asked if we would ever have it again.  I laughed. Chocolate chip cookies are a staple – yet I always seem to find one more version that I have to try.  This recipe from Cooking Light was no exception.  Brown butter…now seriously, how can that be anything but amazing?  Let me tell you – these were just about the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made.  Let alone the fact that one of these babies had less than 100 calories a piece.  I promise you these will be made again – that is until I find an even better recipe.  So – go change something in your life – not everything, but try for something new every day.  It will keep you on your toes – and you might even end up with something better than you started with.  What a novel idea.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 3.3 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat; add oil. Set aside to cool. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place butter mixture and sugars in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Add vanilla and eggs; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 12 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. Cool slightly.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
BB CC Cookies 3

Pistachio Pound Cake

Published on by Dawn15 Comments

Pistachio Pound Cake

Wow…what a weekend!!  It was spectacular – blue sky, warm temperatures.  You would have thought it was July.  Seriously – this is nicer than any weekend that we usually get in June.  We get these days here and there – and you know who I feel sorry for the most?  Those poor people who have just moved to Seattle, and think that we are all under a conspiracy here with our weather.  They are all thinking that we just make up the fact that it’s raining all the time.  I wish it were true…but sadly, it is not.  Just wait until Junuary, and you will see.

I love pistachios – no, I mean really LOVE pistachios.  I cannot just eat one, in fact, I cannot just eat ten.  Once I start, I can’t stop.  They are definitely my weakness, especially those crunchy salty ones. My daughters love pistachios too, and are always asking me to buy them.  I seriously say no only because I know I will be eating most of them.  Every once in a while I buy a big sack though, and we all sit around the table cracking open those shells and popping them in our mouths.  So, when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, I knew I had to give it a try.  Fortunately for me, Trader Joes now sells bags of pre-shelled pistachios – and they are not salted.  It makes baking with pistachios such a pleasant experience.  I remember the first time I wanted to make something with pistachios – my husband and I spend hours shelling the nuts so I had them ready.  At first it was one for me, one for the bowl…but I soon realized if I kept doing that, I would run out of nuts – and I needed to have enough for the recipe.  Boy was that a test of my will power.

This cake was delicious – it was densely populated with pistachio nuts – and they didn’t just float to the top or bottom.  It was rich and buttery as well – as you would expect when you are using two sticks of butter.  The girls loved it, as did I – it was quite a treat – and so easy to make – that is, if you have a Trader Joes nearby.  Otherwise – good luck with this.  If you can get through shelling the pistachios, with enough left for the recipe – a big gold star for you – and a beautiful pound cake to celebrate…

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  • 1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided

Preparation

Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Coat a 9x5x3″ loaf pan with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.

Whisk 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1–2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Add juices and zests; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled), 2–3 minutes. Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios over.

Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan. Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Pistachio Pound Cake

Passover Apple Cake

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

Passover Apple Cake 2

It is Passover time – one of my favorite times of the year – specifically for this – oh, and don’t forget about this. It’s funny – but I look forward to making both of those recipes every year.  I haven’t found a new one in quite a while…until I went to Israel.  Hold that thought…

So, Monday night we had a wonderful Seder at my neighbor’s house.  They had 24 guests – which meant 48 matzo balls, because you can’t just have one.  As I was heading home from work, I saw an email from my neighbor about a bad accident that occurred in the neighborhood, causing a huge back-up on one of the main streets that takes you from the highway to our house.  Our neighborhood has been the target of many burglaries lately, a shooting, and bank robbery – which has caused the schools to go into lockdown and traffic to stand still.  But this was different.  It was a drunk driver.  He drove into 3 adults and an infant.  A mother, her 10 day old son, and her in-laws.  The grandparents died at the scene of the accident, and the mother and son were rushed to the hospital, where they remain in critical condition.  What a tragedy.  The biggest tragedy of all, this was not the person’s first time with a DUI.  It makes me sick.  Something must be done.  I actually found this link tonight on the internet – in case you want to do something to help the family – I certainly did.

Ok, back to the recipe.  When I was in Israel last week, they had a special toast to celebrate the beginning of Passover.  It is definitely a big deal there, and one of the women told me about a cake she makes for Passover.  Now for those of you who celebrate Passover, you know that for the most part – Passover cakes are not that delicious.   It is hard to make a Kosher for Passover cake that you would actually long to eat – you cannot use any leavening in the ingredients.  Over the years, some of the boxed mixes have gotten pretty good – but I always prefer to bake from scratch.  The other wrench in the process is, technically, if you are serving meat for dinner, the dessert must be dairy free as well – so that means no butter.  So, when I heard about this amazing cake – I had to give it a try.  I figured, with 24 people at the Seder, there can always be an extra dessert.  I baked this on Sunday in preparation, and I could tell it was going to be a winner.  I was a little nervous with the number of eggs – but it completely worked.  This cake was delicious, particularly for a Passover cake – although I must say, even if I didn’t celebrate Passover, I would have been very happy to eat this.  For those of you who are cinnamon lovers – this is definitely a cake for you.  Happy Passover!

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 pounds Golden Delicious Apples, peeled and sliced ​​into pieces (about 5 apples)
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Juice of one lemon

Dough

  • 1 1/2 cups matzo meal
  • 1/2 cup potato flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup canola oil 240ml (1 cup)

Topping

  • 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling by mixing the apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice until completely coated.  Set aside approximately 30 minutes.

Make the dough.  Whisk the matzo and potato flour.  Add the sugar and stir.  Add eggs and oil and blend with an electric mixture until the dough is uniform and very soft. Set aside for 20 minutes.

In a third bowl, mix the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon.

Assemble the cake. With wet hands, spread half the dough on the bottom of the pan. Spread the apples on top – without the liquid.  Place the rest of the dough over the apples and spread using wet hands or a spatula, cover the apples evenly.
Sprinkle the surface of the dough with the topping. Bake for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, until dough is golden.

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