Utterly Buttery Shortbread with Chocolate

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Utterly Buttery Shortbread

This is the last of my shortbread series, if you hadn’t already figured out that I was doing that.  I actually just figured it out this morning.  I don’t think I have ever made more shortbread in a short period of time.  I have to say, I really did love all of them, but this one in particular was my favorite.

So even though my older daughter is not writing this post, this is all her.  I love to watch her grow, and hope that maybe I have rubbed off on her, at least my positive attributes that is.  People often ask what I do with all the stuff that I bake – especially because my husband can’t eat most of it (needs to be dairy-free) – well, for the most part I bake for my kids, my neighbors, and for any event I possibly can.  Basically I look for any excuse to bake something.  Well, I am seeing my daughter follow the same pattern.  The other week she came downstairs and asked if she could bake something.  I asked her why, and she told me that she met a 1st grader on the bus this year, and she really wanted to bring her cookies.  I couldn’t believe how sweet that was.  My daughter was her “5th grade buddy” on the bus – basically she looked out for her, and made sure she was ok.  I was so proud.  I told her to look through her books and find something she could make all by herself.

She found this recipe from The Cookie Book, and I thought it would be perfect.  It had very few ingredients although my daughter added the chocolate, and that was a very smart move – it really gave the cookies a nice flavor.  So, this was a funny recipe though.  We baked them in glass pie dishes like the recipe called for – and we didn’t spray the bottoms.  Well – one of them turned out just fine, and slid right out of the pan – the other one stuck completely to the bottom.  Good thing it made two rounds…her 1st grade friend got the good batch, and we got the crumbs of the failed batch.  Let me tell you though, those were the best crumbs ever – you could put them over yogurt, ice-cream, or just take a handful and pop them in your mouth.  I hope that when my younger daughter starts riding the bus this year that a really nice 5th grader is there to keep an eye on her – she doesn’t need to bake her cookies though – we’ve got that part covered…

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces butter (2 sticks)
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup shaved dark chocolate

Preparation

Mix the first four ingredients with a mixer until a ball has formed.  Carefully mix in the shaved chocolate.  Place dough on a counter, and separate dough in half.  Gather dough into a ball, and flatten into a disk.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Grease two 9″ pie plates.  Press dough into the pie plates until flat.  Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Utterly Buttery Shortbread with Chocolate

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I can’t believe it has actually been ice-cream weather all summer.  Ice-cream weather is when it is so hot after dinner, that you need something to cool yourself off with before going to bed.  I didn’t have a ton of ice-cream growing up, except for when I spent time at the beach.  The ice-cream man was definitely the highlight of the day.  I swear that music will always go down in history as the music that makes kids go absolutely nuts.  There is almost a panic that goes on – kids running around yelling “ICE-CREAM MAN!!!”, parents frantically trying to find money, and then the mad rush to the truck – just in case they run out.  One of these summers I will need to take a video of the chaos.

But wait…I have another idea.  What if I was the ice-cream man?  What if I got a big cooler, filled it with homemade ice-cream bars, and walked around to the people sitting on the beach.  No music, no panic, no pressure.  That does sound like fun, doesn’t it.  I always envisioned making different cookies, filing them with different ice-cream – your ice-cream sandwich, your way.  But to tell you the truth, that is really not my ideal ice-cream sandwich.  I am a traditionalist when it comes to ice-cream sandwiches – I still absolutely love those vanilla ones with the thin chocolate cookies – am I the only one?  Don’t get me wrong, I have made some delicious (ok, tremendous) ice-cream sandwiches for this blog, but my heart still has a special place for the traditional ones.

So – when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit for Ice-Cream Sandwiches, and saw that the recipe was for making very thin cookies, I could hardly wait.  Of course, when I was done with the cookies, and asked the girls what kind of ice-cream I should use – it was a unanimous vote for mint chip.  I would have actually gone for vanilla, but I have to admit, mint chip sounded pretty darn good.  Wow, these were definitely the real deal.  They were chocolaty, slightly crunchy but soft at the same time, and just the perfect wrapper for the mint chip.  I think I could do pretty well on the beach with these – hey, a girl can dream, right?

Ingredients

  • 3/4  cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4  cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking  soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher  salt
  • 6  tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light  corn syrup
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure  vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon sour  cream
  • 1 pint ice cream (any flavor)

Preparation

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium  bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and corn syrup in another  medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla;  beat until combined.

