Soft, Chewy Pretzels

I like having staple recipes that I can turn to over and over again to fit a variety of eating needs. Soft, chewy pretzels are one of those staples. Quick lunch option for kids? Check. Late night movie snack? Check. Friends coming over for board games? Check.

Make a batch of these pretzels ahead of time, they freeze well, like biscuits (just let them cool completely, then stick in a zip-top bag). Reheat in a brown paper bag at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes and serve with tangy mustard or cheese sauce.

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Soft, Chewy Pretzels
Makes 8 large pretzels or 16 smaller pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour
Vegetable oil, to coat bowl
3 quarts water
2/3 cups baking soda
1 egg (mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash)
Course sea salt

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in a bowl and mix until combined (if using a stand mixer, use a dough hook). Let sit for five minutes.

2. Add the salt and flour to the mixture and mix until combined. Continue to mix/knead in the bowl until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough appears to wet, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

3. Coat a large bowl with vegetable oil; add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (about one hour).

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up.

6. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, two at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the water with a spoon. Remove with a large, flat slotted spatula or a spider. Place pretzels on a baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each pretzel, and brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Remove pretzels from baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Homemade Twinkies

Eric turned three on April Fool's Day. My younger child is now three. Three! Where does the time go? (Oh, wait, I know... into sleepless nights, dirty diapers, potty training, cleaning up Legos and Hot Wheels and Chuggers, playing in sandboxes, endless bottles and sippy cups... but it's all worth it.) I asked him what he wanted to bring for a treat into his classroom birthday party. He chose Twinkies.

Twinkies? Really? Where the hell did that kid ever have a Twinkie? Haven't they been extinct most of his life?

Birthday Boy!

As luck would have it, I recently received a copy Classic Snacks Made From Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Brand-Name Treats, by Casey Barber, published by Ulysses Press. It's filled to the brim with delicious recipes for junk-food favorites, like Mallomars, Cheez-Its, Corn Nuts, Klondike Bars, and Jalapeno Poppers. Because the recipes are all made from scratch, I feel not quite as bad about eating the end-product.

So I made Twinkies. I was surprised how easy it was. A lot of steps and kind of "involved," but nothing hard, I would say. I didn't have a specific Twinkie-pan (Barber calls is a "canoe" pan), so I used my mini-loaf pans. A sheet pan or 13"x 9" would would find - just cut into rectangles. You can also use a muffin tin. The basics of the recipe follow, but go out and pick-up the book for full instructions and notes (believe me, this is one book you'll want to own).

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Twinkies (from Classic Snacks Made From Scratch)
Makes 16

5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spritz the pan(s) well with baking spray (I would suggest butter and flour, just to ensure a good release).

2. Separate the eggs whites and yolks into two large bowls.

3. Pour the sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process for 15 to 20 seconds, until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl.

4. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks on medium speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, until they start to froth, thicken, and lighten in color. Slowly add the ground sugar mixture and the vanilla, and continue to beat until the eggs are very thick and pale - almost off-white and creamy in color. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the flour. Set aside.

5. Using an electric hand mixer on high speed or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high, whip the egg whites into soft peaks. Stir about a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the batter to loosen it up, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two or three batches, working slowly to incorporate them without destroying their fluffiness.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; if using a canoe pan or muffin tin, fill each well two-thirds full. Save any remaining batter for a second batch.

7. Bake until the cakes are puffy and golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Timing may vary, so watch carefully, but will be 8 to 10 minutes for canoe shapes, 13 to 15 minutes for cupcakes or mini loaf pans, and 18 to 20 minutes for 8-inch square metal baking pans or hot dog pans.

8. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack; they will shrink and pull away from the pan sides. Then line the wire rack with waxed paper and spritz the paper lightly with baking spray. Invert the pan to turn the cakes out onto the rack. Cool completely before cutting into Twinkie shapes (if using a loaf or hot dog pan) and filling.


