snacks

peach shortcake. maple bacon scone

hay! there's peaches and bacon happening

truth be told, i'm so completely over/never really was into the bacon-in-everything trend.

is it cool and funky that there's bacon in this dessert? sure.

does the addition of bacon really enhance the dish and make it better than it was without it? probably not.

i've felt strongly enough about the bacon-in-dessert deal that i almost feel the need to defend myself here.

that said, A. it was father's day and B. a bacon biscuit is different. the bacon is a focal point.

it's savory and a little smokey and sweet. and it's so tasty that you would of course want to eat it all the time... savory or sweet, it doesn't matter, you want that biscuit.

so that's when it became shortcake.

and let me tell you, this shortcake was workin' it.

sweet peaches and fresh cream and a warm maple bacon biscuit...i realize this is kind of a how-can-you-go-wrong situation..

- unless your biscuits are dry and dense because you didn't cut in the butter properly. So..

Maple Bacon Biscuit/Scone

adapted from Zoe Nathan

1 lb bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

3 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup, divided

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk

fleur de sel

cook bacon in a pan til cooked, but not super crispy. pour through strainer and reserve the bacon fat. scatter the bacon pieces on paper towels to absorb more of the fat. whisk the dries in a bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  scatter butter pieces over the dries and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork, (or do it on a cutting board/flat surface with a bench  scraper.) once it's shaggy and the clumps are about the size of peas, stir in the bacon. then 1/4 cup + 2tbsp maple syrup, then the buttermilk . stir/fold until it just comes together into a shaggy biscuit dough. don't overwork! 

press out to 1 1/2 inch thickness, cut using 2 inch round or square biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) and freeze until thoroughly chilled, 10 minutes. 

preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. take your bowl of reserved bacon fat and generously brush tops of each biscuit with the fat.  sprinkle with fleur de sel and bake til they just begin to brown, about 25 minutes. remove from oven and quickly drizzle 1 tsp maple syrup on each biscuit, brush over so the syrup is distributed over the surface, and place back in the oven for 3 minutes. 

let cool. 

Peach Shortcake:

slice some peaches and/or nectarines. toss them in a bowl with a tbsp or two of sugar and a tiny squeeze of lemon

whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 1/4 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it) and 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract - whip til soft peaks, i prefer really soft, loose cream. 

to assemble: slice a still-warm biscuit in half, it should almost split apart "on the biscuit grain"-if you will - 

place the biscuit bottom on a plate. top with a big dollop of cream, a handful of peaches and cap it off with the top biscuit. 

voila. 

lemon semolina cookies

some people's recipes you know you can trust. i trust gina de palma, i just do.

so if it's her recipe, i should probably make it because i trust that it'll be awesome.

she notes in her book that these are her favorite lemon cookies. ding.

proceed with buying a $27 bottle of limoncello.

...note to self: make limoncello so you never ever consider doing that again.

that aside...if i had to describe these cookies in one word it would be: pleasant. these cookies are so pleasant. they smell super pleasant, they're pleasantly gritty...it's all so nice.

i want to make almond ice cream and eat it with these cookies. i imagine that'd be a good time.

Lemon Semolina Cookies

from Gina De Palma's Dolce Italiano


2 cups ap flour

2/3 cup semolina

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sugar + more for rolling

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

zest and squeezed juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp limoncello

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

glaze (optional)

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - set aside. 

using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy. beat in the egg and egg yolk, scraping down the sides, followed by the lemon zest and juice, limoncello, and vanilla extract. scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients til a soft dough forms. remove dough, wrap it in plastic, and flatted into a disk. refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. 

preheat oven to 325 degreesF. line 2 baking sheets with parchment or grease. place the additional sugar in a small bowl. scoop teaspoonfuls (i did tablespoons for bigger cookies) of dough and roll them into balls. roll them in the sugar to coat evenly. place on baking sheets, evenly spacing them about 2 inches apart. 

bake until they have collapsed and are crinkled, 14-15 min, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. 

allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them gently to wire racks to cool completely. 

i added streaks of limoncello glaze, simply mix a few tbsp of limoncello with powdered sugar til you get your desired glaze consistency. streak it on there, yo. 

blackberry focaccia

hotdamn!

that bread is attractive!

