Malt Syrup Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I've always found it difficult to truly be in the moment. To live in the now.  I'm either stuck behind in my thoughts or I have already moved on to something new and shiny.

And usually it is the latter.

This isn't a case of missing things completely out of season, like wanting Christmas in July.  Which is also a problem I have.  I pine for eggnog in July.  What I'm referring to is a slight rushing ahead rather than enjoying what is in front of me.

Once autumn comes around, I'm in full-on Thanksgiving/Christmas mode. Christmas decorating starts at the beginning of November. September and October exist purely for Thanksgiving meal planning.  I can't actually enjoy the weeks and months for what they are. Once spring greens litter the markets, I'm already dreaming about the berries and the peaches that lay head.

These blondies, baked with a smattering of chocolate chips, are adapted from Cooking Light.  They have the magical ability to bring me back to the moment.  Instead of using butterscotch chips, I decided to throw in some malt syrup. I was most pleasantly surprised by the results.  Instead of turning out like a cookie, the malt syrup gives them an almost sticky gingerbread feel.  But they aren't gingerbread. They lack the denseness, thickness, the spicy sumptuousness of gingerbread.  There will be a day to enjoy that.  But not yet.  These are a treat for the now.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
2 tablespoons half and half
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray or fit parchment paper to pan.  Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.  My barley malt syrup was super thick from being refrigerated, so I placed the malt syrup, half and half, and butter that had yet to be melted in a microwaveable bowl and microwaved carefully in 15 second intervals until the butter had melted and the mixture could be stirred.  If the malt syrup is runny, whisk with the half and half and melted butter.  Pour the microwaved mixture into a mixing bowl, along with the brown sugar, canola oil, vanilla, and eggs.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Stir in the flour mixture until just combined, and then stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Strawberry Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

There are many experiences in life to which I have absolutely no inclination to become a participant.  Like running a marathon.  Or bungee jumping. Or learning computer programming. Or Living in a snowy/icy location.  I just have no interest in these.

And I'm thinking that eating muffins without chocolate chips has to be added to that list.  Non-chocolate-chip muffins can sound so wonderful and so delicious.  And I'm taken in by their charms, their warmth, their smell (I'm looking at you apple muffins). And I will bake some.  And after I eat one, and the remaining 11 or so muffins are waiting to be eaten, my mind starts to regret this muffin path that I have chosen, and I fervently wish that a chocolate chip muffin, of some kind, of any kind, was in front of me instead.

I now put chocolate chips in banana muffins, zucchini muffins, muffins without fruit - ALL the muffins. Including these ones. I imagine that someone will assume that all the muffins taste the same. But that is just complete and utter nonsense.

Do I want that sweet banana taste with my chocolate chips or do I want some sweet berries? What kind of texture should the muffin have today? These are important questions. And lead to very (okay maybe not very) but still, they are all different muffins. All very different vehicles for delivering chocolate chips into my mouth.

Instead of leaving things well enough alone, I took out the lemon from this recipe and added vanilla extract and a bit of almond extract and some cinnamon and nutmeg for some fragrance. And, most importantly, chocolate chips were added to the mix. It is a muffin path with no regrets.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chopped strawberries + 2 tablespoons flour
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions 
Heat oven to 350. In a small bowl, gently coat the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons flour together and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together extracts, sugar, egg, buttermilk, and oil. Mix the dry ingredients into wet, stirring until just combined. Gently mix in the strawberries that have been tossed with flour, as well as the chocolate chips. Line a muffin pan with liners then divide batter among the prepared cups. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. 

Peach, Basil, Ginger, and Brie Puffs

I'm not really sure how it started. I didn't grow up saying this word.  I used words like fruits and vegetables, or more specific words like "apple" or "strawberry."  Or place-centric references like "I'm going to the store" or "I'm going to the farmer's market."

 But I hadn't used the word "produce."  Until now.  

And somewhere along the way, I taught Max to say this.  And now we (and by we, I mean he) loves to say this word.  Not just say it.  But live it. Dance to it.  Replace all the words of Hey Jude to simply "produce." Games of identifying whether or not the object in front of us is produce or not.

