Holiday Pop-Up at Variety Coffee in Brooklyn!

Okay, I'm joining forces with some local bakers and we are creating a holiday pop-up at Variety Coffee in Brooklyn NEXT WEEKEND! (12/18 & 12/19). We will be manning the coffee shop from 10am - 5pm. Stop by and visit, check out the wares and perhaps walk away with something delicious for yourself. Please check out the poster!

Simply ... Blondies

Apparently I was wrong when I said I'd be blogging more. I don't know where the crazy idea I would have time came into my head. The act of touring a play to prisons, homeless shelters, etc. is actually quite a time-consuming and exhausting process. Add on-to that the terrible illness that laid me out for the count this week, and I'm slowly refinding my kitchen (and various parts of my apartment that are buried).

But, in exchange for a lovely hoodie I promised a butterscotch treat for a friend. So, I found this (delicious) recipe for blondies. Don't you love the barter system?

Blondies can be dressed up a number of ways ... this is just a very simple, straight-forward recipe.

Simply Blondies

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 - 25 minutes

Yields: 1 - 8x8 pan

Ingredients

• 8 TBS butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of butterscotch chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8 pan.
2. Mix melted butter w/brown sugar - beat until smooth (I used a whisk)
3. Beat in egg. Then the vanilla.
4. Add salt, then stir in the flour. Mix in butterscotch chips.
5. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until set in the middle.

Be sure not to overcook!!

Enjoy with a glass of milk or cup of coffee.

Pumpkin Caramels

As you may have previously guessed ... I'm a little obsessed with all things squash come the cooler months. I've been on a HUGE squash kick lately. You may have noticed by all the recent pumpkin recipes ... heck, I've had squash for dinner the last two nights! Last night was spaghetti squash with pasta sauce. Easy, delicious, healthy. Tonight was just the opposite ... butternut squash risotto (recipe to come...)

And, Thanksgiving is seriously around the corner (we're in the home stretch!!) which means even more pumpkin. So, I've got a taste for pumpkin. Sue me.

For years upon years, I was terrified to make candy. It seems like a really daunting task. Everybody says that candy is difficult. Last year, however, my squash brain and curiosity got the best of me. Pumpkin caramels? I had to try it! These are DELICIOUS. Chewy, pumpkin-y, caramel-y. A nice crunch with the pumpkin seeds. Honestly, what's not to love?

So ... they aren't the easiest thing to make. Not because they are difficult, though. Just because you have to keep your eye on them. And it takes some time to cut them up and wrap them all. But overall, they're pretty easy to make.

If you feel like you have some time, and want to wow your friends (or have something sweet and delicious), then I'd recommend giving these a go.

Pumpkin Caramels

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 Mins
Yields: Approx 30 candies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 tsp pumpkin or apple pie spice *
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree, room temperature (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Special Tools: Candy Thermometer

Directions:

1. Line an 8" x 4" loaf pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Brush the sides, but not the bottom, lightly with butter and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds in the bottom.
2. Whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, pie spice, lemon juice and salt together in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan. Brush down the sides on the saucepan with water to remove every grain of sugar. Set the candy thermometer into the sugar. Cook the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the firm ball sage, 248 degrees F, about 18 to 20 mins.
3. Carefully stir in the pumpkin puree.
   
4. Return to the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
5. Pour the caramel over the pumpkin seeds in the prepared pan. Smooth to an even layer. Cool to room temperature.
6. When full cooled, peel from the waxed paper or foil and cut into 30 (1-inch) squares. Wrap individually in parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

*NOTE: As I've stated before and will probably state again, I just don't use pie spice. So I use my own mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger.


Give as a gift or enjoy on your own!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Muffins

I don't think I've adequately lauded just how much I love fall. It's my favorite season. Sometimes I miss the longer days and the sunlight, but there's nothing like a good cup of tea (coffee, hot chocolate, apple cider...) while sitting under a blanket, with a good book and perhaps a cat. Maybe a fire place in the background, crackling away. I love apples. I love squash. And I love all things pumpkin.

So, this morning we were getting ready to head to some friends to meet their new baby (A. Dorable.) and I really just couldn't show up empty-handed. So, I found this recipe and made some changes and this is what we got. Pumpkin-y, chocolatey goodness.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Prep time: about 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 - 25 minutes

Yields: 12 medium-size muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice*
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• approx 3/4 cup chocolate chunks or chips
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.
2. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
   
3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

*Okay, I don't really "believe" in pumpkin pie spice. It's just one more thing to clutter my spice cabinet with. I mixed cinnamon (which was the major spice included), nutmeg, cloves & ginger together ... which, is essentially pumpkin pie spice. So ... if you don't have any on hand, make your own!

Enjoy with some coffee or a nice glass of milk!!

Apple & Cheddar Scones

Apple and Cheddar Scones

based off of the Smitten Kitchen recipe

Time (start to finish): approx 1 hour

Makes: 6 scones

Ingredients:

• 2 firm tart apples (1 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus additional for egg wash
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. (I made them into chunks as suggested) Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on if baking right away.
3. Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
   
4. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
5. Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
6. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
   
7. 
   