Reduce mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until  just combined. Mix in sour cream. Form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick square, wrap  tightly in plastic, and chill until firm, 2–3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of  parchment to about 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer dough (still between parchment)  to a large baking sheet and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes. Remove top  sheet of parchment (it will come away easily if dough is well chilled) and trim  to a 14×10-inch rectangle. Bake cookie until dry and just set at edges, 8–10  minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; let cookie cool.

Trim cookie to a 12×9-inch rectangle, then cut into twelve  3-inch squares. Scoop ice cream into a medium bowl and mix just until softened,  2–3 minutes. Turn 6 cookies bottom side up. Dividing evenly, scoop ice cream on  top and flatten slightly; top with remaining cookies, pressing down gently.  Place sandwiches on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, at  least 4 hours. Cut sandwiches in half on a diagonal to make triangles. Wrap in  parchment, if desired, and freeze until ready to serve.

DO AHEAD: Ice cream sandwiches can be  made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.

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

Black Cherry Jam

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

Black Cherry Jam

Cherry season lasted a good long time this year.  Our trees had an abundant supply of cherries, enough for us to have our own stand at the Farmer’s Market this year.  But, like in other years, the birds won again.  It is the same battle every year, and every year we lose.  We think the birds are getting smarter also – they are eating the cherries before they are completely ripe – really eliminating our chances of ever having a tree ripened cherry.  The other problem is the worms.  I really have such respect for those organic farmers.  I am not sure how they do it – but somehow they manage to keep all the worms out of the cherries – either that or they are so small, we have no idea what we are actually eating.

Either way – I didn’t even really try this year (ok, the truth is I hate to lose) – I saw the beautiful cherries in at the market, and I just paid the hefty price.  I couldn’t let another year go by without making some Cherry Jam – from the Food in Jars Cookbook.  There are so many varieties of cherries at the market, I had no idea which kind to buy.  I knew I wanted Sour Cherries, but do you think there are cherries with that name?  Of course not.  So – I bought a variety, and had my younger daughter taste the cherries for me.  It was hilarious – she told me that all the cherries were sour, but she had to keep trying them to make sure.  My husband then came in and ate one of the cherries and starting laughing – they were not sour at all – in his mind they were sweet.  Ok then…

I decided just to make the jam anyway – even with the risk that I would be making something like cough syrup.  After the fruit was broken down – I tried it, and it was definitely sweet – maybe a little too sweet – so I went to the refrigerator to see what I could add.  The limes were just staring me in the face – so I grabbed them.  I juiced and zested 2 limes, and boy did that change the dynamic of the jam.  All of a sudden it had a little tang to it – and wow was it delicious.

If you haven’t been paying attention, the pantry is getting pretty full of jam.  I am not done yet though…we haven’t even hit fall.  Yes, I definitely have a problem.  Now how am I going to get myself out of this jam?

Ingredients

  • 6 cups pitted and mashed sour cherries (about 3 pounds)
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 packet liquid pectin (3 oz.)
  • zest and juice of 2 limes

Preparations

Prepare a small boiling water bath canner and 6 half pint jars. Place lids in a small pan of water and set to a bare simmer.

Combine the cherries and sugar in a roomy, non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Bring to a boil over high heat and let it bubble for a good 20 minutes, occasionally skimming the foam from the surface of the fruit as it develops.  Add the pectin and boil for another 5 minutes.  You want to cook it until the bubbles are thick and look like molten lava.

Carefully ladle jam into 6 half pint jars.  Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your small boiling water canner for 10 minutes.  When time is up, remove jars from pot. Let cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals. If seals are good, store jars in a cool, dark place. If any of the jars did not seal, put those jars in the fridge and use within a month or two.

Yield: Makes 3 pints

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

Roasted Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

Roasted Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Weddings come in all forms, but there is usually a few things that are common in all (aside from a bride and groom), and that is the food.  In fact, what large celebratory gathering does not involve food?  Food seems to bring people together…for good reason.

When I got married almost 17 years ago, we had a lot going on.  We were moving from Denver to Seattle, with new jobs, and we had just purchased our first house.  I needed something simple, somewhere my grandparents who were not extremely mobile could get to, and since we had to get married in November…someplace inside.  We found the right balance, with a lot of help from my mother, and it was a spectacular night, with the food being definitely one of the highlights.

