Steph's Granola: Everything Mus(t) Go!

Yesterday:
Sipped on day-old coffee (yes, day-old coffee) as I filtered through my closet...I have a large pile of cute clothes and ballet attire to give away. Come n' get it.

Today:
Started to read a book for fun. Made a space on my tiny porch for a towel and my body. Sunshine. Lovin' it.

Relaxing (-ish) sun-filled days complete with evenings entailing dinner + drinks + friends.

Can I tell you the truth? I'm not very good at this whole "relaxing" thing. But, I'm trying, and trying feels nice. Champagne helps. Champagne feels nice. Things in jars help, too. Things in jars make me want to vomit (too cliche) but also flirtatiously bat my eyes (jars=cuteness).


Granola is the name of the game right now. Why are there so many "Mom's Granola" recipes out there? Sure, Mother's day is coming up. Sure, I love my mom. My mom has never made me granola before. "Mom's Grilled Cheese" suits her better than granola.

Today I give you "Steph's Granola." Sometimes, it is all about me. Well, actually, sometimes it is all about using up the random accumulated food in your pantry/fridge before you move across the country. And thus "Steph's Granola" was born.


Steph's Granola was born out of multiple recipes and attempts of granola (and granola bars) as well as too many things that need to get used up before she moves out of her apartment.

Things I used up:
-leftover trail mix from Trader Joe's in which I had eaten out all of the dried cherries, cranberries, and pineapple and was left with cashew and almonds
-more almonds
-about half of a cup of leftover salty mixed nuts which I only left the brazil nuts and about 6 hazelnuts
-wheat germ (I have SO much left, gah help me)
-raw quinoa (adds a lovely crunch. I also recommend sesame seeds)
-a small pack (about 1/4 cup) of applesauce (helps with the "wet" ingredients and to add less sugar)
-the end of my cinnamon jar
-some almond extract
-used up about 1/2 cup of banana chips and 1/2 cup of choco chips that have been sitting in the pantry for about 7 months

More ideas that you may have to use up in your pantry:
-chopped candied ginger
-peanut butter
-pretzels, chopped
-mashed banana


Steph's Granola

adapted from multiple recipes, today from Food & Wine's annual cookbook 2010

Makes 7 cups

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1.5 cups of nuts (see above for what I used)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw quinoa
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted nuts)
1 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon agave (I think I used some random maple syrup made with agave?)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup or one of those small individual packs applesauce
a few shakes of cinnamon
a few drops of almond extract

add-ins after baking:
golden raisins, banana chips, choco chips (yes! I used up the little bit that was left of all of these)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a bowl, toss the oats, nuts, wheat germ, and quinoa. In a separate small bowl, whisk the water, salt (if using), honey/agave, vegetable oil, and apple sauce. Stir the liquid into the nuts to coat thoroughly, then spread on a large rimmed baking sheet.

2. Bake for 40 minutes in the center of the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until nearly dry. Turn off the oven and prop the door open halfway; let the granola cool in the oven, stirring (I only did this for a few minutes because it was too hot to leave the oven open). Toss the granola with the raisins, banana chips, and choco chips. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Want more granola recipes?
-Extreme Granola
-Homemade Granola Bars

Drool-Worthy: Alice Medrich's Best Ever Cocoa Brownies

So I am going to describe something and you are going to drool. Ready?

Browned butter cocoa brownies with walnuts, pecans, and chocolate chips mixed in, sprinkled with flaky sea salt, and baked until a cracked in all-the-right-places top develops. Fudgey, moist, rich perfection. The sinfully sweet balance of gooey and chewy, of salty savory dark and sweet. Oh, and this is a one-pot recipe. And you don't have to clean the baking pan after baking.


How'd I do?

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter
Adapted from The Cilantropist, originally from Bon Appetit, February 2011, recipe by Alice Medrich


***My adaptions are in bold


1 1/4 stick unsalted butter (10 tbsps) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 teaspoons water
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans (I used a mix of pecans and walnuts), chopped
~1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Extra sea salt for sprinkling


Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and line the inside of an 8x8 square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving 2-inch overhangs and pressing the foil tightly to the sides of the pan. (If you like spray the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray, though I didn't find this necessary.)