Do ahead: Scones are best the day they are baked. However, they can be made ahead of time and stored unbaked in the freezer until you need them. Simply brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar, and bake them still frozen for just a couple extra minutes. This way they are always freshly baked when you want them. These scones were passable on day two and terrible on day three.

**I made them ahead, not baking any right away. I baked up 2 of them the first morning and the next for the next morning - delicious and perfect for the fall!!**

Fall is in the air...

Looking back, I somehow realized just how long it's been since I've blogged! For which I apologize.

Summer came, I went to Peru (go, go, go to Peru should you ever have the chance!) and when I returned ... it was hot. Like, seriously hot. And a bit humid. And I love my New York apartment and kitchen, but what happens in a small kitchen when you bake? It gets ... hot. So, for the sake of myself and my cats I didn't really bake. I made sorbet. I made salads. I ate out. Summer turned to late summer, I went home for a spell, worked 15+ hour days on events, went to Calgary and had a nice road trip back. While I was away, fall hit. Then I went to New Orleans.

Now, fall is in the air ... crisp, cool nights, beautiful sunny days, leaves changing. I hear my kitchen calling to me and the cracking of the whip for me to blog again.

So ... soon my friends. Soon I will update you to my baking (and perhaps some cooking!) escapades. There are new recipes to try, old recipes to revisit and love. Many delectable treats in-store. Now if only I remember to tell you all about them!

I warn you, it may not happen this week ... I am in training for my first ever karate tournament (wish me luck!), so lots of my spare time is going towards training and worrying. But once that is past, the kitchen will be taken over and treats will start spilling out into various offices around the city, helping put on winter weight to help keep the cold at bay.

My apologies for the delays!

Herbal Dynasty Chai Scottish Shortbread

The time has come. I've infused my butter, and now I get to make tea treats!! First up: shortbread cookies. These seemed like the perfect first foray into tea-infused treats. (Don't worry, I have big plans for cupcakes too!) So, I went through my tea selection and pulled out my Herbal Dynasty Chai from Sereneteaz . This is a really delicious, light chai made with roobios tea, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon & vanilla. It's almost floral, and a good introduction for the non-chai drinkers out there.

I'm pleasantly surprised how these turned out since I've never fully adapted a recipe for myself before. But, they have an excellent, delicate texture with a sweet, tea flavor. I'm thinking over the next couple days the tea flavor will become slightly more pronounced, but it unfolds nicely in your mouth as you eat the cookie. I would like to try this with some other tea varieties.

Tea-Infused Scottish Shortbread
recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus time to infuse the butter with tea)
Total Time: About 1 hour
Yields: 24 - 2" x 1" bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) tea-infused butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 to 2 tsp, reserved for later)
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• splash of good-quality vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt & vanilla.
3. Gently stir-in the all purpose flour.
4. Lightly knead the mixture until it is well blended.
5. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Pierce the dough deeply with a fork all over in a decorative pattern. Then sprinkle with 1 to 2 tsp of sugar.
6. Bake until the shortbread is lightly browned and darker at the edges, 45 to 50 minutes.
7. Immediately cut into bars while still warm, then cool in the pan or on a rack.

Enjoy!!

Tea Infused Butter

I've been talking about it for months...baking with tea. For those of you here in NYC you know that tea is HUGE. I mean, everywhere you turn there are tea baked goods. Small, local shops. Big, more trendy corporate tea houses. Everywhere you turn, a new tea boutique. (well...maybe it's not THAT big. That may just be wishful thinking on my behalf).

So, I've been wondering "How do you make these delicious tea treats?". The decision I came to, and will blog more about, is that infusing butter might just be a good starting place. Extract all the tea-y goodness from the leaves into your butter and then use this. The theory that I'm working under is that in lighter flavored treats (shortbreads, yellow cupcakes, perhaps sugar cookies?, please post suggestions...) will take that tea flavor now in the butter and run with it.

Infusing the butter is a fairly simple process so, here you have it:

Tea Infused Butter
Prep Time: 3 1/2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: about 15 minutes plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1 Stick of Butter (8 TBS)**
• 8 - 14 tsp tea (depending on how strong you want it)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
2. Add tea directly to the butter, simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove butter/tea concoction from the heat and let steep for an additional 5 minutes, until the butter is tinted by the tea.
4. Pour butter/tea mixture through a sieve, squeezing as much butter from the tea as possible.
5. Let cool to room temperature and use as you normally would in your baked goods!!

**A few Notes:
For a recipe calling for multiple sticks of butter, just multiply the recipe.

There is a certain amount of butter that you will lose as it will stick to the tea leaves. One
cup of this recipe (2 sticks of butter) will actually yield closer to 3/4 cup of butter. Keep
this in mind and make a little more butter than you think you will need!!

Enjoy!

Yellow Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

Happy June everybody!! The sun is shining through the trees leaving me in a dappled sunlight and good spirits (for the most part) this June morning. Yesterday I was looking to make something to take to a Memorial Day shindig and so I feel back on cupcakes...because that is my go-to dessert. Who doesn't love a cupcake? (I mean...there are people, I don't think I care much about them...)