My sister got married this weekend, and her goal was not to have a wedding, but an experience.  As busy as she is, she really put a lot of thought into her big day, and it was definitely a night to remember, for more reasons than just the food.  The setting was overlooking LA, there were beautiful spaces around the property to sit in comfort, special cocktails created for the evening, a photo both, a dance floor over the swimming pool, and a spread of food that was unique and delicious.  Of course no family function could be complete without the usual family drama, but she stayed out of it, and looked like she was having the time of her life.

The food was what I would describe as comfort food at its finest.  The dessert table though was really something else.  There was nothing complicated about it, just simple rustic treats – chocolate chip cookies, hand pies, and a strawberry trifle.  My mother couldn’t get over how delicious everything was, and the trifle reminded me of this recipe I found in Bon Appetit last month.  The roasted strawberries were something else, and I knew as I tasted them coming out of the oven, they would make the most perfect base for this sherbet.  This is summertime at its finest – and hopefully you can still find some fresh strawberries around to try this one before next summer.

Here’s to my sister – who waited a long time to marry the perfect man for her.  If the wedding is any indication of the rest of their lives together, they are looking forward to a lot of fun times ahead with beautiful surroundings, and simply delicious food.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups strawberries (about 1 pound), hulled, halved  or quartered if large
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Special equipment: An ice cream  maker

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Combine strawberries and sugar in a 13x9x2″ baking pan. Scrape in seeds from  vanilla bean and add pod; toss to combine. Roast berries, stirring occasionally,  until juices are bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Discard pod. Purée  berries, buttermilk, sour cream, and salt in a blender until smooth. Process  mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer  sherbet to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

DO AHEAD: Sherbet can  be made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen. Let soften at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Roasted Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Cucumber Mint Tequila Cooler

Published on by Dawn11 Comments

Cucumber Mint Tequilla Cooler

I swear, the summer keeps getting better and better.  I feel horrible about saying this when there are so many places not having a good summer, but we deserve it.  It is not every year that we actually see temperatures above 80 degrees, and I swear at this point we have seen more days like that than I can count.  Tonight I did something a little out of the ordinary for me – almost decadent – I went to a class at Book Larder on making cocktails.  I sat there for 90 minutes basically listening to a lecture on different flavor combinations, spices and ways to infuse alcohol.  It was amazing in so many ways…first of all, to take a break from work, or the chaos of coming home after a long day – just to sit there and be able to think about all the different creations available – it is almost a little overwhelming.  There is so much I want to do, and so little time.

This weekend when our friends were visiting, they really got to see what we have been working on for the past couple of years.  They were shocked.  They actually called us adults, and I just laughed.  They wanted to know how we even know what types of alcohol to buy – and I explained that we have basically been doing research for the past couple of years – and this year in particular we really made a lot of progress getting to know a bartender at our favorite restaurant.  He is so knowledgeable, we just sit there and drill him every time we go there.  It is amazing how much we have learned.  Between jam and cocktails, there has got to be a business in there somewhere – or for now, a really fun hobby.

I also decided that from now on, whenever I post a cocktail here, I will explain how to turn it into a mocktail – in case you don’t drink alcohol, you are pregnant – or you want to make your kids something really fun to drink.  I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I was sold after the first ingredient.  I am a sucker for anything with cucumbers.  I also thought, why not get your vitamins in as well?  This cocktail was just perfect for a hot summer night.  It was so refreshing, and earthy – the flavors were incredible.  If you are making this alcohol free – just leave out the tequila and add a little extra tonic water – it is that easy.  Your kids will never believe they are actually drinking something good for them.  Here’s to summer!!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped English cucumber
  • 1/2 cup mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1  lime, sectioned and juiced
  •  Dash of salt
  • 1/2 cup tequila blanco (optional)
  • 3/4 cup chilled tonic water

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Scrape mixture into a bowl; stir in tequila. Chill. Strain. Stir in tonic water. Serve over ice.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cucumber Mint Tequila Cooler

Adare Manor Scones

Published on by Dawn13 Comments

Adare Manor Scones

This morning I woke up late – I slept later than I have slept in months.  I was up at 5:30am, like I normally am, but some time over the next hour, I finally fell back asleep – and the next time I looked at the clock, it was almost 9am.  My body really needed that sleep – it has been craving it for months, at least since last summer when I was on vacation and probably got 10 hours of sleep a night.  It is amazing to me how long my body can stand to get such little sleep, and then all of a sudden once it gets a little more – it requires a ton.  I think I am to that point where I need to go on a break, just to catch up on sleep.