In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring often. The butter will first melt, then foam, then form more clear bubbles. Once the butter has only bubbles (and no foam) and there are browned bits at the bottom of the pan, remove the butter from the heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and 2 teaspoons water. Let the mixture sit for about 4-5 minutes to cool, then mix in the eggs one at a time, beating quickly after each addition. Once the chocolate mixture looks relatively smooth, mix in the flour, and then beat well for a few minutes. Mix in the chopped nuts, and transfer to the prepared pan, smoothing the top before baking.


Bake for about 30 minutes or more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean - if there is still a tiny bit of moist batter at the very bottom that is ok. Remove the brownies from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil overhangs; then pull the aluminum foil away from the brownies and cut them into 16 square pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Homemade Granola Bars

I am a snacker, a big time snacker. My snack of choice is almost always something carb-y, and I am always looking for new snacks to add to my repertoire.

Lately I've been into Annie's Honey Bunny Grahams. I can eat a lot of them, they are slightly sweet, and they hit the spot during my afternoon slump.

A homemade snack always feels good goin' down, and these homemade granola bars are full of golden raisins, walnuts, pecans, sour cherries, dates, peanut butter, wheat germ, and a few chocolate chips. They are indeed thick and chewy and they sort of fall apart in this wonderful way.

Next time, however, I would definitely chop up my fruit/nut mix a bit and I would use quick-cooking oats or process my old-fashioned oats in a blender for a few pulses. This would probably make the bars hold together more cohesively.

I highly recommend scavenging through the bulk section at your grocery store. I can find all sorts of grains and nuts and goodies in the bulk section, and I can take as much as I need. I had never made anything with wheat germ before and voila, these bars have wheat germ! Expect some more wheat germ recipes in the near future (oh, and store your wheat germ in the refrigerator please and thank you).

A homemade granola bar is a great post-workout snack, a great on-the-go breakfast item, and a great afternoon pick-me-up. Eat up!



Homemade Granola Bars


Thank you, again SmittenKitchen

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats, if using old-fashioned oats, give them a quick pulse in the blender/processor to break them up a bit)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, liquid sweeteners, water, and peanut butter. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan.

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. ***If bars seem crumbly, chill the pan of them further in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set the “glue”, then cut them cold. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried apples or even chocolate chips. My mix: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pecans, 4 dates chopped, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. I recommend pulsing your mixture in the food processor a few times to break it up a little, though this isn’t necessary if you don’t mind yours chunkier.

Dinner at Home: Simple, Summery, and Seasonal Steak and Salads

After two months of stop and go (but mostly go) traveling, from Europe back to the USA and down to Argentina and back, I admit, it's nice to be home. It is nice to be home and see my family and eat dinner outside in the backyard on a warm summer evening.


The menu? Simple, summery, and seasonal:

-Mom's steak on the grill
-Grilled fresh tomatoes from the garden with Parmesan cheese
-Leftover crispy oven-baked chopped potatoes
-My tomato, cucumber, and hericot vert salad with feta cheese
-My shaved zucchini salad with Parmesan and pine nuts


For dessert? Blueberry and Summer Peach Galette with Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Say it, just say it. I know, I am incredible.


The tomato, cucumber, and hericot vert salad with feta cheese can be made in 10 minutes or less. The salad was inspired by my stay in Paris with my good friend Alex. The salad requires no dressing; I like to emphasize the sweet flavor of the produce and the salty cheese. The salad is perfect for summer.

And yes, I used canned green beans, but hey, they're French-style! I quite like how soft and thin the green beans are. So sue me. They taste great, even if they are from a can.

Tomato, Cucumber, and Hericot Vert Salad with Feta Cheese

serves 4, more or less

Ingredients
3 tomatoes, preferably from the garden
2 Persian cucumbers
1 can of French-style green beans or hericot vert
1/2 block of Feta cheese, cut into cubes or crumbled

Directions
1. Slice the tomatoes into wedges and put them into a salad bowl.
2. Slice the cucumbers in half the long way and again in half along the equator. Very thinly slice the cucumbers into a julienne. Put into the salad bowl.
3. Open the can of hericot vert and drain. Add to the salad bowl.
4. Toss the cubed or crumbled cheese into the salad.
5. Eat and enjoy.

