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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magic bars

August 31, 2010 by 13 Comments

Call them what you will: magic bars, layer bars, 5-layer bars, 7-layer bars (if you can’t count), magic cookies, layer squares, or 7-layer cookie bars (if you can’t count or identify a cookie when you see one). I am always tempted by these messy-looking squares when I see them at parties and in bakeries. And I am always pleasantly surprised by their texture, crunch, and layers of sweetness that are revealed by each bite. So when I randomly craved one of these crumbly numbers the other day, it was time to find out what was actually in them and go about making them myself.

Seeing as how I didn’t know what traditionally composed a magic bar, I went in search of recipes. Each seemed to have it’s own take on the use of butterscotch chips vs. peanut butter chips. Some used pecans, some salted peanuts, some walnuts. Even chocolate (chocolate!) was absent in some versions. After much research and countless google searches, I settled on one from Paula Deen: Five Layer Bars. Paula’s take seemed the most classic to me, so I set forth to gather my ingredients.

These bars take all of five minutes to prepare, so be sure to preheat your oven while you’re assembling the layers. First, melt the butter and pour it over the graham cracker crumbs.

Mix together with a fork until the crumbs are thoroughly moistened.

Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased or sprayed 9″x13″ pan.

Next, sprinkle on your butterscotch chips…

…chocolate chips*…

*I’ve beaten this horse to death, but I swear by Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips. And no, they don’t pay me to say that. But if they want to throw me some free chips, I wouldn’t object!

…chopped nuts (I used walnuts)…

…and flaked coconut.

Now here comes the tricky part. First, get in a fight with your can opener over a can of sweetened condensed milk. Eventually let the can opener win. Go down to your tool bench and grab a hammer and a chisel. Tell that can who its daddy is. Go to store. Buy a new can opener.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the bars. I found a small pitcher made this easier, probably because the can was hacked to death.

Try to distribute the milk as evenly as possible.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting (I sped this process up by letting them cool slightly and then placing in the fridge. I’m antsy like that).

Marvel at the sweet, crunchy textures.

I love how the graham cracker base seems to meld with all of the other ingredients—the chocolate, butterscotch, nuts and coconut seem to sink in to form one unique flavor. Perhaps this is where the “magic” moniker stems from?

If you need a fast, easy dessert for a party or a bake sale, there is nothing faster or easier than these. And with their addictive sweet layers, they’ll fly off the plate like…dare I say it? Magic.

-RDG

Paula Deen’s Five Layer Bars, from Food Network

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 graham crackers whirred in a food processor, if you don’t have the boxed crumbs)
  • 1 stick salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle pecans, chips and coconut on top. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

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