When I finally woke up – it was scones that got me out of bed.  Not smelling them, but the thought of making them.  Our friends are visiting, and with 5 kids in the house, it is always good to have something around for breakfast besides cereal.  This recipe from Bon Appetit has been sitting in my pantry for only a couple of months, but reading about these scones put them pretty much on the top of my pile.  I love scones, and especially love plain ones that are not sweet.  With only 2 tablespoons of sugar in the entire batch – and seeing that they were more like biscuits than scones – I knew they would be perfect with my homemade jam.  What I didn’t realize is how quickly they would disappear with 5 kids – and one of them had cereal instead!  It has been hilarious to see the number of dishes we go through every day.  Having 5 kids would definitely eat me out of house and home – and there was only one teenager in the bunch.  The appetites only get bigger from here…

These scones reminded me of the ones we get at the Puyallup Fair every fall.  After last year though, we vowed not to go back, and so it is up to me to make the scones.  No problem here – I found the recipe.  I served these with my fresh raspberry jam – and they were as close to perfect as they could have been.  Of course we had them right out of the oven – and they were tender and flakey – with a little crust on top.  Next time I am making a double batch – and maybe I will make them the night before.  Although I must say – waking up to that dough in my fingers was almost as good as waking up to the smell of fresh scones in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work  surface
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut  into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten to blend
  • Clotted cream, raspberry jam, and/or lemon curd  (for serving)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Whisk baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl. Add butter and  blend with your fingertips until pea-size pieces form. Add milk and sugar and  mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until dough just comes together, 3 or 4 times.

Gently pat dough into a  1″-thick round. Using a 2″ round biscuit cutter or inverted small glass, cut out  scones. Gather scraps and repeat, patting out and cutting to make 10 scones.  Transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and brush with egg.

Bake scones until golden  brown, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room  temperature, split, with clotted cream, jam, and/or lemon curd.

DO AHEAD: Scones can  be made 8 hours ahead. Let cool completely and store airtight at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Adare Manor Scones

Pistachio Shortbread

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

Pistachio Shortbread

I swear July has seemed like the longest month ever.  It is strange – it has been amazingly beautiful here, the nicest summer I can ever remember (in 17 years!), I have made it to the Farmer’s Market every Saturday, and I have gotten some good cooking time in on the weekends (ok, bare minimum of what I find acceptable).  Aside from my frantic work weeks, and the fact that most nights I head home just completely stressed out – ok, maybe that’s why it has been a long month…  I am looking forward to August – looking forward to maybe getting a break, and maybe (just maybe), working on getting my piles of recipes down to a respectable size.

I love pistachios – they are hands down my favorite nut out there.  I love when I crack open the shells, and find a really green one – and I love even more when I buy the pre-shelled pistachios from Trader Joes.  Boy are those dangerous.  Opening up the shells actually slows you down a bit – but when you can pop a whole handful in your mouth at once…they can definitely go quickly.  I remember seeing this recipe in Bon Appetit and imagining exactly how these would taste.  I was very strategic though on when I made them – I wanted to make sure I knew what to do with the entire bag of pre-shelled pistachios, before I ate myself sick.  The weekend finally came along and I had 2 different recipes with pistachios all set and ready.  I snuck a few in my mouth here and there, but I was good – and had plenty to make both desserts.

These shortbread were fantastic – maybe even the best I have made yet.  They were crunchy and buttery and that was before I even brought out the strawberry jam.  Once the jam came out – it took them to an entire different level – a level that I have not experienced with shortbread before.  Wow, what a treat.

As we end July – I want to remind everyone that summer is not over yet – and it is not too late to get out there and have some fun in the sun.  And for those who are like me, there are still plenty of long days left to make lots more jam.  In fact – maybe that’s exactly what I need to start doing after work – how’s that for a stress reliever?  Uh oh, I am starting to think I am the best nut out there.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted, shelled raw pistachios (about 4 1/2 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose  flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter,  cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher  salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla  extract

Preparation

Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground but  not a paste, about  30 seconds. Add flour, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla;  pulse until mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. With machine running,  drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water (a crumbly dough should form; do not  over process).  Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a  rectangle. Top with another sheet of parchment and roll out to a 12×8-inch  rectangle. Transfer dough (in parchment paper) to a baking sheet and chill until  firm, about 1 hour.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to  350°. Remove top sheet of parchment paper from dough and discard.  Cut dough  lengthwise into 8 equal strips, then each strip crosswise into quarters, forming  32 rectangles. Place rectangles on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing  1-inch apart.  Bake shortbread until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway  through, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.

