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Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla, Maple Syrup and Cassis

Are you serving canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving?

The reason why we ask is because you can give your guests the most amazing cranberry sauce that has 6 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make. We have been making this cranberry sauce for the past 4 years and actually double the recipe because the first year we made it, we ran out. 

We found this cranberry sauce recipe in one of our Fine Cooking Magazine and we haven't made anything else. When it works, you stick with it, especially when you only make it once a year.

If you have the cranberries, you will just need an orange, some sugar, maple syrup, creme de cassis and a vanilla bean. Everything gets mixed in a large pot and 10 minutes later, you have an amazing cranberry sauce. It's tart with a wonderful orange vanilla flavor. Perfect for turkey, chicken or ...we are going to serve it with swordfish kabobs tomorrow night.

If you don't have time to make the sauce for Thanksgiving, pick up a bag of cranberries over the weekend and make this cranberry sauce for left-over turkey sandwiches. After spending all that time making a big turkey dinner, what better way to complement your meal than with homemade cranberry sauce.

Because, there are no cans here!

Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla, Maple Syrup and Cassis

Ingredients:

6 cups (about 1-1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over and rinsed
2/3 cup of white sugar
1/3 cup of fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
1/3 cup of crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
Half a vanilla bean, split and scraped

Preparation:

1. Remove zest from orange, then cut in half and squeeze juice from orange to 1/3 cup.

2. Put 3 cups of the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, creme de cassis and vanilla bean in a medium (3 or 4 quart) saucepan.

3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and broken down and the juices look slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Stir in the remaining 3 cups cranberries and cook until the cranberries have popped, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean, and let cool to room temperature.

6. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Note:
The cranberry sauce can be made up to one week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving.

An Easy Berry Cobbler became Peach Raspberry Cobbler

 

Last week, our neighbors came over with a container full of fresh raspberries picked from their garden. We had a few peaches that were very soft and Jeff wanted to make a fruit cobbler but we didn't really have a great recipe. He pulled out a few of our Southern Living Annual Cookbooks and found this Easy Berry Cobbler in the 2010 edition. We took the recipe and doctored it a little with some delicious fresh rather than frozen fruit.

Jeff wasn't sure how it was going to come out because it had such an odd combination of ingredients...mix sugar, flour and 1 egg, then put butter over the mixture. He was convinced this was going to be a disaster, but to our surprise it came out AMAZING! The crust was sweet and crunchy and the fruit was slightly tart, a perfect combination. Put some fresh whipped cream on top and you will think you died and went to heaven...it was that good.

I'm going to have to say, this is definitely the BEST dessert this summer. We hoarded the majority of the ramekins (OK, 4 out of 6) because isn't the rule - whoever makes the dessert, eats the dessert! And at our house, if you don't save a little extra for yourself (in other words, hide what you have), you will not see it past 24 hours.

Before the fresh peaches and raspberries disappear this season, try this dessert. You will find, like us, it's worth hiding.

Ingredients:

Easy Berry Cobbler
4 cups of fresh peaches cut into 1 inch slices
1 cup of fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of peach schnapps
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 
1 large egg
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons of melted butter

Cinnamon Whipped Cream
2 cups of whipping cream
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 6 (1 cup) ramekins and place on a cookie sheet covered with foil.
Divide peaches and raspberries evenly and place them in the 6 ramekins. Mix the lemon juice, peach schnapps and cinnamon together, sprinkle the peaches and raspberries with this mixture. 
Stir together egg, sugar and flour until is resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit, drizzle butter evenly over the ramekins.

Place into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Enjoy with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

Seared Scallops with Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

A few weeks ago, we entertained family for the weekend as Jeff's niece's wedding shower was being held at our house. When we entertain, we love to have a few appetizers or small plate snacks before serving dinner.

In April, I gave Jeff the Stonewall Kitchen Appetizers Cookbook for his birthday. Not that we needed another cookbook BUT this have a nice variety of different appetizers from hot to cold to chicken, pasta and seafood. They also have great uses for fresh herbs and vegetables that are found in your garden. This recipe seemed perfect on a warm summer night, Seared Scallops with refreshing Pineapple-Pepper Salsa.

The recipe called for a green pepper but I love red peppers because they are a bit sweeter and they complement the pineapple in taste and color. We made the salsa a few hours in advance and refrigerated them until the scallops were cooked. The combination was amazing. There is something wonderful when you add fruit to seafood, especially when there is that hot and cold combination; hot juicy scallops with cold refreshing pineapple.

Our guests were delighted. With a few extra scallops and salsa left after the first serving, people moved quickly to get a few spare seconds. Everyone enjoyed the quick bite before we served dinner.

We are fortunate because we love to entertain and our guests are always excited at see what we will serve. Not because it is incredible but more that it is different. Finding a new recipe, allows you to become a bit more creative as well as let your guests taste something deliciously different. 

The Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped fresh pineapple
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large lime, juiced
1-1/2 tablespoons of  chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 to 1 small red chile pepper or japaleno pepper, chopped, with or without seeds
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together, pineapple, bell pepper, scallions, oil, lime, cilantro and chile. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. The salsa can be made 1 to 2 hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

The Scallops

1 pound of sea scallops (dry scallops)
1 cup of all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation:

Pat the scallops dry. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour salt and pepper to taste. Lightly dredge the scallops in the seasoned flour; be sure to brush off any excess flour.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot (add a touch of flour and make sure it sizzles), add half the scallops in one layer, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the size of the scallop, or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining scallops.

Place about 2-3 tablespoons of salsa in the middle of a small plate. Top with two to three scallops. Garnish with a lime wedge and cilantro sprig.

 

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Cake

Now that farm season is in full swing, atleast in New England, there are great opportunities for strawberries, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, raspberries and soon blueberries. As you enter the supermarkets, there are plenty of blueberries to be had...locally we will be able to pick our own in about a month. So, now is the time to test some amazing blueberry recipes which you can enjoy for the remainder of the summer. 

The Boston Globe recently ran an article on 6 delicious blueberry cakes. After reading the ingredients of each, I decided to go with the Glazed Blueberry Cake. Why this recipe? First, it had a lemon glaze for the cake. I love when blueberries and lemons are showcased in a dessert. It gives a refreshing flavor to the dish. Second, I had a container of buttermilk which I wanted to use and the recipe called for milk. Perfect substitution.