The shaved zucchini salad is another lovely and light treat that epitomizes summer elegance and simplicity. No cooking necessary. I absolutely love all of the textures and flavors going on--long, thin zucchini ribbons contrasted with tiny crunchy nuts, delicate slivers of cheese, and a salty tangy dressing.

Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts
From Bon Appetit Magazine August 2010

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon course kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Salad:
2 pounds of medium zucchini, trimmed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Small wedge of Parmesan cheese

**RECIPE NOTE: I did not have fresh basil on hand (I know, shame on me) so I just omitted it. I also added some fresh sliced avocado because, well, I love avocados and why not?!

Directions

Whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in a small bowl to blend. Set dressing aside.

Using vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/16 inch thick). Place ribbons in a large bowl. Add basil and nuts (and avocado if you are like me). Drizzle the dressing on and in the salad. Using the vegetable peeler, shave strips from the Parmesan wedge over the salad.

Pistachio-Cardamom Cake with an Almond "Crust"

I dread packing. My heart is already beating faster than it should. I made a list so that I do not forget anything even though, knowing me, I will forget something. I have clothes and shoes and toiletries splayed on the floor. Oh goodness, shoes. I always bring more shoes than I need, but somehow I always convince myself that every pair is necessary.

I'm going on a trip if you haven't noticed. I'm going on a Euro-trip: London, Amsterdam, Lucerne, the Rhine Valley, Innsbruck (Austria), Italy, France. Whew, I'm exhausted already. I leave tomorrow and I will be gone for one month. Aside from my packing nerves, I am extremely excited. FOOD, beautiful architecture, new culture, history, language, people...

As a final baking hurrah before I depart from my kitchen for a month, I made a cake. Pistachio-Cardamom Cake with a Sliced Almond "Crust". The recipe is from David Lebovitz's newest cookbook. He was inspired to make the cake when Niloufer Ichaporia King came to work with him at Chez Panisse to prepare a traditional Parsi New Year's feast. Lebovitz claims that out of all the "authentic and wonderfully aromatic Indian food" he tasted, this cake was his favorite dish (granted, she enrobed the cake in a sheet of gold leaf...).


Cardamom is my favorite spice. I love it in everything from savory to sweet (cardamom ice cream is just divine!). The spice gives off a nice sweet, feminine, sophisticated vibe, which, well, I think fits my vibe. Oddly enough, at the same time, when I think of cardamom, I imagine some older men sitting around on a hot evening, smoking and having a few drinks...?

The cake calls for whole cardamom seeds. A friend brought me back some pods from Israel so I opened the pods and crushed the seeds using a mortar and pestle. Immediately I could smell the sweet spicy seeds. Just a rough crush will suffice.


The pistachios brighten up the batter with their nice green hue. The cake would be lovely served with some fresh apricots (or you could poach them in a little water, sugar, and wine).




Pistachio-Cardamom Cake with an Almond "Crust"

makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake; 10-12 servings (**I used a springform pan and it worked fine)

from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert


TOPPING:


2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted, it doesn't really matter here)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cups sliced almonds, preferably unblanched


CAKE:


3/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. To make the topping: melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round cake pan set directly on the stovetop over low heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool briefly. Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the melted butter, then add the almonds, tilting and shaking the pan to distribute them evenly. Set the pan aside.

3. To make the cake: in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulverize the pistachios with the 1/4 cup flour until as finely ground as possible. Transfer to a small bowl.

4. Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle or seal them inside a sturdy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the crushed seeds to the pistachio mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.

5. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely incorporated.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir it into the butter-egg mixture. Stir in the pistachio mixture just until combined.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan by dropping 4 or 5 mounds on top of the almonds. Carefully spread the batter into an even layer, trying not to disturb the almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help it loosen from the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool completely.


SERVING: This cake will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

Quick breads. Dense, moist, quick(er) than yeasted breads (no need to wait for the bread to rise because baking powder/soda are used as leavening agents rather than yeast). This quick bread is just PACKED with ingredients; your taste buds will not get bored.

Flax Seed. Healthy (protein, fiber, and omega-3-fatty acids woot woot!). A little goes a long way.

