links & leftovers

jjajangmyeon

2011-04-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

learned how to make jjajangmyun this year. turns out its almost exactly like making korean curry. one difference is that i chop the vegetables finer.

start with some slices of samgyeopsal, diced finely and cooked until crispy. the same usual curry/stew suspects are here: potatoes, carrots and onions

a few minutes before the veggies are ‘done’, add in spoonfuls of jjajang sauce and a couple more spoonfuls of peanut oil and make sure the jjajang is dry-fried well. afterwards add water, bring to boil, then thicken with a little cornstarch slurry.

cook the noodles in a large pot and while they cook, turn the heat to low on the sauce and steam frozen peas and chopped jumbo shrimp under a lid

steamed perfectly. sauce is done

mix well...

the small bowl of (cold) noodles is for max. ive given him sauced noodles before but it was a _really_ long day (battery on the car is dying. almost needed a jump) and he was also very very well fed. so the noodles were more for his entertainment.

if you give him sauced noodles, it takes 10 minutes after dinner to clean the whole room up. and another 10 minutes to wipe him down

often served with danmuji but i hate danmuji. we only eat takuan and there is no takuan where i live.

also peas arent always used. often ppl add zucchini as part of the stir fry step and garnish the dish with fresh shredded cucumber (in addition to the foul danmuji).

otherwise, this is pretty typical.

there are oatmeal remnants (next to his left hand) that he ate with dad while i was cooking and a mum mum behind the bowl (his right hand). and before that hed had like a dozen graham crackers and lots of yogurt and cheerios.

we were able to eat without any crying or any screaming. he was rather quietly enjoying himself.

glad we did not sauce

The Palermo pie at La Sicilia

2011-03-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Palermo pie at La Sicilia
The Palermo pie, their heart-stoppingly delicious grandma-style pizza, is a stunner. It features a 1/2" thick, parbaked square crust foundation topped with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, slathered virtually edge-to-edge with a devastatingly good crushed tomato sauce bursting with garlic and fresh herb flavor. A sprinkling of grated pecorino finishes it off.

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies

2011-03-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies
"These rich chocolate cookies were a hit at my house. The addition of the cinnamon-sugar coating put them right over the edge.
We enjoyed them on the first day of spring with a glass of cold milk. But I will definitely bake up a batch on a cold snowy day next winter, and dip them into a mug of steaming hot cocoa."

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips (not in the original recipe, but I thought they were a worthy addition)
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Add chocolate chips (you will probably have to stir with a wooden spoon at this point).

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the 2 tsp cinnamon. Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place about 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are just set (7-8 minutes), rotating sheets halfway through (the recipe is written to cook for 10 minutes, until the centers begin to crack...around here, we don't like our cookies crispy, soft and chewy for us please. If you prefer a crisp cookie, cook the full ten minutes.). Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

2011-03-14T02:40:00.001-07:00

kirk gets around

the "special fork"

2011-03-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

the "special fork"

yarn wrappings

2011-03-06T00:38:00.000-08:00

yarn wrappings

spamoni marshmallow

2011-03-03T00:07:00.001-08:00

Smørrebrød: Salmon, Radish and Apple Open-faced Sandwich

2011-03-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Smørrebrød: Salmon, Radish and Apple Open-faced Sandwich
"Smørrebrød translates from the Danish for butter and bread. But there is no butter here, because it seems a little redundant when there is already a sprightly base of horseradish-infused ricotta hiding out beneath thin slices of peppery radish and tart green apple. Topped with a generous helping of smoked salmon and a delicate sliver of lemon and finished with a spray of fresh dill, the sandwich is sturdy enough to fill your belly but the takeaway is its light, refreshing interplay of sweet, tart, salty and crunchy flavors."

SMØRREBRØD: SALMON, RADISH AND APPLE OPEN-FACED SANDWICH
Yield: about 12 small sandwiches

4-6 slices rye bread (I’m fond of German rye bread that’s thinly sliced, found in health food stores)
4 ounces smoked salmon
1 small bunch radishes
1 tart green apple
1 lemon
fresh dill
-
1/2 cup ricotta, drained
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
salt + pepper to taste

For appetizers, slice the rye bread into thirds. For a more substantial serving, slice the bread in half.

First, combine the ricotta, horseradish and lemon juice and mix together with a fork. Add a little salt to taste if needed.

Using a mandoline or sharp knife, very thinly slice the apples, radishes and lemon.

Spread a generous layer of the ricotta on the bread. Add one slice apple, followed by radish, salmon, and then lemon. (You can eat the lemon!) Crack some black pepper over the sandwich and top with a sprig of dill. Serve immediately.

ascii store sleeping bags

2011-02-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

ascii store sleeping bags

ascii sleeping bags

2011-02-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

full circle

2011-02-14T23:56:00.001-08:00

lion icebox cookies

2011-02-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

lion icebox cookies

Penguin Icebox Cookies

2011-02-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

Penguin Icebox Cookies

the big lebowski

2011-02-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

The Four Icon Challenge
the big lebowski

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Becky Bakes and Picky Palate via BonAppetit.com

This is not my usual Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, but I suspected that mine would spread too much and reveal its delicious innards prematurely, so I used the cookie recipe included in the original recipe.
Ingredients

* 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.
4. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Caterpillars for breakfast!