The cake came together quickly and I was really intrigued by the separation of egg yolks and egg whites. I was wondering if it would make a difference in the lightness of the cake, especially if I was adding buttermilk which can be heavy.

Well, the results were delicious. The cake was very moist and even though there was a denseness to the cake, it was light. Jeff thought it was one of the best cakes he has ever eaten. The sweet and sourness of the glaze with the moist cake with flavors of buttermilk and fresh blueberries was melt in your mouth AMAZING! Because it is made in a 9 x 13 baking pan, it allowed for everyone to grab chunks of blueberry cake for breakfast all week long. This is definitely on my short list of recipes to make again. It is perfect for breakfast, snack time or dessert, but I enjoyed it best when it was still warm from the oven. Probably might taste good as a cupcake, too...just a suggestion.

Ingredients:

1 pint (2 cups) of fresh blueberries
3 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, at room temperature
2 cups of white sugar
1 cup of whole milk (we used buttermilk)

Preparation:

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour.

In another bowl, whisk the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a third bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the yolks, one at a time.

With the mixer set on its lowest speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Fold in the whites, then fold in the blueberries.

Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes or until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and the top springs back when pressed with a fingertip.

GLAZE

1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

In a bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and rind. Add enough additional lemon juice to make a mixture that pours easily.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Visitandine with Strawberries - Better than Strawberry Shortcake

 

This weekend is probably one of the last times you can pick your own strawberries in the New England area. Last weekend we went to C.N. Smith Farms (again) to get more strawberries because we were entertaining family all weekend and knew we wanted to serve a "strawberry" dessert.

Jeff had found a visitandine recipe in Dorie Greenspan's - Around my French Table. Dorie explains that "visitandine is a very simple white cake with an elegant small grain crumb and a lovely springy sponge, and a pure butter and sugar flavor."  It's perfect plain or paired with glazes, frosting, jams or fruits.  Having made strawberry shortcake quite a few times, we thought this would be a nice change.

As we read through the recipe, there was a suggestion that you could use a browned butter instead of the melted butter, giving the visitandine slight flavors of carmel and hazelnuts. We thought that using the browned butter might be different since we love changing up recipes, even if it meaning using browned butter VS melted butter. After we browned the butter, it tasted very nutty...it is amazing how browning butter can change the taste of your product. Outside of having to whip together 4 egg whites - and use the yolks to make thumbprint cookies - the cake was very easy to make and cooked up in about 30 minutes.

We served the shortcake in small dessert bowls. We found a cookie cutter that was the perfect match to the dessert bowls so we cut out rounds and put them in the base and put the strawberries and whipped cream on top. You can cut the cake in wedges or squares depending on the number of people you have to serve. The strawberry shortcake with the visitandine was delicious. Because of the spongy-ness of the cake, it absorbed the strawberry juices making the dessert incredibly smooth and delicious. The caramel, nutty taste of the cake gave the shortcake a flavor that truly complemented the rest of the ingredients. After the first round of servings and then a few seconds, everyone agreed that it was definitely different from true shortcake and thought it tasted better.

There is nothing better than a homemade cake, freshly picked strawberries and fresh whipped cream when it comes to making strawberry shortcake. Celebrate the 4th with this easy white cake recipe, your strawberries and whipped cream will thank you!

Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake:

Ingredients for visitandine:

4 large egg whites, preferably at room temperature
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of white sugar
a pinch of salt
7 tablespoons of butter, melted and slightly cooled (we used brown butter - see below)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for strawberries:
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons of sugar

Ingredients for whipped cream:
2 cups of whipping cream
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Preparation:

Brown Butter:
Place butter in a small sauce pan. Turn up the heat once the butter is melted so that it begins to boil, gently. Watching carefully, continue to simmer the butter until it turns a golden brown. As soon as you get the color needed, take the butter off the heat and place in a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Allow butter to cool.

Visitandine:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Choose a pan of your liking (we used a 10 inch round cake pan). Note that cooking time is based on a 10 inch pan, longer cook time for smaller pans, shorter cook time for larger pans.

Butter the pan and line it with a circle of parchment paper; butter the parchment.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they hold firm peaks but are still glossy.

In a another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the melted butter, followed by the vanilla, and, using the whisk, stir until the ingredients are fully blended. The mixture will clump and look "slightly hopeless" but continue stirring gently to mix.

With the whisk, slide half of the egg whites onto the batter, whisk to stir them in gently. Fold in the remaining egg whites and again whisk gently. Scrape the batter into the pan and jiggle the pan to even the top.

Bake the cake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until it's beautifully browned and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Once out of the oven, run a blunt knife around the edge of the cake. Still in the pan, place on a cooling rack for 3 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment, and allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

Strawberries:
Place cut strawberries in a bowl with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. This allows the juices to be released from the strawberries. You can do this prior to baking the cake and they can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

Whipping cream:
Place whipping cream, vanilla and sugar in a bowl and using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream until slightly stiff peaks form. Whip cream just prior to serving the visitandine.

The visitandine can be cut into wedges and served or you can do as we did and using a cookie cutter, cut circles and place them into the bottom of a round serving bowl. Place strawberries on top, followed by whipped cream. Repeat as many times as you would like to enjoy them incredibly delicious dish! This serves up to 8 people.

Strawberry Summer Salsa with Tequila Lime Chicken

 

Part 2 of our Saturday "Pick Your Own" Strawberries at C.N. Smith Farm.

After picking 10 pounds of strawberries and starting the evening with a Strawberry Limonada, it was time to get serious on adding strawberries to our dinner menu. I decided to work the strawberries in as a condiment to the grilled chicken we would be serving. This past year, we have taken advantage of a few great summer salsas that contain a combination of tasty fruits, peppers, red onions and a flavorful dressings that complement the ingredients.

I found a strawberry summer salsa which they suggested be served with grilled chicken. It comes from a little recipe book called  "The Best 50 Salsas" by Christie and Thomas Katona. We have found some great quick salsa recipes whether combining fruits, vegetables or both!