For the Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and water together in a small, high-sided saucepan over medium low heat just until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid no longer feels granular. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the liquid to a boil without stirring. Continue to heat until the sugar syrup reaches 235-240 degrees Fahrenheit (soft-ball stage).

2. Meanwhile, using the stand mixer fitting with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed just until soft peaks form. Just before the sugar syrup reaches soft-ball stage, restart the mixer on low speed. When the syrup is at temperature, carefully drizzle it into the egg whites.

3. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip for five to seven minutes, until the filling is thick, shiny, and white, forming stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and stir for another 15 seconds to incorporate.

Assembly:
1. Fill a pastry or gallon-size zip-top bag with the filling.

2. Use a sharp paring knife to cut small holes in the cake bottoms (a single hole in the cake bottoms for cupcakes, three holes for other sizes). Insert the pastry tip into each hole and squeeze gently to fill. The cakes will swell slightly as the holes fill up.

3. Store the filled cakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week; as with most sponge cakes, they really do taste better after resting overnight than if eaten fresh.

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

I kind of have this love/hate thing going on with Valentine's Day. I love love... I'm a bon vivant for love, no doubts about it. But I never seem to give/receive Valentine's Day gifts that are true to my heart. This bothers me, people!

You know what's always true to my heart (and my belly)? Homemade cookies. Take a look at my professional website... it says it right there. Today, Tate's Bake Shop was kind enough to share a Valentine's Day-perfect cookie recipe with us - Linzer Heart Cookies from the new Baking For Friends cookbook. And not only that, they are also offering up a copy of the cookbook along with a Valentine's Cookie Cube to one lucky reader!

Below is the recipe for Linzer Heart Cookies (I'm totally making these this week... hopefully I can avoid temptation, not eat them, and give them to my Valentines). To enter the drawing for the cookie/book giveaway, leave me your email address in the comments and tell me what your favorite Valentine's Day gift is to give or receive by 5pm on Thursday, February 14. A winner will be chosen at random. Thanks for playing a long and a super gigantic thank you to Tate's for the awesome gift (go say thanks yourself by liking Tate's on Facebook or following on Twitter)! PS - If you feel so inclined, go purchase the gift combo for your favorite Valentine on the Tate's website and enter the promo code BLOG213 to receive 20% off and webstore purchase!

UPDATE! The contest is now closed - congrats to Suburban Prep for winning the Tate's Bake Shop giveaway!

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TATE'S BAKE SHOP LINZER HEART COOKIES

Makes 20 sandwich cookies

These decorative cookies make beautiful and tasty gifts. 

An important tip: be sure to chop the nuts and chocolate very fine in a food processor (pulse to chop so the friction doesn’t warm them), or the dough will be too rough-textured to roll out smoothly. You need a graduated set of heart-shaped cookie cutters to make these.

Cookies 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 cup cornstarch 

¼ teaspoon salt 

¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

2 cups toasted, skinned and very finely chopped hazelnuts

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped 

-plus-

½ cup seedless raspberry jam 

½ cup confectioners’ sugar for sifting 

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture, just until combined. Mix in the hazelnuts and chocolate.

2. Gather up the dough and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling.) 

3. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a round about ¼-inch thick. Use a 3 ½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies as close as possible to avoid excess scraps. Arrange the hearts about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and gently knead together, and cut out more cookies. If the dough becomes too soft to roll out, refrigerate until chilled. You should have 40 cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

4. Position the oven racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. 

5. Use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers of 20 cookies. These will be the cookie tops. (You can bake the mini hearts to nibble on later! Don’t throw away or re-roll.) Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Sift some of the ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar over the hot cut-out cookies Let cool completely on the baking sheets. 

6. Spread the jam on the cookie bottoms, leaving an 1/8-inch border around the edges. Add the tops, sugared sides up, and press together gently. Just before serving, sift the remaining confectioners’ sugar over the cookies.

Swedish Crispy Syrup Cookies

Last year, I participated in the first Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap and had such a blast that I thought I'd do it again!