2011-01-22T22:54:00.001-08:00

hmmm. cheese steak hoagies or bi bim bob? choices choices

2011-01-20T01:24:00.001-08:00

dog

2011-01-17T00:14:00.001-08:00

lambingtons

2011-01-16T22:22:00.001-08:00

lambingtons

Lemon Meringue Lamington, uncut

2011-01-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

Lemon Meringue Lamington, uncut

Lemon Meringue Lamington

2011-01-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

Lemon Meringue Lamington
Rose's Heavenly Génoise:
from Rose's Heavenly Cakes
50 grams clarified butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs at room temperature (250 grams)
125 grams superfine sugar
66 grams cake flour
60 grams cornstarch

Coat a 10" tube pan with cooking spray and flour then set aside. Set a rack in the lower third of your oven and allow it to thoroughly preheat to 350°F.

Microwave the butter until it is almost hot (roughly 110-120°F), add the vanilla and cover to keep warm.

Bring a sauce pan of water to a simmer and in your mixer's bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. With a whisk, stir the mixture in the bowl sitting over the pan of simmering water (not in the water) until just lukewarm to the touch.

Attach the bowl to your stand mixer and with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed for a minimum of 5 minutes until it has more than quadrupled in volume.

While the eggs are beating sift together the flour and cornstarch. Remove 1 cup of the egg mixture and whisk it into the bowl with the melted butter and vanilla and set aside once again.

Working quickly with a balloon whisk or a silicone spatula fold in half of the flour into the egg mixture and once it is incorporated, fold in the remaining flour.

Scrape down the bowl to insure all the flour has been incorporated and then fold in the butter mixture. Fold in, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour has been moistened (but not so much that you deflate the eggs) and immediately pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sides begin to slightly pull away from the pan. Avoid jostling the pan while baking or opening and closing the door too often as it could cause light delicate cake to fall.

While baking, spray a wire rack with non-stick cooking spray and have a small offset spatula handy. Once the cake is done it should be removed from the pan immediately. Slip an offset spatula around the sides of the pan and unmold the pan onto the rack.

Allow to cool completely.

Cut the cake into 2.5" cubes (or more efficient wedges) and arrange them together onto a baking sheet. Now they are ready for the lemon syrup.

Simple Lemon Syrup:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

In a pan over medium low heat, stir the sugar with a heat safe spatula until sugar has dissolved. Don't allow this mixture to boil. Allow the syrup to cool before using.

Take your cake squares and give them a generous coating with the lemon syrup, allowing it to absorb into the cake. This both moistens and flavors the genoise.

Lemon curd coated Lamington and bottle of lemon syrup

Not So Humble Lemon Curd:
Adapted from Rose's Heavenly Cakes
1/2 cup egg yolks
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 teaspoons butter, melted and cooled.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup + one tablespoon lemon juice
pinch salt
zest of one large lemon

Place the lemon zest into a large bowl and set a fine mesh strainer on top.

In a medium sauce pan add the eggs, sugar and butter and whisk together until combined. Add the lemon juice and salt and sift in the cornstarch whisking well. Swap your whisk for a silicone spatula and cook the curd over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Cook the mixture gently, or the eggs will curdle. If the mixture starts to give off steam, remove from heat for 20 seconds to allow the mixture to cool slightly and then return to the heat. Do not allow it to boil. In roughly 10-15 minutes the curd will have thickened and should coat the back of your spatula like a hollandaise. Pour this mixture into the bowl of zest using the strainer.

Mix then chill the curd for roughly an hour until completely cool.

Once ready, you can start assembling your Lamingtons.

Start by applying a thick layer of curd to the top of the of the génoise pieces and sandwich another on top. Spread the curd on the top and sides of the cube and then sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Coated with coconut

This could be a reasonable stopping point for this Lamington (it is delicious, we ate a bunch like this) but I am not a very reasonable person. I decided I wanted a billowy, spike covered Lamington and if you do too, preheat the oven to 375°F and start the meringue.

Basic Meringue:
6 egg whites at room temperature
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine the eggs, cream of tartar and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer (making sure it is very clean, as a trace of oil can ruin a meringue). Beat the eggs with your whisk attachment until soft foamy peaks form and then slowly begin adding the sugar, beating until you have stiff but not dry peaks.

Arrange the Lamingtons on a large baking sheet lined with parchment and either pipe on the meringue or apply with a small spatula. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes until golden brown and serve immediately.

Alternatively you can whip out your kitchen torch to toast your meringue with the flame. I did this with several Lamingtons and while playing with fire is oodles of fun, I ended up preferring the look of the baked meringues.

curry library in the pantry

2010-12-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

curry 2011

this is enough curry for one year for our family. we do not have to go to the city for a year! (its 2.5 hours away by car)

curry 2011

2010-12-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

went to the big city and bought curry at the super duper cool grocery store (super h mart) that our rural (local) asian grocery does not carry.

i admire glico for pushing the boundaries of curry blocks. strive harder for a better world!!!

all three glico ones are new for us. the s&b is new to me only in that its "extra hot". java and vermont are old standards.

late brekkie

2010-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

creamed spinach, longanisa (pampangas best. doesnt have a weird chemical aftertaste), two eggs all over leftover basmati

Beer-and-Pretzel Toffee

2010-12-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

Beer-and-Pretzel Toffee

Nicole Greene, a Chicago-based confectioner who sells sweets online, has come up with a clever riff on English toffee. She makes hers with beer, coats the crisp squares with milk chocolate and then rolls them in nuts and pieces of pretzel sticks with a welcome touch of salt. $12 for a quarter-pound, $20 for a half-pound, $40 for a pound, from truffletruffle.com.