Now, I've never been a big fan of yellow cupcakes. They often are dry and tasteless. They are actually quite easy to over-mix (a problem I had yesterday). But this recipe (despite my over mixing) had a wonderful buttery taste with a hint of delicious vanilla.

I must admit that I had an ulterior motive for trying this particular recipe yesterday. I wanted to find a good base for my tea experiments and I think this cupcake will be perfect for flavoring with my infused butter concoctions that I will be creating.

The coffee buttercream comes from my favorite frosting recipe, which is extremely versatile. This time around it did not disappoint!! It actually goes quite well with this delicate, buttery cupcake.

So, if you need something quick and a little simple go ahead and take a batch of these in. I promise, they are not your average yellow cupcake.

Easy Yellow Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream Frosting
adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 - 22 minutes
Total Time: about 45 minutes, plus cooling
Yields: 24 medium-sized cupcakes

Ingredients (Cupcakes)

• 3 cups of cake flour (If you don't have cake flour handy, replace 1 cup cake flour with 7/8 cup all-purpose flour and 2 TBS cornstarch)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Ingredients (Frosting):

• 2 TBS heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 TBS instant espresso (or 4 tsp instant coffee)
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Whisk in the melted butter in three additions, until completely combined. Whisk in the buttermilk.
4. Sift one third of the flour mixture over the batter and whisk it in (there should still be a few streaks of flour remaining). Repeat twice with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone. DO NOT OVER MIX.
   
5. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
6. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool completely on the racks before frosting, about 1 hour.

MEANWHILE ... make the frosting while the cupcakes cool:

1. Stir the cream, vanilla, salt & coffee or espresso together in a small bowl until the salt dissolves.
2. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Beat in the cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 4 to 8 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Crisp Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

With some free time on my hands I've decided to give some new recipes a try. In the coming week (or weeks ... depends how much time I have on my hands!) I'm finally going to delve into recipe testing some new items for myself. I have grand dreams of infusing butter with tea and seeing what that will bring me.

In the meantime ... I had to try out a new recipe I came across in my reading. If you check my blog at all, or know me, you've probably realized that I borrow recipes from a lot of other bloggers. Some are better than others. This one ... the crisp salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies ... is like crack. Seriously. I was skeptical. I have some variations I'd love to try , but that will probably wait until after I get through this tea phase I've been dying to try.

This recipe compliments itself rather nicely with the combination of white chocolate & salt. The cookies are, in fact, somewhat crispy ... which is just lovely. They're easy and quick, I mean, what more could you want in a cookie? If you need something to whip up to take to your Memorial Day party tomorrow I would say whip a batch of these up and you won't be sorry!!

Crisp Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
(yes, the name is long but descriptive!)
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 - 15 minutes
Yields: 24 good size cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp seasalt
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
   
2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chopped up white chocolate until well incorporated.
   
3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.
4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie
5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

These are great dipped in your cup of coffee, with a cup of tea of just by themselves.

Enjoy!!

Toffee Cookies

Who loves toffee? I do! I do!

So, these have quickly become a favorite of mine ... and many people I know. It's a very simple cookie (really just a variation of a chocolate chip cookie), but somehow seems more ... exotic with the addition of toffee rather than the standard chocolate chip.

About a year ago I had much debate as to the best type of coffee to use for this venture and I made two batches, which we had to taste test. I know, a terrible job, right? So I tried both Heath & Score bars. They're pretty much the same, when put in a cookie. I think I liked the Heath slightly better for these purposes, because it has a slightly thicker layer of chocolate which melts nicely into the cookie. Any chocolate covered toffee bar should work nicely.

Okay, without further ado...


Delicious Toffee Cookies

Prep Time: about 10 minutes
From ingredients to plate: about 1 hour 15 minutes
Yields: 3 1/2 - 4 dzn cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 to 5 toffee bars chopped into small pieces (I use either Heath or Score, though you could use a toffee bar without any chocolate coating)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
   
2. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.
   
3. In large mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in toffee bits.
   
4. Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 375ºF for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!!

Double-Crust Pie Dough

I realize every time I make pie that I end up typing out this recipe. It's actually a super simple, really great pie dough recipe. I didn't think I'd be able to make pie crust on my own ... or at least not make it well.

At any rate, I know me, and I wouldn't want to read through a different pie recipe every time I wanted to make pie. And I'm getting tired of putting this in every pie recipe I make. So ... it gets it's own post, and a link from now on.

Good luck with your flaky pie crusts!!

Double-Crust Pie Dough
(courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up
to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until
malleable before rolling.

Spring is in the air with Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

I love love love strawberry-rhubarb pie. If you've read other posts, you know it's hard for me to find people to eat fruit pie with. (well ... not hard, but nobody that lives in my apartment will eat a cooked fruit pie with me) But I was having a girls day the other day, and I had some rhubarb that I had picked up at the lovely and vibrant Union Square Farmer's Market. The rhubarb was just calling to me, I had to cook it.