Apples and walnuts. You just can't go wrong. Same goes for buttermilk.

Next time I make this bread/cake, I would like to try browning the butter to just kick it up a notch.

Apple walnut flax seed bread. Made with buttermilk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and love. Kinda healthy, kinda indulgent, kinda really extremely delicious.


Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

from JoytheBaker

makes one 9x5-inch loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated apples

1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples

1 tablespoon flax seeds (I used flax meal instead...)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided

cinnamon and sugar (turbinado sugar might be nice, but granulated works great, too), for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts. Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

Joy says to serve the bread slightly toasted with butter (I thought it was mighty good all on its own. Some hot (or iced) coffee is also a splendid accompaniment to the bread.).

The Epitome of Cookie- Big, Soft, Chewy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

When I'm craving a cookie, I'm craving a damn good cookie. A big, soft, chewy cookie with lots of chocolate chips, or lots of raisins, or lots of walnuts. LOTS. I feel cheated if there are only 2 or 3 chocolate chips floating among a sea of dough. No, there must be an abundance. After all, picking out the choco chips/raisins/nuts/etc. is the best part about eating the cookie (next to a tall glass of milk)!


These oatmeal raisin cookies are the epitome of good cookie for me. The oats provide so much texture and there are soo soo soo many raisins/choco chips. I absolutely looove walnuts with this mixture, too.

Today I went cookie crazy and made some homemade oreos, too.

So, whose ready for some cookies?

The Epitome of Cookie- Big, Soft, Chewy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
recipe from the one and only SmittenKitchen

makes about 18 cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture.

4. Stir in the oats, raisins, nuts, and if using, the chocolate chips. Either scoop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 25 minutes (or until it gets semi-hard/cold), or just freeze the dough for 25 minutes and then scoop it out onto a cookie sheet (Deb from SmittenKitchen finds that the cookie will be thicker when baked from the cold. I trust her.).

5. Bake it straight from the freezer for about 12 minutes. The edges should be golden and the tops should look slightly undercooked. Let them cool and enjoy!

Nutella-Stuffed French Toast

Nutella-Stuffed French Toast. Do you see it? Do you see the oozing chocolate hazelnut spread? Do you see how perfectly golden the rustic Italian-style bread becomes when I dip it in an egg/milk/vanilla/cinnamon batter and cook it on the skillet? Do you see how the dusting of powdered sugar gives this 'twist on a classic breakfast' that finishing touch? People, this is Nutella-Stuffed French Toast. Can breakfast really get any better than this?

Nutella-Stuffed French Toast
inspired by World Nutella Day

-Bread (challah bread, sourdough, brioche, cinnamon raisin bread, regular sandwich bread...)
-Nutella
-Jam

-1 egg
-milk (I just eyeballed it, maybe it was about 1/2 to 3/4 cup?)
-a pinch of salt
-cinnamon
-a dash of vanilla

-butter or earth balance spread

-powdered sugar

1. Take one slice bread and spread it fairly generously with Nutella. Take the other slice of bread and spread with a thin layer of jam, I like to use raspberry jam. Press the two slices of bread together like a sandwich.

2. Using a fork, whisk together your egg, milk, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Dip your sandwich into the batter on both sides.

3. Heat a skillet and place a bit of butter in the pan. Fry your sandwich until gorgeous and golden on each side (aka about 1-2 minutes per side?).

4. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy with fresh fruit and a tall glass of milk (or milky coffee...yum!).

Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti with Cranberries and Walnuts

These cookies are addicting. No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot just have one. I'm telling you now, it's impossible.

I call them biscotti but they are softer and chewier than your typical hard and crumbly biscotti. Whatever the name, these little guys are so so so so so darn good! I believe that this may be my favorite type of cookie batter to lick the bowl with. Mmm, so buttery and lemony and comforting!


And using my new KitchenAid mixer makes everything so much easier; I can just plop my ingredients in the mixer and it does all the work for me!

This recipe makes a LOT of biscotti, I was overwhelmed and froze half of the cookies for my family to eat when I'm back at school.

Here is a link to an interesting article about twice-baked cookies, mandelbrot vs. biscotti.

