tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89128494334678864152024-02-06T21:07:00.021-08:00Bake for LifeKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-88218204295812332002009-07-02T11:49:00.001-07:002009-07-02T11:50:24.015-07:00New Blog AddressI'm moving this blog to <a href="http://joyfulbaker.blogspot.com">joyfulbaker.blogspot.com</a>. Check it out!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-15345899810979309652009-07-02T08:35:00.000-07:002009-07-02T09:20:22.303-07:00Molasses CookiesMy friend, Sydney, brought me over some cookies one night. My husband and I devoured them. They were amazing. She was willing to share this fabulous recipe, and I think you all should go make a batch right now. I'm serious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_lVagPBluWEvBAfIefUyiIBEldsLKVchoM5odx-3T6xV6AY5QS82YCqedMAlDOT7qZRnJxea4qxKj1UwUVdfU7kU5XHMoCVyHXS3h4OAEc1J1Dc38FL6KDS67hIa0GXlPaghYT-z-MJb/s1600-h/DSC_0187.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_lVagPBluWEvBAfIefUyiIBEldsLKVchoM5odx-3T6xV6AY5QS82YCqedMAlDOT7qZRnJxea4qxKj1UwUVdfU7kU5XHMoCVyHXS3h4OAEc1J1Dc38FL6KDS67hIa0GXlPaghYT-z-MJb/s320/DSC_0187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353887502815547890" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Molasses Cookies</div> <br />Recipe from Sydney R's Great-Grandma Sydney Minnette<br /><br />3/4 C shortening (not butter)<br />1 C sugar<br />1/4 C dark molasses<br />1 egg<br />2 C flour<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, extra if desired<br />1/2 tsp ground cloves<br />1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />3/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.<br /><br />Mix shortening, sugar, molasses and egg in big bowl. Mix all dry<br />ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and<br />mix until well blended. Dough should be fairly stiff.<br /><br />Separate dough into 1” balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet<br />with about an inch separating each ball of dough. Bake for 7-9<br />minutes until the top of the cookie is cracking and the cookie has<br />flattened out a bit. Leave cookies on cookie sheet for about 5<br />minutes. These cookies are delicious warm and fresh or later in the<br />cookie jar, but will also keep very well in a Ziploc bag in the<br />freezer.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-8301290691777431632009-07-02T08:14:00.000-07:002009-07-02T08:32:46.967-07:00German Chocolate CakeMy husband turned 30 this week. Hard to believe we're entering that phase of life. The birthday card I gave him pretty much sums things up: "I think everything happens for a reason. For example, people turn 30 because the fun part of their life has ended." Happy birthday, hon!<br /><br />I really enjoy making birthday cakes. The fancy kind. All from scratch and with multiple layers. This year my husband chose a German chocolate cake. Did you know that this cake isn't even German? The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German." Sam German created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The company name the chocolate in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin. <br /><br />Anyway, on to the recipe. These are the raw ingredients I used. I would have used a better chocolate, but my husband chose the cake around 11:30 pm the night before his birthday, and I started baking the next morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmIjxhswH5qO7FJdxrBLamJoREtY50POuqJVAMbeihk2Dy_5x1o08_nV2sD7BL_awX5q3_U0gpvAvzayp4MeLmQZhz0Eeb3yy98ulXP85G6m6Tr6kUlTSDBW4WZL2Iw0Aseu-fp3r2wOE/s1600-h/DSC_0185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmIjxhswH5qO7FJdxrBLamJoREtY50POuqJVAMbeihk2Dy_5x1o08_nV2sD7BL_awX5q3_U0gpvAvzayp4MeLmQZhz0Eeb3yy98ulXP85G6m6Tr6kUlTSDBW4WZL2Iw0Aseu-fp3r2wOE/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353882538820992466" /></a><br />I used Martha Stewart's recipe, and I was a little disappointed. It wasn't as moist as I would have liked, and it didn't make enough frosting. So, if I had to do it over, I would have divided it up into 3 separate pans and cooked for a shorter amount of time. And, I would have doubled the frosting recipe. Here's the link to Martha Stewart's <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-with-coconut-pecan-frosting">Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting</a> (aka German Chocolate Cake). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lNQDDEQYlbK95hSfoFrkOb49ykSi7z8H6P5GBtSMLOe4guiCm7ODlVPdw4PTfTXFehjEooX6vAiJV7wnQ_wjfNcheqAr2UC4_yPoMWe1GdHluRvLSpAO97xQsZXPs93Ur1scZNZxKTYT/s1600-h/DSC_0186.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lNQDDEQYlbK95hSfoFrkOb49ykSi7z8H6P5GBtSMLOe4guiCm7ODlVPdw4PTfTXFehjEooX6vAiJV7wnQ_wjfNcheqAr2UC4_yPoMWe1GdHluRvLSpAO97xQsZXPs93Ur1scZNZxKTYT/s320/DSC_0186.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353885902029156258" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-78857588626708316292009-06-23T07:58:00.001-07:002009-06-23T08:06:33.573-07:00Happy Father's DayWe had a great Father's Day. Very relaxing and enjoyable. And, my husband got to grill up some burgers. Awesome!<br /><br />I was debating whether or not to make <a href="http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/06/fast-food-fun.html">Bakerella's fast food</a> for the dessert. The question: is it too cute for my husband? Probably. But I just couldn't resist! <br /><br />My husband's reaction was classic - he just stared at them in amazement and kept asking how I made it. He was very surprised and concluded that he needed to "up the ante" for my holiday desserts in the future. I'm excited to see what he pulls out of his hat for my birthday! :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPsaxjWIIYCJC2zHhAeHXTA1CtXqqnVYqJkvh3CNDcSgoMvC6pxnTUunpT2C7WWn9cia5RjxGBVn-P0BU5rmJiFbtHMLHDs3A9dqcGdxGrxbo1yohWgqLRpC2uh7MkFkDphk_dw6Lnw7K/s1600-h/DSC_0185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPsaxjWIIYCJC2zHhAeHXTA1CtXqqnVYqJkvh3CNDcSgoMvC6pxnTUunpT2C7WWn9cia5RjxGBVn-P0BU5rmJiFbtHMLHDs3A9dqcGdxGrxbo1yohWgqLRpC2uh7MkFkDphk_dw6Lnw7K/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350538023878068178" /></a><br />Finally - a picture in the daylight. See what a difference that makes?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-77965624694985179432009-06-23T07:48:00.000-07:002009-06-23T07:57:26.814-07:00Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIu-G-jTnHoxeGPasFKYuiJf0cPmpAYZTFtshLn-OZWKKQkDYFI-DYEjcB1BaDqtT3-y8uUd98tUsueI59ahQK8sFeljorgyJWeUC-KtmWiI_l5B3yWAf-YiT3v74IvH1R8Qx0LWlOZiT/s1600-h/DSC_0185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIu-G-jTnHoxeGPasFKYuiJf0cPmpAYZTFtshLn-OZWKKQkDYFI-DYEjcB1BaDqtT3-y8uUd98tUsueI59ahQK8sFeljorgyJWeUC-KtmWiI_l5B3yWAf-YiT3v74IvH1R8Qx0LWlOZiT/s200/DSC_0185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350536673063471442" /></a><br />Yum! <br /><br />A couple of weeks ago I made the declaration to my husband that I wanted to make a dessert. Not cookies because that's always my default. I wanted to make a cake. The one that came to mind was <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/strawberry-shortcakecake/">Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake</a>. I had seen her blog entry previously and thought it would be the perfect compromise for me and my husband - I love anything with cream cheese, and he loves anything with strawberry shortcake. Voila! Enter Pioneer Woman!