Browniebabe of the Month 2!

Okay, I probably should have gotten this post up in the month of May, but I'm still under the entry deadline by a few days. This week wasn't all that pleasant, so at least I got to end it on a chocolaty note. For this round of Browniebabe of the Month hosted by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart I decided to use a little regional flavor. I've named these Tex-Mex Brownies. I combined the flavor of Mexican chocolate with the fruits of the Texas state tree- pecans. These brownies were also the first thing I've baked with the incredibly fragrant and delicious Mexican vanilla extract that my lovely in-laws brought back from their recent vacation.

Tex-Mex Brownies
Recipe from me, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe; Makes 16
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 disc (3.15 oz.) Mexican Chocolate
5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Mexican pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pecan topping

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides. Set aside. Place butter and all chocolates in large heatproof bowl set over pan of simmering water; stir frequently until butter and chocolates have melted. Remove bowl from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. Apply pecan topping (see below) to brownies while the cool.
• Remove brownies from pan using parchment paper once brownies have cooled and topping has set. Cut and serve.

Sugar & Spice Pecan Topping

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, whole, halves, or chopped

Melt butter in bowl in microwave. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes. Stir pecans into mixture and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring twice throughout cooking time. Remove from microwave and spread across brownies.

What a week

Seriously, this week was created by Hades or something. I have cooked a bit, I just haven't had time to post. And I need Josh to show me again how to hook the camera stuff up to my laptop. I just wanted to say that I've got some stuff coming up, and sorry it's been awhile since I posted. The Sugar High Friday Roundup is up over at Seven Spoons. Big thanks and compliments to Tara for a wonderful event!

I have barely given next week's menu any thought and I HAVE to go grocery shopping tonight. I think I'm gonna have to do some really easy recipes next week, especially after slacking some this week. But before I get to making grocery lists, I've got to finish my cleaning list. Well, the kitchen portion at least. So, I'm gonna have me a cup of coffee, piece of toast, and get stuck in.

Sugar High Friday #31- Neutral Territory

This month's theme for Sugar High Friday, an event created by Jennifer at Domestic Goddess, is very clever in my opinion. Tara at Seven Spoons is hosting this round with the theme of Neutral Territory, meaning sweet things in the brilliant or soft shades of white. My favorite cookie just happens to be the creamiest shade of ivory. Now, I can't claim to have created these cookies. I discovered them on baking sheet, now Baking Bites, right before this past Thanksgiving. I baked up a batch to take to our family dinner and they were a huge hit. In fact, the cookies were gone before we even had Thanksgiving dinner! I made a double batch for Christmas, and the kids were over the moon for them. If they asked for a cookie, despite the wide variety available, they meant my cookies. So I just can't be more grateful to Nicole for putting that recipe up. These cookies are easy and quick to pop out of the kitchen, making them even more appealing. Not to mention that the possibility for variations are endless, as many flavors of cheesecake exist, you can create it's cookie counterpart. But, as many different additions I've thought of, I've never gotten around to messing with them. This cookie is perfect just the way it is, in my opinion.

Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe from Baking Bites
1/2 cup of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softenend
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and butter. Gradually beat in sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and salt.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder, and mixing by hand or at low speed, add to cream cheese mixture.
• Drop by rounded tablespoon full onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes until the bottom edge just barely turns brown.

My notes: The recipe doesn't really specify salted or unsalted. I use salted because I like that bit of saltiness against the sweet of the sugar and cream cheese, despite the 1/4 teaspoon salt you also add. And I use neufchatel cheese, which has 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese. Personally, my oven's temperature means I take the cookies out after about 10 minutes. I use two baking sheets, so that I can set one on the rack to cool, while the other one is in the oven. These cookies are very soft, so allowing them to cool on the cookie sheet before transferring to the wire rack let's them set up a bit.

A Taste of Yellow- LiveStrong Day Roundup

Today is LiveStrong Day and to celebrate Barbara at Winos and Foodies has posted the Taste of Yellow Roundup. I think we can safely say that this event was a success, with there being 144 entries. I'm glad that I was able to participate, especially in the memory of my grandmother. So go by and see all the wonderful entries, and read some inspiring stories, including Barbara's.

Howdy Blog Party #22!

