creamsicle shortcakes

June 19, 2011 by 7 Comments

I’m so lucky to live in Washington. We get the best berries in the summertime. The most crisp, juicy apples in the fall. But citrus isn’t really our thing. Consequently, we import most of it and get pretty decent varieties year-round. Our local strawberries are still a few weeks shy from being ready (we had a very cold, wet winter and spring), but I was dying for shortcake. So I turned to the one thing I can always count on: oranges. From constantly sunny California.

What resulted was a dreamy shortcake with sweet tangelos and vanilla bean whipped cream. Layer the two on a sweet, flaky scone and you’ve got a dessert that tastes remarkably like those frozen creamsicle treats of your childhood.

Begin with your favorite oranges. I’m digging tangelos right now, but use whatever is juicy and sweet at the moment. Grab some whipping cream, a little sugar, vanilla extract, one vanilla bean, and your favorite scone mix or recipe.

I like Fisher’s. If you grew up in Washington this probably tastes like the Puyallup Fair to you. It’s a snap to make (just add water) and I have yet to find a scratch recipe that is as good.

Begin by peeling the oranges. Take all the white stringy bits off if you have the patience. I never do.

Slice into rounds.

Place in a bowl and drizzle with vanilla extract. Stir and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Next, slice that vanilla bean down the middle. See all those little bits that look like dirt? Those are the vanilla beans that will make our whipped cream extra vanilla-ey.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape the beans out of the pod…

…and scrape them straight into the whipped cream container. Shake and refrigerate along with the oranges.

Meanwhile, whip up your scones.

Bake. By now your whole house should smell like vanilla and warm scones. Heaven.

When you’re ready to serve, pour the whipped cream into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the sugar and whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Slice a scone in half and layer on the oranges and whipped cream.

Sweet, warm scone, juicy vanilla-scented oranges, and fluffy whipped cream. It’s such a nice alternative to the traditional berry shortcakes. And best of all, you can enjoy it any time of year. Long live the creamsicle!

-RDG

Creamsicle Shortcakes  printable pdf

I like Fisher’s Fair Scone Mix (available in Washington), but feel free to use your favorite mix or recipe. Makes 8 shortcakes. Eat the leftover scones for breakfast with a little butter and jam!

Active Prep Time: 15 minutes     Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour     Bake Time: 12 minutes (may vary according to your scone recipe)

  • 4-5 oranges, peeled
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 pint whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 box Fischer’s Fair Scone Mix

1. Slice oranges into 1/2 inch rounds. Place in a bowl, pour in vanilla extract and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Slice the vanilla bean down the middle. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the vanilla beans from the pod and place beans in whipping cream container. Shake and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Prepare scones according to package directions. Shake whipping cream well and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

4. Slice scones in half. Layer with orange slices and dollops of whipped cream. Serve.

 

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strawberries with brown sugar and sour cream

April 19, 2011 by 14 Comments

I’m back, if only for a moment. I’ve missed you all so much these past few weeks. As I’ve been going about my new daily routine (feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, repeat, then repeat again), I think of posts that I would like to write and recipes that I would like to make. I itemize grocery lists, plan the photos I’m going to shoot and then…it never happens. Any spare moment I have turns into a quick nap, another load of laundry or an all-too-brief television show (during which I usually fall asleep). My list of blog to-do’s just grows longer and longer.

I know that life will return to normal soon. Things will calm down and eventually I will be able to sleep (and blog) again. But for right now, I don’t have time to bake a batch of double chocolate brownies or magic bars just to satisfy a sweet tooth. Instead I’ve been relying on the quickest, easiest, tastiest dessert I can think of: strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar.

No recipe required. Just choose sweet strawberries, dip in cool sour cream and finish with a bit of brown sugar. It’s easy enough for everyday but pretty enough for company.

Best of all, you can eat it one-handed. Which is essential when you have a little ball of sweet baby in your arms.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

-RDG

 

 

 

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peanut butter chocolate chip blondies

March 17, 2011 by 17 Comments

Normally there is only one blondie in my life.

Her name is Lucy. She enjoys Play Doh, sunglasses, and tacos. Combs? Not so much.

But recently another blond has come into my life.

And these gooey peanut butter chocolate chip blondies are just as sweet as my walking (read: running), talking (read: broken record), taco-eating tot. The difference is, these you can have for yourself. Lucy is all mine.