<br /><br />Unfortunately I found that I only had enough powdered sugar to make about 1/3 of the frosting recipe. This actually turned out to be ok for us. My husband is of the opinion that less is more when it comes to frosting, and this was the case with this cake. It was really good. You should go make it.<br /><br />Note: I know that my picture is less than great, but I always seem to bake at night. This means bad lighting. I may have to invest in a daylight lamp or something so my pictures will look better. Either that, or I need to start waking up early and baking. Hmmm, quite the dilemma...Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-38261108124828061802009-04-10T10:55:00.000-07:002009-04-10T11:08:19.763-07:00Fabulous Lemon CakeI have made this recipe 3 times now, and every time I make it I get rave reviews (granted, twice it was for the same people, but that's because they asked me to make it again). It really is delicious. Very moist and full of lemon flavor. My husband and I were trying to figure out why people like this so much, and I've decided that it's because it's different from your everyday dessert. I mean, how often do you eat a dessert of just lemon?<br /><br />A few tips of mine. The recipe calls for 6 to 8 lemons, but I only use 4. It gives me all of the zest I need and all of the juice I need. I use 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of water in the syrup, and I don't feel obligated to use all of the syrup on the cake. I do think it helps to make the cake really moist so I wouldn't omit it. But just use your best judgment of how much it needs when it comes to spooning it on the cake.<br /><br />Oh yeah, one more thing. If I need it for a luncheon, I make the cakes the night before and put the syrup on. Then the next morning I add the glaze and let it set. It tastes just as good as it would have if it had been baked fresh that morning, but it saves a whole lot of time and stress in the morning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicERHCDHySmQZiLE8apMDEQBhCZhm0LZon0929n0VdCFC1PmsJIMHzTbo4pj4wZM9f1gscQ5OmjQteEvl5tSa4PXvmXx6p0SxKKWK2vb7bzKmgfhteXhtgck30eSkt0JaOzZT9OyrabkYt/s1600-h/DSC_0051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicERHCDHySmQZiLE8apMDEQBhCZhm0LZon0929n0VdCFC1PmsJIMHzTbo4pj4wZM9f1gscQ5OmjQteEvl5tSa4PXvmXx6p0SxKKWK2vb7bzKmgfhteXhtgck30eSkt0JaOzZT9OyrabkYt/s320/DSC_0051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323125462990259634" /></a>Lemon Cake from <span style="font-style:italic;">Barefoot Contessa Parties</span>!<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br /> * 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br /> * 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided<br /> * 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature<br /> * 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)<br /> * 3 cups flour<br /> * 1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br /> * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br /> * 1 teaspoon kosher salt<br /> * 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided<br /> * 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature<br /> * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br /><br />For the glaze:<br /><br /> * 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted<br /> * 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice<br /><br />Directions<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.<br /><br />Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.<br /><br />Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.<br /><br />Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.<br /><br />For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-10029727728370218902009-04-08T06:28:00.001-07:002009-04-09T07:45:00.955-07:00Rice PuddingWe had some milk that needed to be used up, so I decided to make some rice pudding. I looked at a few different recipes and couldn't find one that was exactly what I wanted so I improvised. I already had some cooked rice so that had to be a key ingredient. I also wanted to have more of a custard pudding, so adding an egg was the trick there. <br /><br />I was very pleased with the rice pudding in the end. It was very thick, rich, and creamy. The second day we added a little milk to loosen it up and it was just as tasty. My husband and I ate it all up so fast (2 days when it should have taken us a week) that I didn't even get a picture!<br /><br />Rice Pudding<br /><br />3 ½ cups cooked rice, at room temperature<br />2 ½ cups whole milk<br />1 ½ cups half and half<br />1 cup cream<br />2/3 cup sugar<br />pinch of salt<br />1 egg, beaten well<br />1 ½ tsp vanilla<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />½ cup raisins<br /><br />Combine rice, milk, half and half, cream, sugar and salt in a large heavy pot. Cook over medium high heat until mixture begins to simmer, stirring continuously. Reduce heat so that the mixture is at a low simmer, continuing to stir until mixture becomes thickened (about 25 minutes). Add beaten egg very slowly and mix well to combine. Simmer for another minute. Add vanilla, cinnamon and raisins and stir well. Pour into a bowl, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Serve warm or chilled.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-87892829913532727072009-03-25T11:04:00.000-07:002009-04-06T17:59:51.484-07:00Applebee’s Walnut Blondie With Maple Butter SauceThe other day I was reading through the blogs I follow and saw a picture of this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBH_PDDrpTTDYBtnC-d7FDgtSC2l5My9wr6DAT3aE9LO46fxRBvwuwQ5fha4luS8RtIre0MzGKAxedD-4l7Wi9nyN_zXbMsLB-j4s9qTpuho-rKiNheA5kvGroL9cR1zHpc7LL_UFLbMO/s1600-h/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBH_PDDrpTTDYBtnC-d7FDgtSC2l5My9wr6DAT3aE9LO46fxRBvwuwQ5fha4luS8RtIre0MzGKAxedD-4l7Wi9nyN_zXbMsLB-j4s9qTpuho-rKiNheA5kvGroL9cR1zHpc7LL_UFLbMO/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321745833670106130" /></a><br />Can you blame me for wanting to try it? I had all of the ingredients so I headed to the kitchen. After I made it, I realized that I'm not really even a fan of blondies - it just looked so good on the screen! I'm glad I tried it because I like to broaden my horizons and make new things. My review? It was delicious. Fabulous. But VERY sweet. Too sweet for me, in fact. And that's a hard thing to do.