This year, the GFBCS organizers asked that all participants donate $4 to the "Cookies for Kids Cancer" campaign. The participating bloggers raised $2,300, and OXO generously matched this donation, bringing the total to $4,600! Thanks OXO!!

Just like last year, I was matched with three bloggers to send my cookies to. These bloggers were:

Chris from The Keenan Cookbook (beautiful site, Chris and Rachel!)

Karen from Small Kitchen, Big Taste (great recipes for bakers and cooks alike!)

Becca from The Salted Cookie (she likes champagne, her grandpa, and Alton Brown-esque analog tweets... sounds like my kind of gal!)

And I received cookies from:

Kathy from Panini Happy and Cooking on the Side (she made Spritz cookies)

Jessica from My Baking Heart (she made Spiced Rum cookies)

Becca from It's Yummilicious (she made Almond Log cookies)

This year, I decided to make Swedish Crispy Syrup Cookies. I received a copy of Swedish Desserts: 80 Traditional Recipes by Cecilia Vikbladh to review from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (Thanks Skyhorse!) The recipe was really easy to follow, but the cookies didn't turn out as crispy as I thought. This could be "user error," as perhaps I should have rolled out the logs thinner. The cookies did stay soft and syrupy in the center, though, so I got that right :-). I would qualify these cookies as good "dunkers..." you know, the kind that go perfect dunked into your coffee. I think adding a little bit of cocoa powder to these cookies would make them the perfect accompaniment to hot chocolate.

I'm really looking forward to trying a few other recipes from the book, especially the variations of Saffron Buns for Christmas morning, lemon twists, and Panettone with Limoncello.

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Crispy Syrup Cookies
From Swedish Desserts: 80 Traditional Recipes by Cecilia Vikbladh
Makes about 40 cookies

1 1/3 sticks butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Whisk butter, sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolk together, preferably with an electric mixer.

2. Mix and add flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Set the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Split the dough into four equal parts and roll them out on the two baking sheets so that they stretch from one end to the other lengthwise. Flatten them lightly with your hand. Bake for 15 minutes and cut into pieces while still hot. Let the cookies cool on the sheet. Store them in a tin with a lid.

Food Day Favorites

I totally missed posting about World Food Day. And National Food Day. Ugh. But that doesn't mean I wasn't celebrating! Indeed, I was using the five steps of the GROW Method and continue to incorporate those ideas into my culinary pursuits.

Oxfam America GROW campaign has created some awesome Pinterest boards to help me with these efforts (well, not just me,  but everybody, I suppose). I thought I'd share some of my favorite ideas from the Oxfam GROW Method Pinterest page to help you incorporate the GROW Method into your own cooking style.

No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Quick Whole Food Lunches

Honey and Soy Glazed Steak with Mango-Chili Salsa

Vegetable Tart

Poached Pears in Puff Pastry (say that three times fast)

Sauteed Kale with Red Onions and Garlic

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Gorgonzola, Pecans, and Balsamic Vinegar

You can check out the rest of the Oxfam GROW Method Pinterest boards here (I highly recommend a follow!). Happy pinning and eating!

Classic Brownies

You know why brownies are the perfect dessert? Because you can eat them with anything, at any time. Cabernet Sauvignon and brownies (as a night cap)? Check! Brownies and icy cold milk (for breakfast)? Check! A brownie as the base for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of hot fudge, and a dollop of whipped cream (for dinner - duh)? Done, done and done (as my pal Melissa would say).

For a long time (and I hate to admit this) I thought no brownies could ever taste better than those that come from a boxed mix. At least, none that I made tasted that good. But then I found the below recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home cookbook, and my mind was changed. These are, hands down, the absolute best classic brownie I have ever tasted -- from a box or from scratch or otherwise. The top is perfectly crunchy, while the center is ever-so-slightly gooey and moist. The key, I think, lies in melting the chocolate first and the quantity of eggs (whereas other recipes I've tried call for fewer eggs and cocoa powder). Whip up your own batch pronto!