To make them for yourself, gather some flour and salt, an egg, one stick of butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

Begin by melting the butter in a large bowl. Short bursts in the microwave work just fine.

Once the butter has cooled slightly (too warm and it will cook the egg—no good), add the egg, the vanilla…

…and the brown sugar. Mix until smooth.

Stir in the flour and salt…

…and fold in the chips.

Spread into a 9×9″ pan that’s been greased with butter or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges but still pale in the center. Let cool completely before slicing (I know, I know. But trust me).

Can a blondie be fudgy? Because that’s exactly the word to describe these gooey, peanut-buttery, chocolately treats that are ready in no time. You must have this blondie in your life. Plus, they require a lot less cleanup than my towheaded toddler.

-RDG

P.S. For baby updates check out haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com until further notice.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Yield: one 9×9″ pan

Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 20 minutes

  • 1/2 c (1 stick) butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 c peanut butter chips
  • 3/4 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Melt butter and let cool slightly. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and brown sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour and salt. Fold in the chips.
3. Spread into a greased 9×9″ baking pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (blondies will be slightly brown around the edges but still pale in the center). Let cool completely before slicing.

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bacon compost cookies

February 23, 2011 by 19 Comments

It was nearly 1 year ago to the day that I first discovered the Compost Cookie, the only cookie to ever change my world. It seemed like an odd recipe at first: used coffee grounds, snack foods, corn syrup. But the first batch blew me away. With the second batch I began the tweaking process (I now make them with Kettle Salt & Pepper chips, pretzel sticks instead of twists, Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips, graham crackers freshly whirred in the food processor instead of the packaged crumbs, refrigerate full day before baking and omit the coffee grounds). I suppose it’s fitting that 1 year and 20 batches later I’m finally taking the recipe to the next level.

To all of you who are saying right now, “bacon doesn’t belong in cookies!” read the recipe first; there are stranger ingredients in these cookies. Don’t proceed unless you’re feeling a bit adventurous. And also don’t mock them ’till you’ve tried them.

To those of you who I just heard saying “bacon in cookies? F—- yeah!”, read on, my friends.

Start by frying up some bacon. Chopping into pieces before frying lends a crispier texture without overcooking.

Make the dough (step by step photos in my first compost cookie post) as you usually would, complete with potato chips, pretzels, graham crumbs, oats and chocolate chips.

Here’s where we veer off the beaten path: peanut butter chips. Butterscotch can be an overwhelming flavor for some and I think peanut butter pairs better with bacon.

Bacon. In a cookie that already has a fair amount of salty crunch, it’s not that strange.

Alright, it’s a teeny bit strange to see meat in your cookie dough. But is there anywhere that bacon doesn’t belong? I don’t think so.

Unfortunately, now we must wait. Measure balls of dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour (I like to wait a whole day—I find it yields a better cookie. Just refrigerate as long as you can). Right before you’re ready to bake, roll them between your palms to make them smooth and place on a baking sheet*.

*The cookies pictured were made smaller for a party. Your balls should be much bigger (hee hee!) if you follow the recipe at the bottom of the post.

When they’re done the edges should be darker brown and slightly crispy, while the middles should be pale. They may look under-baked, but resist the temptation to stick them back in the oven.

Once cooled they’ll look more like this, with chewy centers and crispy edges. Perfect.

Expand your cookie repertoire. Take a risk. The results will be well worth it. Cookie carnivores, unite!

-RDG

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Bacon Compost Cookies, adapted from Christina Tosi’s recipe from Live with Regis and Kelly

Prep Time: 20 minutes Chill Time: at least 1 hour Bake Time: 9-11 minutes

Special Equipment: Stand mixer. Seriously, you need this.

Makes 15 6 oz cookies.

  • 1 c Butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 c Sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1 3/4 c AP Flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 c oats (not the quick-cooking variety)
  • 3/4 c chocolate chips
  • 3/4 c peanut butter chips
  • 3/4 c crushed potato chips (use a thick, substantial chip such as a kettle chip for best results)
  • 3/4 c crushed pretzels
  • 1/2 c crumbled bacon pieces

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

2. On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

3. When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

4. On same low speed, add in the chocolate chips, graham crumbs, oats and peanut butter chips and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in the chips, pretzels and bacon last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

5. Using a 6 oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week. DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

6. Heat oven to 400F. When oven is ready, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4″ apart in any direction. Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread. At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don’t match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.

7. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.

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lemon jam coffee cake

February 8, 2011 by 4 Comments

Little publicized fact about pregnancy: the sleep deprivation does not only occur after the baby is born. Nope, the sad truth is that once that little bun has taken up more than its fair share of space in your belly, the rest of your body is just its minion. The result? Lots of tossing and turning, getting up to pee, never being able to find a comfortable position, getting kicked in the ribs, and finally surrendering to the fact that it’s time to get up and make coffee cake.

Start off with the basics, plus a few special ingredients: greek yogurt (to keep it moist), lemon curd (to keep it tart) and jam (I used raspberry but any flavor that goes well with lemon would do).

Cream the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Add the sugar…

…the eggs, the yogurt and the vanilla (the batter will seem very wet at this point, but don’t fret).

Butter a 9″ springform pan (a 9×9″ baking dish would work fine—I just like the ease of serving with a springform).

Toss in a little flour, and bang it around until a thin layer is sticking to the butter.

Mix the dry ingredients into the batter until smooth.

Spread half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan…

…and stir together the lemon curd with your jam of choice.

Spread that sweetness over the batter, baby.

Cover evenly with the remaining batter.

A coffee cake is not a coffee cake without a crumbly topping. Toss a little flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter into a small bowl.

Mix with a fork (or your fingers) until it’s mealy and coarse.

Spread the topping evenly over the cake.

Bake for a little under an hour. Dance around naked in your kitchen because it smells like heaven.

That thin layer of lemon and jam provide just the right amount of tart to balance out the sweetness of the cake.

Plus the stripe in the center looks kind of purdy.

If this won’t get you out of bed, nothing will. Except maybe your bladder, ten times a night.

Is it nap time yet?

-RDG

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Lemon Jam Coffee Cake adapted from Epicurious

Any flavor of jam will do—raspberry, strawberry and blackberry being my favorites. Be careful not to over-bake and risk drying out the cake. Makes one 9″ cake.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 50 minutes Special Equipment: 9″ springform pan (optional). A hand mixer and large bowl may be substituted for stand mixer.

For the cake:

  • 2 c flour, plus more for pan
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 c greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 c lemon curd
  • 1/4 c jam

For the topping:

  • 1/4 c packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 c flour
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature

1. To make the batter: Preheat oven to 350F (325F if using a glass pan). In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until batter is smooth.

3. Grease a 9″ springform pan with butter. Lightly dust with flour, tapping the sides of the pan until a thin layer of flour coats the butter. Spread half of the batter into the bottom of the pan.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the jam and lemon curd. Spread the mixture evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top.

5. To make the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Mash together with a fork or your fingers  the until mealy and coarse. Spread the topping evenly over the cake. Bake for 45-50 minutes*, until edges are golden and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cake cool in pan 20 minutes before transferring to a plate or wire rack.

*If using a glass pan, keep a close eye on the baking time. It may not need a full 45 minutes.

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brown butter blondies

January 24, 2011 by 9 Comments

Okay. This is serious business. We need to have a chat about brown butter. If you’ve never tried it, you haven’t lived. You haven’t breathed. You haven’t run naked into the Pacific Ocean in February (not that I’ve done that…*whistles*).

Brown butter (or is it “browned butter”? The verdict is out. Weigh in in the comments section if you’ve got an idea.) is butter’s richer, nuttier cousin. It takes only minutes to create brown butter from regular old butter, but the results are worlds away. The flavor is richer and more pungent, and brown butter can be used in any recipe where melted butter is called for. Hence: brown butter baked goods. Use it in cookies, bars and brownies and you’ve just taken your treats to the next level.

These mini brown butter blondies (does that make them brunettes?) require only very simple ingredients: butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, flour and salt.

*Apologies in advance for the following 3 photos. This is why I do not often take photos under the florescent lights of my stove.

To brown the butter, cut into slices and melt over medium heat in a hefty pan.

Once the butter has melted, it will foam, bubble, and then brown. Stir constantly to ensure that it doesn’t burn.

After about 5 minutes (give or take—use your best judgment), it will be a rich brown color and have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Stir in the sugar, egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Carefully pour into the flour/salt mixture. Stir to combine.