We are having people over tomorrow and I am already eyeing a peach salsa to use with our Killer Guacamole.

I found an easy Tequila-Lime Marinade, which was to be used on flank steak, butfigured it would be fine for chicken. The marinade came together in 5 minutes and since the tequila was out we might as well use it. I found the recipe on the Food & Wine website as Tequila-Lime Marinated Flank Steak. I've still got my eye on using it the next time we serve steak.

The chicken was delicious and the strawberry salsa was amazing as a dressing. We ended up serving it with white jasmine rice which was perfect. We kept dipping our chicken and rice in the fruity salsa. It was light and perfect for a warm Saturday evening dinner with our fresh, locally picked strawberries and some homegrown mint and cilantro.

This is nice as a side dish for chicken or white fish. Get out there while you can still pick your own strawberries, at least in New England, and enjoy the taste of locally grown produce! 

Strawberry Summer Salsa 

Ingredients:

2 cups of diced strawberries
1/2 cup of chopped red onion
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 japeleno chile, finely chopped
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Tequila Lime Marinade

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
3 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 small Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, sliced thinly, approximately eight pieces.

Preparation:

In a large bowl or 1 gallon resealable bag, combine the ingredients.
Add the chicken and toss to coat completely with the marinade.
Cover (or seal) and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

Grill chicken to desired wellness. We usually go 3-4 minutes each side, depending on the heat intensity of the grill.

Serve chicken with salsa on the top or side. White jasmine rice is a great side dish for this meal.

 

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

I'm not sure why but we have had quite a few rotting bananas sitting at our house. With peaches, strawberries and blueberries becoming more available, our favorite staple "the banana" hasn't made it to the breakfast table.

Last week, after another round of fruit flies and rotten bananas, Jeff took out the New England Bed and Breakfast Cookbook and found this recipe for banana bread with a streusel topping. It sounded very interesting adding a sugary topping to a basic banana nut bread. It was submitted by the Morrison House Bed & Breakfast located in Somerville, MA. It's amazing what you can do to a banana bread recipe with a little bit of leftover streusel topping.

Let's start from the smell in the house while it was cooking...HEAVENLY! The bread baked and rose over the sides of the pan. (NOTE - You can split the recipe into two loaves or use a bigger pan.) The streusel topping browned perfectly and gave the bread a wonderfully golden crust...and the bread was absolutely delicious. I am not a banana or a banana nut bread fan. I'll always try a piece but it is not something I typically eat but I will admit...I took a second slice. Whether I wanted to eat it or not, it was a huge hit at our house. Large slabs of banana bread were sliced, toasted, and microwaved before it disappeared as a breakfast favorite.

If you are a fan of banana bread, try this recipe. It's a very different twist that adds some character to an old favorite. 

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1-1/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
5-1/3 tablespoons of butter, softened
2/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 large eggs, well beaten
3 very ripe, large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
 
Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
For streusel topping: Combine all streusel ingredients until crumbly.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add bananas and mix well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda; add to butter mixture and mix just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf.

Fine Cooking's Classic Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberries

 

Breakfast is a favorite meal at our house. Between the cereals, fruits, breads and other breakfast delights, you will have plenty of choices and never go hungry.

On Sundays, we tend to take some time preparing breakfast going between french toast, eggs, muffins, scones or pancakes. Recently we had gone out to breakfast at one of our local restaurants and decided, we make these dishes just as well if not better than when we go out.

Jeff took out the Fine Cooking's Breakfast Cookbook the following morning and inside was a simple and classic buttermilk pancake recipe. Sometimes simple can mean delicious. With a pint of blueberries ready to go, buttermilk pancakes were on the menu.

We have made buttermilk pancakes before, but normally use the powdered buttermilk. I think there is a difference sometimes. There was definitely a smoothness to the pancake batter and natural can work better than powdered. Most people will say you probably can't tell the difference...I thought this was the best batch of pancakes we had ever made. The pancakes were light and melted in your mouth...not too sweet and the blueberries were a perfect tartness for the maple syrup. Jeff felt the key was not to over mix the batter.

Everyone who moved through the kitchen that morning had 3-4 pancakes. By 11 AM, we had no pancakes left and one very happy family. Put a smile on your family's face tomorrow morning, make a batch of pancakes!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter; more for serving
9 oz. (2 cups) of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 cups of buttermilk (We usually use powdered but we did you fresh buttermilk this time.)
2 large eggs
1 cup of fresh blueberries
Vegetable oil for the griddle
Pure maple syrup for serving

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 200°F. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove and set aside to cool briefly.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, add the blueberries; stop before the batter is evenly moistened. Add the cooled melted butter and mix just until the batter is evenly moistened (there will be lumps). Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (or set an electric griddle to 375°F) until drops of water briefly dance on the surface before evaporating. Lightly oil the griddle. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Let cook undisturbed until bubbles rise to the surface and the edges look dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Check the underside of each pancake to make sure it’s nicely browned; then flip. Cook until the second side is nicely browned, about 1 minute more. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

 

Cook's Illustrated "The Best Raspberry Bars"

 

Sunday morning arrived and without speaking a word, Jeff and I silently began a Sunday morning "Bake-Off". He started with a delicious recipe of buttermilk pancakes which he added blueberries. I took the remaining blueberries and used them to make blueberry scones with a lemon icing. (Follow the Chocolate Chip Cherry Scone recipe and leave out the chips, cherries and walnuts and add 1 cup of blueberries and the rind from 1/2 lemon.) As we finished cleaning up, Jeff grabbed the last of the over ripe bananas and started making a streusel topped banana nut bread. In the All-Time Best Recipes Book from Cook's Illustrated was a great recipe for "The Best Raspberry Squares". With a pint of raspberries in the refrigerator, why not finish the morning with some...dessert!

I grabbed the mixer and started looking for my ingredents. Having a free standing mixer has made cooking and baking much easier for me, especially since I was an old-fashion mix-it-by-hand girl. The mixing of the butter into the flour mixture was so easy as I just added ingredients and watched the raspberry bars come together. I loved that these bars had both the jam and fresh raspberries. It gave the bars a tartness that went well with the shortbread and oatmeal sweetness.

