Author: Dawn

All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cupcakes with Mini-Chocolate Chips

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Summer in Seattle is called payback for all the clouds and rain we endure – it is absolutely spectacular.  The weather for the past week has been nothing short of incredible.  Blue sky, warm temperatures, no humidity (which coming from the east coast is quite a bonus), and just overall pure bliss.  Today we spent the afternoon at our neighborhood pool, and when we checked in, the computer said “Welcome to Paradise” – let me tell you, that’s exactly where we were.  As I am typing this, I still have my bathing suit on, I am just relishing in the fact that summer has finally come.

Now let’s think back to June, when I was singing a much different tune.  My older daughter’s birthday is at the end of May – and this year she wanted to have a pool party.  She is smart enough to know that a pool party at the end of May is laughable, so she requested that her party be at the end of June instead.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we were still playing with fire on that decision, but it was the only weekend before summer began where the majority of her friends were around.  This year June was one of the worst months I can remember – yes, it was Junuary for the entire month.  We were just hoping for dry skies, the pool is heated, and as long as it was over 60 degrees, we thought we could manage.

The morning of the party, it actually looked like the sun was going to come out, even though they were predicting rain (the weather people are as good at predicting the weather as they are at predicting horse races around here).  About 30 minutes before the party was supposed to start, the skies opened up, and it was an all out downpour.  It was quite something.  Well, that didn’t stop them.  She and all her friends jumped in the water anyway – and they had a grand old-time swimming in the pouring rain.  It was a birthday party to remember.

When it came to making cupcakes, my daughter was pretty sold on the summer beach theme – so we came up with this idea to make sand out of butter cookies, towels out of fruit leather, and a beach ball out of a sour ball.  We bought some of those drink umbrellas, and there was our beach.  We were actually quite pleased with how they turned out.  The cupcakes tasted even better than they looked though…I used a recipe out of The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Berenbaum, that was just incredible.  It was moist and delicious, and we added mini-chocolate chips just for fun.  I will definitely be making this recipe again – in fact I did so today – for a very very special occasion coming up…just keep your fingers crossed that I get to tell you about it (I am waiting to see how the final product turns out).  So, here’s to summer – may it last at least a few more weeks…come on, we deserve it!!

Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup  milk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups sifted cake  flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons  unsalted butter (must be softened)
  • 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl lightly combine the yolks, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for  30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low  speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high  speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop  the cake’s structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3  batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the  ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake tins lined with papers. Fill them about 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a  tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on racks for 10 minutes.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

For the frosting recipe, please click here:  https://firstlookthencook.com/2010/06/15/marshmallow-frosting-aka-7-minute-icing/

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cupcakes with Mini-Chocolate Chips

Blueberry Jam

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

I see a lot of me in my youngest daughter – she has actually shown me that many of my idiosyncracies are due to genetics – which has definitely made me feel a whole lot better.  If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am just a little obsessive compulsive – ok, but at least I can admit it.  I am a neat freak.  My husband on the other hand, is a germ freak – so the two of us together make quite a pair.  My youngest daughter – she definitely likes things in their place.  I see her arranging her shoes so they are in her perfect order – oh, and if anyone touches her things, she freaks.

So – I am the same way, but on a different scale.  This week the exterior of our house is getting painted.  I seriously almost had a nervous breakdown when I came home last night to find all of our outside furniture piled on the grass in the backyard, along with all of their ladders and other equipment.  As I stood there staring at the upheaval, my youngest daughter started to cry.  She wanted to know when the furniture would go back in its place.  This was not half as bad though as the day I rearranged the furniture in the back – and my older daughter burst into tears.  She wanted me to move everything back.  Fortunately I stayed strong, and after a few days she was used to the change.  Girls are tough.