the result is different from a typical focaccia, as if the powdered sugar didn't lead your brains to realize. the crumb is soft and much more compact.

there's less holiness going on.

right out of the oven is truly the only way to eat this bread. the crust is crunch heaven, the crumb is warm and soft, the berries have melted into the crumb..a nice shower of powdered sugar and you're in business.

immediate business.

do not wait to eat.

if you need to wait til later today to eat it, don't make this. make chocolate cake

ok so straight out of the oven, this blackberry focaccia equals a really nice experience.

next day? no, stop.

it'd be nice on a brunch table. it'd be cool with tea.

i had it before dinner and forced everyone around me to eat it..it's at its most delicious peak, obviously i must force it on you.

Blackberry Focaccia

adapted from Nigel Slater's Ripe

3 1/4 cups (450g) 

bread flour 

7g (about 2 tsp) instant yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water

8 oz blackberries

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp demerara sugar (raw sugar)

confectioners' sugar for dusting

put the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast, sea salt, and then the sugar and warm water. mix with a wooden spoon. turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and knead lightly for 5 minutes or so

(this can also be done in a kitchen aid fitted with a dough hook.) 

once the dough feels elastic and "alive", put it into an olive oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap, and leave it to proof somewhere warm. it will take about an hour to double in size. once it has, punch it down to knock some of the air out. tip it into an oiled shallow baking pan about 12 inches in diameter or a rimmed baking sheet. gently knead half the blackberries into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise. 

preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. once the dough has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over olive oil, scatter with the sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until well-risen, golden brown, and crisp on top. it should feel springy when pressed. leave to cool slightly before dusting with confectioners' sugar. cut into thick wedges and eat while it is still warm. it will not keep for more than a few hours. 

espresso chip shortbread

need i say much? probably not.

but i've had two glasses of wine, and these are the times the words flow.   you know?

these shortbreads are small and tasty. i prefer shortbread to be cut in neat squares. personal preferences. i also like them in triangles or giant hunks, and circles are cool too.

they're like cute edible buttons with shittons of butter.

the best kind of buttons!

i've been testing a bunch of recipes, for a reason i won't say yet.

it's not a cookbook

every other blog in the internet universe is being commissioned to write a book. no offense blogs [good for you, that's exciting, yada}

...

i was talking about shortbread.

they're nice. they're crisp like a shortbread should be. eat them alongside a cup of coffee because we can't seem to get enough.

bam. blog post complete.

Espresso Chip Shortbread

from smitten kitchen

1 tbsp instant espresso powder

1 tbsp boiling water

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid. 

working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula. 

using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size ziplock plastic bag. put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9x10 inch rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick. as you roll, turn the bag occasionally and life the plastic from the dough so it doesn't cause creases. when you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days. 

preheat the oven to 325 degreesF. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. 

put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. turn the firm dough out onto the board (throw out the bag) and using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares. transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork. 

bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. they will be pale and shouldn't take on too much color. 

transfer to wire racks to cool and let them cool completely to room temperature before serving. 

winter shortcake



looky here! it's a winter shortcake.
what constitutes a winter shortcake? there are 3 components. winter fruit, a heartier cozier biscuit, and cream.

these are whole wheat brown butter biscuits.
remember that new flour mill in town, Grist and Toll? i snagged a bag of their 'Sonora' whole grain pastry flour and used it to make these here biscuits.
(so light. so delicate. so nutty.)



they are good all on their own. eat one for breakfast with butter and an espresso. 
then later slice one in half, slice up some fruits, make the damn shortcake, eat the damn shortcake. 

it's pretty much a dessert hamburger that you eat with a fork.



See? Strawberry is not the sole dictator of the shortcake universe. 




Whole Wheat Brown Butter Biscuits
adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 cups whole wheat grain flour or white whole wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (4 oz) chilled brown butter
3/4 cup heavy cream (or buttermilk)
1 egg yolk (save white to brush the tops)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
(optional: 1/4-1/2 cup dried fruit, candied ginger, etc)
sugar for topping

mix the dry ingredients in a bowl or the bowl of a food processor. cut in the butter with a pastry blender, bench scrapers (my favorite), a few pulses of the food processor, or even a fork. whisk together cream, egg yolk, and vanilla. stir into the dry mixture until a dough forms. transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead in the dried fruit if using). 

pat the dough into a disk about 1 1./2 inches thick. stamp out circles with a biscuit cutter, or cut into squares. transfer circles to a parchment lined baking sheet. refrigerate for 15 minutes (or put it in the freezer for 5 minutes). preheat the oven to 375 degreesF. brush the tops with the egg white and sprinkle sugar on the tops. 
bake for about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. 

Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar + small splash of vanilla 
beat til soft peaks

Fruits: 
blood orange/any citrus segments
blackberries
kumquat, sliced thinly

To Assemble: slice a biscuit through. place bottom half on plate. top with a few nice dollops of the cream. top that with a mix of your fruits. top it the whole thing with the other half of the biscuit. 



sundae: buttermilk ice cream. lime curd. toasted almond poppyseed cake

how many times can justin bring sexy back, really?

this sundae is:

not a swanky getaway in a nice hotel kind of sexy.

more like, gourmet camping trip sexy. a nice fire going, stars and shit. and a sundae in a mug.

the mish mosh: buttermilk ice cream. lime curd. toasted almond poppyseed cake cubes.

Buttermilk Ice Cream

from smitten kitchen

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cup sugar

8 egg yolks

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped and simmered with cream

pinch of salt

in a large heavy saucepan, combine the cream and 1 cup of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

in a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. 

remove cream mixture from heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks slowly, whisking constantly to keep eggs from curdling. continue slowly adding more to warm the yolks well, and then pour back into the cream, whisking constantly. 

cook over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. pour through a fine mesh strainer, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. press plastic on the top surface so a skin doesn't form and chill in the refrigerator, and then freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. 

Lime Curd (

recipe here

)

Almond Poppyseed Pound Cake (

recipe here

)

sundae: pile all into a mug and do it right. 

merry christmas + cranberry cream scone breakfast

merry christmas to you!

i hope you are snuggly warm with mugs of hot spiked liquids and listening to vince guaraldi trio and spooning with your favorite person at the same time.

on this lovely day, i'll be wearing the same thing for the 3rd day in a row because my bag has been lost by the airlines.

again.

i'm thinking i must have done a terrible thing at the airport in a past life. 

these cranberry cream scones would be a joy to have on Christmas morning.

they're so good that eating one might make me momentarily forget that i might be wearing this same stupid dress for another 6 days.

they are my most favorite basic cream scone. with some sliced sugared cranberries, some orange zest. 

as they sat out to cool, i brushed the tops with maple syrup. not necessary by any means, but, c'mon.

Cranberry Cream Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

bit of orange zest

5 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup fresh cranberries, halved (i used leftover sugared cranberries)

maple syrup (optional), for brushing

preheat oven to 400. place flour, baking powder, sugar, zest, and salt in bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. whisk together or pulse six times. 

if making by hand, use a pastry blender or fork to quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger butter clumps. if using a food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. transfer dough to a large bowl. add in cranberries and toss to distribute. 

stir in the cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough just forms together. transfer dough and all the dry, floury bits to a floured countertop and knead dough a bit by hand until it comes together in a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds.  pat the dough on a floured work surface into a 3/4 inch thick circle, and cut circles out with a biscuit cutter. 

place scone rounds on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment, sprinkle the tops with white or raw sugar, and bake until tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. serve warm or at room temperature. 

brush tops with some maple syrup. 

peanut butter puffin cereal milk ice cream

i am so clever that sometimes i don't understand a single word of what i am saying. 

.oscar wilde.

peanut butter puffin cereal milk ice cream.

in a word, this ice cream tastes like: Snacktime.

it's emotionally unstable..

it knows it's too good to be true.

Peanut Butter Puffin Cereal Milk Ice Cream

inspired by and adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar

*notes: this ice cream base recipe is a bit wacky..gelatin and glucose, no eggs, no cream. i made it as written because i was curious to see what it would turn out like. the ice cream itself wasn't icy in the least, but also wasn't heavy and rich like what you get with cream and yolk based ice creams. i'm sure using the puffin cereal milk in a more classic ice cream base would be just as yummy and more approachable ingredient-wise to most. 