Instead of saying "we are going to the farmer's market," we say "we are getting produce today!"

Seth recently asked me why Max is so excited about going to the farmer's market, why he is so excited about produce?

I just laughed.

Who wouldn't love produce?!?  I'm kidding, this is not one of those posts espousing the beauty and deliciousness of produce from farmer's markets...

I laughed because Max doesn't actually like being at the farmer's market (unless he is chowing down on a juicy peach or tossing back berries by the handful).  He just likes saying the word.  Once we are actually out shopping, shoes will be definitely, defiantly kicked off and "bye bye produce" will be shouted pleadingly.

And while he has an appreciation for the actual word, it most definitely does not mean he loves all produce.  We are not one of those impossibly charming families where kids skip around swinging baskets of hand-picked fruits and veggies and turn their heads in disgust at the sight of a processed food item.

This time, Max was super excited to eat his produce in peach form.  He did not however enjoy the peaches turned into puffs.  Puffs filled with lime-scented peaches, ginger, basil, and brie.  They tasted pretty awesome to me though...  To make up for his lack of enthusiasm, he did perform a produce dance.  So that helped.

Love this video from Cooking Light about buying and storing fresh peaches! So informative!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled peaches
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 ounces brie
1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 tablespoon half and half
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions
Heat oven to 400 (or whatever temperature is recommended on your puff pastry dough). Cut the puff pastry into four triangles. In a bowl, toss together the peaches, basil, lime juice, lime zest, honey, ginger, and cornstarch.  Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peach mixture as well as a slice of brie on each triangle, bring the opposing edges over and seal the puff into a triangle shape. You may want to use just a bit of water to help seal. Whisk the egg and milk and brush the half and half on each triangle and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and puffy.

Brown Sugar Meringues Dipped in Coconuty Chocolate and Chopped Cashews

I could perhaps justify the malformed nature of these baked goods by:

a) rambling on about creating miniature abstract art sculptures, expressing myself by forming meringue batter into individual confections, each one displaying its own personality, its own story, through its unique set of peaks and valleys

or

b) blaming the toddler, who after getting to watch egg whites billow up into fluffiness, desperately wanted to help put the said fluffiness onto baking sheets

In a way, I guess these are sort of true. Max insisted on scooping some of the batter onto  trays.  And I do sometimes stiffen under the demands of Pinterest worthy beauty.

In reality though, it all comes down to my inability to make things look pretty.  I've yet to do anything that resembles piping (Seth can do this...see Bus Cake).  I've picked up pastry bags and tips and tried to do the things you do with them, but it just doesn't work out.  My fingers and hands and wrists never communicate to each other in ways that produce even and controlled results.  They instead choose to create blobs.  Blobs of meringue.  Blobs of frosting.  And after the failure to produce "pretty," I once again hide the bags and tips in the back of a drawer until one day I optimistically, defiantly, get it into my head that I can get this.  So it goes.

These meringues (adapted from this Cooking Light recipe), made with dark brown sugar and vanilla, are baked to a crispy, almost caramely goodness, and then dipped into a mixture of chocolate and coconut oil (with just a bit of espresso powder to intensify the chocolate taste).  A roll in some chopped cashews finishes these off.  Maybe they have appearance issues, but they make up for it in taste.  A perfectly imperfect cookie.

Ingredients
5 egg whites
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1/3 cup roasted and salted cashews, finely chopped

Instructions
Heat oven to 250.  Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whip the egg whites until foamy, then add the cream of tartar and salt.  Once the mixture reaches soft peaks, gradually add in sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Line two baking sheets, and either neatly pipe the meringue mixture into rounds, or just spoon the mixture Bake for an hour, until they are dry and no longer sticky.  Turn the oven off, and leave the meringues in the oven for another hour.  Put chocolate chips, coconut oil, and espresso powder in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on low power in 30 second intervals (stirring in between) until melted.  Put the chopped cashews in a bowl.  Dip the meringues in the chocolate and then the cashews.  Let the chocolate set before eating.  Or not.  Totally up to you!

Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies with Fruity, Nutty, Chocolaty Flair

I am beginning to think the only holiday traditions we have are intending to do festive activities and not following through.  For instance, this year we were going to carve pumpkins for Halloween, like we did last year.  Didn't actually happen.  It got pushed back and back until it would have been December 1 and we would have been the weird people with a jack o lantern out on the porch in December instead of glittery Christmas decorations. For Hanukkah, we plan to make latkes at least one of the nights.  This year we managed to make some before Hanukkah started.  But not during.  Even though we swore to ourselves we would.  Quite frankly, there didn't seem to be any reason not to make these again. We were looking forward to them! We actually completely failed to celebrate this holiday. Candles were bought for the menorrah and never even lit.  And now on to Christmas, we still have a few days, but it is looking increasingly likely that the gingerbread houses will not indeed be assembled and decorated.  Perhaps we crack under holiday pressures? At some point these things sound super fun but once they are upgraded to the category of tradition they also bring a sense of obligation, a yoke we refuse to wear?  Lazy? Busy? Perhaps we prefer to go with the flow, and see what new fun things each season brings? I have no idea.  But there is actually one tradition - ok, I'm not using that word anymore - one activity that always happens this time of year... one that, without fail, actually happens.  The cookies are always baked.  The exact list of cookies changes each time.  There are a few stalwarts, lending their years of experience to the annual cookie brigade.  But it is the addition of new cookies that adds excitement and a sense of whimsy to the mix.  These particular cookies are actually a hybrid between the new and old- a former heavy hitter recipe from my mom that got a bit of a chocolate makeover.  So here are some shortbread thumbprint cookies filled with either apricot or orange spread.  Or a raspberry, for funsies. Drizzled with a chocolate and almond ganache. Toasted almond slices optional.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/3-1/2 cup apricot or orange spread
raspberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup toasted almond slices, optional

Instructions
Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add in extract.  Slowly stir in the flour.  The mixture will look sandy at first, but the dough should come together, just keep the mixer going.  Feel free to add just a touch of milk if it doesn't seem to come together.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press an indentation into the ball.  Fill with either the apricot spread or place a raspberry in there.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.  Cool for a minute on the tray then move to a cooling rack.  Combine chocolate chips and cream in a microwaveable bowl.  Carefully microwave for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is melted.  Stir in the almond extract.  Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies.  Add toasted almond slices to each cookie, if desired.

Orange and Anise Cookies

I love all the nuances and quirks of people.  They can be so strange and fascinating.  For instance, take Seth and me.  We love pajamas.  Love them.  Nothing makes us happier than being all cozy and comfy at home.  But when we eat, we rarely use paper plates and paper napkins.  We get out the place mats and plates and utensils and cloth napkins, even when we get takeout Chinese or pizza.  And we eat like this while wearing pajamas.

There are many things that Seth doesn't eat that I enjoy.  I love fruit and fruity desserts.  Seth doesn't. And it is a bit random what I actually find worth making for myself (and Max) and what I don't think is worth it.  Like cheesecake - I won't make it.  Even though I adore it and used to have my mom make me some for birthday cakes growing up.  But banana bread is a yes.  Desserts with peanut butter are generally a no (Seth hates peanut butter in sweets).  But I make apple pie at least once a year.  These cookies are also a yes.  Seth doesn't particularly love anise, but Christmas isn't Christmas without these cookies for me.  They are adapted from my dad's mother's famous recipe.  They are like anisey, orangey little cakes with a cream cheese frosting.  And I crave these every year.  So while peanut butter blossom cookies won't make the cut on the holiday cookie list - these are always at the top.

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

For the icing:
8 ounces cold cream cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt
pinch allspice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, allspice, orange zest.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and egg yolk, and beat until incorporated.  Add milk, anise, and orange juice into the butter mixture.  Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Once the flour has been incorporated, refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight.  Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes.  Once cool they have cooled, frost with the cream cheese icing.

For the icing:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar in mixer.  Add in remaining ingredients and beat gently until a spreadable icing remains.  Feel free to add more sugar if the icing is too liquidy, or to add more liquid if it is too stiff.