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Classic Brownies

Makes 16 Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Line a 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing the foil to overhand the sides slightly.

2. In a double-boiler, combine the chocolate and butter and allow to melt completely over medium-high heat.  Allow to cool slightly.

3. Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Slowly add in eggs, mixing well after each addition. Continue to whisk until the mixture is very smooth (about two minutes). Add the flour and whisk until just incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan (scrape the bowl down!) and smooth the top of the brownie mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top it set and a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out slightly moist and crumby. Let cool in the pan on a rack.

5. Pull the brownies out of the pan using the foil overhang. Cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days (or freeze for up to three months). Enjoy!

Biscotti

Sometimes I swear I should be Italian. I love the language, the culture, and especially the food. But alas, not a drop of Italian blood in this lady. I am rather homogeneous (Scots-Irish, English, Welsh, with one descendant down the line being of Apache heritage). Besides having a high tolerance for alcohol, this lineage has also led my family to be a sole supporter of Coppertone.

One Italian tradition I learned to love while visiting the country with my mother was biscotti (dipped in either espresso or wine). A few years later, while I was slinging pancakes in a local cafe, I was re-introduced to biscotti. After my waitressing shift was up I would take an espresso and piece of chocolate biscotti (technically, biscotto) to accompany me on the ride back to my apartment.

Biscotti is incredibly simple (remember: I don't make anything that's "hard") and like biscuits, if you have a good base to work from, you can expand the flavors immensely. I recently made a large batch of gingerbread biscotti and espresso chocolate-chip biscotti to send to three lovely ladies as part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It was so fun to send out my cookies in their little tins, only to receive three batches of scrumptious goodies in return. If you missed out, don't worry, I heard the organizers will do it again next year!

Special Shout-Out: I sent my cookies to Annalise at Completely Delicious, Jewel at Eat Drink Shop Love,  and Tanvi at The Hathi Cooks. In return, I received Double Chocolate Crackles from Amber at Amber's Confections, Molasses Cookies with Orange Sugar from Emily at Back to the Cutting Board, and Dark Chocolate Cafenela Cookies from Leslie at My Kitchen is Open. Now, on to the recipe.


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Biscotti
Makes 20 pieces


Base Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together. Set aside

2. Beat together the eggs and sugar until combined and pale (that's how you know the sugar has dissolved). Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

3. On a greased cookie sheet (this is one of the few times I actually dig out my Sil-Pat), form dough into log about three inches wide and 12-15 inches long. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

4. Remove biscotti from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. With a serrated bread knife, cut the biscotti into about 20 pieces (more or less, depending on how thick you like you biscotti). Be sure to cut straight down into the biscotti to get clean cuts that doesn't cause the cookies to crumble. Arrange back on the cookie sheet and back for another 12-15 minutes until the biscotti is dry and crisp. Allow to cool on a baking sheet. Enjoy by dunking into your favorite Italian beverage.

Espresso Chocolate-Chip Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to egg/sugar mixture...
2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(or 3 teaspoons very strong espresso and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

After incorporating dry ingredients, add six ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips. Bake as above.

Gingerbread Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to dry ingredients...
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest

Bake as above.

Biscuits

PS - I made that coffee mug!!

There are certain recipes every kitchen-savvy person should have in their repertoire for last-minute emergencies. Go-to dishes that can pinch hit and are flexible enough for myriad uses and adaptations. For me, biscuits are it. They can find a place in nearly any meal and once a good basis is established, they can be manipulated to fit a whole host of scenarios. My biscuit recipe is adapted from Baking with Julia, a cookbook I'm not sure I could live without. Seriously... go buy it right now. You won't regret it.

These biscuits can be made in advanced and frozen. Just be sure to keep them in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. To reheat, place them in a paper bag in a single layer, close the bag by folding up the open end and bake for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.

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Biscuits
Makes 8 3.5" Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt (preferably Kosher)
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry blade. Stir in milk. Mix until just combined.