Everyone loved the bars...I think for two reasons

1. It wasn't chocolate. For those of you who know me and have followed the blog, I love recipes with the main ingredient being chocolate.

2. They were a perfect sized snack. Not too tart, not too sweet. (Great with ice cream!)

My only problem with the bars was that I would have wanted more jam filling. The next time I make these, I will do 1-1/2 times the preserves, raspberries and lemon mixture.

Again, another easy recipe to take to a cook-out or party. A great "snack size" dessert that isn't your typical chocolate chip cookie or mini brownie.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened to a cool room temperature
1/4 cup of packed light or dark brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup of pecans, chopped finely
3/4 cup of raspberry preserves
3/4 cup of fresh raspberries (frozen can be used; just make sure they are thawed completely)
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Adjust the oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut an 18-inch length foil and and fit into length of 13 x 9-inch baking dish, pushing into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length of foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner.
Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray. I used a non-stick pan and didn't have to put in the foil or cooking spray.

2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine on low, add 16 tablespoons of butter, 1 piece at a time; then continue mixing on low until mixture resembles damp sand, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer.

3. Measure 1 1/4 cups of the flour mixture into medium bowl and set aside; distribute the remaining flour mixture evenly in bottom of prepared baking pan. Using your hands or the flat-bottomed measuring cup, press the mixture into even layer to form bottom crust. Bake until edges begin to brown, 14 to 18 minutes.

4. While the crust is baking, add brown sugar, oats and nuts to the reserved flour mixture; toss to combine. Work in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter by rubbing the mixture between your fingers until butter is fully incorporated. Pinch mixture with fingers to create hazelnut-sized clumps; set streusel aside.

5. Combine preserves, raspberries, and lemon juice in small bowl; mash with a fork until combined but some berry pieces remain.

6. Spread filling evenly over hot crust; sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over filling. Return pan to the oven and bake until topping is a deep golden brown and fill in bubbling, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours; remove from baking pan by lifting foil extensions. Cut them into squares and watch them disappear!

A Twist on an Epicurious Favorite - Chocolate Chip-Dried Cherry Scones

 

Scones have become a new found favorite at our house. "Better than muffins", my son said yesterday.

I have tried several recipes with different liquid ingredients...buttermilk, heavy cream, whipping cream. To date, this has been the best base scone recipe I have made. Originally, this recipe started as Epicurious' Chocolate Chip-Toffee Scone recipe. It was an interesting recipe because it called for whipping cream and you whip the cream into stiff peaks before adding it to the dry ingredients.

As I looked at the ingredients for chocolate chips and toffee bits, I did think to myself, "Could you put something other than chocolate in these scones?" I thoroughly enjoy chocolate for breakfast, but I thought I should probably add fruit to this recipe. We had been to Sid Wainer's and had bought a package of dried cherries. A-ha! There was my fruit. But think of the different combinations:

1. Blueberries and Lemon Rind

2. Orange Rind and Cinnamon

3. Craisins and White Chocolate

4. Chocolate Chips and Toffee Bits

5. Raisins and Chopped Walnuts

And my favorite: Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Dried Cherries and Walnuts. These scones were very easy to make, once the cream was whipped, I blended and kneaded the scones right in the bowl.

The scones were delicious, very light...which is why I really enjoyed. I liked the fact that there was a little bit of everything...mini chocolate chips, fruit and nuts, no one ingredient overpowered the scone. They melted in your mouth. Jeff's parents loved them, Brian took 4 to work, my parents took some home (after dinner last night) and by this morning, Jeff and I split the last scone. It looks like I'll be making more this week.

It's vacation week, show your family you love them and make their favorite scone combination. Then write me and tell me how they came out! I love pictures, too!

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/2 cup of dried cherries, coarsely chopped
2 cups of chilled whipping cream (I used heavy cream and it worked perfectly)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Additional sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts and dried cherries. Beat cream in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into dry ingredients. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently until soft dough forms about 2 minutes. (I kneaded mine right in the bowl. I found it easier). Place the dough on a floured surface and form into a ball; pat out to form 1 1/4-inch-thick round. Cut dough into 12 wedges.

 

Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. (I place mine in the mini scone pan, see above.) Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Dorie Greenspan's Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

 

I have a confession to make...we own 100 cookbooks. At least in the quick count of one of our cabinets. Our newest addition arrived last week "around my french table" by Dorie Greenspan. Jeff loves to read some of the reviews on Amazon and said this one was phenominal. He especially liked it because it had some really great French recipes, not a style of cooking we normally use. We spent most of last week thumbing through the cookbook, marking off our favorite recipes. Both of us decided that since we hadn't had scallops in quite a while the Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce would be our first recipe.

The recipe was simple with a few ingredients and the process to get everything prepared took about 20 minutes. You could serve this dish as a meal as well as an appetizer. We enjoyed the scallops with couscous and broccoli. And I'll have to admit, after eating the scallops, I was running my broccoli and couscous through the remainder of the sauce.

The sauce was sweet but not overpowering, just delicious...incredible...amazing. I love this style of sauce with seafood. It never takes away from the wonderful taste of the scallops.

The best description of this recipe : quick, easy, sweet and delicious. This is a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Juice of 1 large orange - generous 1/3 cup (we used a blood red orange)
1 pound of sea scallops (we used dry scallops)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, for taste
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Candied Orange Zest (recipe below)

Preparation:

Sprinkle the sugar into a small sauce pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see it turn brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. When the sugar has turned a deep caramel color (you can put  a drop of sugar on a white plate to test the color), about 3 minutes, stand back and add the white wine and orange juice. It may bubble and spatter, so watch out. Turn the heat up to high, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil the sauce until it is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. (You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.)

Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Slice or pull off the little muscle attached to the sides of the scallops. Have a warm serving platter and a small strainer at the ready.

Put the sauce pan with the caramel sauce over very low heat so that it can warm while you cook the scallops.

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center — nick one to test. Transfer the scallops to the serving platter.

Check that the caramel sauce is hot — give it more heat if necessary. Pull the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through the strainer into a sauce boat or pitcher. Drizzle some of the sauce over the scallops and pass the rest at the table.