So tonight, instead of going right home after I picked up the girls, I decided we needed to stop at the farmer’s market – one of my happy places – before facing the mess.  I figured it would put me in a better state of mind.  Boy did it ever.  Walking through the market, I couldn’t stop thinking about pickles and jam – particularly this Blueberry Jam from Food in Jars, that I made at my mother’s house.  I don’t even like jam, but what I am realizing is, I don’t like store-bought jam.  This jam is incredible.  I had it every morning with toast for breakfast, it was that good.  The cinnamon and nutmeg give it this subtle comforting flavor – it is unlike any jam I have ever had.

Well – it worked.  I came home in a much different mind-set than last night – and I wasn’t nearly as freaked out when I saw the windows taped up.  I just had to close my eyes – and remember, that all this painting should be done soon, and if not, just focus on making some more jam…

Ingredients

  • 6 cups of smashed blueberries (you’ll need 8-10 cups of unsquashed berries to equal this amount)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • two (3-ounce) packets liquid 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.

Add smashed blueberries and sugar to a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice and let jam continue to cook for about fifteen minutes. Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.

Turn off the heat under the jam and fill 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.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Blueberry Jam

Stawberry-Lemon Shortcakes

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

I just love shortcake season – which also just happens to be the same time of year as cobbler and crisp season as well.  They are all so delicious, it is hard to decide which one to make.  Usually I have to make a few of each kind during the summer, just to try out some new recipes.

Over the years though, I have really started favoring shortcakes, for a few reasons:

  • I never cook the fruit, therefore, if you have some wonderful sweet and ripe berries, you get to eat them in their glory – I tend to make crisp and cobblers with fruit that is not as ripe.
  • You get to eat the leftover shortcakes the next day – warmed in the toaster or microwave, with a little butter and jam on them, just like a scone.
  • I love individualized desserts that you get to build yourself…ok, is this just me?

So, when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.  I loved how these were made – basically putting the dough in a cake pan, and letting the shortcakes all bake together – although there was still a slight separation so it was easy to break them apart when they were done.  These were perfect shortcakes, nice and tender, but not too sweet – letting the strawberries do their job to add the sweetness.  I bet you can guess what my favorite part was though…that’s right, eating them the next day for breakfast – and believe me, I will be making these more and more, giving me just another excuse to make more of this.  Like I needed another excuse?

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
  • 4 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed (or real whipped cream, which is what I used)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Weigh or lightly spoon 9 ounces (about 2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 9 ounces flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and grated lemon rind. Add the buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, and toss gently with a fork to combine. (Dough should be wet and about the texture of cottage cheese.)

Coat a 9-inch round metal cake pan or baking sheet with cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish. Scoop 10 equal dough portions into dish. Gently shape each portion into a round by tossing in flour to help shape the dough. Arrange in pan. Discard excess flour. Brush dough with melted butter, and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Bake at 425° for 22 minutes or until the shortcakes are lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove shortcakes from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Combine berries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and lemon juice; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Split each shortcake in half; spoon about 1/3 cup berry mixture and 2 tablespoons whipped topping into each.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Stawberry-Lemon Shortcakes

Blueberry Bliss

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

It’s time for a drink – a summer cocktail that is, and not just any summer cocktail.  For those of you who drink alcohol, you will understand it when I say that choosing alcohol for your drink, is almost like choosing what you are going to eat for dinner (unless you happen to be in college…then it seems that any alcohol will do, but now that I have children, I am choosing to ignore that for the moment).  Everyone seems to have a personal preference, or at least certain types of alcohol that is off-limits – either the flavor is not appealing, the smell, or you just happened to overindulge a little too much one night, and it reminds you of that time that you really just want to forget.

I am not a big drinker, but making cocktails has become more and more interesting to me over the years, now that it has become similar to cooking.  Mixing different flavors to create something extraordinary – and just like cooking – I love it when I can make something that people gush over.  Gin is one of those types of alcohols that I always hated – that was until I found Hendrick’s.  The combination of cucumber and rose petals really creates an aromatic wonder.  I have blogged about this before, because I am still in awe how different Hendrick’s is to other types of gin.  Recently we came across a local stuff called Counter Gin, which is also excellent – and they even sell it at Cost-Co now!

