Women's Day

So the family fell ill the other week so I did not get the other chicken recipe up, but I will get another one up soon. But moving on to desserts. Yesterday was Women's Day at our church and I once again was given the privilege to do the dessert table. There were all kinds of things out yesterday anywhere from a flourless fallen chocolate cake to pumpkin cupcakes with maple buttercream (which always win over the crowd) to cheesecake bars. But the most requested recipes fell to the Apple Turnovers and Molasses Spice Cookies. I think the Molasses Spice cookies remind people of an old fashioned cookie that is just not easily found but still loved. So anyway, I thought I would write up these recipes here for anyone that might want them.

 Apple Picking in the Mountains! 

And I did use these mountain apples for my desserts.

Apple and dried Cranberry Turnover 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of each cloves and allspice
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon,, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.
4. Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
*To make these extra fancy looking sprinkle with large sanding sugar instead of regular sugar. 
*Another note I made mine in 4x4 inch squares to make mini turnovers, but you can do either. 
*This recipe is from Ina Garten, except she uses dried cherries instead of dried cherries.


Molasses Spice Cookies with Orange Essence
This recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated 

Measure the molasses in a liquid measuring cup. If you find that the dough sticks to your palms as you shape the balls, moisten your hands occasionally in a bowl filled with cold water and shake off the excess. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time. If baked two sheets at a time, the cookies started on the bottom rack won’t develop the attractive cracks. The cookies should look slightly raw and underbaked when removed from the oven. If you plan to glaze the cookies (see recipe below), save the parchment paper used to bake them.

Ingredients

• 1cup granulated sugar (about 7 ounces)
• 3teaspoons grated orange zest
• 2 1/4cups unbleached all purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4teaspoon table salt
• 12tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
• 1/3cup dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2cup molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In workbowl of food processor, process 2/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons orange zest until pale orange, about 10 seconds; transfer sugar to 8- or 9-inch cake pan and set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
3. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and 1 teaspoon grated orange zest with brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.
4. Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms into 1 1/2-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in orange sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.
5. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature and serve. (Can be stored at room temperature in airtight container or zipper-lock plastic bag up to 5 days.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Quick Chicken Dinners

I am going to try to post two different recipes for some great weeknight chicken meals. I know we all have a ton of chicken recipes, but it never hurts to have a few more. The first one is a great Chicken Cheesesteak recipe from Everyday Food on marthastewart.com (with just a few tweaks of my own). We have been making this recipe for several years now and it still one of our favorite quick weeknight dinners. 


Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwiches
For the chicken:
6 tablespoons kosher salt or 3 tablespoons table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
For the sandwiches:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 bell peppers, mixed colors (I usually use a red and yellow)
1 large red onion
salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
4 hoagie type sandwich rolls, split lenghtwise
Mayo (optional)

1. For the chicken: Dissolve the salt and sugar in 1 1/5 quarts of water in a large resealable bag or plastic container. Add chicken and soak for 30 minutes. Remove from brine, pat dry and sprinkle with pepper. Meanwhile adjust rack to upper middle rack and heat the oven's broiler. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place chicken on top. Cook for 8 -15 minutes until cooked through (watch your chicken it will just depend on how thick your chicken is and how hot your broiler is as to how fast the chicken will cook). Once cooked transfer to plate and set aside. If there is a lot of liquid on the baking sheet make sure to pour it off before proceeding with the vegetables.
2. For vegetables: On baking sheet, toss together peppers, onion, garlic, and tablespoon oil season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender with some brown spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken to broiled vegetables; toss, and spread in a single layer.
3.Top chicken and vegetables with cheese; broil until cheese is bubbling, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scoop out most of the doughy center from both halves of rolls; discard. Spread rolls with mayonnaise; fill with chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.
* Extra notes if you don't have time to soak the chicken you can skip that part your chicken will just be a little drier. If you need to double the recipe just double the chicken but do not double  the brine (what the chicken is soaking in it is enough to handle that amount of chicken.) In our family we like the stronger provolone that you get from the deli counter and often it is cheaper than buying the package.

 Ella helping me whip up some brown butter and vanilla bean rice krispie treats.

Mexican Night: Stuffed Poblanos

I really love Mexican food, but more often than not I am left wanting something more, or I am left feeling like I just gained five pounds. These help to take care of both of these problems. Most stuffed poblanos are dipped and fried which are fattening and not very practical for home and especially not on a weeknight. This recipe can also be made super easy if you have some leftover roasted chicken or by picking up a rotisserie chicken at your local deli counter.