Christien Meindertma’s giant knitwork

2010-11-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Christien Meindertma’s giant knitwork

2010-11-15T21:25:00.001-08:00

Christien Meindertma’s giant knitwork

thanksgiving turkey cake

2010-11-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving turkey cake
This "cake" is made with three layers of turkey meatloaf, sandwiched together with mashed potatoes, and with a filling of cranberry sauce and sausage stuffing. It's finished off with sweet potatoes and broiled marshmallows. Amazing. You have to respect the minds that came up with this!

decker memorial garden at mattis park

2010-11-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

decker memorial garden, mattis park

from Nailympics 2010

2010-10-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

from Nailympics 2010

croissant dream

2010-10-27T21:33:00.001-07:00

croissant dream

Cinnamon Toast Butter from Ronnybrook

2010-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Toast Butter from Ronnybrook Farms

2010 Best Dessert - Pumpkin Pie Maker by Janet Pope

2010-10-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

from the 16th Annual Soldotna Pie Auction

from a hong kong music box

2010-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

from a hong kong music box

italian rainbow cookies, chrisgalli at etsy

2010-10-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

italian rainbow cookies from chrisgalli at etsy.
just got them and they were sooooooooooo delicious. they were perfectly moist and almondy with just a touch of sweetness. mmm. mmmmm. MMMMMM. just too delicious for words. $18.50 in the u.s. link to etsy shop included. i HIGHLY recommend this product. in fact i cannot recommend it enough.

this batch was the "think pink" version. the regular ones im sure taste identically delicious.

smoker

2010-10-16T22:21:00.001-07:00

smoker

Yum! Spaghetti squash is ready! via a facebook profile

2010-10-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yum! Spaghetti squash is ready! via a facebook profile

hello matryoshka

2010-10-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

hello matryoshka

flandria, theo

2010-10-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

flandria by theo

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts

2010-10-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts
feeds 4

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

(Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. We split it into two because none of our pans are big enough to accommodate the entire recipe. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

cinnamon swirl cake

2010-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

cinnamon swirl cake

Waffled croque madame

2010-10-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

Waffled croque madame

spaghetti tacos

2010-10-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

spaghetti tacos

Creamy Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms

2010-09-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

Creamy Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms
6 chicken pieces, legs and thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
16 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of half-fat cream
2 tablespoons of grainy mustard
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
A small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place a stockpot on medium high heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Dry the chicken pieces on each side with a paper towel and generously season with salt and pepper. Place in the stockpot and leave untouched for 3-4 minutes while the chicken browns. Gently turn the chicken and brown for 3-4 minutes on the other side.

Add the chicken stock to the stockpot, leaving the chicken skin side up so it doesn’t become soggy. Cook for 45 min-1 hour until the chicken is just cooked through. When the chicken is just about done, add a good drizzle of olive oil to a small pan on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat and add the reduced chicken stock from the stockpot. Add the cream, grainy mustard and stir. Reduce the sauce until desired consistency and add the lemon juice. Spoon over the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley. Enjoy!

Prawn Curry

2010-09-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

Prawn Curry
Prawn Curry, $2.50 per prawn

The killer dish for me that day was the Curry Prawns. It was an unexpected dish since we usually order the Curry Chicken. The gravy was eye openingly good and the prawns were the fresh sea prawns which were big and succulent. I was told that their curry takes three days to prepare, from the preparation of the ingredients, to the grinding, to the frying of the rempah and finally cooking the curry. The rempah forms the curry base for all their curry dishes. The prawn curry was fragrant and has a natural sweetness that got me lapping it up and thinking of when I am going back again. 4.5/5

Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice
Blk 57 Eng Hoon Street
#01-88
7.45am till 2.30pm
Closed Alt Tuesday

White Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-09-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

White Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
(Adapted from David Lebovitz)

Ingredients:

* 8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
* 1 cup whole milk
* 2/3 cup sugar
* pinch of salt
* 5 large egg yolks
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 cup strawberries, finely diced

Method:

Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and and set a mesh strainer over the top.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer over the white chocolate. Stir until white chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir in the cream and vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the strawberries about 5 minutes before the ice cream maker’s cycle is completed.

Ali’s Tip:

I really recommend going all out with this recipe. But if you’d like to lighten it up, you can always substitute milk for more of the cream (ex. 2 cups milk, and 1 cup cream). Or use 2% instead of whole milk. Or you could also reduce the number of egg yolks.

sweet stack

2010-09-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

sweet stack

tv classic barbies

2010-09-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

tv classic barbies
I Dream Of Jeannie, Bewitched Samantha Stephens, Beverly Hillbillies’ Elly May Clampett, Krystal Carrington and Alexis. Barbie dolls will be released this coming December, 2010 and in January 2011.

peacock cupcake

2010-09-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

peacock cupcake

Wow! watermelon and scallop ceviche

2010-09-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! watermelon and scallop ceviche
Recipe
Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: about 2 hours marinating. Serves 3-4. Substitute with a soft fish of your liking if you prefer. Be sure to marinate protein until opaque and cooked through from the citrus. If using shrimp, it’s important to flash steam them until just pink before marinating.
You need:

* 1 cup bay scallops
* 1 cup lightly steamed and chopped shrimp
* 2 green cubanelle peppers sliced paper thin
* 1 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced paper thin
* 1 1/4 cup pinkish white part of watermelon rind sliced in 1/4 inch think pieces
* 1/4 cup onion finely diced
* 1 shallot finely diced
* 1/4 cup scallions diced
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
* Diced jalepeño to taste