Apple Pomegranate Fruit Bars with Rose and Ginger

I love that I am 28 years old, with a child of my own, and I can go to my gram's and still be treated like one of the grandkids.  When we were visiting friends and family back East last month, Max and I ended up with extra time to spend at her place, and it was AWESOME!  She fed us amazing baked goods. She gave us books to read to keep us busy (picture books for Max and Christmas-y cook and craft books for me).  I even had my friend Vicki come over and my gram made us all a homemade spaghetti dinner.  With both coconut pie and shortbread bar cookies with an apricot filling for dessert!  Yay for two desserts!  It probably sounds like she was babysitting both me and Max.  And that is probably a true statement.  I even needed her medical help with this weird thing that had popped up on my arm.  I apparently was the recipient of a spider bite.  I have no clue how that happened.  But my gram took care of it.

So after we got back, I missed my gram!  How could someone not miss gram?  And then I remembered that she gave me the recipe for her shortbread bar cookies with the apricot jam!  I didn't have any jam around, but I had gone to the farmer's market recently.  I combined her cookies with ingredients I had on hand, and it made me feel like she was right next door for a moment.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 apples, chopped (I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady)
pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground dried rose leaves, plus more for sprinkling on top
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.  Then slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples, pomegranate seeds, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, rose and ginger.

Press 2/3 of the reserved flour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Pour apple mixture over it.  Then sprinkle remaining flour mixture.  Dust a bit of sugar and ground rose on top.  Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown and the apples have cooked.  Remove and set aside until cool.  Cut into squares for serving.

Brown Butter Blondies with Chocolate Maple Glaze

Ugh I hate packing.  I think I somehow manage to both overpack and underpack at the same time.  It is a gift.  I was looking for the new toothbrush holders that had been picked up a few days ago, and I knew I saw them the day before.  I had looked right at them in their bag.  Somehow, during those hours, they got lost.  I don't understand how that happens! Am I getting old and senile?  Did I just imagine toothbrush holders?  Was the whole act of going to the drugstore and placing said holders in my basket, checking out, and then coming home with them just an elaborate fantasy in my head?  Is it a trick being played by some sort of supreme being?  Did the cats take off with the package and wrap yarn around it?  Did Max claim it for his own, burying it under a forgotten pile of toys?  Did it disappear through a wormhole into an alternate dimension?  I HAVE NO IDEA! It is confusing.  I was so annoyed about this situation.  I know it really isn't a big deal in the scheme of life, but it doesn't take away from how frustrating it feels at the moment.  So I tried to let it go (okay, lets face it, I'm not really letting it go) and accept the fact that the toothbrush holders have found a new home and would not be accompanying us on our trip.  Then I went to the kitchen and made these.  Eating these made me feel better.

Ingredients
For the blondies:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, ground
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon half and half

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 baking pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground walnuts.  In a medium skillet, melt the butter.  Keep and eye on the butter, it will become foamy and brown specks will be at the bottom of the pan, and it will have a wonderful nutty fragrance.  Take off heat and stir in brown sugar and maple syrup.  Let the mixture cool.  Once cool, whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture and then the chocolate chips.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until  the top is golden brown and it has cooked all the way through.  Let cool.  To make the glaze, place the chocolate chips, salt, maple syrup, and half and half in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute (you want everything to be nice and melted together).  Stir, then use a pastry brush to glaze the blondies.

Adapted from the blondies recipe in Joy of Cooking  

Baked Apples with Pine Nuts, Juniper Berries, and Orange

It is surprising to me that apples in this day and age still have cores.  I mean, watermelons and grapes are now seedless.  Apples are wondering when their day is coming.  Okay, I'm wondering that.  I'd also advocate for pit-free cherries.

I thought it would be all meditative and soothing to be coring apples (and I only did 4!).  Looking back, I have no idea why I thought that would be the case.  At all.  For one thing, I am completely incapable of having those kinds of attributes.  Instead, I lean towards "anxious" and "stressed."  I feel like that is something I need to work on, but that just makes me more anxious.  So it is what it is.  And yes, I've tried the whole yoga thing.
Secondly, maybe the 90 degree weather also played a part in making things not so fun.  Okay, probably a large part of it. In addition to being the anxious type, I am also stubborn and delusional - stubborn in that, since September 1, I have declared it to be Autumn here... and delusional since "here" is Southern California.  It has been like 90 here the past few days.  And it is October.  I'm confused by this.  But because it is Autumn, I must do Autumn things.  Even if the weather doesn't cooperate.  And perhaps I should consider one of those apple corer gadgets.  But despite the annoyance of taking out the cores and the overbearing heat, I loved every bite of these.  Completely and utterly worth the hassle.  