Poblanos stuffed with Chicken and Rice
(this recipe has been adjusted from its original recipe from Fine Cooking)
6 large poblano chiles, slit from stem to tip
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Table Salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 tablespooons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Set the chiles on the baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until blackened spots appear all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 to 15 minutes, this will help loosen the skin. Peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving the stems on. Turn the chiles inside out, flick out any remaining seeds, and turn right side out. Return the poblanos to the baking sheet.
3. Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the puree, cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates and the mixture has thickened. Take pan off the heat. Stir in the chicken and rice, then the cilantro, lime juice, and 1 cup of cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion the filling among the peppers, wrapping their sides around the filling (some filling will still be seen that is fine.)
4. Broil the peppers until the cheese begins to melt and the tops begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and broil until the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes.
 *Fine Cooking divides this into 4 peppers which is a lot of filling for 4 peppers. They also say this recipe serves 4 and each serving is about 500 calories, just FYI.

Re-fried Beans 
(recipe from CooksIllustrated.com)
  1/2- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth  
  2  (15.5 ounces each) cans pinto beans , drained and rinsed 
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil  
  3 ounces salt pork , rind removed and diced very small  (I substituted a couple slices of bacon)
  1 small onion , chopped fine (about 3/4 cup) 
  1 jalapeno chile , seeds and ribs removed, chile minced 
  1 poblano chile , seeds and ribs removed, chile chopped fine (about 1/4 cup) 
  1/4 teaspoon table salt  
  3 small cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) 
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin  
  1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves  
  2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (optional)

1. Process broth and all but 1 cup of beans in food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula if necessary. Add remaining beans and process until slightly chunky, about ten 1-second pulses.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add salt pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered and pork is well browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pork to small bowl with slotted spoon and set aside (you should have about 2 tablespoons of fat left in skillet.) You will not add the pork or bacon back into the beans.
3. Increase heat to medium-high; add onion, chiles, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans and stir until thoroughly combined. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are thick and creamy, about 5 minutes, if the beans are too thick add a little more broth until they are the consistency you desire. Stir in cilantro and lime juice, if using, and serve.

 This meal was a great quick dinner after a day at the science museum.

Homemade Granola

This is one of my girls absolute favorite snacks and when we make some it doesn't take long for it to disappear. Jerry and I love to put some on top of vanilla yogurt which makes a great breakfast or snack. I know that this school year there will be a lot of granola finding its way into Julia's little lunch box.

Julia loves helping Mommy in the kitchen making granola.

Granola
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups oatmeal, old fashioned not instant
1 cup pecans, walnuts, or almonds, or mix
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dried fruit

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silpat sheet. Mix honey, maple syrup, oil, water, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in small saucepan. Warm over medium heat until the male syrup and honey has lost its thickness. This will take just a couple of minutes.
2. Mix oatmeal, nuts, and coconut together in large bowl. Pour honey mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture out onto large baking sheet and spread in even layer.  
3. Bake stirring and respreading mixture into an even layer every 5 minutes, until granola is light golden brown, about 15to 25 minutes.

4. When the granola is finished cooking mix in the dried fruit and let the granola cool. Store in an airtight container. I find that it lasts longer if stored in a glass container rather than a plastic one.

Pizza Night: Pancetta, Leek, and Chocolate! No not all on one pizza

I love pizza! I know that most people do, but I expect pizza to taste really good. That is why in the past year we have only had fast food type pizza once. I just don't like it. I guess I am kind of a pizza snob. That is why if I am craving pizza I start raiding the refrigerator to get inspired for all kinds of pizza. This pancetta and leek pizza was a result of my latest refrigerator raid. That is one of the great things about pizza it is a great way to use up all kinds of leftover veggies or meat. I am going to list here a homemade pizza dough recipe, but if you are short on time almost all grocery stores now sell premade pizza dough that you can just pick up in the deli/bakery area and then bring it home roll it, top it, and bake it. I do make my own pizza sauce because it really doesn't take that long and it taste so much better,and I always have leftovers to go in the freezer for the next time. I am going to list the ingredients I used to make this pizza and it was delicious, but try any combination of veggies, meat, and cheese that you like.