* Juice from 5 limes and 1 lemon
* 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Chop cubanelle pepper,tomatoes, onion, jalepeño, shallots and scallion paper thin. Roughly chop cilantro. Combine in large bowl and set aside.
2. Cut some watermelon into slices like you typically would and then cut away the sweet bright pink portion and reserve for some other use. Cut a strip (an inch or so thick) of the light pink/transparent white portion that sits about ¼ an inch above the green rind. Refer to image in post. Chop your light pink watermelon rind into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1/2 cup rind to bowl of veggies and set rest of rind aside.
3. Clean and steam the shrimp until just pink. Remove from heat and run under cold water. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Rinse bay scallops and set aside.
4. Juice limes and lemon into a bowl. Add rice vinegar sugar and salt. Stir to disolve. Toss in scallops and shrimp. Add to bowl of veggies. Also add garlic powder and black pepper. Toss well.
5. Make sure all fish is submerged in juices, cover and allow to marinate in fridge for about 2 hours or until scallops are cooked through. (If substituting scallops with a more delicate fish, less marinating will probably be required to cook through.)
6. Once cooked through, add remaining watermelon rind, toss and enjoy!

chilly dogs

2010-09-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

chilly dog
toasted hot dog bun lined with peanut butter and jelly, then topped with ice cream

No-Flour, No-Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-09-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

No-Flour, No-Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
Sensational Peanut Butter Cookies
18 cookies

1 cup peanut butter (see note)
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees°F.

Mix all the ingredients up in a bowl. Roll walnut-sized pieces into balls and roll balls in the additional sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool before removing from baking sheet.

Note: Peanut butter comes in all kinds of configurations and the kind you choose will influence your outcome. Some peanut butters are very sweet, some have been hydrogenated, some have a whole lot more in them than peanuts! Then there is the chunky versus smooth debate. I used a natural chunky version (Safeway brand) for this recipe that wasn't too sweet although it did have added cane sugar in the ingredient list.

peanut butter popcorn

2010-09-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Fall Snacking Recipe: Peanut Butter Popcorn

Maybe it's the college football parties, the trick-or-treating, or the endless grazing before Thanksgiving dinner, but snacks and fall just seem to go together. Popcorn is a very old harvest snack, prepared in the New World long before Columbus ever got here.

This sweet popcorn may actually improve on the original while using yet one more New World food - the peanut.

This recipe for peanut butter popcorn, sweetened with honey, belongs for me in memories of my family. This was our favorite movie night treat, a quick snack with sweet and gooey peanut butter coating every kernel. I vastly prefer it to crunchier caramel corn. If you leave the popcorn in a covered bowl all night, the popcorn gets a little softer and the kernels and peanut butter meld together like soft, slightly salty taffy with a crunch in the middle.

Peanut Butter Popcorn
makes about 8 cups

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Vegetable oil
Fine salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (should be free of added sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare a clean paper shopping bag or oversized mixing bowl. Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat and film the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the popcorn, shake to distribute, then put a lid on the pan. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels pop evenly. When the popping slows, take the pan off the heat.

Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, being careful to leave any unpopped kernels in the pan. Coated with peanut butter caramel, the unpopped kernels are a serious tooth hazard. Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, then mix in the vanilla.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's all coated. Once it's mixed you can put it in a serving bowl. Cover tightly after it's cooled.

(Images: Faith Hopler)

Re-edited from post originally published on November 10, 2006

Mango Con Chile Paletas

2010-08-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Mango Con Chile Paletas

What you'll need:
2 cups filtered water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups ripe mango
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder (vary amount to taste)
10-12 4-oz popsicle molds

Click through for step-by-step instructions and more helpful hints from Alatorre.

What you'll do:
Boil together filtered water and granulated sugar until the temperature reaches 200˚F.
Remove from heat and blend in 2 cups of the ripe mango until smooth.
Once smooth, mix in lime juice, chili powder (to taste) and remaining cup of ripe mango, chopped into small pieces.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze in the coldest part of your freezer.

At Paletas Betty, they roast and grind peppers in house for a custom blended chili powder from Alatorre's family recipes. Alatorre recommends using chilis with medium heat and mild flavor, "Smoky or oily flavors can otherwise mute the sweetness of the mangoes."

9. Extreme hoarding.

2010-08-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

9. Extreme hoarding.

8. A very severe hoarding problem.

2010-08-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

8. A very severe hoarding problem.

7. A severe hoarding problem with substantial impairment.

2010-08-13T23:42:00.000-07:00

7. A severe hoarding problem with substantial impairment.

6. A very serious hoarding problem.

2010-08-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

6. A very serious hoarding problem.

5. A serious hoarding problem.

2010-08-13T23:38:00.001-07:00

5. A serious hoarding problem.

4. A moderate hoarding problem

2010-08-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

4. A moderate hoarding problem

3. A mild hoarding problem if the room looks this way most of the time.

2010-08-13T23:35:00.001-07:00

3. A mild hoarding problem if the room looks this way most of the time.

2. Beginnings of a problem with clutter. A subclinical hoarding problem.

2010-08-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

2. Beginnings of a problem with clutter. A subclinical hoarding problem.

1. No evidence of a hoarding problem.

2010-08-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

1. No evidence of a hoarding problem.

watermelon-mint popsicles

2010-08-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

Watermelon-Mint Popsicles
by Allen on August 4, 2008 Print This Post Print This Post Email or Bookmark

In the Winter, we crave warm and comforting foods and in the Summer it’s all about cool and refreshing fare. My childhood memories are of eating big slices of juicy, cold watermelon. We raised our own melons and would have several weeks of the biggest and sweetest red watermelon. Oddly though, I don’t remember that we did anything special with it … we simply sliced it up and ate it.