Before you squeeze the juice from the orange, cut off the zest using a zester, a vegetable peel or a knife, avoiding the cottony, white pith. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, toss in the zest and boil for one minute, then drain in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Put 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of white sugar in the pan and cook, stirring until dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Add the zest, reduce the heat to as low as possible and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zest is soft. At serving time, remove the zest with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and strew it over the caramel-sauced scallops.

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

 

About a year ago, I bought a mini-scone pan. I was heading right home to find a recipe to make scones because this was going to be my new breakfast treat, rather than muffins.

Today, being stuck in the house with the second nor'easter of the season, I found a container of blueberries hidden in the back of the refrigerator. Before they went bad I had a few choices...blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins or...blueberry scones. That's right, I have a mini-scone pan I've never used. I looked up blueberry scones on the internet and came across Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. I had to find a recipe that used heavy cream since I had some on the verge of being thrown away. Typically, scones are made with either heavy cream or buttermilk and buttermilk wasn't an option.

The recipe was easy to make. The dough was a little dry so I had to use my hands to get the last of it together. Some people who commented on the recipe suggested using 1-2 tablespoons of additional heavy cream. I was going to add some but was able to get the mixture to incorporate.

I flattened the dough and cut it into rectangular pieces to fit in the pan. The scones do not rise or get bigger as they cook so you can cut them to fit.

The glaze was also easy, especially since you can zap it in the microwave. I would suggest making half the glaze since there is quite a bit left over. I ran out of lemon juice and also didn't have a fresh lemon for the rind. I substitued a little bit of orange juice and orange rind which worked out perfectly.

My son, Stephen, and I were the first to indulge. The scones were delicious. The glaze added just enough sweetness to the scone. the scone was moist and melted in your mouth. We are a blueberry muffin family and I asked Stephen whether he thought they were better than blueberry muffins. "Oh, yeah...much better!" What more would you want from one of the "Bay Road Food Critics"!

The next time you want to make muffins, make scones. Something different, something tasty, something fun!

Scones:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup of heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup of fresh blueberries (you can use frozen, but they can be tougher to incorporate) 

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or orange juice if you don't have it)
2 cups of confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated (or orange zest)
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough. Note: If the dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon (at a time) of heavy cream until it sticks together.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly golden brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler, but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 7 - Real Simple's Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars

 

This past week, while working with a client, we were looking at blogs and identifying certain websites that had blogs. She asked to view the website Real Simple because she liked the site and wanted to see if they had a blog. As we searched, we came upon their food blog. There was a recipe being highlighted called Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars. They looked really good and I hadn't listed a fruit cookie as part of The 12 Cookies of Christmas. (In my "baking" head, raspberry jam constitutes a fruit.)

I went back to the site yesterday and found the recipe to make these delicious looking bars. The ingredients are simple and I had the pan in the oven within 15 minutes. I love recipes like this because it allows me to be baking something while I am preparing other cookie recipes.

The house smelled incredible as the buttery mix and walnuts began to bake. They looked perfect coming out of the oven. My one comment will be that I changed the instructions around a bit. It calls for you to line the pan with parchment paper. I did not. I greased the pan and realized the mixture had plenty of butter and would do fine coming out of the pan. With a little bit of loosening around the pan, it came out in one piece which made it easy to cut into 24 bars.

The taste was "melt in your mouth" delicious. The dough is a bit like shortbread with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. I love the injection of raspberry which just adds to the flavor of the bar. I would actually use this as a substitute for a thumbprint cookie. Not as much filling but just as good.

If you want to make something quick and delicious, try these bars. And if you are adventurous, I'm sure strawberry, apricot or blackberry jam would taste equally as good!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup of raspberry jam
1 cup of chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with the cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined (do not overmix).

Transfer two-thirds of the dough to the prepared pan and press in evenly; spread the jam on top.

Crumble the remaining dough over the jam and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Bake until golden, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

When cool, cut into 24 rectangles (6 rows by 4 rows). Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

America's Test Kitchen - Apple Slab Pie

 

Yes, we have found yet another Special Collector's Edition of Best-Ever Recipes from America's Test Kitchen. It couldn't have been the Ultimate Turtle Brownies on the cover that lured me in, maybe it was the promise of so many great recipes to have fun with!

So, may I start with the Apple Slab Pie. I saw the picture and thought...it is apple season, it had an apple icing and looked pretty easy to make since the crust was store bought. This will be my first project of the long weekend.

The pie was a little more challenging than I thought, especially trying to roll together two crusts with animal cracker crumbs in-between. But I will say, it added great flavor to the crust. The process for releasing apple juices and having a pie filling that was juicy but not runny made for a crispy crust and an amazing flavor. My only issue was when I didn't reduce the apple juice to 1/4 cup, necessary for the icing to set. Mine was a little runny but still delicious.

This is a great treat for big crowds since you can cut 15-20 pieces of pie. The crust to the pie is solid so it is easy to pick up like a brownie and eat it with your hands. Try this recipe before we get into the holidays because once you have mastered the crust, this could be your favorite apple pie!

For apples:

8 granny smith apples (about 3½ pounds) peeled, cored, and sliced thin

8 golden delicious apples (about 3½ pounds) peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1 cup of sugar

½ teaspoon of salt

For crust:

1½ cups of animal crackers (I used Barnum Animal Crackers)

½ cup of sugar

2 (15 oz.) boxes of Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons of minute tapioca

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

Glaze for pie:

¾ cup of reserved apple juice (from filling)

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 T. unsalted butter, softened

1¼ c. powdered sugar

For the pie: Combine the apples, sugar and salt in a colander set over a large bowl. Let rest, tossing occasionally until the apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on the apples to extract the liquid and reserve ¾ of a cup of the juice.

For crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until they are finely ground. Dust the work surface with cracker mixture; brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round and dust top with cracker mixture (about 1/2 the mixture total for each set of crusts). Roll out the dough to 19 x 14 " and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with the butter and refrigerate; roll top crust in the same way.

Net steps: Toss the drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over the bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten. Brush the edges of the bottom crust with water and arrange the top crust on the pie. Press the crusts together and use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use a fork to crimp and seal the outside edges of pie. Bake until the pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour.