<br /><br />Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />Dough<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/8 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup flour, sifted<br />1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)<br />1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)<br />1 cup packed brown sugar<br />1 egg, beaten<br />1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup white chocolate chips<br /><br />Maple Butter Sauce<br />3/4 cup maple syrup ( I highly recommend using REAL maple syrup )<br />1/2 cup butter<br />3/4 cup brown sugar<br />1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />Dough<br />Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br /><br />Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again. Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.<br /><br />Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well.<br /><br />Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center.<br /><br />Serve warm with ice cream and Maple Butter Sauce.<br /><br />Maple Butter Sauce<br /><br />In a pan, add real maple syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Next, stir in brown sugar until completely dissolved. If you desire, add walnuts.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-65064197772379714002009-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:002009-03-18T12:07:32.433-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day!We had some friends over for an authentic Irish meal in honor of St. Patrick's Day. We made Irish bacon and cabbage (corned beef is actually an Irish American tradition - in Ireland they eat pork much more often), Colcannon (which is mashed potatoes with cabbage), soda bread, and drank blackcurrant squash. It was a delicious meal! I asked my sister who is living in Ireland what to serve for dessert and her Irish husband said apple tart with custard. I remembered eating this while we were in Ireland and decided it would be perfect.<br /><br />I found an Irish apple pie dessert online and decided to give it a go. I was a bit worried about the crust when I started to roll it out. The sour cream in the dough became really moist and made the rolling difficult. I used a lot of flour when I rolled out the top of the crust so that it wouldn't stick. This was my first time using sour cream in a pie crust, but I have to say it turned out really flaky and delicious. I made it festive by using a shamrock cookie cutter on the top crust. To serve, we dished some custard into a soup plate and put a piece of pie on top.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyCI7krCw1MxAXXFS9zXcZBFs2z9cXFceD7uolE4TiWVDiM5029XjKkyK4SnQcWiaMIqmneaysMBOvTFnGwVaPva_0cpGhsAjDIdheJc4zFI-Hc8TvtG88gjzxkHtoZQ1Xm2om_Y8Rwsk/s1600-h/DSC_0003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyCI7krCw1MxAXXFS9zXcZBFs2z9cXFceD7uolE4TiWVDiM5029XjKkyK4SnQcWiaMIqmneaysMBOvTFnGwVaPva_0cpGhsAjDIdheJc4zFI-Hc8TvtG88gjzxkHtoZQ1Xm2om_Y8Rwsk/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314606311050024690" /></a><br /><br />Irish Apple Pie<br /><br />For crust:<br />1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />3/4 cup cake flour<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon white sugar<br />1 cup unsalted butter<br />3 tablespoons shortening<br />1/4 cup sour cream<br />1/8 teaspoon lemon juice<br /><br />For filling: <br />5 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced<br />1/2 cup white sugar<br />2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg<br />1/8 teaspoon lemon juice<br /><br />For wash: <br />1 egg, beaten<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie pan.<br />2. To Make Crust: In a large bowl, combine flours, salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until coarse crumbs are formed. Mix in sour cream and lemon juice. Keep mixing until dough forms a ball; dough may be slightly lumpy, this is fine. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and allow to chill for 1 hour.<br />3. Once chilled, take dough out of refrigerator and cut it in half; keep one half covered and in the refrigerator. Roll dough to 1/8 of an inch. To lift pie shell, roll dough around rolling pin and then unroll into pie pan. Trim overhanging edges of pie crust.<br />4. To Make Filling: Place apples into pie shell. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and nutmeg; mix thoroughly. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Squirt lemon juice over apples. Place pie in refrigerator while top crust is rolled out.<br />5. Remove pie from refrigerator. Brush outer edge of bottom crust with beaten egg. Place second crust on top of pie; crimp pie shell edges together. Brush entire top crust with egg and cut 4 steam slots into it.<br />6. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow pie to completely cool before serving. Serve warm with Bird's Custard.<br /><br />I didn't get a picture of the soda bread, but it turned out great. It was my first time making it and I thought it turned out much more moist than the soda breads we ate in Ireland. Oh, and it was so easy! The trick is to not overwork the dough. It will look like a clumpy ball when finished, but it will taste great!<br /><br />Irish Soda Bread<br /><br />1 lb all purpose flour<br />1 level teaspoon salt<br />1 level teaspoon baking soda<br />14 oz buttermilk, approximately <br /><br />First, preheat the oven to 450°F.<br /><br />Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large, wide mixing bowl.<br /><br />Make a well in the center. Pour most of the milk into the flour. Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When the dough all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands.<br /><br />Gently roll the ball of dough around with floury hands for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up. Then pat it gently into a round, about 2 in high.<br /><br />Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet (I used a silpat). With a sharp knife cut a deep cross in it, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread.<br /><br />Put this into your preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 400°F for a further 25 minutes, or until cooked. When the bread is cooked it will sound hollow when tapped.<br /><br />Cooking time: 35 minutes, approximately<br />Yield: Makes 1 loafKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-43015004469180893332009-03-09T11:37:00.001-07:002009-03-09T11:49:58.853-07:00Easy Cheese DanishI am always in search of a good bakery. And whenever I go into a bakery, I check to see if they have cream cheese danishes (well, cream cheese anything, really). I decided I was going to venture into the pastry world by making my own cream cheese danish. After reading through a cookbook and seeing the extensive work that goes into making pastries, I had just about given up.