I've never made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, but it's one of my favorites. Now, when I mentioned I was making this I got many questions asking "what exactly is rhubarb?". Basically it's a plant that is reddish green. Stalk sizes vary, the smaller the stalks the more tender. The leaves are toxic, but I've never bought it with the stalks on. Rhubarb has a nice tang to it, which is why it is usually paired with something sweeter such as strawberries. And there you have it in a nutshell. If you really want to know more, here is the Wikipedia article.

This pie is nice and light and tasty. And I forgot to take pictures. I guess you know what that means, I'll just have to make it again while rhubarb is still in season! But I wanted to share this with you now. So stay tuned. I'll get you pics.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Prep time: 20 minutes plus time to prepare the crust
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths (5 - 6 cups) [NOTE: if the rhubarb is about the size of celery or smaller, you don't need to peel it]
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups plus 1 TBS sugar
• 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
  
• 2 tsp grated orange zest (optional, but really .... is it?)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS arrowroot (this is a thickener ... you can get it in the spice section of the grocery store)
  
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has shed most of it's liquid but is still firm, about 5 minutes. Spread the cooked rhubarb out over a plate and refrigerate until cool.
3. Meanwhile, roll out the crust to two 12-inch circles. Place the bottom crust into the pie plate.
   
4. Toss the cooled rhubarb, strawberries, orange zest and vanilla together. Mix 3/4 cup of the sugar, the arrowroot and the salt together. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the fruit and toss thoroughly. Add up to 4 more tablespoons of sugar if the fruit tastes tart.
5. Spread the fruit mixture in the unbaked pie crust bottom and pack it tightly.
6. Lay the top crust over the fruit, seal and crimp the edges, and cut eight vent holes (as opposed to the usual 4). Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS sugar.
7. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temp to 425 degrees F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
8. Rotate the baking sheet and reduce the oven temp again to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temp before serving.

The pie can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

A NOTE ABOUT PIE CRUST:
So, I've started enjoying making pie crust. It's pretty simple (or at least I think). Though, sometimes it's difficult to get a nice crusty dough and it's really easy to overwork the dough. That, and it does take some time. Some days I just don't have the time or desire to make my own pie dough. When that happens I like to use the Pillsbury Just Unroll and Bake pie crust. You can find it in the refrigerated section. It's pretty cheap and quite good!

Okay...enjoy this pie! You can have it plain, with a nice vanilla ice cream, or perhaps some whipped cream. It's really amazing just slightly warm.

Lavender Shortbread; a delicious tea treat (or anytime)

Lavender shortbread?!? Crazy sounding, I know. But delicious. When I first came across this recipe last year I was quite skeptical. But then, I happened upon some lavender and thought "Why not?" I was pleasantly surprised! This is the perfect spring/summer treat. It's an amazing shortbread recipe with a hint of lavender.

Ever since I made it last year I've been longing to make it again. With the spring weather I was racking my brain trying to think of where I could get cooking grade lavender. It theoretically isn't that hard, apparently you can pretty much get it at any Chinese market in the tea section. Cooking grade lavender is also used for tea, who knew? (The answer: lots of people, I'm sure. I was not one of them). However, I've been busy and haven't been able to get to Chinatown and explore. Low and behold, I'm randomly strolling around the Union Square Farmer's Market last week and there is now a lovely gentleman who sells lavender in all forms .... sprigs, sachets and yes, bags of cooking grade lavender. I'll tell you what - his stand smells WONDERFUL. I could just spend all day standing there and sniffing. Instead, I bought myself a 2 oz bag of lavender so I could enjoy the scents at home. Of course, 2 ounces .... that's a lot of lavender!

Ok, so, this recipe is a delicate balance ... you want to be able to taste the lavender, but you don't want it to taste like you are eating the sachet out of your clothing drawer. Its a beautiful and delicate recipe. Even if you don't like how it tastes (in which case, I would question your taste), it will make your apartment smell like a wonderful mix of butter & lavender.

Lavender Shortbread
adapted from Renee's Garden

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 30 - 45 minutes chilling time)
Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Yields: about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound, or 3 sticks) butter, at room temperature (no substitutes)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 TBS finely chopped lavender florets (fresh or dried)
• 1 TBS chopped fresh mint
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, lavender, and mint with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and beat until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Flatten into squares and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm.

2. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F. Cover bottoms of two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper.

3. On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 -inch squares or rounds. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with a fork. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pale golden (do not brown).
   

4. Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle with lavender powdered sugar.

5. Garnish with lavender powdered sugar: Put a 4 or 5 sprigs of lavender flowers in a sealed jar with powdered sugar for a day before using the sugar. **

**[NOTE] Okay, let's be honest. Usually when I bake my thought process is "ooo! I wanna make that! Now!" And since I keep my kitchen pretty well stocked with the basic baking items I need, that usually works. Or I run to the store and pick something up real quick. It's only specialty items, orders, or events that I really plan for. So, when I want to make this shortbread and happen to have lavender sitting in my kitchen...I make it. And don't have a day to make the lavender powdered sugar. The first time I made this I just used plain powdered sugar. This time around, I muddled a teaspoon of lavender florets with my powdered sugar. So there you have it.**

Enjoy this with some tea, coffee, or lemonade!!