For the glaze: While the pie is cooling, simmer the reserved apple juice in a saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to ¼ cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the powdered sugar and brush glaze evenly over the warm pie. Let the pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer.

Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins - Muffin Tops

 
 

What is the best part of a muffin? The top! Crunchy, sweet...wouldn't you enjoy two muffins tops more that the entire muffin? I would and usually do.

About 10+ years ago, my mother had been over my cousin's house and talked about these muffin tops she had made. The pan was similar to a muffin tin except the cups were shallow. Knowing how much I baked and loved new ideas, my mother bought me a muffin top pan. Whenever I make blueberry muffins you will normally find them as a muffin top. I love this method for two reasons, first, the muffins don't need paper liners and second, the muffin tops disappear. They are easy to grab and delicious to eat.

Last week, one of my co-workers, Alison Moriarty, had brought in a pint of Maine blueberries for each of us. The entire ride home I was plotting as to what I could make with the blueberries. I kept thinking, I haven't made blueberry muffins in a while, and I hadn't made Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins in...forever! Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins were the best muffins. When we were younger, we would go into Boston to shop for the day and would always stop at Jordan Marsh's bakery to buy blueberry muffins to take home. (Macy's is the old Jordan Marsh) They were big muffins, bursting with blueberries and a crunchy, sugary top.

I found my old newspaper article for Jordan Marsh's Blueberry muffins and started to mix ingredients. It really is an easy recipe and within 10 minutes they were mixed and in the pan. I sprinkled them with turbinadosugar because I love the larger granuals, giving the tops more crunch. I made my first batch of muffin tops and then found a few of my mini tart trays. Presto...mini muffin tops. Whether full muffin or muffin top, if you enjoy blueberry muffins, this is a recipe worth trying.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups large fresh blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar (for top of muffins)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a second bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture alternating with the milk .

Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries and stir into the batter. Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand.

Grease muffin pan. I used a 12 muffin (muffin top) pan. I haven't been able to find them anywhere, but I did find a 6 muffin (muffin top) pan. I have a 6 muffin (muffin top) pan that works well, too. Fill muffin tins, 3/4 filled and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook for 15 + minutes until slightly golden on top and the muffins spring back when touched.

Cool on racks. If using a muffin top pan, the easiest way to get the muffin top out is to use a plastic knife and run it along the rim of the muffin. It should release the muffin from the pan.

Enjoy...and hide a few to enjoy later.

(I also had little tart pans and finished off the rest of the batter with mini-muffin tops!)

 

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Cucumber-Peach Salsa

 

Since my daughter, Danielle, graduated in May, she has been making some of our evening meals. This is an added benefit when Jeff and I are running late from work. Danielle has been searching the internet for new and interesting recipes which can be made with some of the ingredients from our garden. Being a food and nutrition major, she is always looking for a healthy component to every dish. She found this recipe on Eat Better America. With many of the ingredients in our garden, Danielle picked up some white peaches at the market and began to make dinner.

There were only 4 ingredients to chop and the smell of mint was in the air. Jeff grilled the chicken breasts and brushed them with the apricot preserves as they cooked. Within fifteen minutes dinner was complete, outside of waiting for a bag of white rice to finish cooking.

The chicken was very flavorful but the salsa was incredible. We were fighting over tasting the salsa because people were going back for seconds. The crunchy cucumbers with the peaches and mint were very refreshing. The red onion and little bit of salt balanced out the salsa's sweetness.

This cucumber- peach salsa would be a great addition to any chicken, pork or fish dish. Given the fact that we had nothing left, I can bet we could make the salsa without meat and get the same results. My only recommendation would be to chill it for at least an hour before serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped cucumber

2/3 cup of apricot or peach preserves

2 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of chopped red onion

2 peaches or nectarines, peeled and chopped, about 1-1/2 cups (we used white peaches)

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preparation:

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In a small bowl mix cucumber, 4 tablespoons of the preserves, the mint, salt, onion and peach; set aside.

Carefully spray grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 10-15 minutes, turning and brushing 2 or 3 times with the remaining preserves, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is 170 degrees. Discard any remaining preserves. Serve chicken with salsa.

My Favorite Pineapple Zucchini Bread

 

July may be Blueberry Month, but zucchini is abundant in our garden. Having picked the first five zucchini, we were eager to some make zucchini bread. During the season, we will make three of our favorite zucchini bread recipes and then look for new ones. We will also make everything from stuffed zucchini to zucchini cookies and muffins. The excitement of fresh products from the garden makes creating zucchini based recipes more fun.

I have been making pineapple zucchini bread for many years. I can't remember where it came from but if they are on my 5 x 7 index cards that means they are at least 20 years old. (Am I dating myself again?)

This zucchini bread recipe is sweet and very moist, it's great with raisins as well as nuts. At our house, raisins rule. It's great when you can combine your ingredients to get both a fruit and vegetable into one product. We love serving this to company as everyone enjoys their first slice and then proceed to fight over the remaining pieces. When you bake as much as we do, having a product that everyone enjoys is rewarding.

As we blog three to four zucchini bread recipes this month, we would love to hear from you! Which is your favorite bread? And why?

Ingredients:

3 eggs

3 teaspoons of vanilla

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups of white sugar

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

2 cups of shredded zucchini

1 small can (8 ounces) of crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup of raisins or nuts

Preparation:

Beat the eggs, vanilla, sugar and oil until well blended (2-3 minutes). Add the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until well incorporated. Add the zucchini, pineapple and raisins or nuts. Place into 3 loaf pans (or two if you like large loaves, I find three cooks faster and more evenly). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. Bread is done when slightly golden and a toothpick tests clean.

NOTE: I use disposable aluminum foil loaf pans, I find they are easier to freeze and travel as a gift. 

Wilson Farm's Strawberry Shortcake

 
On Sunday we took a quick ride to C.N. Smith Farm in Bridgewater, MA and caught the last day of "pick-your-own" strawberries. This is normally an annual trip but this year time got away from us and we figured we had missed strawberry picking season.

We got there still being able to enjoy fresh strawberries, six quarts to be exact. It was wonderful to bite into a sweet, juicy strawberry. Nothing better than fresh from the patch.

