Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Strawberry Crisp


Very good.  Jordan especially liked it, and after a drizzle of chocolate sauce, so did I!  

Only two things is that I would add less cornstarch (maybe 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch) and less butter (6 tablespoons or 5).
Strawberry Crisp
(Recipe from http://bakinandeggs.com/2011/04/22/strawberry-crisp/)

Ingredients:
FOR THE BERRIES
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPING
1 cup oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish or small oval baker. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
Mix together strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and mix in with your fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Stir in oats and nuts.
Place strawberry mixture in prepared baking dish and crumble topping over. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until topping is browned and strawberries are bubbly.
Yield: 6-8 servings

Strawberry Jam




LOVE THIS!

Super easy too.  Thinking of investing in tools to can in the very near future (next couple of weekends) so that I can start canning without worrying so much about getting someone sick!

I added a little extra lemon which I liked.

All you do is core and slice 4 cups of strawberries (about two pints) and blend it (food processor, immersion blender, or blender) into whatever consistency you want it (chunky or smooth) put it in a pot and add  1/2 cup of sugar and lemon juice from one lemon.  Cook over medium high, stirring, until jam is thickened, 9-10 minutes.  



Chocolate Chip, Pecan Oatmeal Cookies


I made mini cookies and they turned out really well! Not too sweet (for me at least, which isn't saying much) and crispy!! I really liked these.  I combined a recipe to have both pecans and chocolate chips in it, but really you can do whatever you want.  Add more nuts, add some peanut butter chips, add dark chocolate chunks or nothing at all. You're choice.  Also thinking about adding some flax or other things to make it a little healthier.  

I will be making this again, was a hit both at home and at work.


RECIPE (from Cooks Illustrated):

MAKES 16 TO 20 LARGE COOKIES

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
  • 1cup light brown sugar
  • 1cup granulated sugar
  • 2eggs
  • 1 1/3cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
  • 3cups rolled oats
  • 1/4cup ground almonds
  • 1cup chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips, or pecans or both)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. 1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  2. 2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and nuts.
  3. 3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cheesecake


Happy Birthday Jake!  You know it is Jake's birthday because it is the ONLY time I have ever, and ever really will make a cheesecake.  I don't really like the taste of cheesecakes and this is my only second time attempting one because of this.  First time was about 3 years ago and I had completely failed...it was a soup, but a tasty soup.  Jake said he wanted another cheesecake soup this year.  This time I went to the other side of the spectrum and over baked it a little (not too bad though).  It was odd because I followed the recipe that told me to cook it for 1 1/2 hours, so I set my timer for an hour at which I took my first temp. which was already at 160ºF, 10ºF over what I was looking for.  Saying that, I would start checking at 40 minutes if it looks ready.  I think it really depends on the oven.  I also only had 2 1/2 hours to make and 2 hours to cool the cake, which if you know cheesecake, is not nearly enough time.  Still turned out pretty well considering all of the above.  I made a fresh raspberry sauce for the top. (pint of raspberries, some sugar -- to taste, lemon juice and zest, and a little cornstarch --> boiled and mashed together and then simmered for about 10 minutes and strained to get all the seeds out).  

Also the recipe for the filling made a TON of filling.  I couldn't even use it all.  I will downsize that next time.

Next time I will:
1. Have more time (cool it for much longer)
2. Make a little thicker of a crust
3. Cook in a warm water bath (carefully)
4. Check temperature earlier in the baking process
5. For SURE make the raspberry sauce again (my favorite part)