DO AHEAD: Shortbread can be made 5 days  ahead. Store airtight at room  temperature.

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

Pistachio Shortbread 5

The Blueberry Blossom Pancake

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

Blueberry Blossom Pancake

I can’t believe it is blueberry season already – boy does that make me happy.  Even though you will never find me popping blueberries in my mouth, they are one of my most favorite fruits to bake with.  This weekend my cousin was visiting, and after dragging him to Boot Camp Saturday morning, our reward was going to the Farmer’s Market.  Before we got there though, I had to stop at my favorite fruit stand.  Not only are their prices better than at the Farmer’s Market, they are just so nice, I love supporting their farm.  I knew that I wanted to make Blueberry Jam this weekend, and wasn’t sure if I would have enough leftover to make something else.  Of course I forgot to mention the Jam to my cousin, so when I walked back to the car with a flat of blueberries, his eyes popped out of his head.  It was a similar look when I took him into my pantry to show him my stash…of jam that is.

I reminded him about my jam problem, and then it made sense.  He immediately offered to hold the blueberries on our way to the market.  He couldn’t stop popping them in his mouth, and I could tell my younger daughter in the back seat was getting a little nervous.  He offered her a handful, and she said emphatically, “No!  You have to stop eating them, my Mommy needs to make jam!”  I started laughing – she is definitely the biggest jam lover of the family.  As we were walking and eating our way through the market this weekend, we got to the jam stand.  My older daughter tried some strawberry jam (that they sell for $8.75) and came running over to me – she told me that my jam is much better.  I had already bought her a pastry, so she wasn’t buttering me up for anything…maybe just hoping I would quit my job and stay home to make jam for a living.

Fortunately I had plenty of blueberries, and I remembered this recipe I had just looked at in this month’s Bon Appetit.  With a name like The Blueberry Blossom Pancake, how could it be anything but beautiful!  Wow were these good pancakes.  I seriously thought I was at a restaurant.  I know I make good pancakes, but these were just incredible.  So light and fluffy, with a burst of blueberry in every bite.  Oh, and did I mention the streusel on top?  Seriously, what is not better with streusel?  It added a crunchy texture that really knocked my socks off.  So – this weekend, if you are looking for a way to make your family happy – look no further.  Waking up to these beauties will definitely make your day blossom.  Don’t delay, blueberry season will not last forever!

Ingredients

Blueberry Syrup

  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup blueberries

Streusel

  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons light  brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Pancakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking  powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking  soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher  salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted  butter, melted, slightly cooled
  • Vegetable oil (for  skillet)
  • 1 cup blueberries (about 5 ounces)

Preparation

Blueberry Syrup

Purée syrup and blue-berries in a blender until smooth; set  aside.

Streusel

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, flour, and brown sugar on  a small rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with butter and toss to coat. Bake,  stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.

DO AHEAD: Streusel can be made 1 week  ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Pancakes

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a  large bowl. Whisk egg, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl, then whisk  into dry ingredients.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly  coat with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter into skillet and  top each with 2 tablespoons berries. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown  and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes topped with syrup and  streusel.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  The Blueberry Blossom Pancake

Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet

Cherry season is in full swing here in Seattle, the farmer’s markets are packet with all different varieties.  We even have cherry trees in our back yard, although it is always a race to get them before the crows do.  Unfortunately they don’t mind eating them when they are not so ripe – and we are always waiting until they are perfect to pick.  Every year we lose – don’t you think that after a while we would learn?  This year I decided to support the local farmers instead.

Where do I start with cherries – there is just so much to talk about.  When I was younger, cherry was my absolutely favorite flavor for just about everything – we are talking about that fake cherry flavor.  I hated real cherries – in fact, I am not sure I even had a real cherry until I was well into my 30s.  The cherries they use in Shirley Temples do not count – and I hated those – because they were close to real cherries.  I still am not a huge real cherry fan, but love the flavor – and the color.  The other weekend I ordered a drink that came with a real cherry on the bottom – no, I didn’t order a Shirley Temple at a restaurant, as much as I love them.  This was called the Corpse Revival #2, and was actually pretty decent.  I almost ate the cherry, but them remembered that there was probably a pit – which scared me off.  My husband popped it in his mouth – and would you believe there was no pit?  I have no idea how they managed to take the pit out without any type of hole – could there be such a thing as a pitless cherry that is fresh from a tree?  Of course not.