Add whatever fixings you like. I used dried cranberries and coconut in this batch, but chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips would all taste great.

Stir. Smell that heavenly aroma? That’s brown butter, folks.

Dollop generous 1/2 tablespoons into a greased mini muffin pan.

Pop in the oven and you’ve got mini blondie bites.

Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

If you want to skip a step, you could also spread the batter into a greased 9×9″ pan and slice into squares after baking. I make them mini because they’re cute and I like the ratio of crispy edges to soft middles.

Gooey brown butter centers dotted with tart cranberries and flaky coconut. Warms my belly on a cool winter evening. And since they’re so small, eating three of them is practically calorie-free, right?

*Crickets.*

It was worth a shot.

-RDG

Mini Brown Butter Blondies adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 24 mini blondies.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 12-14 minutes

Special Equipment: mini muffin pan

  • 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 c your favorite add-in (chocolate chips, dried berries, nuts, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the butter and melt in a heavy pan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, stir constantly for about 5 minutes until butter is brown in color and smells nutty. Remove from heat.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, stir the sugar, egg and vanilla into the browned butter until smooth. Combine with the flour/salt mixture. Mix in your add-ins.

3. Grease a mini muffin pan. Spoon heaping 1/2 tablespoons of dough into each cup. Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are lightly crisp. Do not overbake. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon if desired.


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tres leches cake

February 12, 2010 by 9 Comments

I’ve been mildly obsessed with tres leches cake since our trip to Austin last fall. It’s a dessert staple there, but being from this neck of the woods, I’d never tried it.

You know that feeling when you can’t fall asleep? Your mind won’t turn off? Maybe you forgot to do something–pay a bill, make an appointment, feed the dog? Here’s what’s plaguing you: you haven’t tried tres leches cake.

It’s an intensely creamy cake that is, quite literally, soaked in three types of milk: sweetened condensed (the crack-cocaine of the dairy world), evaporated, and heavy cream.  Sounds weird, I know. But you’re intrigued, right?

Follow your heart. Make this cake. You will fall asleep like a 40-year old on Ambien.

Since I had no recipes on hand and had no clue how to make the stuff, I found a post from good old Pioneer Woman.

You start by creaming together some egg yolks and some sugar…

…and add a little vanilla and a little bit of milk.

Then blend that mixture with a flour mixture (flour, baking soda and salt)…

…until you’ve got a nice smooth batter. Easy, eh?

Next, whip up some egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. We’re making meringue to give the cake some airiness.

Gently fold the batter in with the egg whites…

…pour into a well-greased pan, and bake.

Lovely! Turn it out onto a platter to cool.

Stir together your three milks in a small pitcher. Spill some on the counter.

Once the cake has totally cooled, prick it several, several times with a fork. Really go to town on the sucker.

Pause for a moment. Wonder how on earth all that liquid will fit into that tiny cake.

Slowly, slowly…

…pour all of the liquid over the cake. Make sure to distribute it evenly—no dry spots allowed.

See that little puddle around the edges? It’ll all get soaked up. I know, I know. This cake also acts as an enormously efficient sponge.

Cover and refrigerate. I found that the longer the cake sat, the better it got, so it would be totally reasonable to make it a few days ahead of time.

When you’re ready to serve, whip up some cream, frost that sucker, and…

…do backflips. Cartwheels. An interpretive dance. This cake is that good.

It’s still in my fridge. Gotta go.

Have a sweet Valentine’s weekend!

-RDG

Pioneer Woman’s recipe and step-by-step can be found right here.

What I did (our would do) differently than Ree’s recipe:

  • Next time, I won’t turn the cake out onto a platter. I made two, and kept one in the glass pan that I baked it in. Being in a rimmed pan made the liquid soak in much more evenly. You could turn out the cake to cool on a rack, and then return it to the pan upside-down to pour on the milks.
  • I didn’t decorate it. PW does maraschino cherries, but I would go for a berry–maybe a strawberry sliced vertically (to make a heart shape) for Valentine’s day?
  • I used all the liquid. Ree mentions that the last cup of liquid turns out to be too much, but I felt, after discovering some dry spots in the cake, that it could have used even more.
  • I would have let it sit longer. I made them one day ahead, but even two or three would have made the cake more flavorful. Tres leches is weirdly like a good wine. Let it age.
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