INGREDIENTS

  • Graham Cracker Crust  
  • 1cup graham cracker crumbs (4 ounces, 8 whole crackers, broken into rough pieces and processed in food processor until uniformly fine)
  • 1tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional 1 tablespoon melted butter for greasing pan
  • Cheesecake Filling  
  • 2 1/2pounds cream cheese, cut into rough 1-inch chunks and left to stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes
  • 1/8teaspoon table salt
  • 1 1/2cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
  • 1/3cup sour cream (2 1/2 ounces)
  • 2teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2large egg yolks
  • 6large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. 1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened. Brush bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with most of remaining melted butter, making sure to leave enough to brush pan in step 3. Empty crumbs into springform pan and press evenly into pan bottom. Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around edges, about 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.
  2. 2. For the cheesecake filling: Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium-low speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula; add salt and about half of sugar and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; beat in remaining sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add yolks and beat at medium-low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add whole eggs two at a time, beating until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, and scraping bowl between additions.
  3. 3. Brush sides of springform pan with remaining melted butter. Set springform pan on rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills if springform pan leaks). Pour filling into cooled crust and bake 10 minutes; without opening oven door, reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of cheesecake registers about 150 degrees, about 11/2 hours. Transfer cake to wire rack and cool 5 minutes; run paring knife between cake and side of springform pan. Cool until barely warm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Cake can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)
  4. 4. To unmold cheesecake, remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving plate. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies


These were very fun to make and fun to eat as well :P 

The recipe from Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard came with a recipe for a chocolate icing, which I made and thought tasted nasty so I made a chocolate buttercream for the top (a recipe from cooks illustrated that I ALWAYS use and is always delicious). 

For next time I would probably just make a buttercream (chocolate, chocolate orange, strawberry, lemon, or any other that sounds good at the time) and just fill the center (a thicker layer) with that and forget about putting frosting on the top.  

Also a tip my mom gave me, as transporting was a little tricky because they are round and tend to roll around.  Put a dab of frosting on the plate then place the whoopie pie on top and put in the fridge until ready to transport and they will not roll all around.  Worked well!!





CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM (Cooks Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then reduce speed to low and gradually beat in chocolate. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.


English Muffins


I've made this recipe twice so far, and we love it every time.  Makes a fairly dense english muffin, which I am working on making it a little lighter, but we both actually like how dense it is.  Wonderfully delicious toasted with some butter and good homemade jam.

From a book, Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard, that my parents got for me as a "welcome to your new apartment" gift.  This was one of the first recipes I made and whenever I have the time, I love to make the recipe. Not too difficult, but a little time consuming.  Just writing about it now makes me want to really make it, and now I will probably make some tomorrow :)

One tip is to make sure your pan heats up in the oven fully before baking them and mine always take longer than the suggested time.






Green Garlic Pancakes



We got a box of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits the other month and it came with a little recipe book.  In the delivery there were a bunch of green onions and while looking through the recipes they included, I found one for green onion pancakes, which is a childhood favorite of mine.  We attempted this that night, and it was a little complicated.  It was very tasty but needs tweeking and I will update the recipe when I figure out what to change.  The pancake was good but too dense for me, needed more layers and to be fried in a little more oil :)

Also we didn't follow the instructions for the dipping sauce, just put soy sauce and rice-wine vinegar together...




Pretzel Rolls




Love these! Pretty easy to make but you need a good 3 hours set out because all the rising time.  Very good to make sandwiches, or as we did that night, use them as the bun for burgers...YUM! 


Salted Pretzel Rolls


Yield: 8 large rolls
Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 1/2 hours rise time)
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Make the rolls smaller if you just want to use them as small dinner rolls.

ingredients:

1 ½ cup warm water (110°F)
1 package active dry yeast (not instant rise yeast)
2 teaspoons sugar
4-½ cups unbleached all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
¼ cups baking soda
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
Pretzel Salt, for sprinkling

directions:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment), 
add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let rest 5-10 minutes until foamy. 
I didn't use a stand mixer.  I just mixed with a hand mixer.

2. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter and mix using the dough hook until 
combined well. I just kneaded for about 5 minutes. Cover with a plastic wrap 
(or a towel) and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. 
Punch the dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured clean surface.

3. Line 1 large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the dough 
into 8 pieces (4 1/2 - 5 ounces each). To shape the dough "take a piece of 
dough and start forming a round, smooth ball by pulling the sides to the center 
and pinching to seal. Place, pinched side down, on a counter and lightly cupping 
your hand around the dough ball, rotate your hand in small circles lightly rolling 
the ball around the palm of your hand."

4. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet pinched seam side down, 
with at least 1” between each roll. I like to stagger mine: 2 rolls side by side, 
then one down one row but between the two in the top row... Then 2 more 
side by side, followed by one down a row but between the 2 in the top 
row... etc (this will fit all 8 on one cookie sheet). Cover with a towel and 
allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes until they rise & double 
(mine didn't rise a whole lot).

5. Preheat oven to 425°F and place oven rack in the middle position. 
In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a low boil. Remove from 
heat and slowly add the baking soda (I dumped mine in and it boiled up 
and overflowed all over my stove - lesson learned! hah) place back on heat 
and lower to a simmer.

6. Place 2-3 of the rolls at a time into the poaching liquid, seam side down. 
Poach for 30 seconds and then carefully turn the roll over and poach for 
another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same prepared 
sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the beaten egg, making sure 
to coat all sides completely & then prinkle each roll with a little pretzel salt. 
Using a sharp straight edged knife, cut a slash (or 2) -or- an “X” shape in 
the top of each roll.

8. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot!

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Strawberry Breakfast Bars




I have always wanted to try making a granola bar and since I have the time this summer, I decided to give it a shot.  For the first time I thought it turned out pretty well but I need to do quite a bit tweeking before I will be happy.  I have to say, a thousand times better than the ones you buy at the store, and nothing artificial!!

I'm thinking of doing more whole wheat flour and less white flour and experimenting with the bran and oats.  The jam in the center didn't excite me all too much.  I would defiantly not use as much cornstarch and probably add some lemon juice and zest into the jam for the center.  Also I would make a little less of the oat/bran mixture to make the bar a little less thick, also maybe decrease the amount of jam too.

Also, make the strawberry jam FIRST! 

Strawberry Breakfast Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup of All Bran, ground up
3/4 Cup of whole Wheat Flour
3/4 Cup of White Flour
1/2 Cup of Oats
3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1 tsp of Baking Powder
1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
11/2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Cut into Small Pieces
1/4 tsp of Salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg
2 tsp of Vanilla
2 Cups of Strawberries
1/4 Cup of Water
1/4 Cup of Agave Nectar -- I used honey because it is what I had, worked great
2 Tbsp of Corn Starch + 1 tbsp of Cold Water

Directions:

1. First up, grab your dry ingredients; the bran, flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and add them to your bowl.

2. Mix them up and then add in your vanilla to the dry mixture.

3. Now start adding in your butter a handful of pieces at a time and use a pastry fork to incorporate. If you don't have a pastry fork a regular fork works well too. Continue to add the butter until it's all incorporated into the dry mixture.

4.Now grab your strawberries and throw them in a pan with the water and agave nectar (honey). Get it boiling and then emulsify (I used a immersion blender)  the strawberries to create a smooth liquid. Add in your cornstarch mixture and let it boil for a minute or two until thick. Remove from heat and put in the fridge to cool completely.

5. Grab your crumb mixture and press half of it into an 8x8 baking dish.

6. Pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the top. Add the rest of the crumb mixture and gently press it down into the pan to tighten up your top layer of bar.

7. Throw the whole thing into an oven heated to 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let cool completely and get ready to enjoy a true breakfast treat!

Gallo Pinto


This is Jordan and my classic staple food that we both enjoy when we just want some comfort food (that also contains the protein to fill us up, rather than just a bowl of pasta).  I think I especially like this because with my stomach sensitivity, this is one thing I can eat that doesn't make me feel nauseous.  I make mine with dried beans and always soak them overnight or more.  I do this because one: it gets rid of most of the gases that will make us gassy after eating them, and two: I can control how I cook the beans, as I like them a little crunchy-er and three: you can add some more seasoning.  Most of the time I cook the rice in a rice cooker because I am too lazy but I will provide also a way to cook the rice on the stove with a little more flavor.  Always put the rice in the fridge for at least a day before cooking.  This is also a perfect way to use any extra rice that you have lying around in your fridge.  