<br /><br />I happened to be thumbing through Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa at Home" when I noticed her Easy Cheese Danish recipe. The recipe called for frozen pastry sheets - the perfect solution for me! So I gathered all of the ingredients to make these danishes, and I thought they were fabulous. They have a nice hint of lemon, and I loaded the cream cheese into the pastry because that's my favorite part. <br /><br />I will say that you can't really mess these up. I left the pastry sheets on the counter for close to 4 hours before getting started (even though the recommended thaw time is 40 minutes), and then I refrigerated them overnight so that I could bake them the next morning for breakfast. I was worried the pastry wouldn't puff up correctly, but I was pleasantly surprised. The recipe says to eat them warm, but I prefer them cold. Either way, they're delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzGmv-cPR8MHNzJw5UKcc4FYvKSFuIhB7x9yfiHwL52KySlPdZp0rveVcCVjxs-AY2hpefl6iKU8JuCdTMvx1iTDlrzMBDxBaKdNcm_xGy6Y2f3TPPl-N1B2vaOm6fRYRJHQmhS8v2JE1/s1600-h/danish3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzGmv-cPR8MHNzJw5UKcc4FYvKSFuIhB7x9yfiHwL52KySlPdZp0rveVcCVjxs-AY2hpefl6iKU8JuCdTMvx1iTDlrzMBDxBaKdNcm_xGy6Y2f3TPPl-N1B2vaOm6fRYRJHQmhS8v2JE1/s200/danish3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311261586642952130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Easy Cheese Danish</div><br />8 oz cream cheese at room temperature<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />2 extra large egg yolks, at room temperature<br />2 T ricotta cheese (I used mascarpone)<br />1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />1/4 tsp kosher salt<br />1/2 - 1 T grated lemon zest (2 lemons)<br />2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted<br />1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.<br /><br />Place the cream cheese & sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!<br /><br />Unfold one sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10x10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.<br /><br />Bake the puff pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.<br /><br />Makes 8 DanishKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-69410459674519649332009-03-03T07:25:00.000-08:002009-04-06T18:04:26.566-07:00Flourless Chocolate CakeAs part of the February challenge for the DB, I made a flourless chocolate cake for Valentine's day. I took pictures, and then promptly forgot to post (it didn't help that I was out of town for a week). This was my first flourless cake, and I was actually surprised by the texture. I was expecting dense based on appearance, but it was actually pretty light (which makes sense because you fold in stiff egg whites). It was a pretty easy cake to make, and I enjoyed it.<br /><br />The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_MvKBUhsIWQFf4nVr4Kj73NtUxXQbtpwSuuYpI71SF6ThtH9J7dmyOVeo9z_Wqo1wmDNTWicDMauaiACkWJHsPeUXgJQP1LngXLddNNySCv08eDJjCz3IaPBiPtHcUB9oVwFte3j54J9/s1600-h/DSC_0012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_MvKBUhsIWQFf4nVr4Kj73NtUxXQbtpwSuuYpI71SF6ThtH9J7dmyOVeo9z_Wqo1wmDNTWicDMauaiACkWJHsPeUXgJQP1LngXLddNNySCv08eDJjCz3IaPBiPtHcUB9oVwFte3j54J9/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321749007113126450" /></a><br />Chocolate Valentino<br />Preparation Time: 20 minutes<br />16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped<br />½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter<br />5 large eggs separated<br /><br />1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.<br />2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.<br />3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.<br />4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).<br />5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.<br />6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.<br />7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}<br />8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C<br />9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.<br />Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.<br />10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-20455909720931242282008-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:002008-11-29T08:00:00.989-08:00November Daring Baker ChallengeMy first challenge completed! :) <br /><br />This month we made a delicious Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater (<a href="http://eggbeater.typepad.com/">http://eggbeater.typepad.com/</a>). You can find the recipe at <a href="http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006 … he-recipe/">http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006 … he-recipe/</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDVLagzzVFRQpsHaH0_tOYuBdkhCcdAg_0AVnKa-yYytdJM0CHq1YsYBW-8ELC0SdNvVZLJkYB_hbazWqRaeppz4uvjZXRALOHntsYFRS2-HXLQjRWu-vNgz5ZbfeYTGQhFwPtuuoHvY4/s1600-h/IMG_3697.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDVLagzzVFRQpsHaH0_tOYuBdkhCcdAg_0AVnKa-yYytdJM0CHq1YsYBW-8ELC0SdNvVZLJkYB_hbazWqRaeppz4uvjZXRALOHntsYFRS2-HXLQjRWu-vNgz5ZbfeYTGQhFwPtuuoHvY4/s320/IMG_3697.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273019737037637250" /></a><br />I really enjoyed making this cake because I was "challenged" to do some things I had never done before - make caramel syrup and browned butter. My first batch of caramel syrup burned, so I had to start over and the second batch was much better. I was pleasantly surprised by the caramel flavor (I was curious as to how much it would shine through in the cake). The cupcakes turned out moist but dense, and the frosting was very sweet but delicious!<br /><br />Hosting this month was Dolores (<a href="http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com/">http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com/</a>), along with Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo: <a href="http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/">http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/</a>), Jenny of Foray into Food (<a href="http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/">http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/</a>), and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go (<a href="http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/">http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/</a>).Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-42848031261871005192008-11-26T09:58:00.000-08:002008-11-26T10:07:06.169-08:00Pineapple Carrot CakeMy husband and I have been on a cupcake kick lately. We went to a local bakery and tried out 6 of their cupcakes - but they were out of carrot cake when I went. So, of course, I have been craving a carrot cupcake ever since. I got an awesome new <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku7074438/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1|16|||0|||||||cupcake&cm_src=SCH">muffin pan</a> from my sister for my birthday from <a href="http://www.williamssonoma.com/">Williams Sonoma</a>, and I needed to break it in so these were the perfect excuse. This cake is very moist (I think the crushed pineapple helps) and dense and tastes fabulous.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJUEK1DLqQMJBX9PIJED2PDoBcFzP7jeSRHPQRamEsD_xlA1j7Ts60ObDyD65rgpXk6NJtjLdsPJFH9Z74-Kvn1S7W6q2MnBw1KsOneN-hFQ0y484RCZtKx47xfpv-Gwzvk5MpweFOFRD/s1600-h/IMG_3690.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJUEK1DLqQMJBX9PIJED2PDoBcFzP7jeSRHPQRamEsD_xlA1j7Ts60ObDyD65rgpXk6NJtjLdsPJFH9Z74-Kvn1S7W6q2MnBw1KsOneN-hFQ0y484RCZtKx47xfpv-Gwzvk5MpweFOFRD/s320/IMG_3690.