Pancetta and Leek Pizza
1 tablespoon butter
3-4ounces pancetta, diced in 1/4 inch dice
1 leek, only white parts chopped coarsely, and rinsed well
1/3 to 1/2 recipe of homemade pizza sauce
4 ounces Fontiago cheese (this is a mix of Fontina and Asiago if you can't find it substitue for 2 ounces fontina and 2 ounces Asiago or 2 ounces Fontina and 2 ounces provolone)
3 ounces Mozzerella
Homemade pizza dough

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat and add pancetta and cook until crisp about 5 minutes. When ready move pancetta to bowl leaving pancetta drippings in pan then add the leeks. Cook leeks until limp about 3 minutes.
2. Roll pizza dough to desired size and place on cornmeal dusted pizza wheel. Then brush with a little extra virgin olive oil, sauce, cheese, pancetta, and leeks. I made four small pizzas and divided the toppings between each pizza. Then cook pizzas according to chart below.

Homemade Pizza Sauce
I love San Marzano tomatoes they cost a little more, but considering they will last you for two or three meals, depending on how much sauce you use, to me it is worth the little bit of extra money.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
1 large garlic clove minced
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 
a splash of red wine, think 1 to 2 tablespoons depending on how much you like
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped basil, depending on how much basil you like or have

1. Place extra virgin olive oil and garlic in saucepan and bring to medium heat. Saute until fragrant, but not browned, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the flavors have blended. Taste for salt and pepper.


Pizza Dough: (from CooksIllustrated.com)

This dough can be used for any size pizza with thick or thin crust; simply adjust the cooking time to fit the pizza. Make sure you heat the oven to 500 degrees for thirty minutes before you start cooking. Your tiles or stone need at least that long to heat up; if they’re not properly heated, your pizza crust will be thin, blond, and limp. ( I use an upside down half sheet pan because I just don't own a tile or stone.) Once the dough for the crust has been topped, use a quick jerking action to slide it off the peel and onto the hot tiles or stone; make sure that the pizza lands far enough back so that its front edge does not hang off. For a cornmeal-flavored dough, substitute three-quarters cup of cornmeal for three-quarters cup of the bread flour. Editor's Note: This recipe was updated in 1997, when we found that adding more water resulted in a tastier pizza. This recipe contains a total of 1 3/4 cups water, while the original that appeared in the magazine in 1995 contains 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4cups water divided, 1/2 cup warm, remaining at tap temperature
• 2 1/4teaspoons dry active yeast (1 envelope)
• 2tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing dough
• 4cups bread flour
• 1 1/2teaspoons table salt
• Vegetable oil (or cooking spray) for oiling bowl
• Semolina for dusting peel

Instructions

1.  Measure 1/4 cup of warm water into 2-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup warm water plus remaining 1 1/4 cups tap water and olive oil. Meanwhile, pulse flour and salt in workbowl of large food processor fitted with steel blade to combine. Add liquid ingredients (holding back a tablespoon or so) to flour and pulse together. If dough does not readily form into ball, stop machine, add remaining liquid, and continue to pulse until ball forms. Process until dough is smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds longer.
   
   2. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead by hand with a few strokes to form smooth, round ball. Put dough into medium-large, oiled bowl, and cover with damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
   
   3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and use chef’s knife or dough scraper to halve, quarter, or cut dough into eighths, depending on number and size of pizzas desired. Form each piece into ball and cover with damp cloth. Working with one piece of dough at a time roll or stretch to desired size. Transfer to pizza peel that has been lightly coated with semolina, brush dough very lightly with olive oil before topping and cooking.
   
   4. Use the following guide to determine cooking time for pizza crust with topping but without cheese. All pizzas need to be cooked an additional two or three minutes after adding cheese, or until cheese is completely melted
     
   THIN CRUST
   14-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 2) - 7 to 8 minutes
   12-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
   8-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 8)- 3 minutes.
   
   MEDIUM-THICK CRUST
   12-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 2) - 9 to 10 minutes
   8-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
   6-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 8) - 4 minutes.
    
   

Chocolate Pizza
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe
1 (9inch) round pizza dough, about 1/4 of the homemade
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 to 1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

1. Line baking sheet with tinfoil. Position oven rack at lowest position, place pan in oven, and preheat to 450degrees. Roll dough to a 9 inch circle.
2. Once pan and oven is preheated pull pan out of oven and carefully place pizza dough on baking sheet. Using fingertips make indentions all over the dough. Brush with melted butter, then bake until the crust is crisp and pale golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven immediately spread nutella in a thin layer over the crust, then sprinkle with the chocolate chips, and nuts.
3. Return to the oven and bake until  the chips begin to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool for a few minutes then cut into wedges and serve.