So in walks the cherry pitter.  The invention that can really change lives.  The other week at Book Club, one of the moms brought a bowl of pitted cherries – all the other moms were in awe.  They couldn’t believe there was such thing as a cherry pitter that was so easy to use and actually worked.  One of them said it was life changing.  So – even though I would never think about eating a real cherry, do you believe that I actually got one of these as a wedding present?  Yes, it is amazing – and pits cherries in a matter of seconds without hurting your hand one bit.  My younger daughter can pop them in her mouth though as fast as I can pit them.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and with all the hot weather we are having, I knew I had to give it a try.  Plus, it gave me an excuse to use that life changing tool.  I found some beautiful cherries at the farmer’s market, and secretly pitted a bunch without my daughter seeing me.  She thanked me later – because this sorbet was the bees knees.  I am telling you – there is nothing better than a bowl of icy cold sorbet that is naturally flavored with wonderful cherries and grapefruit – and did I mention that undertone of basil?  Wow.

Cherry lover or not – do not waste your time on anything else this weekend.  Oh, and did I mention that when I looked up the recipe online it only got 1 star (exactly why I never look at ratings before I make anything) – that person is obviously on a different planet – one in which all fruit is fake.  These cherries were real and they were spectacular.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Dash of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves
  • 3 cups pitted cherries
  • 1/2 cup fresh ruby-red grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in basil; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Place cherries in a food processor; process until smooth. Add sugar mixture, grapefruit juice, and lime juice; process until well blended. Strain cherry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Pour cherry mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet

Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet 2

Little Apricot Cakes

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

Apricot Cakes

Another beautiful weekend in Seattle – boy have we been spoiled this summer.  And you should just see the markets.  I seriously haven’t seen such amazing looking produce at the farmer’s markets in years.  I walk around in awe at just about everything.  This Saturday was no exception.  The market was more crowded than usual – because word is getting out about how beautiful everything is – I just know it.  There was so much to buy, my daughter finally had to tell me to stop, and walk around the entire market before I put anything else in my bag.  I have taught her well.

I remember leaving work on Friday and telling my coworkers that I was not going to work this weekend.  One of them even had the audacity to suggest that I turn off my email on my phone – like that would ever happen.  I told her that the anxiety I would get when I started syncing my mail again would be enough to throw me over the edge – and that I would do better just monitoring things, but reminding myself that it was time for a break.  Then they asked me if  I was going to cook this weekend – as I emphatically said “YES!”  I explained that I had absolutely no idea what I would be making – and that it would all depend on what I found at the farmer’s market in the morning.  Well, I found the mother-load.  I had big plans based on what I brought back to the house – and I am pleased to report that I made everything that I wanted (ok, not exactly – I made everything I thought I could make, but believe me, that was not everything I wanted – that would take me another couple of weeks)…and everything turned out exceptionally well.  What did I make?  Well, I started with a couple jars of these, I made a big batch of this, and some new stuff that I can’t wait to show you.  Everything was made from locally sourced produce, which makes me even happier.

One of my favorites stands at the University District farmer’s market is this woman who sells her amazingly perfect apricots.  They are just stunning.  I get them in my hands, and I don’t want to put them down.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I immediately thought of this nice woman.  Her apricot’s would make these little cakes glow.  These little babies were delicious – just the perfect size, and just the right amount of golden apricot flavor.  They were super easy to make – and with or without whipped cream, they were a wonderful summertime treat.  I can hardly wait to see what the market will bring next week – all I know is that I am starting the week refreshed and ready to go, with my eye on the prize – next week’s market that is.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher  salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 apricots, halved, pitted, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray.  Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another  medium bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy,  about 2 minutes. Add egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until combined.  With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions  alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Divide batter among muffin cups (cups will be only 1/3 full) and smooth tops.  Top with apricot slices and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake until cakes are golden and a tester inserted into the  centers comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let pan  cool 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack and let cool completely.

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

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Little Apricot Cakes