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273028308200839394" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Pineapple Carrot Cake</div> <br />2 cups flour<br />2 cups sugar<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />3 cups finely shredded carrots<br />1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained<br />½ cup coconut<br />1 cup cooking oil<br />4 eggs <br /><br />1. Grease and lightly flour two round baking pans (or use cupcakes pans like I did)<br />2. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add carrots, pineapple, coconut, oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer till combined. Pour batter into the pans.<br />3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool layer cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese frosting. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.<br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Cream Cheese Frosting <br /></span><br />2 3 oz. packages cream cheese, softened<br />½ cup butter or margarine, softened<br />2 tsp vanilla<br />2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups powdered sugar <br /><br />1. Beat together two 3 oz. packages cream cheese, softened; ½ cup butter or margarine, softened; and 2 tsp vanilla till light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups additional sifted powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. Then frost tops and sides of two 8 or 9 inch layers. Cover and store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-39939319387535920582008-11-09T15:15:00.000-08:002008-11-09T15:23:44.458-08:00Berry Bread PuddingThe other day when I was at Costco I bought a container of raspberries. Simply because they looked good. I had no idea at the time how I was going to use them, but I came across this recipe for Berry Bread Pudding. It calls for mixed berries, but I decided to go for only raspberries. I was a little skeptical about the lemon fondant after I made it because it was extremely lemony and tart. After tasting it I have to say that the raspberries and lemon were perfect complements to the sweetness of the bread pudding. I will definitely be making this again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N_1FyDCbB4lilUntYDki7D7uDCZuZNjKWvEjEUbFJxy2TC5IE1UAN6vtc33bso32N2LjpsoFrb-786LwCpcsFXUINGBlAPWbaXOPNVP5MYEjca5pL2N2QJo-W0qBxmID6bpdkiSzioUE/s1600-h/IMG_3665.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N_1FyDCbB4lilUntYDki7D7uDCZuZNjKWvEjEUbFJxy2TC5IE1UAN6vtc33bso32N2LjpsoFrb-786LwCpcsFXUINGBlAPWbaXOPNVP5MYEjca5pL2N2QJo-W0qBxmID6bpdkiSzioUE/s320/IMG_3665.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266801249599339122" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Berry Bread Pudding</div><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ingredients</span><br />Butter, room temperature<br />4 eggs<br />3/4 cup whole milk<br />3/4 cup heavy cream<br />1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />1/2 cup sugar, plus more for dusting and topping<br />4 large slices brioche bread (I used challah because I couldn't find brioche)<br />2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), plus more for garnish<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Lemon Fondant</span><br />1 cup powdered sugar<br />1 tablespoon water<br />1 lemon, zested and juiced<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Directions</span><br /><br />Butter and sugar 6 (6-ounce) ramekins.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sugar. Combine well with a whisk - then let it settle so there are no air bubbles on the surface otherwise these will cause lumps in your anglaise.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br /><br />Tear the brioche up into large pieces using your hands, add to the custard mixture and toss to combine. Equally divide the berries among the ramekins and top with the bread mixture. Gently press down so they are packed evenly. Sprinkle with more sugar, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to let soak.<br /><br />Bake for 25 minutes in the center of the oven. The pudding is ready when it has puffed up and the custard is set. The top should be a nice golden color. Remove and allow to cool slightly.<br /><br />Make the fondant. In a mixing bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, water, lemon zest and juice.<br /><br />Once the pudding has cooled slightly, invert onto an individual serving plate. Drizzle the lemon fondant over warm bread pudding and serve with extra fresh berries.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-91408845175740253642008-11-07T06:36:00.000-08:002008-11-07T10:19:27.312-08:00Fondue PartyWe had some friends over on Halloween for our very own fancy fondue party. We have had a tradition of going to our local cities Restaurant Week, but because two of us had babies recently, we decided to do our own dinner at home. <br /><br />Everything was fabulous - we had cheese fondue with bread, cauliflower, carrots, and apples. The second course was Coq Au Vin with chicken, steak, shrimp, and veggies galore. I was in charge of the chocolate fondue and decided to go with a peanut butter chocolate fondue. I was pleased with the result - it was not too sweet, had a bit of excitement with the peanut butter, and it was delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R9knJXl36Ncnf-Q9q4N685kZbHJT9aCCDMat07DDLsNb1kUzwzWSBWDX9uMNnD4qW8yZ-Bx0KEECdOrMbO09OX0SeRj5S2wsoQwt6QIi7VlloJOHGdL7HIGI3q0KGQeo2SB1Vt4GN4Za/s1600-h/Fondue+Party.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R9knJXl36Ncnf-Q9q4N685kZbHJT9aCCDMat07DDLsNb1kUzwzWSBWDX9uMNnD4qW8yZ-Bx0KEECdOrMbO09OX0SeRj5S2wsoQwt6QIi7VlloJOHGdL7HIGI3q0KGQeo2SB1Vt4GN4Za/s320/Fondue+Party.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265938123119217842" /></a><br />For dippers we had strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, cheesecake, and pound cake. I made the cheesecake using my trusted recipe that has never failed me. Not even once. And the pound cake was a new experience for me. The taste was good, but it was a bit dry for me - I think it was mostly because I made it in two loaf pans instead of a tube pan and was unsure of how long to cook it.<br /><br />The recipes I used are posted below. Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate disks (I used Dilettante)<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup whole milk<br />1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter<br /><br />Combine all ingredients and put into a double broiler. Stir until melted and smooth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Cheesecake</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Filling</span><br />4 8 oz. packages Philadelphia cream cheese at room temp<br />1 c sugar<br />2 tsp vanilla<br />4 large eggs at room temp<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Crust</span><br />2 c graham cracker crumbs (12 whole graham crackers) – set 2 tbsp aside for topping<br />1/3 c sugar<br />1/3 c butter melted<br /><br />In processor blend 3 ingredients for crust until they become a clumpy ball. Dump them into the spring-form pan (10 inch - preferred, or 9 inch) and press them to about 2 inches up the side. Set the crust aside.