The other weekend when I was visiting my parents, I made this cocktail for my family.  My step-sister can’t stand gin, but she LOVED this – so did my grandmother, and everyone else who had a sip.  There is nothing not to love about this recipe.  The blueberry infused gin is incredible, and paired with the cardamom simple syrup – I am telling you, this is one to write home about.  The inspiration came from a recipe I found in Cooking Light, but I adapted it below, based on my own taste.  So – if you are looking to wow someone this weekend, look no further.  Now, cheers to that!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups dry gin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3  cardamom pods
  • Ice
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Additional blueberries (optional)

Preparation

Place 2 cups blueberries in a large, heavy stainless-steel saucepan; mash with a fork or potato masher. Place over medium-high heat, and cook 3 minutes or until berries begin to release juice. Remove from heat; add gin. Cover and let stand at least for 1 hour or up to overnight. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing berries with the back of a spoon to remove as much juice as possible; discard solids.

Combine 1/2 cup water, sugar, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely; discard cardamom pods.

To serve, add the ice to a cocktail shaker to come halfway up sides of container. Add 1/4 cup blueberry-gin, 1 tablespoon cardamom syrup, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; shake until chilled. Strain cocktail into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with additional blueberries, if desired. Serve immediately. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.

If you prefer a fizzy cocktail, pour gin, cardamom syrup, and lemon juice over crushed ice in a glass; top with chilled club soda.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Blueberry Bliss

Dill Pickles

Published on by Dawn10 Comments

There was a time where our garden was overflowing with vegetables.  That was when summers in Seattle would actually get above 80 degrees for a period of time.  As I have written in the many of my recent posts, it seems as if global warming is having the opposite effect in Seattle, and we are having more snow in the winter, and cooler weather in the summer.  My husband still has a beautiful garden, and tries to grow what he can, but we certainly don’t have an overabundance of vegetables – which is really unfortunate given my recent canning obsession.

This week I was visiting my family on the East Coast, and my best friend from high school (well, her husband), has an incredible garden.  With the hot weather, their garden is definitely exploding.  She came to the beach and brought me just a sampling of their harvest – and I went nuts when I saw the small cucumbers.  Little did she know, my mind went immediately to pickles – she looked at me a little odd because they just eat them raw – but I couldn’t wait to make some pickles.  I found this recipe on the Food in Jars blog (my latest favorite blog) – and the stars aligned.  Not only did I have just the perfect amount of cucumbers per the recipe, this was an easy refrigerator pickle, so I knew it would take me no time at all to put together.  The only risk was finding the Dill Seed – and fortunately my mother’s local grocery store carried it – I had to go to 4 markets in Seattle before I found some!  I made these pickles in about 1/2 hour – and they were the best pickles I have ever had.  No joke, and I am definitely a pickle connoisseur.  Everyone just LOVED them – and would you believe just a few days later, they are already gone?  I can’t wait to go back to Seattle and make some more – as soon as I can find some little pickles at the farmer’s market – or maybe a road trip to Eastern Washington?  Boy, I seriously have a problem if I am even considering driving 5 hours to get some good canning cucumbers…

Ingredients

  • 1 quart Kirby cucumbers (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup filtered water
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons dill seed
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 spring onions (whites only), chopped

Preparation

Wash and dry Kirby cucumbers. Chop ends off and slice into spears. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Equally divide the dill seed, garlic cloves and chopped onion between the two jars. Pack the cucumber spears into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.

Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Put lids on the jars and let them cool on the counter top. Once they’re cool, put them in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Makes two pints.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Dill Pickles

Monkey Bread

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Sometimes I feel like I should have a bucket list on my blog.  I have noticed over the years that some people do that – they write down everything they have ever wanted to make, and little by little they start crossing things off of their list.  Some people are really on a mission, and will only make things on their list, while others stray from time to time, thinking that eventually they will get to everything.  I do not have a bucket list of foods to make written down, but I certainly have one in my head.  The problem is that quite often my head is too filled with work and kid stuff, and the food sometimes gets the shaft.  I know that eventually I am going to have to make list – like I do for everything else these days.  If it is not on a list, it does not get done – as sad as that may sound.