I personally love a little bowl of this (about 1/2-3/4 cup) in the morning with a scrambled egg mixed in. I have a huge appetite in the morning and need something that will fill me up.  This is perfect because it isn't a huge amount of food, it is easy because I have pre-portioned amounts in my fridge to just stick in the microwave in the morning, it fills me up and is delicious!

  RECIPE:

Beans:
10 - 16 oz of black beans depending on how much you want
7 cloves of garlic
Garlic salt (1-3 tsp)

1. Put black beans (or other if you want) in a bowl and fill with cold water (at least three inches above the beans, as they will expand).  Let sit and soak for at least 4 hours (I always soak overnight).

2. After they are soaked drain and rinse then put in a pot with cold water that covers the beans and bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Pull off the heat, cover and let sit for one hour.

4. Bring back to a boil over high heat, add some garlic salt (or regular) and how ever many peeled garlic cloves you want.  I peel and cut mine in half and throw them in. Simmer for 30-60 minutes depending how you like your beans cooked.
Rice:
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 cups of white rice
3 cups water or chicken broth

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in pan over medium heat until shimmering.  Add 1/2 cup of onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent.

2.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains are shiny and evenly coated with oil (2-3 minutes).  Add water or broth (I use a mixture of both) and about 2 tsp of salt and bring to a boil over high heat.  

3. Boil rice without stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated and you can see small bubbles bursting to the surface of the rice.  Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook (don't stir or remove lid) for 15 minutes.  Put in a container and refrigerate overnight.

Gallo Pinto:
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium high heat until shimmering and add the extra half cup of onion and cook until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).

2.  Add the rice and beans and cook until the rice is evenly coated.  Continue to cook, stirring, to allow flavors to meld for about 10 minutes.  Cover and cook over low for 10 more minutes.


Brooklyn Blackout Cake


WARNING: This is a really rich and chocolately cake :)

For father's day this year my dad requested a chocolate cake so I went to the library, checked out a cake book and of all the chocolate cake recipes, this one seemed to be the best.  I also wanted to create something a little more complicated then just a boring chocolate cake and this looked as it would give me a little bit of a challenge.

This cake was a very big hit, especially with my dad.  Even Jordan ate a piece and enjoyed it, and he is not a big chocolate fan.  This chocolate cake will now be my go to recipe for chocolate cakes, no need to look for different recipes anymore.  

The pudding was actually very easy to make (I had never made pudding from scratch before) and it soaks into the cake a little giving it a more rich and moist texture.  

Another tip, which is completely my own opinion, is that the cake is best after chilling in the fridge for a bit.  I thought it was much better the next night after sitting in the fridge.

Recipe from the Cake Book by Tish Boyle




Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies

This is one recipe that I have repeatedly come back to time and time again and is always a hit.  The espresso really brings out the the chocolate flavor.  I personally do NOT like the taste of coffee but when baked the coffee flavor isn't as strong and the chocolate shines through more.  You can alter the amount of espresso either up or down depending on the amount of espresso you want.  Be careful with adding more though, as it already has a lot.

I made a brownie cake out of the recipe for my dad's birthday this year.  For the decoration I made a stencil (just out of paper that I had drawn on and then cut out with an exacto knife -- warning, was a little time consuming).  Then I laid it down on the top of the brownie and sifted powdered sugar on top. TA DA! :)


Recipe (From Cooks Illustrated):

MAKES 64 ONE-INCH BROWNIES -- no, just no.  An 8x8'' baking dish does not yeild 64 brownies, but maybe 64 bites....

Either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. These brownies are very rich, so we prefer to cut them into small squares for serving.  -- It is very rich, which is why both my dad and I love this recipe :)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Fold two 12-inch pieces of foil lengthwise so that they measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; overhang will help in removal of baked brownies. Following illustration #1 below, fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. 2. In medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa and espresso until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. 3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then fold in flour with spatula until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan using foil handles (see illustration #2, below). Cut into 1-inch squares and serve. (Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.)