2. On a well-floured surface, turn out dough and dust with flour. Pat the dough out with hands until it is 1/2-inch thick. Fold dough in half, then in half again. Pat until the dough is 1/2-inch thick. Do this at least two more times, making sure not to overwork the dough. Folding the dough will help to give it "lift" and layers.

3. Use a 3.5" biscuit cutter to cut-out biscuits. Re-fold scraps and pat the dough out to 1/2-inch thick again (you'll probably end up with a little ball of dough left - pat it down and make it into a mini-biscuit). Brush the tops of the biscuits with an egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water or milk). Let the biscuits rest for 5 minutes.

4. Place biscuits on a greased cookie sheet (or better yet, on a pizza stone hot from the oven) and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until biscuits have risen and appear golden on top. Place on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Some more ideas: Serve these biscuits at breakfast with butter and jam or at dinner with herb compound butter (you could even dust the tops with a little herbed salt before baking). These biscuits are a great companion for strawberry shortcake - just sprinkle some sanding or demerara sugar on top of the dough after the egg wash. For a savory kick, try adding 1/2 tablespoon of dill and 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese to the dough, or add 2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning and use these biscuits to sop-up melted butter at a seafood bake. Herb fans should try adding sage, a la this guy.

A Silly Goose Farm Thanksgiving - 2011

Another Thanksgiving come and gone. It's hard to believe that 2011 is almost over, but I'm very much looking forward to saying au revior to this year and welcoming 2012 with open arms. Until then, how about a little retrospective on the 2011 SGF Thanksgiving celebration?

This year's dining crew was the same as last year's, except Eric was big enough this year to sit at the table with us (well, sort of at the table -- he kept trying to stick his hands in the mashed potatoes and dump the gravy boat over his head).

I made place cards out of cardstock, vintage bird images, and alphabet pasta (yes... alphabet pasta. Listen, I had to get some Martha OCD out at 2am on Thanksgiving while the pumpkin pie was cooking, okay?). I used a similar method to make a "pie banner" (see pictures below). I got my inspiration here.

I tried to keep the tablescape relatively un-fussy. Some pumpkins and gourds for centerpieces, plus my turkey candlesticks I thrifted from Goodwill, paired with fresh-pressed linens. My $30 collection of antique china, vintage silver, and wine glasses topped of the look.

The menu wasn't too complicated, either (and almost all ingredients came from within 150 miles of our table). Here's what I made:

Maple and Cider-Glazed Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Apple, Onion and Sage Stuffing

Pan Gravy

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Grapes

Roasted Carrots

Cranberry Sauce

Biscuits

Herb Compound Butter

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie (made by my mom)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Rub some herb butter under the turkey skin and roast it breast-down for maximum juiciness

Brussels Sprouts - Best part of the meal

The feast came together pretty well! Except that my oven went on palliative care mid-point in cooking the turkey, so I had to microwave the poor bird. Based on how moist and tender the gobbler actually turned out, I might nuke the turkey every year! Thankfully, that was the only hiccup of the day (unless you count my temper-tantrum in the kitchen when I noticed the turkey was uncooked and the fact that the dog almost ate half the meal off the table before we sat down). We paired the meal with a lovely Sparkling Riesling. A few more pictures to illustrate:

Based on this face, the meal was either really good or completely awful

Edith playing with her food...

...and Grammie threatening her.

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving feast, too, and that you have counted all your blessings many times over. This year, I'm especially thankful for my independence and will to always strive to be better and achieve great things. I think that theme will continue into 2012 (and of course, I'm always thankful for my family, friends, and lovely readers like you! Thanks for reading along :-). I posted some ideas for a secular grace over on the Eat Local blog, if you'd like to take a look. If you have questions or requests for recipes, please leave a note in the comments or find me on Twitter or Facebook. Now... bring on December!

Peach Pie

My dad's birthday was last week, and given the choice between peach pie and his favorite cake (a chocolate mayonnaise cake - don't knock it until you try it), he'll usually choose peach pie. How appropriate, then, that peaches in the Northeast hit their peak right around his birthday! While I'm still dabbling in perfecting my peach pie recipe, here's the recipe I'm currently using (if you have a great recipe or some tips, please share them in the comments! I'd love to hear). It's a great way to wrap up this week's Peach-Palooza.