If I did have a list though, Monkey Bread definitely would have been on it.  My favorite part about having a list?  Crossing things off…  I have wanted to make Monkey Bread for years – I thought it would be a fun baking project with the kids.  I saw this lighter recipe in Cooking Light, and decided that if we are going to go through with this endeavor, that making it light might not be a bad thing.  You would have never known this was a light recipe.  The kids LOVED making this – they had a little assembly line going.  The finished product was amazing – especially when it came right out of the oven.  We decided it tasted so good warm, that every time we took some more, we warmed it slightly in the microwave.  After making this, I decided if I did have a bucket list, I would pretend I never made this, so I could make it again…

Ingredients

  • 13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
  • 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1  package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 cup very warm fat-free milk (120° to 130°)
  • 1/4 cup very warm orange juice (120° to 130°)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  •  Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; mix until combined. With mixer on, slowly add 1 cup milk, juice, honey, and 2 tablespoons butter; mix dough at medium speed 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Combine 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.

Punch dough down; divide into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll into an 8-inch rope. Cut each dough rope into 8 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a 1-inch ball. Dip each ball in milk mixture, turning to coat, and roll in sugar mixture. Layer balls in a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 dough ropes. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate upside down on top of bread; invert onto plate. Combine powdered sugar, remaining milk, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over bread.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Monkey Bread

Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad

Published on by Dawn10 Comments

When I was growing up on the east coast, summer was really summer.  It would get warm in June, and stay that way usually into September.  Corn on the cob was usually the true sign that summer was in full swing.  My mother would stop at the farm stand and pick up the really fresh just picked corn, and it was so sweet and delicious, there was no butter needed.  It was only really in season for a couple of weeks, so we really had to get our fill while we could.

When I moved to Denver, summers were even hotter, but it was a dry heat, and I loved it.  We didn’t have air conditioning, so every weekend we would flee to the mountains and camp – it was the only way to stay cool.  We had a rule also, no turning on the stove or the oven – so every night my boyfriend (who is now my husband) would fire up the grill, and I would make a cold salad.  We lived like that all summer long.

Now that I live in Seattle, unless we get lucky, summers are really not summers.  We might get a few days or even a week with temperatures over 80 degrees, but it doesn’t happen often.  Corn on the cob is available for months – but it is so bland, unless you put butter and salt on it, it tastes like just matter.  I still miss that fresh picked corn on the cob, but have instead resorted to making corn salads.  That way I can put a light dressing on, and give it a little flavor.  Or sometimes, I just hop over to Trader Joes and pick up a package, sometimes it actually has more flavor than the supposedly fresh stuff we can get in the market.  This is one of my favorite summer salads – extremely healthy, and lots of different flavors.  So – if you happen to live somewhere that is actually experiencing a summer – give this one a try.  If you can get fresh corn on the cob, all the more power to you – otherwise, use frozen, you will still not be disappointed.  Just take a few bites of this, and no matter what the weather is like, you will feel like it is summer…

Ingredients

  • 1 cup halved heirloom grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups shelled edamame
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3  ears shucked corn (or frozen roasted corn – I used Trader Joes)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2  diced peeled avocados

Preparation

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add corn, and edamame to tomato mixture; toss well. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and lime juice to corn mixture; toss well. Top with avocado.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad

Chocolate-Mint Pinwheel Cookies

Published on by Dawn11 Comments

It is funny to watch my children grow up right before my very eyes.  My husband and I always chuckle when they do something exactly like we would do – they are watching and learning, and it is amazing. This past weekend we received some sad news about my older daughter’s best friend.  It was bad enough a few months ago when we found out she would be moving to the east coast.  My daughter was very sad to be losing her best friend, but she actually understood why – it hit a little close to home.  Her best friends parents are scientists (like my husband), and science jobs are not easy to come by in Seattle.  Her father’s job was eliminated a few months ago – and he found a job in Boston, where it was also easy for her mother to transfer.  This weekend’s news though was a lot more scary.  Before moving to Boston, her best friend was in Italy on vacation with her parents, and she got hit by a taxi in Naples.  Fortunately she is going to be ok, but she suffered a bad fracture in her leg.  They made it back to the states today, and my daughter is so anxious to see her tomorrow.