White Sangria

I. love. sangria. It's the perfect spring/summer drink. For those of you that know me, however, know that I can't really drink red wine (it's the tannins, I get migraines and then I'm sad). But, I love love love white wine. And I love fruit. So what could be better then a white sangria? Oh yea....a white sangria with my new favorite liquor, St-Germain.

St-Germain has quickly become my new favorite liquor. It's an elderflower liquor from France and it is tasty! It's lightly sweet and just plain tasty. You should check it out if you get a chance (and are of the appropriate drinking age, of course). They have a bunch of drink recipe recommendations on their website, I've tried quite a few of the recipes and have yet to be disappointed.

Okay, so here's the recipe for the St-Germain Sangria.


(For those folks 21 and over)

Sangria Flora
courtesy of St-Germain

Prep Time: 10 minutes or so (however long it takes you to chop up fruit)
Inactive Time: at least 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Sauvigon Blanc or other dry white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio - it was delicious!)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups St-Germain
• 2 Fresh Peaches, sliced
• 1 Fresh Orange, sliced
• 5 - 6 Strawberries, halved or quartered
• A handful of Fresh Raspberries
• 1 bunch Fresh Grapes

Directions

1. Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe. Allow fruit to soak in the mixture between 3 and 8 hours. Serve in an ice-filled glass.

Enjoy responsibly!! This is really tasty and before you know it you may have had many many glasses.

Almond Spritz Cookies

These may not sound like a lot ... but they are like crack. And incredibly easy to make. But mostly like crack. It's hard to eat just one!

This is a simple cookie press recipe that you can whip out in a very short amount of time. Don't have a cookie press? I'm sure you could find a way to make these anyhow, but the dough is incredibly soft and sticky. I'd reckon that these would be perfect for a nice afternoon tea, or with a dollop of sorbet for a light summer desert!

Almond Spritz Cookies
adapted from my Cookie Press Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 3 dzn cookies

Ingredients

• 8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat beater (or with a hand mixer), beat together the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour a little at a time, beating until well blended.
3. Fill the cookie press with dough according to the instructions and fit with the desired-shaped disk. Press the dough out onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the cooking about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Yum!!

Cheesey Straws

What exactly IS a cheese straw? It's a straw shaped item of cheesy deliciousness. These are the adult version of a cheez-it, but much healthier. Well....maybe not a LOT healthier, but you will know exactly what is in it and there are no preservatives at least, right?

The really dangerous thing about this recipe is it can go from ingredients to your belly in less than an hour! If your friend calls up suddenly and wants to come over, you can whip these suckers up and have them waiting when your friend walks in a door. Having a party? Make these! Craving a cheese-d up treat? You got it....

So, I made these almost as soon as I found the recipe and wasn't sorry. In fact, I made two batches because I was afraid I'd eat one of the full batches by myself!!

Cheddar Cheese Straws
adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 to 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese (I used a lovely white cheddar from Wisconsin)
• 4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
• 3/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 TBS half-and-half (I used cream, and I imagine that whole milk would also work)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor (or for those that are food processor challenged - I used my KitchenAid, and you could probably use a hand mixer too) combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt & pepper flakes in five 5-second bursts until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half-and-half (cream/milk/etc) and process for about 10 seconds until it forms a dough ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll into an 8 x 10 rectangle that is about 1/8" thick. Cut into thin 8" strips, each 1/4" to 1/3" wide. Dipping the knife in flour every couple of cuts will make the cuts cleaner. Also, the straws can really be anywhere from 2" long to 10" long if you are challenged in your cutting.
4. Transfer the cheese straws to a parchment lined baking sheet, (you can also use an ungreased baking sheet if you don't have parchment paper on hand) leaving at least 1/4" between the straws.
5. Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and put the cookie sheet on a cooling rack to cool.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy this cheesy, salt treat!!

Jack Cheese & Garlic Crackers

Whenever I tell someone I'm going to make crackers they give me a look and say something along the lines of "you can do that?!?". Yes. You can make homemade crackers. It's actually quite easy, made easier if you have a cookie press. And they are delicious. I was shocked the first time I made crackers, I really was. I was a little skeptical really.

And, to be honest, I still really don't know what makes a cracker a cracker and a cookie a cookie. I'd love to know more about the science of baking to understand how when I use basically the same ingredients I get two very different textures. Because on the basic level, that's what's different between a cracker and a cookie. The texture. I wouldn't want a cheese and garlic cracker that had the same texture as, say, my chocolate chip cookies. Nor would I want my chocolate chip cookies to be somewhat sandy and sturdy like my crackers!

Thus....here is a cracker recipe with a few notes for variations below!