With a twice-baked cookie, you first make your dough, roll it out into several long logs, bake, slice, and bake again.


I chose to add lemon zest, walnuts, and cranberries (I added golden raisins and dried blueberries, too!), but feel free to add in whatever you like: chocolate chips, pistachios, hazlenuts...

I also really like the texture that the cornmeal lends to the cookie. Soft, chewy, with a little added cornmeal crunch! Very nice.

Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti with Cranberries and Walnuts

makes a LOT of cookies, I would guess about 6 dozen

2 sticks cold butter, cubed
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups cornmeal

zest of 2 lemons
dried fruit combo, about 1 cup
toasted nuts, about 1 cup

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar unitl nice and smoothe and fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time.

Combine the rest of your dry ingredients and add them to your butter, sugar, egg mixture. Stir in the lemon zest, dried fruit, and nuts.

Divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll each piece into a nice, even log. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I ran out of parchment so I just lightly greased the cookie sheet).

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets at least once. Take the logs out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Using a serated knife, slice your logs into individual cookies and place the cookies cut side down. Bake for another 15 minutes or so, you will have to watch them.

This make a LOT of cookies, which are great for freezing, storing, or giving as gifts!

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

I am now the proud owner of a Candy Apple Red 90th Anniversary Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer with a glass bowl.


Beautiful. This is my baby.


I had to make SOMETHING immediately after I brought my baby home. First, I made tart dough. Then I stuck that in the freezer to use later in the week.

Then I made these chocolate crackle cookies from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food.


Ok, so at first, I was not happy with the outcome of these cookies; they were super cute but I felt like they were lacking something in taste, and I could not pinpoint what it was. At first, I thought maybe they were too rich?...or maybe the ground almonds, which my cousin mistook for coconut, gave these cookies a funky texture?

I mean, these cute little guys are made with only good things—dark chocolate, cognac (a variety of brandy), ground almonds…and they only have 3 tablespoons of butter! But, sadly, I was not that impressed. They are not necessarily bad, but I thought they were nothing worth swooning over.

So it has been a few days now and I figured I would give these cookies another shot. Well, actually I brought my friends a few samples to snack on and I was very afraid of what they would say, but to my surprise, yes, they were swooning: "Oh my, Stephanie! These taste like little petit fours, like chocolate truffles, like little baby cake bites!"

Really guys? Ok fine, I'll give them another taste. As I bit into a 4-day-old chocolate crackle cookie, yes, holy heck, these were sooooo yummy! My friends were right, these DO taste like a little truffle cake bite! A few days ago, I thought they were too rich. Now, I think they could be even richer!


I guess these cookies/petit fours/truffle bites taste better as they age. Make them, taste them, let them sit a few days, taste them again. Really, you will taste a difference!

I think next time I make these, I will futz with the recipe a bit...I definitely think that a few pinches of salt and some vanilla extract will benefit, as well as a bit of good quality cocoa powder. Adding in some coffee or experimenting with another kind of extract (mint...?) might be fun, too! Also, maybe next time I might nix the ground almonds and just use more flour? This is the beauty (or for some people, the stressor) about cooking and baking--nothing is ever constant!

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

From The Art of Simple Food

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Pulverize in a food processor:
1 cup almonds, toasted
2 Tablespoons sugar

Put them in a bowl, and combine with:
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

Melt in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli)
3 Tablespoons butter

Stir in:
1 ½ Tablespoons brandy (I used cognac, and had a few sips for myself but boy, is that stuff STRONG!!)

Set the mixture aside off the heat. Whisk together:
2 eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar

Continue whisking until the mixture forms a ribbon, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate and the almond and flour mixture. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or until firm (I just chilled mine overnight).

Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F. Fill a small bowl with:
Granulated sugar

Fill another small bowl with:
Sifted powdered sugar

Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll a few at a time in the granulated sugar to coat them, then roll them in the powdered sugar.

Set them on parchment-lined baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Midway through baking, rotate the baking sheets for even baking. When the cookies are done they will have cracks in their white shells and they will be firm on the edges, but still soft in the center. Do not overbake.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

It's raining. No, really. Raining. Pouring. Windy. Wet. The power went out.

I just want to snuggle and hold a mug filled with hot, steamy...tea, hot chocolate, coffee...