So, it's been a while since I participated in Blog Party, but not because I haven't wanted to. Time alas was not on my side, but this time around I was bound and determined to take part. I mean how could I not when the the theme is Wild Wild West? I do, after all, live in Fort Worth, Texas- Where The West Begins. So, thinking about what I consider to be "western" food, I came up with Cornbread Cups filled with Homemade Chili. For a complimentary beverage I went with a cold bottle of Shiner Bock- a favorite of many of the cowboys I know. Being brewed in Texas gives it a big flavor!

Homemade Chili
Recipe by me
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & ribbed, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch ground cinnamon
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. beer

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and seasonings. Once blended add ground beef and stir, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink.
• Add tomatoes with juice, beans, and beer. Bring to a boil and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook for over medium-low to medium heat until beans are tender and chili has thickened. Taste your chili during this time, and add any additional seasoning you'd like.

My notes: I added more chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and ground pepper. For the cornbread, I have done homemade before, but nothing ever beats Jiffy boxed mix for me. So, that's what I used. Use a serrated knife to slice off the top of the muffins, then run your knife along the inside, bout 1/8" from the edge, all the way around and remove the inside. Fill the muffin cups and top with your favorite chili add-ons. I used shredded cheese and cilantro leaves. Jalapeno slices and a dollop of sour cream would also be delicious and festive.

A Taste of Yellow- Wild Canary Cake

Growing up I was raised by two moms, my real mom and my grandmother. The four of us, including my brother, lived together in the same house. My grandma was a woman who grew up in a house where food was very important. In a farming family with 13 brothers and sisters, times were often hard. With there always being plenty of mouths to feed my great-grandmother baked bread almost every day (which reminds me, I swear I will be continuing my work with yeast). And since my grandmother was the second oldest, a lot of responsibility fell to her. Growing up we ate a lot of good food, to say the least, as she learned a lot growing up herself. I have a lot of wonderful memories of my grandmother- her super doughy sugar cookies, pumpkin bread every Thanksgiving and Christmas, homemade noodles, chicken & dumplings, and so much more. I have a lot of wonderful memories that don't necessarily involve food. Staying home with my grandmother during the day meant we would watch our soap operas together. And I could stay up late at night if I helped her work the crossword puzzle while we watched Perry Mason reruns. Living through the death of her husband, a brother, and both her parents, my grandmother was definitely the definition of a survivor, in my opinion. Which made it very hard when she passed away in 1994 of cancer. I wasn't just losing my grandma, it was like I was losing a mom too. And it was all the more hard because my brother and I weren't done being raised by her. I was 13 when she passed away, and my brother was 10. I sometimes regret not asking more questions, more about her life, but there's no way you can really expect a kid to think about those kinds of things. I have a lot of wonderful memories, and I do have a lot of stories that I can share with my future children, even if I don't know every single one she had to tell. Here is a picture of my grandmother with a few of her co-workers (a few of them also family) at the brick yard, where she worked during WWII, while my grandfather was in the Navy. She's the next to last woman. I think part of my image of her as survivor has to do with the fact that she was so tall, ha.

A month or two ago I borrowed one of my grandmother's recipe boxes from my mom. I had pulled out several recipes that looked interesting. When I heard about the Taste of Yellow blog event created by Barbara at Winos and Foodies to celebrate LiveStrong Day, I knew that I had to make one of these recipes- Wild Canary Cake. The cake takes it's name from the hue of the main ingredient- egg yolks. Yep, if you are on cholesterol medication, avoid this cake at all costs! The recipe, typed on an index card that is quite yellowed itself, is a bit vague. The last instruction on the back is merely "Bake." But I didn't let that stop me from taking up the challenge. Nor did it stop me when, in an attempt to find out anything else about the recipe my Google searches resulted in nothing but bird feed information. So, this Sunday morning I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. And this is the point at which I feel the need to come completely clean and tell you that I used store-bought frosting. I know, I know- it's a travesty. I'm sure Stephanie and Lindsey are thoroughly disappointed in me, but I was under a time crunch, didn't have all the ingredients I needed, and had total lack of confidence as well, ha. But, aside from the frosting the cake is completely homemade, vague index card and all.

Wild Canary Cake
Recipe from my grandmother; Makes 2 9" round cakes


3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 or 10 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Cream shortening. Cream in sugar.
• Beat egg yolks very light. Beat into first mixture.
• Sift dry ingredients together. Add alternately with liquid. Beat in flavoring.
• Bake.