1 recipe puffin cereal milk 

1 sheet gelatin

130 g sugar (2/3 cup)

2 g kosher salt (1/2 tsp)

20 g milk powder (1/4 cup)

50 g glucose (2 tbsp)

bloom the gelatin in ice water. 

warm a little bit of the puffin cereal milk and whisk in the gelatin to dissolve. whisk in the remaining cereal milk, the sugar, salt, milk powder, and glucose until everything is fully dissolved and incorporated. 

pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into your ice cream machine and freeze according to your manufacturer's instructions. the ice cream is best spun just before serving but will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. 

Peanut Butter Puffin Cereal Milk Ice Cream

100 g peanut butter puffins (2 1/2 cups)

825 g cold milk (3 3/4 cups)

30 g light brown sugar (2 tbsp)

1 g kosher salt (1/4 tsp) 

pour the milk into a bowl or pitcher. add the puffin cereal and mix up. crunch up some of the puffins with your hands. let steep for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, collecting the milk in a medium bowl. use your hands to squeeze out the soggy cereal to extract as much puffin flavor as possible. toss the puffin mush. 

whisk the brown sugar and salt into the milk until fully dissolved. store in a clean pitcher or glass. 

lemon yogurt muffins

there once was a muffin demon. it was terrible and had poor posture.

but these muffins here are far from demons. they are cheerful and light. they are the friendly kind, easily compatible with butters and jams of all sorts.

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

from the breakfast book by marion cunningham

makes 12 muffins

*tips to make those big top muffins that everyone wants..fill those suckers up to the top with batter. also baking at a higher heat for the first few minutes will make the tops burst up quickly. hooray muffin tops. 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp honey

2 large eggs

1 tbsp lemon zest (2 lemons)

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

pearl sugar for topping (totally optional)

lemon syrup:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

preheat oven to 415 degreesF. combine the dry ingredients in a bowl - flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another bowl combine the sugar, honey, eggs, zest, extract, yogurt, and melted butter. whisk until combined well. dump the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined..don't over mix. Don't!

fill muffin tins, either greased or lined with papers, to almost the top. sprinkle with pearl sugar if using. 

bake for 5 minutes at 415 degreesF and then drop the oven down to 350 degreesF and finish baking, about 10 more minutes. 

while those bake, make lemon syrup. combine the lemon juice, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves. when the muffins finish baking, poke a few holes in each muffin with a toothpick or fork and brush the lemon syrup all over the tops of each muffin. let cool.

grapefruit frozen yogurt

breakfasty things can get switched into dessert fast.

grapefruit. yogurt. oats.

it was late afternoon with the nice light and i sat around and ate this frozen yogurt out of the ice cream machine bowl.

it was wonderfully good, and ridiculously simple. it was inspired by pinkberry.

i think everyone ever should eat it. alright. alright. alright.

Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

modified from here

2 cups greek yogurt

1 large pink grapefruit, zest and juice (about 2/3 cup juice)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup half and half 

mix everything in a bowl. pour into bowl of ice cream ma

chine and churn according to maker's instruction.  

for honey toasted oats, mix a little honey with a dab of melted coconut oil. toast in an oven at 350 degreesF for a few minutes. 

roasted sweet potato salsa

take a shower julia.

shave your legs julia.

don't try to start watching netflix for onlyan hour julia.

don't eat rice cakes with bananas and peanut butter for dinner julia. or do. whatever, i can deal with that.

write a blog post julia.

get your shit together julia.

don't buy 4 kinds of salsa from trader joes, julia.

make salsa. it's easy and you'll feel better about it.

charred and sweet, little chunks of roasted sweet potato are welcomed with open arms and loving unawkward smiles into the salsa party.

i want this on my chips and on a quesadilla and perhaps some black bean soup with a scoop of rice.

if you didn't know, sweet potato and avocado make quite the match. i want to be the millionaire matchmaker for fruits and vegetables. what should i be called?..

the fregetable* matchmaker

the patchmaker. millionaire minus a lot.

miiiiiilllion dollar vegetable girl!.

person who truly needs to get a life.