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.<br /><br />Wipe out processor bowl, add cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Blend together until creamy. Pour over crust.<br /><br />Bake in middle of oven for 60-70 minutes. Wrap bottom of spring-form pan with foil, so if the butter leaks, it won’t drip and make smoke in the oven.<br /><br />Test for doneness by jiggling the pan – done when center jiggles, but doesn’t wobble (across the whole cheesecake).<br /><br />Remove from oven, and cool for at least 1 hour. <br /><br />Tip: To avoid the crack down the middle of the cheesecake, cool slowly by turning off oven, leave the cheesecake in the oven until it all comes to room temperature (about 4-5 hours). <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Pound Cake</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ingredients</span><br />1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter<br />3 cups sugar<br />1 cup sour cream<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />3 cups all-purpose flour<br />6 large eggs<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br /><br />Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.<br /><br />In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-75348733649372130622008-11-03T05:47:00.000-08:002008-11-03T05:57:21.606-08:00Girl Scout CookiesWhen girl scout cookie season rolls around, my husband and I become a bit obsessive. I want to stock the pantry with enough thin mints and samoas to last us the whole year. This year when we went to the local grocery store to buy our supply, we made the girl scouts' day by buying about 10 boxes. I remember them saying, "That's the most we've ever sold to one person!" What a proud moment.<br /><br />I came across this recipe from <a href="http://bakingbites.com/">Baking Bites</a> for <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas/">homemade samoas</a>. I had to try them out to decide whether or not they were as good as the real thing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBExdNJcgYK6wmij22g5Y1eQJPDbWhyazgAUxNUcaZRr4VZgsZCdES9WxTN4_GXtB4xOy7imfPMhtkE3yVr8_LoFsr6mTnL2AVjAxv2O7UBfg6ZCCsXphfZhthOQagfOmDSxJUKj6tcET/s1600-h/IMG_3416.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBExdNJcgYK6wmij22g5Y1eQJPDbWhyazgAUxNUcaZRr4VZgsZCdES9WxTN4_GXtB4xOy7imfPMhtkE3yVr8_LoFsr6mTnL2AVjAxv2O7UBfg6ZCCsXphfZhthOQagfOmDSxJUKj6tcET/s320/IMG_3416.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264429682834303522" /></a><br />The conclusion? No, they're not. But they're pretty good if you've got that craving. My husband liked that the shortbread cookies in this recipe were crisper then in the real samoas. They were a bit of work but they were fun to try out. Oh, and I had to search high and low for the Werther's chewy caramels - either the stores didn't carry them or they were out of stock.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-32683688527956433852008-11-03T05:37:00.000-08:002008-11-03T05:47:27.205-08:00Peach CobblerI've been on a bit of a hiatus, but I'm back. And I've still been baking away, just haven't been posting. <br /><br />My favorite time of year has to be the fall - I love the crisp fall air, the beautiful red, orange, and yellow leaves, and most of all I LOVE PEACHES! So here's a peach cobbler I made a while back. It's called Brigham City Peach Cobbler, and it's oh so good! I like to make the cobber in ramekins so that everyone gets their own individual serving. Here's the recipe!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7otL6MqRi2LVchMHNY6p75Bcs7f015ley-hjjJRPQPjtHGb0uFy8MirdWyUsh6FabIImYZ-B4WfX3P9mIpQbIko6nmS3OqhCoZ8eLgsG3gnLQ7hRcJ8hc5GMsIaXwR37yjYOdT7-fRIX/s1600-h/IMG_3272.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7otL6MqRi2LVchMHNY6p75Bcs7f015ley-hjjJRPQPjtHGb0uFy8MirdWyUsh6FabIImYZ-B4WfX3P9mIpQbIko6nmS3OqhCoZ8eLgsG3gnLQ7hRcJ8hc5GMsIaXwR37yjYOdT7-fRIX/s320/IMG_3272.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264426864748489106" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Brigham City Peach Cobbler</div><br /><br />3/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch<br />1/2 cup water<br />1 tsp almond extract<br />4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches<br />1 tbsp lemon juice<br />1 tbsp butter<br />1 cup flour<br />2 tbsp sugar<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 cup butter<br />1 egg, slightly beaten<br />1/4 cup milk<br />Ice cream or whipped topping (optional)<br /><br />For filling, in a large saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add almond extract. Stir in peaches, lemon juice, and the 1 tbsp butter; heat through and keep warm while preparing topping.<br /><br />For topping, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Turn hot filling into a greased 1 1/2 or 2 quart casserole dish, or 6 ramekins. Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings. This recipe also works well with 4 cups fresh raspberries or blackberries, or a combination of raspberries and peaches.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-71251628247278989552008-09-15T10:21:00.000-07:002008-09-15T10:36:41.275-07:00Buttermilk DoughnutsLast night I decided to make some buttermilk doughnuts. My husband helped me, and he really enjoyed it because it reminded him of being a kid. In terms of texture, this recipe tastes like a mix between a cake doughnut and a regular doughnut. We used powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar as our two toppings. <br /><br />Here's a tip - wait until the doughnuts are completely cool before coating with powdered sugar, otherwise the sugar will melt when the doughnut is hot. Oh, and another tip - serve these doughnuts the same day as they always taste best the day they're made!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5ogWbVc1iM-wcVSVhfQlxr-Uzr9S1Re0aWFtE-FCqGXtrXizLQVNk78gOl0Z5S0zE-lgCxnxteJeGaemnTgbi5OPP7k1lBWTuxvZPQYy3fT4n6_z70K7He0gxkB-ibVjtPU704yLIgrb/s1600-h/IMG_3230.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5ogWbVc1iM-wcVSVhfQlxr-Uzr9S1Re0aWFtE-FCqGXtrXizLQVNk78gOl0Z5S0zE-lgCxnxteJeGaemnTgbi5OPP7k1lBWTuxvZPQYy3fT4n6_z70K7He0gxkB-ibVjtPU704yLIgrb/s200/IMG_3230.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246300878420897058" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Doughnuts</div><br />2 cups buttermilk<br />2 large eggs beaten<br />1 cup sugar<br />5 cups flour<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp nutmeg<br />1/4 cup melted butter<br /><br />Combine buttermilk, eggs, and sugar and mix well. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk mixture, then melted butter. Roll dough out about 1/4 inch thick on floured board; cut with doughnut cutter. Fry in hot oil (about 375 degrees) till golden brown on both sides. Drain on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. Sprinkle or roll in sugar. Makes 4 dozen doughnuts.