My notes: Okay, so as you can read, those directions are straightforward, but can leave a bit to be desired. I used cake flour, which worked fine, but since talking with my mom she thinks my grandmother probably would have used all-purpose. I also went with the 8 egg yolks, because- seriously, 10 yolks? 8 already seems insane. I greased the pans, lined the bottom with parchment, greased that, and floured them. I divided the batter evenly between the two pans, evened the batter in each pan, and tapped on the counter to bring up any bubbles. I decided to cook these cakes at 350 degrees and started at 30 minutes. I pretty much just based that on a another one of her cake recipes. After the first 30 minutes I left them in for an additional 7 or so after testing with a skewer. While these cakes were baking there was the smell of vanilla in the house. When I took them out of the oven, there was the smell of eggs. I don't mean that in a bad way, but it's just really strange to have your house smelling like cooked eggs. Also, these cakes cooked up, and over. But only to one side. My rack is in the oven evenly, my oven has not recently been placed on a fault line, so I really can't figure out why each one baked up to form a lip on one side. After they cooled in the pans for around 15-20 minutes I cooled on a rack. The top had a very sponge like texture, and thanks to the lip thing, I cut the tops off each of them. This revealed the pretty yellow innards, very moist but quite crumby. As you can see in the picture, the outside of the cake had browned nicely. This is about the time I realized that I had very little time to frost them before our dinner date. So, yeah, I took the easy way out and bought some cream cheese icing. I'm a woman on the go, get off my back! What with the crumby texture of the now exposed tops I figured they should probably be in the middle. I think it made for an interesting visual, since the cream cheese in the center seems to blend with the cake, and the golden brown outer edge of the layers matches up fairly well. I crumb coated the thing, stuck it in the fridge for 30 while I got ready for dinner, and then iced it completed. This is the first time I'd done a crumb coat. To be quite honest I am horrible at icing cakes. I lucked out in marrying a guy who doesn't really like much frosting. I typically ice the middle and top and leave it at that, but I knew that wasn't gonna do this cake any justice. I must admit that there were a few crumbs in the icing, but overall my crumb coat was a success. I will probably stick to my ways as far as household sweets go, but it's nice to know that I can produce a better looking cake for friends and family.

And so, that's the tale of how a blog event for a good cause brought me just a little bit closer to my grandmother, even though we haven't been in the same kitchen in more than 10 years. My grandmother isn't the only person I know that has been affected by cancer- my paternal grandfather, my great-uncle, my husband's aunt, and one of our good friends. But here's a slice for all of the wonderful, strong, and amazing people who have had to deal with this disease- whatever form it's taken, whomever it has affected. I hope that everyone who participates gets as much out of it as I have.

Browniebabe Of The Month

My participation in this blog event was a result of coincidence and circumstance. It just so happens that my new issue of Everyday Food had a cover article on brownies. And thanks to the inclement weather yesterday I found myself home 3 hours earlier than normal. And I'd been craving sweets ever since my husband made cookies the night before- cookies that I couldn't eat because they contained my most hated form of chocolate, white. So, all these things came together, convincing me that I should go ahead and whip up some brownies. Browniebabe Of The Month has been created by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart as an ode to the lovely fudgy baked good that no one can turn down. And I think the brownie is a splendid choice to base an event around because it is so darn versatile. I've already got several ideas about my entry for next month! But before I get ahead of myself, let me get down to this months recipe first. I followed the base recipe in Everyday Food, since they were so kind to know that I would need to make brownies in the first place. I tweaked it to create my own batch of---

Almond Mocha Brownies
Based on Everyday Food recipe; Makes appx. 16 squares
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Additions: 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, 2/3 cups chopped almonds

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

My notes: To make my Almond Mocha version you need to add the 2 teaspoons of espresso powder to the melted chocolate & butter mixture. Then add the almonds after you have added the flour mixture. I love how coffee really enriches the flavor of chocolate, and the almonds add a complimentary flavor and texture without taking the spotlight away from the fudgy, cocoa goodness.

A Taste of Yellow- Livestrong Day Event

Today via Is My Blog Burning? and Peabody I found out about a wonderful blog event- A Taste of Yellow being hosted by Barbara at Winos and Foodies. In honor of Livestrong Day on May 16th, created by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise cancer awareness, Barbara is asking food bloggers to make a dish containing some type of yellow food. I think this is a great event to participate in whether or not your blog pertains to food. You can find the rules and deadline information through the link above. I already know what I'm going to make, but I don't want to give it away just yet!