Sometimes pizza night can get a little messy.

Ina's Frozen Key Lime Pie

I love this pie to me it is the ultimate blazing hot summer day dessert! It is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style. Since I am about to put one in my freezer for this weekend I thought I would pass along the recipe. It is super simple especially if you just buy a premade graham cracker crust, but if you do buy one make sure it is the larger size or you won't have enough room for all your filling.  Also, if you are worried about the raw egg Ina suggests combining the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the reicpe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest. Or if you don't have a candy thermometer to do that just bake your pie in a 350degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the pie is just set. Then cool the pie and freeze it as directed.

For the Crust:
1 1//2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
6 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons lime zest
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
3. For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.
4. For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

My girls trying to stay cool on these way to hot summer days!

Mango and Red Onion Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

Ok so this is one of my favorite salads. It is so simple but the taste is wonderful and it looks really pretty! It is my go to salad this summer. The homemade dressing is super simple and very tasty on a number of salads. This salad amount serves two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

Mango and Red Onion Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
1/2 small red onion, sliced in thin semi-circles
1 teaspoon white vinegar
4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried (I like boston or butter lettuce mixed with a more bitter like lettuce like arugla or red leaf lettuce) 
2 teaspoons cider vinegar  
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard  
1 1/2 teaspoons honey  
3/4 teaspoon poppy seeds  
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic  
1/8 teaspoon table salt  
Pinch ground black pepper  
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 mango, peeled and cut into thin slices

1. Place onions in a small bowl of cold water and add the white vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes this will help take out some of the bite from the red onion. Drain onions.
2. Combine vinegar, mustard, honey, poppy seeds, garlic, salt, and pepper in bowl with fork. Add oil, then whisk or mix with fork until smooth, about 30 seconds. The dressing will separate after 5 to 10 minutes, so use immediately or mix again before tossing with greens.
3. Place greens, red onion, and mango in large salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss until greens are evenly coated. Serve immediately.

There is no way my girls will eat a salad, but this picture was too cute of 

my girls and their cousins playing so I had to put it in.

Summer Pickles

So the last few recipes I have put up have required some skill, some patience, and a sense of culinary adventure. Because of that I have decided to post a recipe that is about as simple as it gets. Pickles! Using farmer's market cucumbers (you know the cute little ones) and some basic ingredients you can have homemade pickles in  about 3 hours with only about 15 minutes of actual hands on work. I am going to list two different recipes from Cook's Illustrated. The first is a classic 'Kosher' Double-Dill Pickle which is delicious, but very strong. So if you love a good strong flavored pickle you will love this one. The next is a classic Bread-And-Butter Pickle, my favorite. I do not like the store version, but when I make these at home I can consume an entire jar in a few days if I don't watch it. Both of these pickles will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. Also, don't overcook them or they will lose their crunch.


'Kosher' Double-Dill Pickles
1 lb. pickling (Kirby) cucumbers, each sliced lengthwise into 4 spears
1 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I honestly didn't use this much, because my dill plan didn't have this much so if you use a little less that is ok)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
6 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup ice

1. Toss cucumbers with salt in colander set over bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Discard drained liquid.
2. Place 1/2 cup fresh dill, peppercorns, dried dill week, and garlic in paper coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Bring spice bag and vinegar to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and add cucumbers. Cover and cook until cucumbers turn dull olive-brown, about 5 minutes. Discard spice bag.
3. Transfer cucumbers and liquid to large bowl, add ice, and stir until melted.Stir in remaining tablespoon fresh dill. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving.

Bread-And-Butter Pickles
1 pound pickling (Kirby) cucumbers, sliced crosswise into 1/8 inch disks
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground tumeric (I actually did not use this because I didn't have any and they are delicious without)

1. Toss cucumbers, onion, and salt in colander set over bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Discard drained liquid.
2. Bring vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and tumeric (if using) to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to low, add cucumbers and onion, and press to submerge in liquid. Cover and cook until cucumbers turn dull-olive brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer cucumbers and liquid to large bowl. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours before serving.

My girls love pickles, but Ella is eating a store bought one because after

a couple days in the fridge the homemade were a little strong

for her, but Julia still loved them.

Coconut-Lime Cake!!!