This week, I’ve decided to explore watermelon and make 5 dishes from the wonderful fruit. Today, I’m showcasing a delicious and easy watermelon-mint ice pop made in a shooting star mold. It left me wondering why I hadn’t done this sooner!

Last month, Erin of Erin Cooks featured her ice pop creations and it inspired me to give it a try. She made pistachio pudding pops and irresistible root beer float pops — what’s not to love?

While researching watermelon ideas, I came across a recipe from Emeril that sounded like a winning flavor combination. I didn’t like how he structured his recipe so I rewrote it in a simpler version that made more sense to me (i.e. why say 6 tablespoons of sugar when that’s approximately 1/3 cup?).

Watermelon-Mint Ice Pops
4 cups cubed watermelon
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup mint leaves
juice of 1 lime

Watermelon and mint are an amazing combination, like Bogart and Bacall. Begin by removing the watermelon rind and slicing your watermelon into small cubes. It’s easiest if you use a seedless watermelon but if you buy one with seeds (like I did), you’ll need to seed the watermelon before you puree it.

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender then puree. I used a stick blender and it made quick work of the job. Pour the mix into your molds and freeze!

Allow them to freeze until fully firm before trying to remove from the molds. When you remove them from the freezer run the molds under warm water for a few seconds. This will loosen the pops so they will easily slip out. Then lick, suck, or bite your way through the pop until you give yourself brain freeze. If serving at a backyard barbecue, set the butt end of a watermelon in a bowl and stick the pops into the melon as I’ve shown in the photo.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding the molds locally but finally found this set at Macy’s (yes, they are Martha’s). I had hoped to find the Tovolo brand which so many people seem to like and which come in several shapes: shooting stars, groovy, and rockets.

Regardless of the shape though, the pops will taste delicious. I’m now experimenting with other flavors since these make such a satisfying and healthy treat. Why spend big bucks on a package of popsicles when you can make these at home for a fraction of the cost (and with natural fruit puree instead of dyes and synthetic flavors).

Last weekend, I used a combination of 1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt, 1 cup fresh peach puree (about 3), and some raspberry preserves. I combined the peaches and yogurt and filled the molds, leaving a bit of space at the top. I then added a dollop of raspberry preserves and used a knife to poke it downward along the sides of the pop. Not only did it add extra flavor but it made for stylish shooting star.

Hmmm, if you think about it, yogurt and fresh peaches is basically breakfast on a stick. Now that’s a breakfast I could eat every day :-)

ANNA AND I GET MARRIED

2010-08-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

ANNA AND I GET MARRIED
The SS that attacked Marwencol were killed and hung upside down in town. This was to show any other Nazis the treatment they would receive if they messed with us. Anna felt like it was the perfect backdrop for our wedding pictures.

cracker barrel campfire dinner

2010-08-04T01:28:00.000-07:00

cracker barrel campfire dinner
comes in beef or chicken. beef ($8.99) was dried out, overly salted. veggies were EXCELLENT. the chicken version ($8.29, not shown) was much more tasty. my first visit to the chain.

elephant knit, blue

2010-08-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

elephant knit, blue
$12.95/yard

baked alaska

2010-08-02T03:04:00.000-07:00

baked alaska

sweet and smoky oven spareribs

2010-07-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

sweet and smoky oven spareribs
5 pounds should serve four people, we halved this and found 2 1/2 pounds to be generous for 2 people and might estimate 1 pound per person next time
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder (ancho is recommended) or paprika
2 teaspoons salt (see Note above about increasing it)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 pounds spareribs, cut into 4 slabs, rinsed and patted dry
2 teaspoons mild or hot pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or red or white vinegar

Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, chili powder or paprika, salt, garlic powder, cloves and cinnamon; you can do this easily with a fork. Place each slab of ribs on a piece of foil large enough to fold into a packet. Sprinkle spice rub over the ribs, patting it in generously on all sides — you’ll be glad you did. Turn the ribs meat side down and tightly fold the foil to make sealed packets.

Put a rack on a baking sheet (I needed two racks and two sheets; a cookie cooling rack works for this) and place it in the oven. Bake for 4 hours at 200 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 175 for another two hours or until a fork easily penetrates the meat. Open each packet carefully and pour the accumulated juices into a saucepan. Boil the juices and reduce them by half, at which point you will have a syrupy sauce that easily coats a spoon. Stir in paprika and vinegar.

Remove the ribs from the foil and either coat them with the sauce or serve the sauce alongside the ribs. (I have friends who consider barbecue sauce on ribs heretic, thus would give them the choice.) For extra caramelization, the ribs can be finished for a few minutes under the broiler, before being coated with sauce.

more brownies and pineapple ginger lassi

2010-07-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

more brownies and pineapple ginger lassi

sprinkle party cake ice cream

2010-07-30T00:49:00.000-07:00

sprinkle party cake ice cream
vanilla ice cream with vanilla icing ripple, pound cake pieces and colored candy sprinkles.

tiger tiger ice cream

2010-07-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

tiger tiger ice cream
orange ice cream striped with licorice. sometimes found sold as "tiger tail ice cream".

@orange county county fair deep fried foods sign 2

2010-07-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Zooooom
Great, thanks. Yeah. That's a chicken sandwich with Krispy Kreme doughnuts instead of buns. The worst part? THEY'RE JELLY DOUGHNUTS. I saw it in person. It was terrifying.