Adventures in Baking

On Sunday I made my first steps into the world of yeast. It wasn't a totally successful expedition, but it wasn't a total failure either. I had been thinking about trying a bread recipe for awhile, but then when it was announced that the theme for this month's Waiter There's Something In My... event would be bread, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to take the plunge. When I was growing up my mom never had any luck baking with yeast. I remember her many failed attempts and the resulting frustration. So, I was a bit nervous to say the least. But I tried to be as prepared as I could be- I had my instant read thermometer, I turned the thermostat up since it was kind of cold in the apartment, and I preheated the oven far in advance to heat up my tiny kitchen. I was going to take a crack at a Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread I saw on bakingsheet, now Baking Bites. Well, the first time round did not go so well. I guess it's kind of hard to know what each step is supposed to look like when you've never done it before. I'm not sure I got enough reaction out of my yeast, then I started mixing things, but it never really seemed to come together. I used the larger of the flour measurements, but it still had the consistency of runny oatmeal. I made an attempt to knead it, but that was just unbelievably messy. I scrapped the dough, and decided to take a crack at another recipe. I noticed a recipe on the back of the flour package that seemed easy. The steps were different than the Cinnamon Raisin bread, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I decided to add cinnamon to the Whole Wheat Walnut Bread recipe, but that was the only part of the recipe that I changed, initially. This time around I decided to use my stand mixer, instead of my arm and a wooden spoon. I measured out and mixed all the ingredients. As it mixed I had something along the same consistency of the last bread dough. I called my mom, who had little advice for me. I called Stephanie who didn't answer because she was at Edgefest. And I just decided to start chucking in more flour. I also decided to proof my yeast, to see if that was somehow the problem. So, between adding flour I measured out some warm water and sugar. But before I was able to add the yeast my mixer started making a funny noise. It was working hard to mix my dough because it was actually the consistency of dough! I whipped the mixer off, floured my work surface and quickly went to work kneading, lest things progress downhill in any moment I wasted. I worked my dough, with relative ease, and once I'd finished I put it back in the bowl, on top of the oven for warmth, and covered. I let it rest for a bit over and hour and it had actually risen! I was so surprised that it had worked. Mistake #1 occurs here- I probably should have let is risen even more. I removed it from the bowl, molded it into the loaf shape and put it in the pan. I let it rise again on the oven. Mistake #2- should have let it rise more again. Popped it in the oven and 40 minutes later a lovely looking loaf emerged. It did look lovely, but it didn't look that big. And when I cut into it yesterday it was very dense. So, next time I think letting my dough rise much more at each stage will help. Please correct me if I'm wrong though. I'm not unhappy with the way the loaf turned out. I set out to make a loaf of bread, and that was the end result. I think it could definitely be better, but since I had serious doubts that I could even get something remotely resembling bread I would say it was overall a success. However, I'm going to take another crack at working with yeast this weekend, because I would like a better WTSIM entry. But, for those who are interested, you can click the link above for the recipe. The addition of cinnamon was nice, but I should have added more sugar to help balance it.

Waiter, There's Something In My....Pie again?

So, I was actually intending to make this Monday night as a WTSIM entry, which had a deadline of being posted before today. I figured I could still get it done last night, and be in just under the clock. Well, last night kind of sucked, for reasons that's aren't important. Just many little annoyances as soon as I got home. And once dinner finished just in time to eat while watching Dancing With The Stars, I just didn't have the energy to get back up again. So I just figured I'd be missing the event. But, lo and behold I found out today that the deadline had been extended through the end of the week. Hurrah! So, this month's WTSIM is being hosted by The Passionate Cook with an Easter theme. So, in thinking of something that says Easter to me I immediately thought of spanakopita. We have an Easter dinner every year with Josh's mom and spanakopita is a main feature for me. Then I thought of the Spinach Pie I saw on an episode of Everyday Food a month or so ago. It was like a disassembled spanakopita, and called out to me from the start. And so my WTSIM entry was born. Trust me when I tell you that this dish is pretty delish. I'm actually eating the leftovers while I'm typing this entry!

Spinach Pie
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 12
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dried plain breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried dill
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and thinly sliced

• Make the filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in eggs until combined.
• Divide mixture evenly between two 9-inch springform pans or two 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plates; press firmly to flatten.
• Make the topping: In a large bowl, gently toss sliced phyllo to separate, then toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil until coated.
• Divide phyllo between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. (To freeze, cover pies tightly with plastic wrap, being careful not to flatten topping. Bake within 3 months; do not thaw first.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees;. Bake until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes for frozen pie (30 minutes for unfrozen pie).