Ingredients 
4 granny smith apples, cored
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
pinch salt
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup water
vanilla whipped cream, for serving

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, juniper berries, melted butter, salt, pine nuts, all spice, orange juice, and orange zest.  Fill the apples with brown sugar mixture.  In a small bowl, mix brandy and water, and any remaining brown sugar mixture.  Place the stuffed apples in ovenproof dish, then pour the brandy mixture on the bottom.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until the apples are tender but hold their shape.  Serve with vanilla whipped cream.

Banana Nutella Walnut Bread

I suppose that if we were normal human beings we would be telling you that our favorite activities to do as a couple include long walks on the beach, or whittling pieces of driftwood into home decor pieces, or reading poetry to each other in front of the fireplace.  But no, our very favorite thing to do as a couple is annoy each other.  We are really good at it!  Professionals, really.  We can sit in the same room for hours and just make random noises and sounds and comments to each other that we know will irk the other one.  I have a truly amazing ability to sing incredibly off-key quite loudly.  And I use that ability.  Oh I use it.  I also have been blessed with the gift of pretending to sing opera.  I make use of that.  Naturally.  Seth can make this one sound and hold it for ridiculously long period of time and it never ceases to annoy me.  He is also incredibly skilled at asking annoying questions over and over and over again.  We aren't being mean to each other - we are just child-like (or childish, depending on your perspective).  So what could be better than to annoy him with than banana bread with Nutella swirled in it?  I totally foresee questions like - how in the world is banana bread an annoyance?  Well, Seth HATES bananas.  Passionately.  He can detect when a baked good has banana in it from like a mile away.  It is uncanny.  Now I just have to sit back and wait to see how he retaliates.

Ingredients 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup whole  milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons flax seed
2/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/3 cup Nutella

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.  Whisk flours, baking powder,  baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, stir together brown sugar, bananas, canola oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract.  Gently stir the the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix.  Stir in the flax seeds, and toasted walnuts.  Pour batter in loaf pan.  Swirl in the Nutella.  Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the loaf has a golden-brown color and a cake tester comes out clean.

Scallion and Cheddar Drop Biscuits

I think it is good and important to critique structures and institutions that make up our everyday lives.  Whether it is interrogating patriarchy, kyriarchy, capitalism, U.S. imperialism, colonialism - I am all for reimagining a more just and equal world.  But I have my limits.  And I draw the line at bread.  I fully support the hegemony of bread.  I feel like bread has been receiving a bad rap.  I'm supposed to be all like, "Oh I feel so much better after not eating bread."  Bread is a "sometimes" food.  No.  I am a fervent believer in the amazingness of bread and other, great bread-like products.  So there!  Here are some scallion and cheddar biscuits to celebrate.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese
1 cup half and half

Instructions
Heat oven to 450.  In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, paprika, and garlic powder.  Add the pieces of butter and using your fingers work the butter with the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumble.  Stir in the chopped scallions and cheddar cheese.  Then stir in half and half.  Drop the batter onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet in large spoon-fuls.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until they have a golden brown color.

Chocolate Strawberry Cake Cookies with Orange Zest

I am so completely open to the power of suggestion when it comes to food.  I either read, see, or hear about food, and then suddenly, I want it that instant.  At the end of 'One Hungry Monster', the little boy takes out an apple muffin, and I think to myself, why yes, yes, an apple muffin, that does sound perfect!  When we watch a Seinfeld DVD, we generally end up wanting Chinese takeout. Even if we're stuffed.  There is always room for Chinese food...  Then there is the book, 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie', that Max loves.  Of course, by the end of it, I'm always thinking, wow, yes, a cookie, that is most definitely what I need in my life right now!  Why won't someone give me a cookie?  So, after reading that book one too many times the other day, I finally said, cookies need to be made.  