We immediately started thinking about what we could do when they come back, and my daughter went straight to food.  She went to the cook books and found a recipe in Kitchen for Kids by Jennifer Low – she even checked to make sure we had all the ingredients.  This is basically a blog first – but I had no part in baking these cookies – I was at work when she was slaving away with the babysitter.  Supposedly she made these all by herself – and for a 10-year-old, I am seriously impressed.  I know her friend is going to love these tomorrow – I truly believe that good food can make just about anything a little better…and it is so amazing to see that my daughter feels the same way.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, soft
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 8 drops of green food coloring
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

Line an 8×8 square pan with plastic wrap and lots of overhang.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the butter mixture, in a large bowl, use a baking spatula or wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar.  Add the egg, corn syrup, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.

To make the mint dough, measure out 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup of the butter mixture into another large bowl and add a drop of green food coloring to it.  Set aside.

To make the chocolate dough, use the butter mixture in the bowl that does not have the food coloring.  Add the vanilla and cocoa powder.  Mix well.  Gradually stir in 1 2/3 cups flour.  When the dough gets too stiff, use your hands to knead it into a smooth ball, working inside the bowl.  If the dough is too sticky, knead in a teaspoon of flour.

Pinch off and drop big blobs of the chocolate dough into the lined pan.  Press them down to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.  Dust hands with flour, if needed.  Chill the pan for about 10 minutes.  (Don’t leave it for much longer or it will get too stiff to roll.)  Wash your hands.

While the chocolate dough chills, finish making the mint dough.  Stir the peppermint extra and another seven drops of green food coloring into the butter mixture for a bright color.  Mix well.  Gradually stir in 1 1/4 cups flour.  When the dough gets too stiff, use your hands to knead it into a smooth ball, working inside the bowl.  The dough might seem crumbly at first, but keep squeezing and it will soften.

After chilling the chocolate dough, drop blobs of mint dough on top and press to cover the chocolate dough.  Dust hands with flour, if needed.

Use the plastic to lift the square of dough out of the pan and onto your work table.  Keep the plastic under the dough.  To make it easy to roll, use the heels of your hands to flatten one side of the dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Place this flattened strip in front of you to begin rolling.  Lift the plastic to help you roll the dough into a tight cylinder.  Pat the ends in.  Wrap the dough in the plastic.  If the cylinder is fatter in some parts than others, roll the fatter parts a few times to even it out.  You should have a cylinder that is 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

After chilling, remove the plastic, then use a dinner knife to cut the cylinder into 1/2-inch thick rounds – or a grown-up can cut it with a sharp knife.  If the dough is too stiff to cut, let it warm up a little first.  Place the rounds on a lined baking sheet at least 3 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, about 16 minutes, or until the edges are firm, the tops are no longer shiny and the green dough is still green.  (If baked too long, the green dough will turn golden.)  They might be slightly soft in the middle, but will firm up once cooled.  Cool completely on the sheet.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chocolate-Mint Pinwheel Cookies

Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

I have a little confession to make, I have a new obsession.  I am obsessed with canning.  It came on very quickly, and I haven’t been able to shake it yet.  I am already clearing shelves in the pantry, because I know this is not just a fling.  I had to break it to my husband, but canning is here to stay for a while.

Months ago I signed up for a class at one of my favorite places, The Pantry – it was a canning class taught by a woman who just wrote a cookbook called Food in Jars.  I was excited about the class, but never did I think I would really catch the canning bug.  We made two jars of jam/jelly that night, and two jars of pickles – pickled snap peas and pickled asparagus.  I came home gushing.  I couldn’t stop talking about it – and that’s how it began.  I now find myself at the farmer’s market looking at things with a whole new lens.