I went recently for my first time to Whole Foods and while there I ordered their Lime Coconut Cupcake. The idea sounded wonderful, but unfortunately it left me with something to be desired. First the icing while it looked beautiful and tasted good was just way too much and too sweet. The second problem was that half of the inside of my cupcake was replaced with a lime curd that mostly tasted of sugar with a hint of lime.So not trying to be mean it was good, but not great and thus I had a new challenge. This recipe is the answer to that challenge. This was a pure experiment and a mixture of recipes from various places. The lime curd is Ina Garten's, the cake is from Cook's Illustrated, and the icing I with a few changes) is from my new favorite cookbook Clinton St. Baking Company. The cake resulted in a four layer cake filled with lime curd, with a cream cheese icing, and a sprinkling of sweetened coconut on top. I was afraid that the coconut flavor would not be as much as I wanted but it really was just the right amount.

Lime Curd:
4 large limes, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/8 teaspoons salt


1.Remove the zest of 4 limes with a vegetable peeler or microplane, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes (if used a vegetable peeler less time if you used a microplane), until the zest is very finely minced.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add-- the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
3.Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. (Mine took almost 30 minutes to cook I was playing on the really safe side, because if it gets too hot then the curd will curdle and I did not want that.)The lime curd will thicken at about 170-75 degrees F, or just below a simmer. (If it gets too hot your egg will cook not what you want. So if you have a candy thermometer I would use it.) Remove from the heat and let cool then refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake: 
2 1/2cups cake flour , plus extra for dusting pans 
1 1/4teaspoons baking powder
1/4teaspoon baking soda  
3/4teaspoon table salt
1 3/4cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 
10tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly 
1cup buttermilk , room temperature 
3tablespoons vegetable oil  
2teaspoons vanilla extract  
6 large egg yolks , room temperature 
3 large egg whites , room temperature
 
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in large bowl. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and yolks.
2. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear moist). Transfer to bowl and set aside.
3. Add flour mixture to now-empty mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape whisk and sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds.
4. Using rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Lightly tap pans against counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any large air bubbles.
5. Bake until cake layers begin to pull away from sides of pans and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, then invert onto greased wire rack and peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.


Cream Cheese Icing: (this makes just enough to ice the outside of the cake)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1-3 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, and cream cheese till soft. Add the confectioners' sugar, blending in 1 cup at a time. Add 1 tablespoon milk and vanilla, and mix until the icing is smooth and creamy. If it is too thick add milk a little at a time until the icing is spreadable.

Assemble the Cake:
1.Slice each layer in half with a long serrated knife. (I am the worst at cutting things in a straight line so what I do is I poke four toothpicks into the sides of my cake, each half way up, so as I cut around I have a guide to go by.)
2.Place one layer on a serving plate, put three strips of parchment or wax paper around the bottom of the cake to keep the plate clean. Spread 1/3 of the lemon curd on the first layer. Place another layer on top of the first and repeat with half of the lime curd left, and then repeat this process one more time. Then top with final layer. ( I didn't end up using all the lime curd because we saved it just to dip fruit in, but you want 3/4 to 1 cup of curd on each layer.)
3.Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes to help it set.
4.Remove the cake from the fridge ice with cream cheese icing. Gently apply coconut to the top and sides of the cake. If your cake starts to slide because of the curd no worries just use your hand or flat spatula to push it back up. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to one day.

30th Birthday Dessert

 So here is the recipe for the Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake. I have had this recipe for a couple of years, but had been saving it for a special occasion. I figured my 30th birthday was a special enough occasion to make such a decadent dessert. This cake is amazing! It comes from my favorite cooking magazine Cooks Illustrated. Mine didn't completely set as fast as I hoped (so it didn't look as beautiful as their picture), but you might blame that on the hot weather and little girls opening and closing the fridge or me being a little too impatient and diving in a little early. Even though it takes several steps none are very hard and the reward is totally worth it.

Bottom Layer 
6tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan 
7ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note) 
3/4teaspoon instant espresso powder  
1 1/2teaspoons vanilla extract  
4large eggs , separated 
pinch table salt  
1/3cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar , crumbled with fingers to remove lumps

Middle Layer 
2tablespoons cocoa powder , preferably Dutch-processed 
5tablespoons hot water  
7ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note) 
1 1/2cups cold heavy cream  
1tablespoon granulated sugar  
1/8teaspoon table salt

Top Layer 
3/4teaspoon powdered gelatin  
1tablespoon water  
6ounces white chocolate chips (see note) 
1 1/2cups cold heavy cream
Shaved chocolate for garnish, and I added  a few strawberries to mine

1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.
   2.In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.
   3.Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake from pan. 
   4. MIDDLE LAYER: Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
   5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
   6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.
   7. FOR THE TOP LAYER: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). 8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
   9. TO SERVE: If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls or dust with cocoa. Run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.