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Peach Pie
Makes one 9" pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
8-10 tablespoons ice water

1. Combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or small peas.

2. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is able to form and hold a ball.

3. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll onto a well-floured surface. Makes enough for a double-crust pie.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly-sliced, peeled peaches (fresh or frozen - do not thaw frozen peaches)
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon milk or cream

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add peaches and stir to cover the peaches with the sugar mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll out one-half of the pie crust dough to form an 11" circle. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie plate (either by gently rolling it back on to a rolling pin or by folding into quarters). Mold the dough to fit the pie plate and leave an overhang of dough. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Brush the bottom of the crust with the egg white. Roll out the second half of the dough (in the same manner as the first) and have it ready to cover the filling.

3. Once the filling is ready, add it all at once to the prepared pie plate. Cover the filling with the second half of the pie dough. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Cut three or four small slits in the  top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Mix together the egg yolk and milk. Brush over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Place pie on a baking sheet.

5. Place pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (an essential for every kitchen).

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PS- I'm thinking of doing a entire series of pie tutorials. Is that something you would be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments, and in the meantime, here are a few pictures of my Dad :-)

Camping this year at Belvedere Lake

Last fall

My favorite picture of my dad and I

Blowing out his birthday pie candle with help from Edie

Peach Fruit Leather

Peach Week goes nostalgic today, with a take on old-school Fruit Roll-Ups. In efforts to "adultify" this a bit, let's call it Fruit Leather, instead. Most recipes you find will tell you that fruit leather requires a dehydrator, but I'm going to debunk that myth. You can most definitely make fruit leather in your standard old oven. Any fruit can be used to make fruit leather, but "firmer" fruits (like apples and pears) might require a bit of water to "loosen" the puree up.

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Peach Fruit Leather
Makes Eight Large Strips

4 cups peaches (skinned, pitted and diced)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth (if the puree is a bit thick, add some water to thin it out).

2. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper or a Silpat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 175 degree Fahernheit (if it doesn't go that low, heat to the lowest setting).

3. Spread the puree onto the prepared pan and spread out into a thin layer. Bake in the oven for 6-8 hours (or longer if necessary - a humid day might cause this to take longer). The fruit leather is "done" when it easily pulls off of the waxed paper or Silpat and stays together (with the pliability of actual leather).

4. Fruit leather can be wrapped in waxed paper and stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. This makes a great treat for lunches (especially with Back-to-School coming up!) and doesn't have any of the nasty chemicals or preservatives of conventional Fruit Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

It's Peach Week!

Peaches are in season here in Upstate New York (yep, peaches grow up here!) and so I thought I'd dedicate a whole week to the lovely fruit. I recently picked two bushels (about 65 pounds) of peaches with some friends with From Scratch Club. Since then, it's been peach-mania here on the farm. From jams to pies to cocktails, the peach has been the shining star of the kitchen. I'll be sharing some recipes and tips with you here this week, and I hope you'll enjoy some of them and report back on what you think! Are you a peach fan? Do they grow where you live? PS - Peaches kind of have a nostaglic touch for me. The restaurant/cafe I worked at in college was called Peaches, and it's where I met Dave (he was a patron and I was his waitress :-).

Dessert Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, right? RIGHT?! I certainly do. I also love sweets. So, put "pizza" and "sweet" together and you get the perfect meal: Dessert Pizza. I posted the how-to on this delicious dish over at From Scratch Club. Check it out if you get the chance. Nectarines and black raspberries not your thing? Here are some other Dessert Pizza suggestions:

- Raspberry jam, mixed berries, drizzle of chocolate

- White chocolate, strawberries, chopped pecans

- Lemon curd, candied citrus peel, mint leaves

Enjoy, and for more of my From Scratch Club posts, click here.