I want to be lazy and curl up on the couch, read a book, listen to the crackle of a fireplace, watch sappy television (Grey's Anatomy is my guilty pleasure)...

And yet I want to dance naked in the rain. I want to be swept off my feet, twirled around, and have him pop a big wet kiss on my shivering lips.

Just this weekend, I really felt the turn from summer to fall. Last week I was wearing summer dresses and sandals. Today I'm sporting a warm coat and rain boots.

It's the middle of October. The "holidays" are just around the corner. After the Halloween craze, we will start seeing websites, magazines, and newspapers advertising the trendiest way to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey, and before we know it we will hear Christmas carols until our ears fall off.


If you plan to attend a dinner party and are looking for a nice little somethin' somethin' to bring over to wow your hosts, I definitely recommend making these precious little cookies. These beaming balls of buttery dough have many names--butterballs, Mexican wedding cookies, Russian teacakes, snowballs...

I guarantee that whatever you decide to call these nutty, powdered-sugar-y delights, you will make friends fast if you share.


Whenever I go to a potluck or simply want to make a nice little cookie to bring over to a friend's house, these Mexican wedding cookies immediately come to mind. With just a few ingredients, these cookies are easy and just plain good! I like to plate them with a pretty doily underneath.

Usually when I think of a cookie I envision a big, chewy chocolate chip cookie or a fat cookie filled with oatmeal raisins and sweet spices. These Mexican wedding cookies, however, bring to mind an entirely different realm of cookie—the second they hit your tongue, you will understand why. They just melt in your mouth! Mmmmmm you can really taste the warm, comforting, buttery, nutty goodness.

One of the key factors of the instant melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavor of the cookie is the use of honey instead of sugar. The honey just adds to the smoothness and you can taste it ever so subtly. I have even experimented with using flavored honey (lavender honey is my favorite!), which adds a fun twist to the mix.

Store these in a tin or airtight container and they will keep for several weeks. At least among my family and friends, we have trouble keeping these cookies around for more than a day or two. They somehow all end up in our bellies ; -)


**Note: These pictures were taken a few weeks ago when it was still sunny outside.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
Adapted from The Silver Palate

Makes about 36 cookies

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the cookie sheets
• 3 Tablespoons honey (feel free to use flavored honey such as lavender, orange blossom…)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shelled pecans, chopped moderately fine (I usually use walnuts; almonds work, too)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease one or two cookie sheets.

2. Cream the butter (I usually use a fork or a whisk). Beat in the honey. Gradually mix in the flour and salt, then the vanilla. Add the nuts. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 1 hour (I will sometimes make the dough the night before and take it out of the fridge the next day about 30-40 minutes before I want to use it).

3. Form the balls by hand, the size of quarters. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

4. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven’ as soon as the cookies are cool enough to touch, roll in the confectioners’/powdered sugar. Allow to cool and roll again in the sugar.

Lindsey Shere's "Chez Panisse Almond Tart," Tasted at Pizzaiolo Restaurant

I should be studying. Biochemistry.

Instead I sit, fantasizing about this almond tart.

I have been thinking about making this tart for a long time, using Chez Panisse co-founder and former executive pastry chef Lindsey Shere's recipe. Many restaurants have used her recipe--Oliveto and Pizzaiolo (both in Oakland, CA) to name a few.

You can make this as a tart or turn the recipe into a Christmas bar cookie and add dried cherries, chocolate chips, ... you name it!

I tasted this tart for the first time today at Pizzaiolo and have not stopped thinking about it since. The texture of slivered almonds is so wonderful! The flavor of the tart takes the almond-y-ness and enhances it with a caramel-like mixture of cream and sugar. Yes! Life is good. I take a bite and just let the magical pastry lie on my tongue. Everything stops for this fleeting moment of pure bliss.


Did I mention how much I LOOOVEE slivered almonds? Arranged in layers all atop the buttery crust, I like to pick off each nut sliver one by one. Ahhh, don't you just want to reach for the computer screen pick off an almond sliver?! Gah!



To find the recipe for Lindsey Shere's Almond Tart, purchase Chez Panisse Desserts or check out David Lebovitz's blog.