 My best birthday present of course was spenging time with my girls and taking 

them for the first time to Build a Bear. We had a blast.

Wedding Food

So this weekend I catered my first wedding reception. I learned a lot! I thought I would post the two recipes that were requested the most. The first is the punch recipe. I had so many people stop and ask me for this one, and even though when someone says punch you think girls the guys drank more than the ladies. This punch recipe comes from my Aunt Connie and I have no idea where she originally found it, but it is the best. The bride has a citrus allergy so I left out the lemonade and it was still very tasty, but I prefer it with lemonade.

Aunt Connie's Strawberry Punch
2 10 ounce packages of strawberries in syrup
64 ounce bottle of white grape juice
6 ounces lemonade concentrate frozen
10-12 ounces club soda
10-12 ounces ginger ale

Puree strawberries and lemonade. When ready to serve add juice, soda, and ginger ale. May want to add a little fresh lemon juice if you wish for your drink to be a little more like lemonade.

The second is the cheese ball recipe I made. I found this one in Party Receipts from the Charleston Junior League it is called Libby's Christmas Gift.

Cheese Ball
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons grated onion
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cream together the cheeses in a large bowl. Add the Worcestershire, onion, and cayenne and mix well.
Shape the mixture into 2 balls and roll each in the chopped nuts, to coat. Serve with crackers. Can be made several days ahead of time.

Buttermilk Bread

I love buttermilk! Not to drink, but to cook with. I remember I once had a friend that asked what can you do with it, she claimed she would buy it for one recipe and then throw it out. There is no need in that there is so much that it can be used for friend chicken, biscuits,salad dressings, lemon dill sauce for fish, in cakes and of course this amazing bread. I love homemade bread, but I don't own a bread machine and I really think it is best the day it is made unless you toast it for sandwiches or for breakfast the next day. Anyway, that is where this recipe comes in. It makes only one loaf which is great for our family and tastes great with really any sandwich from grilled cheese, to a veggie loaded sandwich, or smeared with butter. This recipe is based on Cook's Illustrated's recipe Buttermilk American Loaf Bread, but they use all bread flour and I like the little bit of flavor that the white whole wheat flour adds. This may look like a lot of steps but they are all really easy and straight forward and from beginning to end it only takes about 3 hours.

Buttermilk Loaf Bread
3 cups bread flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1 package rapid-rise yeast

Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.

Mix flour and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. in 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup, Mix cold buttermilk and boiling water together (temperature should be about 110-degrees), add butter, honey, and yeast. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium (setting number 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.

Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.

Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature (or as close as you can let it get before slicing into it). Slice and serve.

I am back, well kind of

Hey everyone. I know I have been off of here for a long time and I am going to give it another go, but with a little bit different concept. The weekly meal menus were just way too much! I could not keep up with all the work. So I am going to use this site to periodically post some of my favorite recipes. 

Strawberry Picking at Vollmer Farm

I want to give you all a recipe for Blueberry and Strawberry Crumb Muffins. The recipe comes from a new cookbook of mine that I have fallen in love with, although they just used 1 cup of blueberries, but we had just gone strawberry picking so I threw in some fresh strawberries as well. It is called Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook. This book comes from a great little place in New York and I would highly recommend it. Every recipe I have made so far has been wonderful. 

Blueberry/Strawberry Crumb Muffins

Crumb Mix:

Makes 1 1/2 cups, enough for 2 or 3 batches of muffins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed ( I actually used Kerrigold Irish salted butter and it was amazing)

Mix the dry ingredients with the butter by hand until the mixture is pea-sized. This topping can be stored for a couple of weeks in the fridge. 

Muffins:

Makes 10 standard sized muffins

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup thinly sliced strawberries

10 tablespoons crumb mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins or use paper muffin cups.

2. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.

3. Sift (I just whisked) the remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl.

4. Add the eggs to the butter mixture and blend until combined.

5. Add 1/4 cup of the sour cream to the butter mixture, then half of the dry ingredients, mixing and repeating with the remaining sour cream and then the remaining dry ingredients until the batter is combined. Be sure to end with the dry ingredients.

6. Fold in the berries until evenly mixed. 

7. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, leaving room an the top for the crumb mix. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon of the crumb mix. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (My oven runs a little hot so my were done around 20 minutes. )

8. Cool for at least 10 minutes for best release of the muffins from their tins (if not using paper liners).