I used some of the veggies to make potato leek soup and a zucchini and goat cheese pizza. For dessert I made apple dumplings, but they turned out looking more like “apple blobs” due to my horrible puff pastry skills. They were good though – it’s hard to go wrong with puff pastry, cinnamon, apples, and vanilla ice cream! Sorry there are no pictures this time!
Here’s a good recipe for taking advantage of all the delicious peaches that are in season right now! I was craving some kind of peach dessert and this one definitely satisfied the craving.
2 peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
10 blackberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup oats
3/8 cup flour
3/8 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch of nutmeg
4.5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the peaches and blackberries in a small bowl with the granulated sugar. Evenly distribute the fruit mixture into two ramekins or small baking dishes. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers. Top the fruit with the topping. Bake for about 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Note: I made this rhubarb-strawberry crumble earlier this summer that called for turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) in the topping. I like the crunchy texture this adds, so I added about 1/2 teaspoon to the tops of these desserts before baking. If you have turbinado sugar laying around, I’d highly recommend adding it.
When I saw this recipe on the cover of the September issue of Bon Appetit, I knew it was something I had to try. It’s a great way to use up all the rosemary growing in my herb garden (well more like an herb box) and garlic I picked up at the farmer’s market last week.
Al mattone means “with a brick” and is an old Italian technique for grilling. I had also recently seen this blog post for Chicken Under a Brick. This method is typically done on the grill, but the Bon Appetit article gave instructions for baking the chicken in the oven. This is preferable to me, since I tend to burn things on the grill while somehow managing to not cook them through.
So, after work today I went to Menards and bought myself a brick, wrapped it in foil, and proceeded to butterfly my chicken. That was not a pleasant experience, especially since all my knives are in desperate need of sharpening. Nonetheless, everything turned out pretty well, although when we cut into the chicken we discovered it probably needed another five or so minutes in the oven. But, I’m resourceful so I just threw the pieces in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until cooked through. The meat was pretty flavorful and tender. I’d make it again. I served it with roasted veggies and corn on the cob.
I’ve linked to two recipes for Chicken al Mattone above, so I will refrain from typing it out for you.
The other day, I was attempting to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies from my Martha Stewart’s New Classics cookbook when the chocolate chip cookie EPIC FAIL happened. It was a hot day and this recipe calls for melting the butter, then adding the sugar. I think the temperature of the butter was just too high (even though I refrigerated the dough before baking the cookies off) and they spread out way too much. They tasted fine, but definitely resemble cow pies. How, you ask, do I know what cow pie looks like? Well, I grew up next to a farm! Now how’s that for appetizing?
Apparently I only write about desserts lately! I guess that’s probably because they’re the only things I cook worth writing about. I originally made these cakes for our Valentine’s Day dinner at home this year and made them again tonight. They are so easy to make and are probably one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever made. The cake is rich, but still fluffy, and the raspberry filling makes it really moist. When searching for the original recipe online, I found this recipe that I must try next!
1/2 cup butter (plus more for brushing)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
6 oz dark chocolate (recommended: Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chips)
16 raspberries
4 teaspoons raspberry jam
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush 4 ramekins or small baking dishes with butter. Dust with cocoa powder. Place ramekins on baking sheet.
Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a small saucepan. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, mash the raspberries and jam in a small bowl with a fork.
Beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed for a few minutes until pale yellow and thick. Add the cooled chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in the flour and salt, leaving no streaks.
Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared ramekins. Add raspberry filling in each, then top with the remaining batter.
Bake for 16 minutes, until tops are cracked and centers still slightly jiggly. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream and high-quality chocolate sauce (recommended: Guittard brand).
This is a really rich dessert, so you might want to cut small pieces. Or not… it’s up to you.
Here’s my deepest secret: I can’t make pie crust. The last time I tried, which was about 4 years ago, it was a disaster. Ever since then, I’ve been buying the pre-made stuff that you can find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (near the dinner and cresent rolls). Maybe I’ll try my hand at Pate Brisee again, but don’t hold your breath.
1 pie crust
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (divided)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the pie crust to fit in a 9-inch fluted tart pan. Prick with a fork all over. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. (The original recipe says to blind bake the crust with pie weights, but I don’t have any so I skipped this and it turned out fine.) Toast the pecans on a sheet pan at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Next, make the caramel. Put the sugar, salt, and water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook (swirling the pan, not stirring) until the caramel is an amber color. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, butter, and vanilla. (Be careful: when you add the cream, it will bubble up!)
Stir until smooth. Pour the caramel into the baked crust, and top with the toasted pecans. Refrigerate while you make the ganache.
Put the chocolate in a bowl. Bring the remaining 1 cup of cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Then stir until smooth and pour over the caramel crust.
Refrigerate until set, then serve! Make about 12 servings.
I’m one of those people that leaves myself the exact amount of time in the morning that I need to get ready and refuse to wake up any earlier, even if it’s for breakfast at home. I’m out of bed at 6:50am and out the door at 7:30am which leaves me just enough time to let the dog out and get ready, but nothing else. So I bring my breakfast to work to eat at my desk. Usually it’s yogurt and fruit, or sometimes a granola bar. I really try to limit the amount of processed foods I eat and I do enjoy making things from scratch (which I hope you already know from reading my blog!). I was watching Barefoot Contessa this weekend on the Food Network and she made granola bars. I think these will be perfect to take with me to work! These bars are super moist and chewy. I hope you find time to make your own!