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-85648784717119307712008-09-15T10:10:00.001-07:002008-09-15T13:53:42.677-07:00Homemade Gelato and Ice CreamWhen my husband and I went to Ireland last year, we fell in love with gelato. There was a place near my sister's apartment where you could get the biggest serving of gelato for hardly any money. We made a bad habit of going there a few times a week (we were there for 5 weeks) and trying out the different flavors. Absolutely delicious!<br /><br />I still dream about the gelato, particularly the hazelnut and chocolate flavors (the two I finally settled on as the best). I decided to make my own the other day, and it turned out so well I didn't even get a picture of it (my husband and I devoured it)!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g_7LGPESZI-eWaTRnAUS5MdxYTlwpPutLbzBMAHpa5QQ3_RyMZKOvlMjWsl-Db-OnCFpVzawgl58kQxVFo7CYKLn12pM890ZnYjnSdiHZnSTfwgdvQ7dANRSbvM41wqRcKL0lOnSV7Wr/s1600-h/IMG_3243.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g_7LGPESZI-eWaTRnAUS5MdxYTlwpPutLbzBMAHpa5QQ3_RyMZKOvlMjWsl-Db-OnCFpVzawgl58kQxVFo7CYKLn12pM890ZnYjnSdiHZnSTfwgdvQ7dANRSbvM41wqRcKL0lOnSV7Wr/s200/IMG_3243.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246299179229157602" /></a>A few days later I made some mint cookies 'n cream ice cream (my favorite ice cream flavor). The ice cream was good, but it did not compare to the gelato I made. The gelato was so much more creamy and smooth. The key ingredient for the gelato - egg yolks. I will definitely use the gelato recipe below as my base and experiment from there.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Gelato</div><br />2 cups whole milk<br />1 cup heavy cream<br />1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup<br />4 egg yolks<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br />In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.<br /><br />Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls.<br /><br />For chocolate hazelnut gelato, add 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (I used Nutella) when adding the vanilla and stir until completely dissolved. Follow the directions accordingly.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-25212782397844965672008-08-28T11:41:00.000-07:002008-08-28T11:57:59.695-07:00Snickerdoodle HeavenThere's just something about a soft, chewy snickerdoodle that brings a smile to my face. My husband told me the other night that snickerdoodles are his favorite cookie - and I've been baking him chocolate chip cookies all this time!<br /><br />I made a batch the other night after my mom asked about the cinnamon we bought from Penzey's Spices. I was trying to think of other ways to use my cinnamon and snickerdoodles came to mind. What I've found is that the trick to a snickerdoodle is to underbake them. These cookies turned out fabulous and if you're looking for a quick cookie, try these out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaSLgAm6YaXDnmYWMoK2Pv6ixMJbEe1c7JTGqQlELHjoa6u4Lcdskf1YVpNlyUOHMzQKJyYFEAeDc7a4aI292tMVLlLQU3-gKSFjrWuCe0UxrMBqMYLW4PztHHNIMD0HAoz0a-V2SIkAw/s1600-h/IMG_3117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaSLgAm6YaXDnmYWMoK2Pv6ixMJbEe1c7JTGqQlELHjoa6u4Lcdskf1YVpNlyUOHMzQKJyYFEAeDc7a4aI292tMVLlLQU3-gKSFjrWuCe0UxrMBqMYLW4PztHHNIMD0HAoz0a-V2SIkAw/s320/IMG_3117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239642402825516658" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Snickerdoodles</div><br /><br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1/2 cup shortening<br />1 1/2 cups white sugar<br />2 eggs<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons cream of tartar<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons white sugar<br />2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.<br /><br />Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.<br /><br />Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Enjoy!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-12545085052491924622008-08-25T17:52:00.000-07:002008-08-25T18:11:25.893-07:00The best cake I've ever hadI hosted a dinner party last night and at the end of the evening announced that I had made Chocolate Zucchini Cake for dessert. I asked if anybody wanted some, and the responses were varied. "Oooh, yeah, I love zucchini," and "not if it tastes like it sounds."<br /><br />The cake went over very well, even with one dinner guest announcing that it was the best cake he'd ever had. The zucchini makes the cake very moist, and you can even justify eating it because there are vegetables in it (wink, wink).<br /><br />Try it out and enjoy! Oh, and I'd recommend serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - it's the perfect complement to this chocolatey treat!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lu2AX3dcus9gV8Jt8GdmSUjj5fHH6cxgbi1VT7XfupOBotnPEPLDaYHSi2LmSHvCQzSRT6nHwSQ9BMxa4ln5vBB3Dt4FxmJRpBa33K0xHDpFKu4drS2cCHMzcmOzonUqb2JHFo-11Osm/s1600-h/IMG_3112.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lu2AX3dcus9gV8Jt8GdmSUjj5fHH6cxgbi1VT7XfupOBotnPEPLDaYHSi2LmSHvCQzSRT6nHwSQ9BMxa4ln5vBB3Dt4FxmJRpBa33K0xHDpFKu4drS2cCHMzcmOzonUqb2JHFo-11Osm/s320/IMG_3112.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238623678764600130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Zucchini Cake</div><br /><br />2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour<br />1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 3/4 cups sugar<br />1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />2 large eggs<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup buttermilk<br />2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan.<br /><br />Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan. <br /><br />Top each piece of cake with a spoonful of chocolate ganache. To make the ganache, heat 1 cup of heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Poor the cream over 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir until melted completely.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-48926070335337849642008-08-17T18:35:00.001-07:002008-08-17T19:04:46.875-07:00Baking up a stormI started the day with the goal of making three different things - chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, and zucchini bread. 9:00 pm rolled around and I went to start on the last of my three baked goods when I realized I didn't have enough brown sugar to make zucchini bread. I guess it will have to wait until another day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxVcOWqwYh1ezRdrl4yoUuIHOFDFN378wcgJBNy-YaZhIRgvMQtyiDHGtpCeJXy13ZGAa7aipoRON1lvC9W6XnPWCmDU3BnSgdfh3UMZiTsbgq-O9lC26Naj0ouQSBKN3VPU-adGOLks5/s1600-h/IMG_3076.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxVcOWqwYh1ezRdrl4yoUuIHOFDFN378wcgJBNy-YaZhIRgvMQtyiDHGtpCeJXy13ZGAa7aipoRON1lvC9W6XnPWCmDU3BnSgdfh3UMZiTsbgq-O9lC26Naj0ouQSBKN3VPU-adGOLks5/s200/IMG_3076.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235667943558983378" /></a>I was on the quest today to make bakery quality chocolate chip cookies - the thick, chewy kind. I used a recipe from <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=1270&bdc=15240">Cook's Illustrated</a>, but sadly my cookies did not turn out as I wanted them to and they definitely did not look like the picture on the recipe. The taste was good, with somewhat of a toffee flavor, and they were chewy. But they were pretty flat. I think the search is still on.