Jack Cheese and Garlic Crackers
adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Cookie Press recipe booklet

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 to 16 minutes
Yields: 40 to 50 crackers

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 16 TBS (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup finely grated dry jack cheese, at room temperature **see note below**
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press (if you don't have a garlic press finely mince)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper (or in a bowl I suppose), sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
   
4. Add the cheese and garlic and beat until combined, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, about 3 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Fill the cookie press with some of the dough according to the instructions and fit with the desired-shape disk; cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap. Press the crackers out onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake until set and golden, 14 to 16 minutes.
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crackers cool completely. Remove them from the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. Serve with something yummy to dip them in!

***A Couple Notes***

Okay, a couple things about these crackers:

1. Cheese: you can use whatever cheese you have laying around that is somewhat dry and would go well with garlic. Last time I did these I used Parmesan. DO NOT USE THE FINELY GRATED STORE BOUGHT PARMESAN. At least don't if you are interested in using the cookie press. Please just grate your own cheese. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to do this shortcut with my various cookie press recipes (use store-grated parm) and how many times I've had to manually make the cookies because the dough is just too dense. But seriously ... use what cheese you have in the fridge. Take 5 minutes and grate it yourself.
2. Don't have a cookie press? No worries! This recipe can work without a cookie press, no problem. Make the dough the same. It may be a bit sticky, so just keep your surface powdered. Roll the dough out till it's about 3/8" thick and cut into squares. To make them more decorative sprinkle with poppy seeds or something and poke with a fork.

Wow your friends with these at your next party, and enjoy!!

Becky's Famous Lemon Bars

Apparently I'm known throughout the land (or at least the NYC theater community that I've worked with) for my lemon bars. It's a little embarrassing, in fact. I have stories. And am sometimes sold-out by colleagues and friends, and then I have to arrive with lemon bars in hand.

But seriously, what's not to love about an amazing lemon bar? A nice, crunchy shortbread crust. A tangy, yet sweet, creamy lemony middle...I want a lemon bar and cup of tea just thinking about it!

Okay, so you want the secret to my success? Well...maybe I won't give you that. But I will show you the recipe I use!

Lemon Bars
adapted from Paul Deen's recipe
Prep time: about 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-50 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour (plus cooling time)
Yields: 24 large or 48 small bars

Ingredients

CRUST:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

LEMONY GOODNESS (ie...FILLING)

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 TBS grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.
2. Make the crust: Combine the butter, flour, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix with spoon or fingers until well combined. Shape into a ball and pat evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is set and just beginning to brown.
3. Make the filling: While the crust is baking, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.
   
4. Pour over the baked crust and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top.
5. Let cool completely, then sift powdered sugar over the top.
6. Cut, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

**NOTE** It's important to make sure to let this fully set before taking them out of the pan and serving, otherwise they will be runny.

Enjoy!!!

Meringue Drops

Okay...get ready for an overload of recipes!! Over the next few days I'll be blogging about all the goodies I made this weekend for my housewarming party. I look forward to having many more parties as this apartment is great for entertaining. My evil plan has worked!!

At any rate ... the list of items baked for this weekend was extensive. Some are things I've blogged about before, so you won't see updated recipes...but those would include my Parmesan crisps, gluten-free apple pear crisp, etc. Some are favorite recipes that I don't think I've had the opportunity to blog about yet, so yay!! Now I can blog about them! Many of them I forgot to photograph, or the photos aren't on my computer yet so those will be forthcoming.

Enough about my party ... you probably want to know about these meringue drops I made. I actually made chocolate chip meringue drops, and there's another variation I did not make but am dying to try ... I'll tell you how to make it here!!

So about these meringues, they are incredibly light and airy. I've had store-bought meringues before and have loved them, but these I love even more. They are super easy to make but do take a bit of a commitment with the oven as they cook at a low temperature and need to then sit in the oven, while it's turned off, for at least 2 hour after you are done with the baking. The other glorious thing about them is the lack of ingredients, they are low-fat, and depending on the type of chocolate you use they are gluten-free. So many positives in one little baked good, how can you say no?

Chocolate Meringue Drops
Active Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 3 hours
Total time from start to in your mouth deliciousness: about 3 hours and 10 minutes
Yields: 40 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder (check to see if it's gluten-free if you want this to be a gf recipe)
• 1/2 cup mini-semisweet chocolate chips (again...check to see if it's gluten-free...)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
2. In large bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites at moderately high speed until they hold stiff peaks. Beat in the sugar one tablespoon at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and beat in cocoa powder. With rubber spatula, fold in the chips.
3. Drop mixture by the rounded teaspoonful onto baking sheets, spacing one inch apart and bake for one hour. This yields a more rustic meringue, for a more uniform meringue use a piping bag and pipe a teaspoonful on the parchment.
4. After baking for an hour, turn off the oven and dry the cookies in the oven for 2 hours longer. Remove pan and store in an air tight container.
   

Variation
Instead of making these chocolate with chocolate chips, subtract chips and use 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Also add a pinch of nutmeg & cinnamon to the egg whites.

Enjoy!!

In case you want some mediocre cake quickly....

....so, I keep finding recipes for this 5 minute cake that you can make in the microwave. And after pondering cake all morning, I had to try it. Just think about it ... cake. Cake. Don't you want some cake now?