*celebrity names of fruit and vegetable: fregetable + vruit (vr-OO-t)

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa

adapted from Martha Stewart's Meatless

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced small

1 red onion, diced small

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium tomato, diced small

1 avocado, diced small

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 small jalapeño, seeds removed and minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)

coarse salt

preheat oven to 450 degreesF. on a rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potato, 1/2 of the diced onion, and olive oil. roast until sweet potato is tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely. 

add tomato, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice. season with salt, toss to combine. taste and adjust salt and flavors to your liking. 

eat with chips. stuff it in tacos. top salads with it. put it on black bean soup. 

orange carrot ginger

JOOS. what whaaat.

everyone's doing it.

they're doing it because it's awesome.

this is my most perfect drink in the morning. in the noontime. in the nighttime. i buy carrots in bulk and i pulverize them.

Orange Carrot Ginger Juice

*this is about the ratio of ingredients i use, but this is juice here, so 

by all means, tamper to your liking. 

2 oranges*

2-3 large carrots

small thumb or two of ginger

assemble juicer. pulverize. drink juice. 

*citrus is awesome right now. mix it up with 

cara 

caras, honey tangerines, tangelos, blood oranges! or just.. don't. 

almond poppy seed loaf

i didn't make any new years resolutions, i never seem to. 

february resolutions sound less intimidating

shall i february resolute? 

my february resolutions are for things like, eat at son of a gun, walk more, perfect some kind of carrot muffin, stop thinking so much about what other people are doing..

onward to baking!

there are things i bake because they're fun to make.

there are things i bake because i want to try new things.

there are things i bake because it's my job and i have to.

and then there are the things i make because that's just all i want to eat.

the minute that i start thinking about almond poppyseed anything, i get unnatural food tunnel vision. it's all i want and all i need.

this issue directly relates to costco and my youth.

my mom was a fiend for costco and their muffins. the almond poppyseed was my everything.

i'd call dibs on the whole row. i'd scrape the muffin paper with my teeth.

little did my scrawny middle school self know that she would one day grow up to be a baker and spend a good chunk of life obsessing over making a breakfast bread as good as costco.

it needs to be perfectly moist and very speckly.

it must taste as good as almond extract smells, and live up to all my childhood flavor memories.

i think i did it.

Almond Poppy Seed Loaf

adapted from the girl who ate everything

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp poppy seeds

1 1/8 cups vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

preheat the oven to 350. line two 8-9 inch loaf pans with parchment and grease (i used a long 16 inch loaf pan). combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. in another large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, extracts, and melted butter, mix well. add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. scrape into prepared pan/pans and bake for about 50-60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. 

for glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp unsalted butter

pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. pour glaze over warm bread. 

coffee cookie dough ice cream

this is coffee cookie dough ice cream.

coffee cookie dough ice cream is as absurdly good as it should be. success.

steep coffee beans in milk for an hour.

make a little batch of cookie dough sans eggs.

coffee milk turns to custard with the help of egg yolks.

custard gets amped up with pinches of vanilla and ground coffee.

custard gets spun into ice cream. cookie dough chunks are folded in.

brace yourself, spoons.

meeting adjourned. ice cream a-churned.

i should just start making vats of cookie dough ice cream and selling it out of my squeaky garage.

Coffee Cookie Dough Ice Cream

adapted from the perfect scoop by dave leibovitz

for the ice cream:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp finely ground coffee

for the cookie dough:

5 tbsp salted butter, melted 

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

to make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth. stir in the flour, then vanilla and chocolate chips. form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm. 

to make the ice cream, warm the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of cream in a medium saucepan. once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour. 

rewarm the coffee milk mixture. pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. in a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. slowly pour the warm coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. 

stir the mixture constanly over medium low heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans. mix in the vanilla extract and the ground coffee and stir until cool over an ice bath. 

chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. 

freeze according to ice cream maker's instruction. when it's about done, break the cookie dough into chunks and drop in. 

store in the freezer. 

buttermilk chive biscuits + black pepper brown butter

one day out of the week there will be no bacon, and no cheddar.

but there can still be biscuits.

sometimes, i just need the biscuits all to myself.

one of the good parts about making 300 biscuits a day is that making a normal home-sized batch feels like the quickest easiest thing.

biscuit making is all about the method.

mix up dry. cut in butter. fold in just enough buttermilk for a dough to come together.

there is no need for buttermilk measuring.

chive biscuits, plain and simple, a nice change of biscuit pace.