We have enjoyed strawberry smoothies as well as strawberry shortcake this week. Jeff found this recipe in the Wilson Farm Country Cookbook. Local farm strawberries with a local farm recipe. We love this cookbook because it has our favorite red skinned potato salad recipe, too.

Jeff decided to make the shortbread as I was baking a double batch of Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Jeff mixed all the dry ingredients together to find we didn't have any shortening. We decided to fore go the shortening and use butter for the entire recipe. It made for a buttery shortcake which was fine with me because I'm not a strawberry shortcake fan but this (hands down) this was "the best strawberry shortcake" I had ever eaten. Everyone enjoyed the shortcake with Jeff finishing off the last of it tonight. Strawberry shortcake with freshly picked strawberries and homemade whipped cream is probably one of the most refreshing desserts you could ever eat. It makes you want to savor each bite.

I wish we could have shared this earlier so that you could enjoy freshly picked strawberries, too. If you can still find them in your local supermarket or farmer's market, pick up a few quarts and treat yourself to this incredible dessert. It could be the hit of the 4th of July weekend!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round layer cake pan.

Ingredients for Shortcake:

2 cups of flour

2 tablespoons of white sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons of butter (softened)

3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

2/3 cup of milk

1 teaspoon butter (softened)

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together twice. Cut the 3 tablespoons of butter and shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir the milk into the flour and shortening mixture with a fork. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times until smooth. Divide the dough in half and pat one half into the greased pan (or roll with a rolling pin to fit the pan). Spread the teaspoon of butter over this layer (so the layers will split easily). Pat the second layer over the first (or roll to fit). Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until browned and baked between the layers.

Strawberries:

1 quart of strawberries

1/2 cup of sugar (or to taste)

While the shortcake is baking, wash, hull and mash the strawberries. Stir in the sugar and set aside until ready to serve.

Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup of heavy cream

2 teaspoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Whip the cream with a whisk or egg beater until it is quite thick. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until the cream reaches the desired stiffness.

Remove the shortcake from the oven and place in on a deep serving platter. Lift off the top layer and put aside. Spoon half the strawberries on the bottom layer. Add the top layer and cover with remaining berries. Top with whipped cream. Cut into six pie shaped wedges. NOTE: The shortcake can also be baked as biscuits for individual servings.

Almond Rhubarb Coffee Cake

 

Since we bought our home 5 years ago, we noticed we had a small patch of rhubarb growing in our front yard. Every June, we get to enjoy a few tasty treats made with rhubarb. Most of our dishes include strawberries to create some form of pie or spread.

Sunday was Father's Day and our traditional brunch always includes a coffee cake. After deciding not to repeat our favorites, Jeff found this coffee cake recipe, Almond Rhubarb Coffee Cake, at Allrecipes.com. Not only was this any easy recipe to put together, it made two 9 inch cakes. Perfect for sharing one and keeping the other. The cake was sweet with a bit of tartness from the rhubarb. The cake topping of sugar and almonds gave it a crunchiness in every bite.

With 15 people for breakfast, we proceeded to eat through one complete cake and half of the second. We did get to enjoy a few slices for breakfast this week which made us wish there was more rhubarb left in the yard.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds 

Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla together until smooth. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Stir in rhubarb and 1/2 cup almonds. Pour into prepared pans.
3. In a small bowl, combine white sugar and butter or margarine. Stir in 1/4 cup almonds. Sprinkle topping over batter.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake tests done.

Orange Fruit Dip

 
Today is a bonus day, two fruit dip recipes. I just finished posting the Pineapple Fruit Dip, so if you are going to cut up all that fruit, you might as well make both. This orange fruit dip is made very much like the pineapple, but I can truly describe it this way...it tastes like an orange creamsicle. Equally as addicting, this recipe can also be made in a low calorie version.

You will need:

1 small can of frozen orange juice, defrosted

1 - 16 ounce container of sour cream

1- 3.4 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding

Mix together the sour cream and the orange juice. Once blended, stir in the vanilla pudding mix in the powdered form. Stir until well blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with fresh fruit slices. (We use green apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, melon, nectarines, grapes, and kiwi.)

For the low calorie version, substitute fat free yogurt for the sour cream and sugar-free pudding version.

Pineapple Fruit Dip

 

Back a few years ago, ok...22 years ago, my cousin, Sue, had a small catering company down the Cape. If I can remember correctly, it was called Peaches and Cream Catering. A few times when she was in a pinch, I would go down and work for her. She had two great fruit dips which were very easy to make and the guests would gobble them up.

With summer upon us, I thought this would be a great time to share this amazing dip. First, get your fruit ready, sliced apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, melon, kiwi...the more variety the better.

Next, you will need

1 - 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple, in its own juice

1 - 16 ounce container of sour cream

1 - 3.4 ounce container of instant vanilla pudding

Mix crushed pineapple with its juice with the sour cream. When blended, add the instant vanilla pudding in its powdered form to the pineapple/sour cream mixture. Stir until well blended. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Serve with fresh cut fruit. This dip is light and refreshing and addictive. One dip and you can't stop eating it. My favorite is dipping strawberries and green apples. If you are interested in a low calorie version, substitute fat-free yogurt for the sour cream and the sugar-free version of vanilla pudding.

If you like this dip, try the Orange Fruit Dip, too! It tastes like an orange creamsicle.

Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad - Eating Well

 
Since my daughter, Danielle, graduated from Keene State in May, she has been trying to get me to eat healthier. Most of you know me for having a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast. She was a health and wellness major studying food and nutrition so more healthy cooking will probably be in our future.

Since she gets home earlier than us, she has been cooking some of our meals. She had been craving quinoa but didn't have a recipe. She went on-line and found this dish at Eating Well called Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad. We had most of the ingredients and just needed the quinoa and mango. We doubled the recipe and it fed 5 people as a side dish with enough left for lunch the following day. The salad was easy to put together and tasted delicious with grilled chicken. The quinoa has a nutty taste and when it was mixed with the sweet red pepper and mango, not only was it colorful, but bursting with flavor. The fresh ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil with the orange juice and scallions, dressed the salad nicely giving it an Asian flavor.

