Genoise disaster

I under beat or (I think) overbeat the eggs.  Also, maybe should have sifted the flour in instead of just dumping.  

Instead of fluffy genoise cake layers, I'm pretty sure I just made a weird cake- Dutch baby hybrid.  Back to the kitchen!

That escalated quickly

Somehow went from "sure, I'll make a cake!" to making something more elaborate and much tastier than my wedding cake.

Sumbitch Cookies

So, I've been thinking about these since last Monday's airing of How I Met Your Mother-- Lily meets The Mother on the train and they bond over cookies.  Peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate cookies.   

They're good enough to get me to write up my first post in over a year.

Adapted from People.  Which is the first time I've ever said that.  

CAKES!

My cake caddyhas gotten a workout over the last few months...

Chocolate panda cake filled with chocolate ganache and raspberry jam, frosted with whipped white chocolate ganache:

Spice cake filled and frosted with brown sugar buttercreamcheese frosting:

Almond cake filled and frosted with French raspberry buttercream (with raspberries between the layers):

Yellow cake filled and frosted with whipped white chocolate ganache and filled with raspberries and jam:


Posts with recipes to come (eventually).

Beer Can Chicken

I'm behind on my posting-- this was originally written in July, and then set aside until I got around to uploading photos, six months later.  Pretend it's summer, and fire up the grill!

This has become a staple dinner for us; we've been eating it almost weekly all summer.  It's very easy, and turns out a perfect chicken every time, with juicy meat and crispy skin.  Except for once.  It turns out that turning off the middle burner IS important. 

Bourbon Peaches and Cream Popsicles

I know that summer is past, but you can just hold on a little longer with these...

Summer on a stick.

Grilled Pizza

I think my husband put it it best when we were eating Donato's on Saturday.  "Great.  Now you've ruined pizza."  This method of homemade pizza not only beats any frozen pizza (not that hard, admittedly) but also gets you better pizza than calling up anyone that delivers.  

The problem with making pizza at home is usually that your oven only goes up to 500 degrees or so, while a 'real' pizza oven is at least 100-200 degrees hotter.  Your grill doesn't have that limitation.

No Knead Pizza Dough

This makes a very wet dough, but you weren't going to toss it in the air anyway. 

Ingredients:
3 c. bread or AP flour
2 t salt
1/4-1/2 t 'instant' or 'rapid rise' dry yeast
1 1/2 c. water
Olive oil for second rise

Directions:
The first bit is exactly the same as no-knead bread: 
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Stir in water until it makes a nice shaggy ball; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until flat and bubbly (anywhere from 8-12 hours or more).

If you're in a hurry (less than 8 hours until dinner), use more yeast (up to 1/2 t) and set in a warm location.  Lately, setting the bowl outside in the sun will get the dough to rise in just a couple of hours.
 
The second rise differs slightly:
 Oil your hands and four small bowls; cereal bowls work nicely.  Divide the dough evenly into quarters and roll into balls.  Put them into the bowls, oil the tops, and re-cover with plastic wrap. 

Let rise until doubled in size (1-4 hours, depending on yeast amount and temperature.)

Peanut Butter Granola

This is what we eat every day for breakfast.  I get complaints if we're out and there are only Cheerios.

The recipe is super flexible-- just about the only element that is non-negotiable is oats.  Don't like honey?  Use maple syrup!  Omit the peanut butter altogether!  Use any kind of nuts (just not salted).  When I'm feeling virtuous, I sometimes add a half cup of flaxseed meal to the honey mixture so I get in some Omega-3's.  When I'm not, I sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the baked granola. 

It's been awhile...

... but I've been busy.  My latest project:

Tasty, no?

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

Pretty much what the slow cooker was invented for.  This is AMAZING on either soft tacos (with spicy slaw and avocados) or as barbecue-style sandwiches on soft buns.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Derby Pie

Continuing the bourbon baked goods theme.  I got this recipe from a friend of a friend; she's from Kentucky, so we'll go with the theory that it's an old Southern family recipe.  For all I know, it could be off the side of a box or something.

Good at any time, but particularly appropriate for the running of the Kentucky Derby.

Bourbon Blondies

I have this terrible backlog of things I've made but haven't posted.  So, in honor of the Kentucky Derby last weekend (not that I actually managed to catch it on TV), baked goods with bourbon!

Completely spectacular with butter pecan ice cream.  Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Biscuits and Bacon Gravy

This post was of course originally going to be about both the biscuits and the bacon gravy, but I botched my biscuits.  Bacon gravy, on the other hand.... mmm... bacon...

This is from my sister's college roommate, a native South Carolinian... this breakfast makes up for the entire existence of grits. 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Cream of Tomato Soup

Possibly the perfect meal when it's been raining all weekend.

A childhood favorite, but made with cheddar and asiago cheese on homemade bread instead of Kraft Singles on Wonder Bread.  Also:  my new favorite tomato soup.  Of all time. 

New header

 

Still tweaking it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Cupcakes

These are wonderfully decadent...


This recipe is from the Well-Fed Newlyweds, who adapted it from the Cooking Club of America.

Simple Tomato Sauce

I hadn't heard of this recipe before it appeared on Smitten Kitchen, but it's apparently kind of a big deal in the food blogosphere.

This is incredibly simple, and you probably have the ingredients sitting in your pantry already.  They are:  tomatoes, butter, and an onion.  That's it.  No chopping (although I ended up cheating and using a blender at the end.)  It makes a wonderfully rich, mellow sauce that reminded me a bit of vodka sauce, but without the bite. 

Cupcakes!

I decided to make some treats for Fat Tuesday... these fit the bill nicely.

I went back to my favorite cupcake recipe (adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cupcake recipe).  This time, I made vanilla cupcakes with almond buttercream and a layer of jam between cake and icing.  

Roasted Broccoli

Surprisingly delicious.  Roasting gives broccoli a nutty flavor, and with the salt reminded me a little bit of the flavor of wasabi peas or some other bar snack.

Very simple; makes a great side dish for pretty much anything.

From the Well-Fed Newlyweds.

Ingredients:
5 c. broccoli florets (2 medium heads), rinsed and dried
2 T olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp. kosher (or other coarse) salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Toss everything in a bowl to combine.

2.  Spread broccoli out on a cookie sheet or pan in a single layer; roast for 5 minues, then flip and continue roasting for another 10.

That's it!  Try not to finish off until you actually can get it onto plates.