@ orange county county fair deep fried foods sign

2010-07-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Sign for Deep-Fried Foods
OK, can we stop here for a sec? Completely aside from the frogs legs, Twinkies, White Castle (yawn) and the "zucchini weeni" (muh?), might I draw your attention to the TOTALLY FRIED Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich? Can we zoom in on that?

@ chicken charlies broasted chicken

2010-07-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

@ chicken charlies broasted chicken. totally fried frog legs (with french fries. tastes like chicken). totally fried peanut butter & banana sandwich (with honey!). garlic battered deep fried veggies (with ranch. mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke hearts). totally fried smores. krispy kreme chicken sandwich (with honey. glazed doughnut chicken sandwich). lemon garlic battered deep fried avocados (with tomatoes! ranch and pesto dipping sauces). deep fried coke. deep fried twinkies (chocolate or raspberry).

Bananas, Donuts, Ice Cream

2010-07-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Bananas, Donuts, Ice Cream
What to choose, what to choose? I love mini anything, and donuts are delicious. Though there's always money in the banana stand. In the end, I had to go with ice cream.

The Old Fashioned House Burger

2010-07-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

The Old Fashioned House Burger.
made with local grass-fed beef, grilled over a live fire and topped with fried onions, Bavaria's hickory-smoked bacon, aged cheddar, garlic sauce, and a soft-cooked egg on a buttered and toasted roll.

The Old Fashioned
23 N. Pinckney Street
Madison, WI 53703

608-310-4545

theoldfashioned.com.

heart attack cafe

2010-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

heart attack cafe. deep fried butter. chocolate covered bacon. triple bypass. the heart stopper. the big one. flatline. all at the orange county fair.

clever coffee dripper

2010-07-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Comme un lait fraise – Cheesecake à la vanille at aux fraises

2010-07-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake à la vanille at aux fraises

serves 8

for the base
90g butter, melted
150g whole-wheat digestive biscuits, crushed

for the cheesecake filling
450g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
seeds from one vanilla pod

for the strawberries
one handful of strawberries
4 tbsp caster sugar
a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 140°C (see note above).

Place the melted butter and crushed biscuits into a bowl and mix until homogeneous. Line the bottom of a 18cm cake tin with it, gently pressing down with the back of a spoon.
Chill while you get on with the filling.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, caster sugar, eggs and vanilla seeds using a hand-held whisk.
Pour it onto the biscuit base. And bake in a bain-marie for one hour or until just set.

Allow to cool on a rack. Then transfer the the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours.

Run a hot knife around the edges of the cheesecake and remove it from its tin. You can smooth the sides by pressing a hot spatula (dipped in almost boiling water, then quickly dried) around the edges.

Dice the strawberries, and combine with the sugar and vinegar. Set aside for an hour or two until all juicy.

To serve, you can either top the cheesecake with the strawberries, or slice the cheesecake into neat rectangles, then serve it along with the strawberries and perhaps a macaron filled with strawberry jam.

precision cut

2010-07-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

via Bride Of Awesomeness

Cherry Lambic Ice Cream Float

2010-07-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Lambic Float
serves one

1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream
4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) lambic

Place a scoop or two of ice cream in a glass. Top with the lambic. Serve immediately with a spoon.

Czeky Krumlov

2010-07-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

Czeky Krumlov

Goaßlschnoizn, whip away the winter

2010-07-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Goaßlschnoizn
"...Last weekend, in our very own little village (and I do mean little) The annual competition of the Goasslschnoizn, or "crack the whip" took place--and grew the population here by several hundred. This is a custom unique to Southern Bavaria (and I think part of Austria too?) Different groups compete against each other to see who are the best whipper-snappers, um..sorry, I mean whip crackers. It's a very old pagan custom to whip away the winter."

switzerland

2010-07-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

somewhere in the alps

Sweet Constructions cookies

2010-07-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

Sweet Constructions cookies

Wandering in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco the other day, I came across a street cart called Sweet Constructions. There, among many delicious looking delicacies (pictured above), I saw what looked like a mini cinnamon bun but the sign said snickerdoodles. How exciting! I took a sample home (along with its creator's email address) to see if I could duplicate it.

It's a good thing I got that email address. My first attempt, while not necessarily disastrous, wasn't quite as perky as my sample, which you can see an example of on the far left of the photo above. My cookies really flattened out and the spiral was barely there. So I emailed Kate, a co-owner of Sweet Constructions, with my dilemma.

I asked her if she had any tips for dealing with the spreading and the semi-spiraling. Should I roll them up in individual strips? Should I use shortening in place of some of the butter? Here's Kate's reply, which is chock-full of tips for baking cookies:

2010_07_16-snickerdoodles2.jpgYour first method of rolling out the dough, adding the cinnamon sugar, and then rolling it up is the method we use, and probably much easier than individual strips! When we make the swirls, we chill the dough, then roll it out into a rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper (feel free to use a little flour - it makes this much easier). We sprinkle all but about the bottom half-inch or so with the cinnamon sugar, gently press the sugar into the dough, and then use the parchment to help roll the dough up into a long roll. Keeping the lower edge free of the cinnamon sugar helps the edge stick to the rest of the roll. We wrap the roll in parchment and put it in the freezer to chill. (A useful tip for all roll cookies: to keep the rolls of dough from flattening on one side while they cool, we use cut-down mailing tubes to store them in the fridge or freezer.)