This is one of those side dishes that can be added to a quick dinner or great as a salad for a cook-out. It tastes great warm as well as cold.

1/2 cup quinoa, (see Note)

1 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 small mango, diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Toast quinoa in a small dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it crackles and becomes aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Return the quinoa to the pot and add water. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add mango, bell pepper, beans and scallions; toss to coat.
3. When the quinoa is finished cooking, add to the mango mixture and toss to combine.

Note:Quinoa, a delicately flavored grain, was a staple in the ancient Incas' diet. Toasting it before cooking enhances its flavor, and rinsing removes any residue of saponin, quinoa's natural, bitter protective covering.

Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze

 

I will admit, I had fun picking recipes from Giada DeLaurentiis' cookbook, Giada's Kitchen, New Italian Favorites this past week. But like anything, I can only make so many dinner recipes when I finally need dessert. So for today and tomorrow, you will get the dessert finale from the book. I chose the Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze and the Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. 

I wanted to try the ricotta cookies because I have a recipe, which I highlighted in December, called Angie's Ricotta Cookies. Angie's has a little more butter and no lemon juice or lemon rind. There is a little bit of a difference between the two, but the lemon flavored cookie takes it hands down. I loved Giada's because they were light and lemony. Angie's are still one of my favorites, there is definitely a heaviness to hers, but the cake like "melt in your mouth" quality is there. (It could be the butter!)

I served the cookies to friends who came for dinner last night. Both cookies (the Lemon Ricotta and Chocolate Hazelnut) went over extremely well. So well, I had them for breakfast. The lemon cookies definitely go better with tea, the chocolate with coffee...but, then again, it's just my preference. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

David Eyre's Pancake with an Apple Twist

  

On Sunday morning I was dying for some pancakes. I didn't feel like mixing up a batch and having to flip 12-15 pancakes, I wanted something easy. I suddenly remembered a great pancake recipe which my mother had cut from a newspaper article back in the '80's. It was the David Eyre Pancake. I had recently torn it out of an old cooking scrapbook I had.

I have eaten this pancake by the original recipe and have changed it up a bit whenever seasonal fruit was available. Yesterday, it was apples. (Not in season, but I had some!) The original recipe is in bold print, I added the rest. Try them both ways and tell me which one you prefer. My family loves them with the apples. The sugar on top makes the pancake slightly crunchy. Add a little bit of maple syrup and you are good to go. They melt in your mouth, very delicate, nothing like your normal pancake. If you look at the last picture (at the bottom), you'll notice it disappeared as quickly as I got it out of the oven.

David Eyre’s Pancake

2 eggs

½ cup flour

½ cup milk

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

Pinch of ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter

1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced

1/8 of a cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, mixed together

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Fig or blackberry jam, pear butter or any kind of marmalade

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk, vanilla and nutmeg and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy.

2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle over medium-high heat. When very hot but not brown, place the apples in the pan, pour in the batter. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Bake in the oven until the pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 15 minutes. If your pan has a rubber handle, make sure you cover it with aluminum foil.

3. Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and, using a fine-meshed sieve, sprinkle with the sugar. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, pear butter or marmalade. Serves 2 to 4. Note: If you are making it with apples, you don't have to use the lemon juice or jam. Maple syrup is delicious!

 

 

Food & Wine's Raspberry Clafoutis

 
This was the dessert that wasn't...wasn't made for our Saturday night gathering. With all the chopping, cooking, baking and plating, we didn't have time to make dessert. We knew that it wouldn't be a problem because my cousins were bringing the desserts. With the chocolates, lemon squares and Texas sheet cake that arrived, there was plenty of sugar to go around. The only concern we had was the three pints of fresh raspberries we had purchased.

Not feeling like the raspberries should go to waste we put the Raspberry Clafoutis together on Sunday. It was featured in the April 2010 Food and Wine Magazine in the Classics of French Wine Country section. It was very easy with prep and cook time being about 45 minutes total. This dessert was delicious, fruity and tart at the same time. The lemon zest and the texture of the clafoutis gave you a creamy lemony consistency with a burst of raspberry. The confectioner's sugar brought a bit of sweetness which allowed the entire dessert to melt in your mouth.

I wished we had time to make this on Saturday night, it would have finished off the evening. But then again, we have a delicious dessert idea for our next gathering.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3. Salt
4. 3 large eggs
5. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6. Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
7. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
8. 1 1/2 pints raspberries (3 cups)
9. Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch gratin dish. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the eggs, butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add the milk and whisk until light and very smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the gratin dish and top with the raspberries.
2. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the clafoutis is set and golden. Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

The Disappearing Apple Crisp

 
Seven plus years ago, around Thanksgiving to be exact, the Boston Globe ran a food section on apple pies. There was an apple crisp which was highlighted, so I cut it out figuring this would be my holiday dessert. The original recipe was a delicious apple crisp with a pie crust bottom. I made it a few times with the crusted bottom but found that everyone would eat the inside and topping and leave the crust behind. I ended up adapting the recipe to the eaters in my house. I started making the recipe without the crust and would add various fruits, depending on the season. Sometimes I would make it with apples and pears, other times I would throw in a cup of fresh raspberries or cranberries and one summer we made it with peaches and blueberries. Each variation seemed to taste better than the last.

The other night, I was looking at some apples and decided to make an apple crisp for dessert. I haven't made it since Thanksgiving and I forget how good it is warm from the oven with some vanilla ice cream. It was soooo good!

As I was spooning the last bit from the pan to photograph, I kept eating the remaining crumbs, stuck to the sides of the pan. It really is addictive...apples, cinnamon and a sweet oatmeal crunch. I think I'm going to hide the last cup for later. So, as far as anyone else is concerned...the apple crisp is gone.

Ingredients:

 7 Apples (I use a mixture of Green Apples, MacIntosh, Delicious or whatever is in season)

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

Pinch of Salt

Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of oatmeal

1 cup of flour

Peel, core and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices, place into a bowl. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Stir and let rest for about 10 minutes to create juices for crisp. Place in 9 x 13 baking dish or 9 inch pie pan.

Mix together softened butter, brown sugar, flour and oatmeal to form crumbs. Sprinkle over apple mixture in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Hide any remaining pieces.