What kind of cookies?  Well... we all know what I have been addicted to lately.  Stawberries!  I promise from now on to rein in the strawberryness.  Or at least I will try.  It really doesn't help that the Saturday farmers market right down the street sells big boxes of strawberries for like six dollars.  So it is just right there begging to be bought and used up.  I blame them for my addiction.

Ingredients 
1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 pint strawberries, chopped
1 tablespoon flour

Instructions 
Heat oven to 350.  Whisk 1 1/8 cup flour, baking soda, salt, and orange zest, and set aside.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixer until they are well combined.  Then add in the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined.  In a small bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with a tablespoon of flour.  Then using a wooden stir, stir in the chocolate chips and strawberries into the dough.  Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough onto greased baking sheets.  Makes about 24 cookies.  Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges have turned golden brown.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking "Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe

Chewy Pistachio Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are the love child of Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” chocolate chip cookies and the Momofuko Milk Bar “Compost Cookies.”  Of course, like many children, they possess traits that neither parent can understand or account for, and toss out many of the notions their parents hold dear to fit their new world view.  In this case, that world view is to have a bunch of movie snacks together in one ever-chewy cookie form! Pistachio, pretzel, dark chocolate, and semisweet chocolate… a beautiful melody of sweet and salty.  These cookies do come with one rule, though.  You must drink them with a glass of milk.                      

Ingredients 
1 cup unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 ¼ cups AP flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground coffee
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pretzels
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
½ cup salted and chopped pistachios
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Instructions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and ground coffee.  In another bowl, mix the chocolate chips, pretzels, dark chocolate, and pistachios.  Pour the butter into the work bowl of a standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.  Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, then cream on medium speed (will take a few minutes).  Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract.  Mix them until everything is well combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture.  Once that has been incorporated, add stir in the chocolate chip and pretzel mixture.  Chill the dough at least an hour.  Heat oven to 375.  Scoop the dough out in about ¼ cup-size portions.  Bake about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.  Pour the 1 cup of milk into a glass.  Dunk cookie in milk for 6-13 seconds before eating.  Enjoy.

Strawberry Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

I went to the store last week intending to get a quart of buttermilk.  On a side note, I should point out that when I say “I’m going to the store,” it means I am going to our usual grocery store.  No other place is referred to as “the store.”  Any other grocery store is called by its proper name.  It took awhile for Seth to catch on to this, but now I think he gets it.  According to him, any store can be called, “the store,” but that’s just ridiculous, right? Back to the buttermilk.  They only had half gallons of it, so I threw caution to the wind and said, fine, I will use this entire thing before it expires.  And I did!  We had buttermilk biscuits three times during the week ( I may have an addiction), we had buttermilk marinated chicken drumsticks, a buttermilk ice cream, and of course, these muffins.  I just love the way buttermilk adds that tangy moistness to baked goods. 

Ingredients
1 ½ cups chopped strawberries + 2 tablespoons flour
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
zest of Meyer lemon
juice of Meyer lemon
½ cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
lemon curd, for serving, optional

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  In a small bowl, gently coat the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons flour together and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  In a large bowl, mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, buttermilk, sugar, oil, and vanilla.  Mix the dry ingredients into wet, stirring until just combined. Gently mix in the strawberries that have been tossed with flour.  Line a muffin pan with liners then divide batter among the prepared cups.  Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve with lemon curd, if desired.

Glazed Chocolate Chip Scones with Rosemary and Cara Cara Orange

Scones make me happy.  I’m not sure why.  Or maybe I do know why, but it actually doesn’t make sense.  Maybe it is because they are associated with tea; which, again, is kind of strange because I drink more coffee.  I drink tea when I’m sick or on random chilly nights.  But tea also makes me think of growing up.  In both my mom’s house and my gram’s house, tea facilitated talking.  There was nothing that couldn’t be made all better with a talk, a kitchen table, and a pot of tea (usually accompanied by some sweet treat).  So, despite the associations of tea with being sick, tea makes me happy.  And therefore, scones make me happy.  Scones are also just these super fun biscuits that you can stuff with all sorts of flavors.  Here, we went with rosemary, fresh Cara Cara orange, and semisweet chocolate chips.  So go ahead and bake up a few of these, pour yourself a warm cup of tea, pull up a seat at the kitchen table, and be happy.