Once the dough is completely chilled, we cut off 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch slices, dip the slices in more cinnamon sugar, and place them on a cookie sheet to warm up a bit. If the slices aren't completely round, you can gently squish them into shape once the dough is at room temperature. Bake the snickerdoodles as you normally would.

On butter vs. shortening: I'm definitely not an expert on this since we tend to use all butter in most of our cookies. We do have one cookie where we replaced a bit of the butter with oil, which seems to help keep it softer, and we do use Earth Balance sticks (a type of non-hydrogenated shortening) to replace the butter in our vegan cookies. But our snickerdoodles use 100% butter.

From what I've read, shortening has a higher melting point than butter, so all-butter cookies will spread more before they set. Replacing some of the butter with shortening would reduce spread, and might be puffier - I'd love to hear how your two recipes compare when baked!

If you don't want to use shortening to reduce spread, some other things that might help include: letting the dough cool for longer before you roll it into spirals (we often let ours sit overnight in the fridge), putting the cookies in the oven while the dough is still slightly cool, making sure the slices are relatively thick, and reducing the amount of baking soda slightly. And of course for the second round of baking, be sure the baking sheets have had a chance to cool down before you use them again.

I also just checked one of my favorite resources for baking questions — Shirley Corriher's book Bakewise. She does recommend using half shortening, half butter to decrease spread. She also suggests using a higher-protein flour (unbleached flour or bread flour) and letting the dough chill overnight.

I hope this helps!

2010_07_16-snickerdoodles1.jpg(Let us pause here for a moment to appreciate the joy of dealing with a small local company whose owner is passionate about her products.)

So I took Kate's advice, rolled up the chilled cookie dough like a jelly roll and gave it a try. Still not puffy. But! The spiral was nice and obvious, and they tasted really good, so I'm going to declare victory. The shortening may be the solution for more puffiness but I'm actually so pleased with this cookie (pictured above) that I don't want to mess with it.

Kaleidoscope Cookies

2010-07-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscope Cookies
Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

Makes many (like 60)

Ingredients

* 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 pound 6 ounces (about 4-½ cups) all-purpose flour
* Various colors of food coloring paste or gel
* 1 cup or so sprinkles or colored decorating sugar

Procedure

1. In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter with a paddle attachment until it is creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and salt and beat for several minutes, until all of the ingredients are well incorporated and no lumps of powdered sugar remain. Beat in the vanilla extract, then add the flour and beat until a soft dough forms.
2. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Incorporate the food coloring or gel of your choosing into each color--be sure to make the colors quite vibrant, as they will slightly fade in the oven (not much, but a little), and knead until the color is evenly distributed. I left one part white, used a little red food coloring for a pink section, then more red for a red section for mine.
3. Roll each tinted segment into a log about a foot long. Then squish the three logs into one long log and roll until they form one roll (I got a nice wavy design when I did this).
4. Gently roll and squish the finished log until it’s about a foot long. Then cut it in half to form two logs and roll each one of those until you have a number of logs that are 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter--it will be quite a few. If desired, place the sprinkles or decorating sugar on a large, shallow plate and roll each log to coat. Wrap the logs in wax or parchment paper and chill overnight or freeze up to a month.
5. Remove the dough from chilling--if it was in the freezer, let it warm up just until you can handle it, but not until it is soft Preheat oven to 375 F.
6. Unwrap the logs and, with a sharp knife, slice them into coins about 1/3-inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheets (the cookies will not spread much as they bake).
7. Bake two sheets at a time for about 7-9 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the cookies have firmed up but are not browned. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

bouchon tko

2010-07-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

bouchon tko
At fancy bakery Bouchon, there is a fancy version of the Oreo called the TKO, "reinterpreted using...chocolate sable dough and a sweet white chocolate ganache filling." One cookie costs about as much as an entire bag of Oreos. I've totally bought one and had no regrets.

popsicles

2010-07-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

strawberry banana pops
Slices of fresh banana are frozen inside these cool strawberry pops.
Ingredients:

* 1 cup strawberry juice
* 3 oz. plain yogurt
* 1 1/2 oz. honey
* 1 large banana, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the strawberry juice, yogurt and honey until the honey is dissolved.

Prepare an ice pop mold according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For 2-oz. pops, place about 5 banana slices along the sides of each slot, then insert the sticks. Slowly pour about 1 1/2 fl. oz. of the juice mixture into each slot, reaching just to the fill line. Tap the pop mold on the countertop to release any air bubbles. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the mixture is solid, 7 to 20 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick near a stick.

Remove the ice pops from the mold according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Repeat to make the remaining ice pops. Makes six 2-oz. pops.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

culinary obsessions (number five)

2010-07-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

"Five. Find a watermelon, preferably ice-cold. Make sure not to drop it on the floor. Using a serrated knife, slice a big fat wedge. Allow the juices to splash on your face."

coffee granita

2010-07-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

A coffee granita. Croissant optional. [Flickr: kochtopf]

elote

2010-07-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

served with toppings like mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chile powder, and lime

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

2010-07-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 dozen vanilla cupcakes (recipe for Magnolia Bakery cupcakes follows)
1 cup Strawberry Gelée (Recipe follows)
Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions:

Cut a cut a cone-shaped piece of cake out of the center of each cupcake, taking care not to cut through the bottoms. Slice a 1/4-inch piece from the top of each cone and reserve to place back on the filled cupcakes.

Spoon about a teaspoon of strawberry gelée filling into each cupcake and top with the cone top.