Granola Bars Adapted from Barefoot Contessa (note: I cut the recipe in half because I can’t eat 12 granola bars on my own)
Makes 6 bars
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup honey
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 cup mini chocolate chips (or whatever you like: the original recipe calls for dried apricots, dates, and cranberries)
Put oats, almonds, and coconut on baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes (stirring occasionally). Meanwhile, melt butter, honey, sugar, and vanilla in small saucepan over low heat. Let cool slightly. Place oat mixture and wheat bran in large bowl, then stir in the honey mixture and chocolate chips.
Line a loaf pan or small baking dish with parchment paper (to help you remove the bars easily). Spread granola into pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for a few hours to harden before cutting into bars. Wrap each bar in parchment paper and store at room temperature.
No, I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth, but there hasn’t been much going on in the kitchen lately (just a lot of cheese quesadillas and mac & cheese). I am finishing my fourth week of full-time work and haven’t had much time to cook lately. John also started working in the office three days a week (he was previously working from home) and our work hours and meal schedules unfortunately haven’t really been on the same time frame lately, which makes cooking difficult!
I’m not sure what it is about summer, but I never seem to cook as much during this season. I’ll have to stop by the farmers’ market soon and hopefully find some inspiration. It’s a shame that I haven’t taken advantage of all the fresh seasonal produce.
When John and I went to Chicago about a month ago, I spotted these Cinnamon Pecan Rugelach cookies at the Corner Bakery Cafe and was inspired to make my own version. Perhaps I will get to that this weekend… stay tuned!
If you want a fast, easy, somewhat “healthy” dessert, then this recipe is for you! A granita is a semi-frozen dessert from Sicily that typically is composed of sugar, water, and flavors. Three ingredients, no cooking! And if you somehow find yourself with 3 pounds of strawberries, this is a good way to use some of them up!
Strawberry Granita Somewhat adapted from Delicious Living
Serves 4
1 pound of strawberries (hulled)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Put the strawberries in your food processor or blender and puree completely. Strain in a sieve or strainer into a bowl to remove seeds. Mix in lemon juice and sugar.
Pour into a shallow dish (mixture should not deeper than one inch) and put in the freezer for about an hour.
After an hour, take a fork and scrape the mixture so it’s fluffy. Then put back into the freezer for another hour or so (until frozen) and then scrape again.
I really want to go strawberry picking this year but I haven’t gotten a chance yet. Luckily, Pine Tree Apple Orchard has picked fresh strawberries that you can buy, so I picked up a box today. Now I have over three pounds of strawberries. So I guess I will have to document in the next few posts what I do with all these strawberries. Aren’t they the best-looking strawberries you’ve ever seen?
My friend Rachel is one of the best cooks I know. I think she gets it from her mom, Lois, who is also a great cook. Rachel was co-maid-of-honor in my wedding, and at the wedding shower she threw me (which was kitchen-themed!) she had everyone bring me a recipe to share. She gave me the recipe to her scones, which I think are officially called “Rachel’s Scones” since that’s what she called them at the top of the recipe card. I’ve made them a few times and they always turn out great. I thought they would be perfect to take to work for breakfast this week. One of her suggested mix-ins is fruit, so I thought I’d try strawberries and lemon zest. In the past, I’ve done chocolate chips and also dried cranberries and white chocolate chips – both good combinations.
One great thing about scones is that they are easy to make, and call for basic ingredients that most people have around the house. This is all you need:
Rachel’s Scones Makes approximately 12 scones
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar)
Your choice of mix-ins (chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, etc)
2 Tbsp melted butter
Sugar for sprinkling (I recommend sanding sugar or sugar in the raw)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Then, using a pastry blender (or forks or your hands if you don’t have a pastry blender) cut in the 1/2 cup butter. Mix in the buttermilk and then your choice of mix-ins.
For my mix-ins, I added lemon zest (from one lemon) and about 1/2 cup of diced strawberries. The berries turned the dough sort of pink, but that’s ok! Also, since the berries were moist, the dough got a little too sticky so I just added a few more tablespoons of flour.
Assemble the scones by one of the following methods, then top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on the edges. The baking time will vary by how you chose to shape them.
Shaping Methods:
There are a few methods to shaping your scones. Rachel suggests forming the dough into a round (about an inch or so thick) on your baking sheet. Then you just slice the dough like a pizza.
You can also spread the dough out on your counter top then cut out the scones using a round cookie or biscuit cutter (like making cut-out cookies). This yields perfect little round scones that I think are pretty cute.
Or, if you are like me, you got a scone pan at one of your wedding showers. I’m not sure how I ended up with this gift or who/where it came from… I didn’t even know they made these and it wasn’t on my registry. I think it might be from Williams Sonoma since I recently saw one there when browsing the store. You can find one here too. Mine looks like this. I highly recommend this pan: it’s non-stick so the scones just pop right out. Convenient!
Here’s what the dough looks like in the pan:
And here’s what they look like finished:
And then I just had to make sure they taste ok. They do. Actually they’re more than ok. John says they’re the moistest scones he’s had. It’s all thanks to the melted butter!