My notes: I understandably enjoyed this recipe, noting my existing adoration for spanakopita. Josh really liked it. He said "mmmm" without me asking him what he thought first. I cut this recipe in half because I don't have springform pans just lying around, waiting to be popped into the freezer. I was a little low on feta, so I compensated with a smidge more Parmesan, and I have no idea how to figure out those 4 oz. of phyllo. I figured it would be 1/4 of the 16 oz. package I had, but that turned out to be too little, and it seemed like it took more like half the package to get the job done. Maybe I didn't separate the first batch of sheets well enough. Either way, it's good. I'd never complain of a dish being too light and flaky. :) Oh also, I divided our one pie which should serve 6 into quarters instead. This was the only thing I was serving last night so bigger portions were fine, and it made it easier to divvy up for dinner and lunchtime leftovers.

Sugar High Friday #29

Last month for my first Sugar High Friday, originally created by Domestic Goddess, I was super early, ahead of the game with anticipation. This time around I'm barely squeezing in before the deadline. This time is probably a more accurate portrayal of me, the procrastinator. This month it's being hosted by Chocolate In Context and so it should be no surprise the theme is raw chocolate. Since I'm just a newbie I decided to stick with unsweetened cocoa powder. I went scouting for recipes, and added the extra requirement of it being something I could try out my new Kitchenaid mixer with. I settled on a recipe that is no stranger to the food blog world- Chocolate Biscotti, recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, by way of Peabody. This recipe was super easy, especially with my new toy.

Chocolate Biscotti
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Working together with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on a medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may appear crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don't worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
• Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular. Carefully list the logs onto the baking sheet, and sprinkle each log with a little sugar.
• Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The loafs will spread and crack, which is fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet- you'll have an army of biscotti- and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

My notes: I used slivered almonds, and didn't bother chopping them, just to save a little time. I also used semisweet chocolate, because that's what I happened to have. Other than that everything pretty much went exactly as described above. We took some to Josh's aunt & uncle yesterday when we went to pick up the turntable and records, and they were so impressed that I made biscotti. I guess it's one of those things that can be impressive. Personally I think it's the name that makes the biggest impression. If I told them I brought them some hardened cookie slices they might not be as excited. :)

Waiter, There's Something In My....

So, I didn't intend to wait a week to get this posted, but it's been a busy few days. This is my entry for the new-ish event, Waiter, There's Something In My... , which has been created by Cook Sister, thepassionatecook, and Spitoon Extra. This is just round #2, and the theme is Pie. Sweet, savory, hot, cold, as long as it's covered it counts. So, since I was leaving on Thursday I decided that the night before I would make one of Josh's favorite meals, Bolognese Pie with Biscuit Topping. I tweaked it so it would fit into the event guidelines, and it came out great. Not terribly photogenic, but delicious. Instead of dropping the biscuit dough across the top, I spread it over the entire casserole dish. And that's pretty much the only way this differed from the recipe, which was of course from Everyday Food. I might should have cooked it for a little less time with the dough being thinner, but it tasted delicious anyway. This is actually a leftover meal, using the remaining sauce from a dinner of Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce. I love it because I can freeze the leftover sauce, and then aside from picking up some zucchini, I have a meal I can put together pretty quickly at a later date.

Bolognese Pie
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4








For the Meat Base:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lb. medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 3/4 chunks
4 cups leftover Bolognese Sauce

For the Biscuit Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the meat base: Heat the oil in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring, until golden and just beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in leftover Bolognese Sauce until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
• Make the biscuit: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, thyme, and salt. Using a pastry blender, or fork, or your fingers, work in butter until pea-size clumps form. Stir in milk and cheese until dough just comes together.
• Spoon dough over beef mixture in 8 small mounds, about 1 inch apart. Bake until meat mixture is bubbling and topping is golden brown (a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit should come out clean), about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

My notes: Aside from adjusting this recipe to be a covered pie, I typically change up the cooking containers. I didn't have an oven-proof skillet when I previously made this recipe, so I typically heat the meat base in a skillet and transfer to an 8-inch glass casserole dish to bake. I now have a nice cast iron skillet that I could use, but I wanted to use the casserole dish to help ensure the innards of the pie would be well disguised.