The night I took the class, we were making pretty good time, we had already made the first three recipes, and we had over an hour to go.  The last recipe was the Strawberry Vanilla Jam – and I am not sure what exactly happened, but the next thing we knew, we were out of time.  So, instead of boiling the jam for the appropriate amount of time to make sure it would set, we had to cut it short.  Marisa just told everyone that now it would be ice-cream sauce – and we all went with it.  I was feeling more confident that maybe I could make jam that didn’t have to be stored in the freezer.  We still put the Strawberry Vanilla Ice-Cream Sauce in the water bath to seal the jars, but she was right, the jam never did set.  Not to worry, I will be serving it on ice-cream soon.  But, I just couldn’t stop thinking about that jam…so I had to make some for myself at home – and this time, I took the time needed to boil the jam, and it set perfectly.  I was beaming.  And now, I am completely hooked…

Ingredients

  • 12 cups of ripe, chopped strawberries
  • 2-3 vanilla beans, split and scraped
  • 6 cups of sugar, divided
  • 2 lemons, zested and juiced
  • 4 tablespoons powdered pectin

Preparation

Wash and chop berries. Toss them with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla beans/seeds and place in a large jar or bowl.  Allow the berries to macerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to 72 hours.

When you’re ready to make the jam, prepare jars (this recipe makes 5 pints).  Pour macerated strawberries into a large, non-reactive pot and add the remaining cups of sugar, lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil (this jam will foam madly, beware).  Cook jam over high heat, stirring regularly for 20-25 minutes, until it takes on a thick, syrupy consistency.

Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil.  Let the jam boil vigorously for an additional three to four minutes.

Remove jam from the stove, and ladle into your prepared jars.

Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your canner for 10 minutes (normally I’d admonish you not to start your timer until the water has returned to a boil. However, as long as your water is quite hot when the jars go into the canner, the time it will take to return to boiling should be minimal).

When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined counter top.

When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals.  If any jars are not sealed, store them in the fridge and use them first.  Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Snickerdoodle Ice-Cream Sandwich

Published on by Dawn11 Comments

Food trucks seem to be the biggest rage in Seattle these days.  Down in South Lake Union, where the new Amazon campus is located, the food trucks have decided to set up camp.  My husband has been working in that area for almost 16 years – long before the Amazon Campus moved, and he has watched this neighborhood develop into a food lover’s paradise.  At some point, when I actually have time to take a long lunch someday, I am going to meet him down there and we are going to take a tour of the food trucks.  Supposedly they even have small bites, so you can really sample your way through.

As I mentioned in this post last year,  I always had a vision of an ice-cream sandwich shop, where you sell different types of cookies and different types of ice-cream, and it is up to you to choose.  Last summer we actually found a place in New York City that did just that…and I swear the word is spreading.  I heard that they now have an ice-cream truck in South Lake Union with the same idea.  I missed my calling…

So what is so great about these ice-cream sandwiches?  Well, they were made with the most delicious Martha Stewart Snickerdoodle cookies – which go with just about any ice-cream you can find.  We chose Cinnamon Ice-Cream, but seriously – what doesn’t go well with a Snickerdoodle cookie?  Since my idea for the make-your-own ice-cream sandwich store is foiled, I might as well let you in on my other secret.  This is the best make-ahead summer dessert you can find.  I usually make a big batch, and individually wrap each one.  I stick them in the freezer, and I am set – they are there when you need them.  Sometimes I make my own ice-cream, and sometimes I am short on time (or forget to put the ice-cream insert into the freezer) so I go with Dreyer’s Slow Churned – YUM!!!  So – this summer, why not open your own ice-cream shop?  Or if that is too much trouble, just make a batch of these.  Your friends will come over, and it will be just like you have your own ice-cream shop.  Or you can drive around and hand them out to all your friends…a food truck is born!

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Dreyers Ice-Cream, softened

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Match up similar sized cookies – take a scoop of ice-cream, and place it on one half.  Place the other cookie on top, and slowly press together.  Individually wrap in plastic or foil and stick in the freezer until ready to eat.

Makes about one dozen.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Snickerdoodle Ice-Cream Sandwich