I knew that no good could come from this. Really, there were only two outcome options: a) The cake is bad to edible. b) The cake would be amazing and I'd have an unlimited supply of chocolate cake readily available at my hands within 5 minutes and I would grow to be as large as a house.

As it turns out, I feel like the answer is a) The cake is bad to edible. Now...I would go as far as to say that it was bad. It was ... okay. Forgettable. The texture isn't really what I like in terms of a cake. And it's not very chocolate-y. But, it's fantastic for cake if you need cake NOW THIS VERY MINUTE. If you can wait an hour I'd recommend making a real cake. Or if you don't want a lot of cake, make a pan of brownies. I know it's not the same, but you'll be happier.

All that said, I might play with the recipe and tweak it some, but really....as I made it today it's not worth it for me to have again. If you have a better recipe for a five-minute microwave cake, please let me know!

Coffee Cup Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes + 1 minute for cooling
Total time: 6 minutes
Makes: 1 coffee cup of chocolate cake

Ingredients

• 4 TBS all-purpose flour
• 4 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS cocoa powder
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 4 TBS milk
• 2 TBS oil
• Splash of vanilla
• 2 tbsp nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Recipe

1. In a COFFEE CUP, mix together flour, sugar & cocoa powder
2. Mix egg with the dry ingredients
   
3. Mix milk, oil & vanilla with dry ingredients thoroughly
4. Add nuts, chips, etc. if you are going to add them.
5. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, then let stand for 1 minute.

Beautiful Blueberry Pie

I really love pie. I'm not going to lie. One of the things that I can't fathom is the fact that Matt doesn't like cooked fruit. Thus...fruit pies (which I do really really love) are lost on him, so I rarely make them because either I need to a) eat the entire pie myself, or b) find a minon of friends to eat the pie with me. Now, I could totally eat an entire pie myself ... but I try not to. And I do have many friends that are more than willing to help a girl out, but then I need to find a time and a place to mesh our schedules to make this happen.

So, I've taken the opportunity this weekend to make myself a pie. I'm hoping to not eat the entire thing by myself tonight, but I guess we shall see.

I actually made a multi-berry pie today, following this basic blueberry pie recipe.

So, here you have it:

Blueberry Pie
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes plus the time to prepare the crust
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 6 cups blueberries (30 oz) (or mixed berries)
  
• 3/4 to 1 cup plus 1 TBS sugar
• 3 to 4 TBS potato starch (can substitute corn starch)
• 3 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough (below this recipe)
• 2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Recipe

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Toss the berries, 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 TBS of the starch, the lemon juice, lemon zest & spices together and let stand for 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 TBS potato starch if the mixture has released too much liquid. Add up to 4 more TBS of the remaining sugar if the berries taste tart.
2. Meanwhile, roll out the top crust to a 12-inch circle. Spread the berries in the unbaked pie crust bottom and dot with the butter. Lay the other crust over the blueberries, seal & crimp the edges, and cut four vent holes. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS of sugar.
3. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.
4. TO MAKE AHEAD: The pie can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or just by itself!!



Double-Crust Pie Dough (courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up
to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until
malleable before rolling.

Experimenting...

Okay, I had an idea on the train home tonight. I was thinking about how I want to find some lavender to make my lavender shortbread which is...amazing. So, my eyes are peeled.

Then I got to thinking ... there's a huge tea boom going on (at least in NYC). I love tea. I love tea related baked goods. Perhaps this is my time to start formulating some recipes.

So I pose this question ... what would you like to try??

Thanks for the input!!

Guinness and Baileys Irish Cupcakes

I apologize ... I had meant to blog this prior to St. Patty's Day and I just am not sure where my time has gone!! (Well...I do know between rehearsals for one project and performances for another, but still. A girl should have time to blog!)

The Irish in me loves loves loves this cupcake. I've found another variation, which I intend to try out and will report back! These cupcakes are moist and delicious. I was amazed at how rich and chocolaty the Guinness made the cupcakes! I've actually made these twice thus far - the first time I used the Guinness 250 (the Anniversary addition), and this time with the regular Guinness. I was afraid it wouldn't be as rich with the regular Guinness, as the 250 is a bit more chocolaty - but it worked wonderfully in this recipe.

So...while this cupcake is PERFECT for something like St. Patrick's Day, I think it's wonderful anytime of year.

Guinness and Baileys Irish Cupcakes
adapted from IrishCentral.com & Annie's Eats

Yields: 24 medium cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (Guinness)
• 16 TBS (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cups sour cream

For Baileys Ganache Filling

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 2 tsp Baileys Irish cream

For Baileys butter cream frosting

• 8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3-4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 4-8 TBS Baileys Irish Cream

Recipe

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
   
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.
4. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Dived the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 - 3/4 full.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes - rotating the pans once halfway through baking. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
6. TO MAKE THE GANACHE FILLING: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15 - 20 seconds). Add the butter and Baileys and stir until combined. Set ganache aside and let cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)
7. PREPARE CUPCAKES: Scoop out the center of the cupcakes for filling. There are a variety of methods for this. My favorite method for scooping out the insides is to take a large piping tip and use that to core the cupcake.
8. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.
   
9. TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Baileys until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping. Frost the cupcakes.

Enjoy!!

Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins

I gotta say...I'm not really a huge muffin fan. But, people really enjoy when you bring a batch of fresh muffins to work. So, sometimes I make muffins. I'm not anti-muffin or anything.

For some reason I've always been drawn to lemon-poppyseed muffins. Something about citrus just does it for me. These muffins don't have a lot of lemony tang in the muffin bit, but have a lovely lemony glaze that really just makes the flavor pop. There are a lot of variations on this basic muffin recipe - today I'll just do the lemon-poppyseed but as I work my way through making the other muffins I will be sure to post.

Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins
courtesy of the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Yields: 12 large muffins, or about 22 medium muffins
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 + 1/4 cups sugar (divided)
  
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 TBS poppyseeds
• 1 TBS grated lemon zest
  
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously coat muffin tin(s) with vegetable oil spray, or line with baking cups.
2. Mix the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds together in a large bowl. Whisk the yogurt, eggs and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Gently fold the yogurt-egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula unil just combined. Fold in the melted butter.
3. Use a large ice-cream scoop or measuring cup to divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving
   
5. While baking - heat 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture forms a light syrup, 3 to 4 minutes. Brush the warm syrup over the warm baked muffins and serve.

Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or afternoon tea!

Chocolate Scones

Typically, I'm not a scone person. Never have been. I know lots of people who like scones, however, so....occasionally I go out on a limb and bake something that I'm not enamored with for the good of the people.

Now...this scone recipe comes from one of my FAVORITE cookbooks, which I had misplaced for years. In Illinois, there is this amazing monk, Father Dominic. He had (has?) a show on PBS that I would watch when in college called "Breaking Bread with Father Dominic", and he has a few cookbooks which you have to search for. But the search is worthwhile...all the items I've tried are amazing and he seems like a fantastic individual. I'd actually love to meet him and bake with him sometime.

This scone recipe is great for someone who is not a scone fan ... they are amazing, have wonderful taste and texture. So, weather you are a scone fan or not...I recommend throwing a batch of these together next time you have a house guest, are going to a brunch, or just want a tasty coffee-time treat.

Chocolate Scones
courtesy of Breaking Bread with Father Dominic 2

Yields: 8 scones
Active Prep Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups white flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, stir thoroughly. Using a pastry blender or two sharp knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chocolate morsels.
3. Combine cream, egg and vanilla in a small bowl; whisk until well blended. Add cream mixture to flour mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Do not overmix.
4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8 or 10 strokes. Place dough on lightly greased baking sheet and pt into a flattened circle, about 8 inches in diameter. Using a large knife or long spatula, cut circle into 8 wedges, but do not separate the pieces.
5. bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The scones should be firm on the edges, but still soft in the middle. Remove from baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges before serving.

Scones can be served warm or cool, with clotted cream or butter and preserves.

Enjoy!!

Becky's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I always love a classic chocolate chip cookie. In fact, I think it was probably the first thing I learned to bake many many many years ago. There's something about a chocolate chip cookie when you've had a long day that reminds you (or me at any rate) of Mom. So, when I need to run in the kitchen and whip something up quick I tend to turn to the chocolate chip cookie. Or, if someone I know needs some comfort...chocolate chip cookies. And not all chocolate chip cookies are made equal I've learned over time.

So, this is my favorite recipe that I use whenever I have a need for cookies (and believe me...I have a batch in the oven right now and they smell AMAZING!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
courtesy of Me

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
   
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
   
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
   
5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
   
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
   
7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
8. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy with some milk, soy milk or ice cream!!!

The always classic brownie

Another one of my deep dark baking secrets, for many years, was my lack of desire to make brownies from scratch. It seemed like no matter what recipe I tried, the box mix was always better. A lot of the recipes I tried would be too cake-like, and when I want a brownie I want a nice, chewy brownie. Not a version of chocolate cake...if I wanted chocolate cake, then I'd make a cake, you know? Anyway...I finally stumbled onto this brownie recipe. Since I like almost anything in the Chocolate Bar cookbook, I knew that this would be a good one to try.

It's an easy recipe to throw together when you are just wanting something nice and chocolaty...holds up well if you warm it up and throw a dollop of ice cream on-top, or if you need something for the bake sale.

Deep Dark Brownies
courtesy of The Chocolate Bar Cookbook

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 TBS cocoa powder
• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
• 5 oz semisweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (4 1/2 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (optional - though it should really only be option if you don't have them. They are a definite asset to the brownie!!)

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a dark-colored baking pan reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.) Butter the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder together into a bowl; set aside.
3. In a medium-large, heavy saucepan, combine the butter and espresso powder and stir over low heat until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate, stirring constantly until the mixture appears completely smooth, approx. 2 minutes.
4. Take the chocolate mixture off of the heat and add the sugars, mixing until combined.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue stirring until they are evenly incorporated and the mixture does not appear grainy.
6. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in chips if using. Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top. Bake the brownies for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool completely on a wire.

Enjoy!!