Ingredients
For the scones:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of kosher salt
½ teaspoon orange zest from a Cara Cara orange
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
5 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny pieces
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh juice from a Cara Cara orange
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions
Heat oven to 375.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, orange zest, and rosemary together.  Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture.  Work the butter into it until the mixture looks like coarse crumble.  Stir in cream and orange juice until dough forms.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Divide dough into equal size pieces (I got 8 large scones), and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Or you can be fancier and roll the dough into a 1-inch thick circle and cut the dough like a pizza.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, orange juice, and milk.  Let the scones cool for just a bit, then brush on orange glaze.

Pop Tarts, 3 ways – Rose Hip and Apple, S’mores, and Brown Sugar Spice

So this post is all thanks to my mom, who gave me some random things that, when put together, created a super fun treat!  My mom lives on the opposite side of the country, so she likes sending us packages to stay in touch.  Just recently, she sent me two jars of rose hip fruit spread.  I’ve never even heard of rose hips before this.  And I’m not really the kind of person who puts jelly on toast.  I’m not really sure why.  So I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with this.

Also about 8 years ago, my mom gave me this kitchen gadget, telling me she thought I would use it more than she would.  It was a Cut-N-Seal gadget from Pampered Chef that can make tarts.  At the time, I was an odd choice of recipient for this gadget, since I didn’t cook, and what I did cook consisted of packaged Lipton sides, Easy Mac, and ramen noodles (I was not a sophisticated eater in college).  I always assumed I would never get around to using it.  Over the years, I have moved far away from our once college-style cooking, and it has been bugging me that I have this gadget that has never been used. 

Then there was an epiphany- I could put both of these things together! So I finally unearthed the kitchen gadget from its place in the baking kitchen utensil drawer and put it to use, cutting out pocket sized tarts filled with rose hip jelly.  I also decided to try out some other fillings, like s’mores and brown sugar and spice.  So 8 years later, I can finally say, “Thank you mom!”

Adapted from the King Arthur Flour website.

Ingredients 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
4 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1 egg for egg wash

Rose Hip and Apple filling:
8.8 ounce container rose hip fruit spread
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 apple
1 lemon wedge

Brown Sugar and Spice filling:
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch ground ginger

S’mores filling:
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 graham crackers, chopped
½ cup marshmallow creme

Instructions
Place flours, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk and set aside.  Add the pieces of butter into the flour mixture with the paddle attachment of the mixer to make a mixture of coarse crumble.  Add the egg mixture and beat with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together.

This is what I did for the 3 ½ -inch circle-shaped tart maker, and if you don’t have a special gadget, just use a traditional biscuit cutter or really anything circle-shape (like a mason jar lid) and use it to trace circle shapes from the dough.  If you want the traditional rectangle shape for the pop tarts, the King Arthur site has directions for that.  Divide the dough in half and roll each half into an 8-inch circle.   You can either place them in the fridge or continue rolling them out.  If you do choose to chill the dough, let the dough come to room temperature before working with it (takes about 25 minutes).  Lightly flour a work surface, and roll each half of dough to a 1/8 inch thickness.  Use the cut and seal gadget to cut out 18 circles from the dough (to make 9 tarts).  Fill each tart with filling then seal shut, either using the gadget or pressing together the edges of dough by hand.  Beat the egg, then brush on the egg wash and cut a few vents into each tart.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry has turned golden brown.

To make the rose hip and apple filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water.  Place fruit spread and cornstarch mixture in small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for two minutes. Let cool.  Peel and dice the apple, then squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon wedge over the apple pieces.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of the thickened fruit spread in each tart, then a tablespoon of the apple pieces. 

To make the brown sugar and spice filling:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a fork.  Put 1-2 tablespoons in each tart.