Using a pastry bag or an offset spatula, frost tops of each cupcake with the strawberry mascarpone frosting.

Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flours; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely on rack. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost as desired.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Strawberry Gelée

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberry puree
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
1/2 cup diced, fresh strawberries

Directions:

Heat puree and sugar in a small saucepan just until it begins to bubble, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.

Put water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add fruit puree mixture to the bowl and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Stir in diced strawberries and chill until set.

Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup softened butter
1 8 ounce container mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, pureed
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Cream butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the strawberries and jam. Mix until combined.

Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until the frosting has the sweetness and consistency you desire. If your frosting is not stiff enough to pipe, add more powdered sugar.

Use right away, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Read more: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2010/07/02/strawberry-shortcake-cupcakes

strawberry shortcake manse!

2010-07-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

snail bread

2010-05-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

"After got back home from that bakery, I felt like to slow down my pace, so made myself some snail bread ... :) :)"

Funnel Cakes

2010-05-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Egg-Free Funnel Cake
Summer is just around the corner and with Memorial Day being the unofficial start of the summer, I thought why not have a little fun and make some oh-so scrumptious funnel cakes for this weekend. Oooooh....YUM!

If you've never had a funnel cake before, it's basically a deep-fried pastry topped with powdered sugar, fruit or honey. It's made by pouring batter through a funnel and deep-frying it in oil. The Pennsylvania Dutch popularized this sweet treat and is now commonly found at state fairs and carnivals all over the United States.

Since my son can't enjoy the funnel cakes at the San Diego County Fair, I thought I might as well figure out how to make them egg-free at home. So I took what was basically my egg-free pancake batter (I'll be posting that recipe soon), tweaked a few ingredients and voila! We have egg-free funnel cakes :-)

The first time I made the funnel cakes, I actually used a funnel with a stopper, but it got too messy. So I switched to a piping bag with a round tip and it made pouring the batter in a circular pattern much easier. I'm pretty sure I could've used a Ziploc bag with the same results. I checked online and I found a funnel pitcher. That would've been handy.

First, I tried them dusted with powdered sugar. YUM! Then I tried them drizzled with honey. WOW! And then I tried them with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. OMG!

Hmmmm..... Maybe this weekend, I'll try them topped with ice cream (with a cherry on top).

Egg-Free Funnel Cakes
Makes about 6 to 8 funnel cakes
Allergy Note: Contains wheat and dairy ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
4 Tbs. orange juice
oil
powdered sugar

Heat oil in a skillet or deep fryer to 375 F degrees. (Tip: Another way to test if the oil is hot enough is by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil. If the batter starts bubbling and rise to the surface quickly, then the oil is hot enough. If the batter bubbles slowly and doesn't rise right away, the oil isn't hot enough)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk and orange juice. Using a funnel, pour batter in overlapping circles then crisscross. Fry till golden brown around the edges. Use tongs to gently flip over gently and cook the other side for one minute. Drain with paper towels and dust with powdered sugar.

rettgrayson's African Flower Cushion

2010-05-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

African Flower Hexagon

2010-05-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

1st Round: Chain 5 stitches and join with slip stitch to form a ring.
2nd Round: Chain 3 (count as first dc), 1 dc in ring, (1 chain stitch, 2 db in ring) 5 times, 1 chain stitch, join with slip stitch to first dc (6 shells).
3rd Round: Join next colour and crochet in each of the 6 chain spaces: (2 dc, 1 chain stitch, 2dc). Join with slip stitch to first dc.
4th Round: Join next colour and crochet 7 dc in each of the 5 chain spaces. Join with slip stitch to first dc.
5th Round: Join next colour and crochet 1 sc in each of the next 7 dc, except between the 2 dc of the third row where you do a dc which you join to the 3rd round in order to form the petal - (7 sc and 1 dc) 6 times.
6th Round: Join next colour and crochet 1 dc in each sc, except for the middle of each petal where you crochet (1 dc,1 sc, 1dc) in each petal. Tie off.

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

2010-05-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats
Makes about 24 squares

I originally intended to use all toasted coconut marshmallows to make these treats, but with only half a bag left I wasn’t able to find any more. I made my batch with half regular and half toasted coconut marshmallows. Use whatever combination of marshmallows you like, so long as it totals 10 ounces. I used 60% Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips for the glaze.
Ingredients

Cooking spray for greasing the pan
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10oz (1 bag) of regular-sized marshmallows, original or toasted coconut flavor (or both)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup toasted shredded coconut*
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
Directions

* To toast coconut, spread shredded coconut in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 300F, stirring every few minutes, for 10-15 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Don’t walk away from the oven! The coconut will brown very quickly, so keep an eye on it. Set aside to cool.

Line a 9×13 inch pan or baking dish with foil, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. Grease the foil very well with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter. Add marshmallows and heat over medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Stir in shredded coconut and coconut extract. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until thoroughly coated.

Spread Rice Krispie mixture into prepared pan. With the back of a buttered spatula or using a sheet of waxed paper, press mixture firmly into an even layer. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and press lightly to adhere to the top of the treats.

In a small, heatproof and microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and return to microwave, heating in 15 second intervals and stirring well between each heating, until chocolate is melted. Drizzle melted chocolate over the treats in the pan.

Cool at room temperature until chocolate hardens. Once cool, lift treats out by the edges of the foil. Cut into squares and enjoy feeling like a kid again.

cupcake cupcake toppers

2010-05-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

(theyre actually miniature reeses cups) via.