<br /><br />After I made my cookies, I found an article in the New York Times entitled, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie</a>." Huh, go figure. It gave some great tips, particularly that you should let your dough rest for 36 hours before baking. This allows the dough to fully soak up the liquid, resulting in a drier firmer dough, which bakes to a better consistency. Translation - no more flat cookies! This article even gives a recipe (found <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?ref=dining">here</a>), so I'm excited to try it out!<br /><br />I also made blueberry muffins. This recipe is by far the best I've tried - they always turn out moist and delicious. Try them out and enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKl6CRt09eaofJupVWFc3TZVrQb6MYMg-7Ui78TlajD70LDb9jegGGU1yWuEHz6x61CNg-vmXQED2_rhz41uKsXTRhDGQCXJqVqbEQaw-95-tzG-Sj-T365XJWr3iQXLdpY4MxiDrQRrS4/s1600-h/IMG_3075.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKl6CRt09eaofJupVWFc3TZVrQb6MYMg-7Ui78TlajD70LDb9jegGGU1yWuEHz6x61CNg-vmXQED2_rhz41uKsXTRhDGQCXJqVqbEQaw-95-tzG-Sj-T365XJWr3iQXLdpY4MxiDrQRrS4/s200/IMG_3075.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235669186371442706" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Blueberry Muffins</div><br />2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon fine salt<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing the muffin tin<br />2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for the top of the muffins<br />2 large eggs, at room temperature<br />1/2 cup whole milk<br />1 cup frozen blueberries (or you can use 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried)<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush a 12-muffin tin with butter and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.<br /><br />Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.<br /><br />Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-10281313636152762642008-08-13T13:11:00.000-07:002008-08-13T13:21:57.612-07:00Chocolatey goodness!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR8rEYxhpujceRT0TDr2Hx9bVE_Dkd32jsaSq90is24M7C3aVVyMH51P4vGnlabDsXDYahn4GLMh4oayuHgvoDIpk72YZcKuDiv5Q99Sqr1KreHFv3lJCv_28Ya-7ctYOjLJg-gpyyHc7/s1600-h/IMG_3061.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR8rEYxhpujceRT0TDr2Hx9bVE_Dkd32jsaSq90is24M7C3aVVyMH51P4vGnlabDsXDYahn4GLMh4oayuHgvoDIpk72YZcKuDiv5Q99Sqr1KreHFv3lJCv_28Ya-7ctYOjLJg-gpyyHc7/s200/IMG_3061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234100132497027234" /></a>I decided to try out a recipe from <a href="http://pickypalate.blogspot.com">Picky Palate</a>. I was scrolling through the dessert recipes and when I saw the <a href="http://pickypalate.blogspot.com/2008/07/crispy-caramel-brownie-treats.html">Crispy Caramel Brownie Treats</a>, I just had to have them! They were a cinch to make and are a brownie lovers/rice crispy treat lovers/chocolate lovers delight! I must warn you - they are VERY rich!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-80117487346144048752008-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:002008-08-12T17:55:51.511-07:00Summer blissThere is nothing I love more than the variety of fresh produce available during the summer. Even better is when you've grown it in your own backyard. I'm lucky because my husband is the gardener in the family. He does all of the hard work and I get to enjoy the results! <br /><br />This year we have two zucchini plants and as you can imagine we are eating zucchini just about every meal. Something I can't resist making is yummy zucchini bread. I decided to try out Paula Deen's recipe, as found <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/zucchini-bread-recipe/index.html">here</a>. It calls for about a cup more sugar than my other recipes making it sweet, but producing a wonderful crunchy crust. It's also probably the moistest zucchini bread I've had. I followed the recipe as directed but I made one large loaf and three small loaves. Next time I make it I'll substitute half whole wheat flour and add a little more zucchini. Bon appetite!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XQmF8uo9SHuW7yPbraKXRP-36igSN7WioX4xHKVTUZ9pd_1V18FpZ2jtV8Y0r5jlvBbQQci9qlQ436-8GVFdIhyphenhyphen0gCvyWuvA7HLuWnLdzEFHptyWs9CN-IEF-xcwIIQa3uueD9mP9Ntu/s1600-h/IMG_3055.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XQmF8uo9SHuW7yPbraKXRP-36igSN7WioX4xHKVTUZ9pd_1V18FpZ2jtV8Y0r5jlvBbQQci9qlQ436-8GVFdIhyphenhyphen0gCvyWuvA7HLuWnLdzEFHptyWs9CN-IEF-xcwIIQa3uueD9mP9Ntu/s320/IMG_3055.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233799522192928770" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912849433467886415.post-58341212566449834542008-07-31T17:53:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:24:16.341-08:00National Cheesecake DayYesterday was National Cheesecake Day - my new favorite day of the year. I love cheesecake. I love the thick and creamy texture. I love the sweetness. I love the richness of the taste. I love that you can make any kind of cheesecake your heart desires and it will taste good. Oh so good.<br /><br />When I was younger my dad was in New York on a business trip over my birthday. Lucky for me he brought back a cheesecake from <a href="http://www.carnegiedeli.com/">Carnegie Deli</a>. For my mom the Carnegie Deli cheesecake is the epitome of what a cheesecake should be. We found the recipe online a few years ago and I tried my hand at making it. Don't get me wrong - it was good - but there's something about getting the cheesecake from the actual Deli. Go figure.<br /><br />In honor of National Cheesecake Day, I decided to make a White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake, like the one at <a href="http://www.cheesecakefactory.com">The Cheesecake Factory</a>. I found a copycat recipe online and felt confident about it after reading the reviews. All in all the cheesecake tastes delicious, but I made one mistake - I didn't use the jumbo size aluminum foil to wrap the cheesecake pan but used 2 smaller sheets instead. Big mistake. The water bath that the cheesecake was cooking in leaked into the pan and what resulted is the crust of the cheesecake is gooey. Not the way the crust should be. I'm a little disappointed, but I have learned and can't wait to try again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp4lcgb1UMSf4ESkrbjv0WnSWtCgvXZuSfYvDBhRAeMECQFNo3ad65pXb5ZJBcdMfKuRf0vJV8YtwYNbB-0stJzh9pGMRLHAC2ORgSCi2JTDUUG98T3zKmPM4n9BuMjjV6T2YUfevq79R/s1600-h/IMG_2988.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimp4lcgb1UMSf4ESkrbjv0WnSWtCgvXZuSfYvDBhRAeMECQFNo3ad65pXb5ZJBcdMfKuRf0vJV8YtwYNbB-0stJzh9pGMRLHAC2ORgSCi2JTDUUG98T3zKmPM4n9BuMjjV6T2YUfevq79R/s320/IMG_2988.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229349218343715106" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16571196988033590003noreply@blogger.com0