To make the s’mores filling:
Mix the chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces in a bowl.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture in each tart and top with a tablespoon of the marshmallow crème.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting

These cupcakes are all about the contrast – a rich chocolaty cake topped with a whipped cream frosting full of vanilla flavor.  Mmm, vanilla whipped cream…Ok, so I’m not going to lie.  I’m pretty sure the cupcake is being used purely as a vessel for the whipped cream topping.  It is just so vanilla-y and light, we can’t stop eating it. 

Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
heaping ½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Easy Ganache
¼ cup coconut milk
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Frosting
1 ½ cups whipping cream
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350.  In a small bowl, mix coconut milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, instant coffee, cocoa powder, and sugars.  In a medium bowl, mix together coconut milk and vinegar mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined.  Scoop batter into lined muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Once the muffins have cooled, make the easy ganache and dip the cupcake tops into it.  Once they have cooled again, make the whipped cream frosting and top the cupcakes. 

To make the easy ganache: Using a double boiler, or very carefully in a microwave, melt the chocolate chips with coconut milk.  Stir until smooth.

To make the whipped cream frosting: Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar until stiff peaks are formed.

Chocolate and Szechuan Peppercorn Brownies

After seeing a recipe in Food and Wine for chocolate and Szechuan peppercorn brioche, I became obsessed with this combination.  Previously, I had only seen this spice used in savory foods, and here it was paired with chocolate!  The chocolaty goodness of brownies seemed like a great place to marry the flavors, and infusing the butter and the ganache with the peppercorns doesn't make the flavor too overpowering.

Ingredients
Brownies:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick, broken

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1 tablespoon espresso

3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

Ganache:

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish.  In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the peppercorns and the pieces of cinnamon stick.  Meanwhile, in a double boiler or microwave, melt the unsweetened chocolate and semisweet chocolate together.  Stir in the espresso to the melted chocolate.  Once the butter stops foaming and you can see browned bits at the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes), take off heat and remove the peppercorns and cinnamon stick.  It may be easier to strain the contents of the pan and then return just the butter to it.  Stir the sugars, milk, vanilla, and salt into the butter in the pan.  Then stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate and espresso mixture.  Beat in the eggs, and then lastly, stir in the flour.  Bake in greased pan for about 25-30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.  Feel free to underbake them a bit.  Once brownies are cooled, spread ganache.  I like to put them in the refrigerator to firm up the ganache. 

To make the ganache, bring the heavy cream and peppercorns to a simmer in a small pot. Strain the peppercorns and stir in semisweet chocolate chips. 

Chocolate Orange Muffins

It is always a pleasant surprise when you encounter unexpected, harmonious flavor combinations.  I remember the first time I had chocolate-coated candied orange peel – it was a revelation! Chocolate’s silky, creamy taste meets the sweet and sour citrus notes of orange to create a culinary symphony.  These muffins capture that chocolaty orange combination. 

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chunks
2 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¾ cup fresh orange juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
orange zest from 2 oranges

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Grease muffin tin.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, beat sugar and butter.  Add eggs and combine.  Add orange juice and orange zest, yogurt, and vanilla until combined.  Slowly mix flour mixture into the wet ingredients.  Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

To change these up a bit, I will sometimes coat them with a chocolate ganache.  When I do that, I heat three tablespoons of milk or cream in the microwave and then mix in 1/3 cup of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips.  Just dip the muffins in the ganache and enjoy.

Apricot Jam Bread Pudding

Bread pudding has a wonderful old fashioned feel to it. It is a dish built on a foundation of thrift – using up leftover bread and transforming it into a sweet treat. The allure of making bread pudding is that special moment when you have all the ingredients in your kitchen without needing to run for something at the store. This particular version came about when I had just the right ingredients in my fridge…day-old sourdough bread, dairy products, and some apricot jam just begging to be used.

Ingredients
3 cups cubed sourdough bread
3 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces apricot jam

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolks, and extracts. Add the cubed bread and allow it to soak in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Remove enough bread cubes from the mixture to cover the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Spread about half of the apricot jam and then cover with the remaining bread cubes. Pour the half-and-half mixture on top of the bread cubes and spread the remaining jam. Bake for an hour, or until the sides puff up and turn golden brown, and the center is set.