Comfortably Rushed

So I still haven't had a shower yet this morning, but I've gotta get this entry posted to make it in under the Blog Party deadline. The theme of this month's Blog Party, hosted by Dispensing Happiness is Comfort Food. So, I thought about the foods & beverages that are comforting to me and I decided to go with grilled cheese, tomato soup, and peppermint tea. To fit in the appetizer guidelines I served my comforting sandwiches in the form of strips, and went with Tomato Soup Shooters as an accompaniment.

For the Grilled Cheese Strips I used Monterrey Jack and Extra Sharp Cheddar, with a layer of crumbled feta filling, sandwiched between two
slices of well buttered Sourdough Bread. I grilled them slowly over medium-low heat in my new-to-me cast iron skillet I got from the in-laws. They were cheesey, gooey, and very toasty. Mmmmmm.....


For the Tomato Soup I followed a recipe that I had jotted down while watching Everyday Food a week or two earlier. What follows is the halved recipe I wrote down, to avoid a ginormous amount of leftover soup.


Classic Tomato Soup
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves ???- lots I guess, ha.

1/4 stick butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Coarse salt & pepper
1/8 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in juice

• Melt butter over medium heat. Add oil & onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute.
• Add thyme, broth, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your fingers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Puree 2.5 cups in blender and return to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

My notes: I actually pureed all but about a cup of the soup. I like my tomato soup very creamy, so this is an act of personal preference.

For my comforting beverage, as I mentioned above, I chose peppermint tea. I love peppermint tea! It's so soothing when I'm not feeling well, or I've been out on a cold blustery day. It is definitely my go-to mug filler, especially since my stomach can only handle one cup of coffee a day. I can fill my belly with cup after cup of peppermint tea.


So, that's my contribution to the February Blog Party. I hope I did everything right, ha. These blog events are new to me so I usually go over any rules I can find a million times, to hopefully avoid making a fool out of myself and my fledgling blog. As I mentioned in th post below I'll be out of town for a few days, so when I get back I should have a post about the yummy dinner I prepared last night. Incidentally I'm hoping it will be my Waiter, There's Something In My...Pie entry.

Sugar High Friday #28

Alrighty, to help me stick with my resolution to keep up this blog I decided to have a go at participating in some blog events. This will be my first entry in the monthly Sugar High Friday event, created by the Domestic Goddess and this time being hosted by Cardamom Addict. Not only is this my first entry in Sugar High Friday, but it's my first blog event entry ever. Hopefully I do everything right! So, on to the sweetness.

For round #28 Cardamom Addict has come up with the theme Sweet Seduction. Very fitting for the month of February, no? I was thinking, and thinking, rolling ideas around in my head. And then it hit me while I was re-reading my February issue of MS Living. The very first sight in the "Warming Winter Puddings" article was a delightful looking dish, called Eve's Pudding. Named so for the first lady of Eden and the inclusion of her weapon of seduction, the apple. Cardamom Addict mentioned several different angles to approach from- something you've made to seduce someone, something your planning to make to seduce someone, something someone made to seduce you, or something you wish someone would make to seduce you. In my mind this particular item falls into two of those catagories. I used the possibility of this delicious dish to help sweeten the deal when convincing Josh to take me to Ikea, so I suppose you could say I used it to seduce him. And then, there is the lovely thought of sharing this decidedly British dessert with Colin Firth, after he whipped it up for me. Remember how helpful in the kitchen he was in Bridget Jones' Diary? Before I get too distracted, let's get to the recipe.

Eve's Pudding
Recipe from MS Living; Serves 8 to 10














1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened,
plus more for baking dish
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Salt
1 3/4 pounds baking apples, peeled,
quartered, cored, and cut into 1/8" thick
slices
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
Heavy cream, for serving

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2" square baking dish; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt ina medium bowl; set aside.
• Put apples, 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt into a large bowl; toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water over top; set aside.
• Put butter and 6 tablespoons sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk. Mix until combined.
• Spread batter over apples, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until batter is cooked through and juices are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Spoon into dishes; serve drizzled with cream.

My notes: I (so, so, sadly) don't have a stand mixer. I used my regular handheld mixer up until the flour point, and then mixed with a rubber spatula from there. Also, my square baking dish happens to be 8", not the above-mentioned 8 1/2". I baked the pudding on a foil lined baking sheet, in case of any over-spill. None occured, so I imagine that 1/2" isn't all that important. Lastly, I also sprinkled a little cinnamon atop the batter with the remaining sugar, to add a little color, and because I love cinnamon. :)