black pepper brown butter is just brown butter stirred with a little honey, salt, and lots of coarse black pepper.

hella good

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits + Black Pepper Brown Butter

adapted from bon appetit

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped chives

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

buttermilk, about 1-1 1/4 cups

preheat oven to 400 degreesF. combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt and mix together well. mix in chives. using one or two bench scrapers, a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry mix until it resembles a coarse meal and butter chunks are around the size of a hazelnut. create a well in the center of the dry mix and pour in  buttermilk. stir until dough just comes together and is evenly moistened. either pat into a disk, about 1 1/2 inches tall and stamp out rounds using a biscuit cutter, or simply scoop 1/4 cups of dough onto a baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. brush with a little buttermilk and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. cool slightly and serve. 

Black Pepper Brown Butter

from

Keys to the Kitchen

by Aida Mollenkamp. do you have this book? you should have this book

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. cook swirling the pan to ensure it cooks evenly, until the butter turns a nut brown color, about 5 minutes. immediately remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the honey, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

pan-fried potatoes + cilantro buttermilk ranch


french fries + ranch = the perfect match

and cilantro is my match always.



fork or toothpick or fingers. whatever.



Pan-Fried Potatoes
a method really, hardly a recipe. 

small potatoes, yellow, red or fingerlings, however many, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
parsley

heat a generous portion of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the skillet, in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until very hot but not smoking. add potatoes. season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium. cook, covered stirring and turning potatoes occasionally, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. remove lid and cook, stirring and turning until browned and crusty, about 10 minutes more. season with salt and pepper again to taste. toss with fresh chopped parsley. 



Cilantro Buttermilk Ranch

1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
buttermilk
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
zest of half a lemon
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne pepper
hot sauce

mince the garlic, then sprinkle about 1/4 tsp salt onto the garlic and mash with a fork into a thick paste. 
in a bowl combine all the ingredients except for the buttermilk. stir. whisk in the buttermilk until you've reached your desired consistency. taste and season. add a dash of hot sauce. chill for a few hours before serving. can thin with a little buttermilk or milk when it comes out of the fridge if you'd like. 

apple quinoa bread


i overslept.
my alarm was set to 5 pm not am, and i overslept.
i woke up 18 minutes after the minute i was supposed to be at work, on my feet, lookin alive, making dough.

the feeling of being late to work gives me crazy anxiety. i hate being late.

my family was always late to everything. i was always uptight about it.
i was the kid in the backseat of the car, frustrated and ready to go,  honking the horn obnoxiously. then i'd get yelled at.


i got to work in record time, from the minute i jolted awake to walking in the restaurant doors..12 minutes.

i probably could have taken an extra minute to grab an apple or my ever important sharpie.
but the thought of being any later was too much to bear for my late-phobic brain.

so no coffee, no breakfast, no morning zone out time.
the day was clearly thrown off. and the energy was at a 2 for the rest of the morning.


the day perked up with a fat tall venti whatever latte, and then i got back to turning pretty apples into hundreds of sweet, paper thin apple chips.

and then scooping biscuits, obviously.


i made this apple quinoa bread because i had slightly overcooked some quinoa and felt guilty throwing it away.

so, very lightly sweet breakfast bread. it would be completely vegan if i didn't smash a tablespoon of butter into the oat topping.
and quinoa is protein (aww yeah). so protein bread. i'd rather grab protein bread than a protein bar. if i'm not running too late to think about food.


it's dense and super moist.
my sincerest apologies for throwing around the word moist so much.
i'm just trying to describe things accurately.


Apple Quinoa Bread

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 large apple, peeled and grated
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
small handful toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
small handful of golden raisins (optional)

1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil to keep it dairy-free)

preheat oven to 350 degreesF. grease or line an 8inch loaf pan with parchment paper. in a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. in another bowl, mix the grated apple, oil, quinoa, and vanilla. in a third small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping - the oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter or oil and set aside. add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir til just combined. fold in the nuts and/or raisins if using. scrape into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the oat topping to cover the batter. bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

fresh veggie sandwich


when seasons end i always feel like i am leaving a part of myself behind. in that happy/sad nostalgic way.

but
i think i'm dang ready to shoo this humidity away and get under a blanket.
i do believe it is my true natural habitat.


if i were an exhibit at a zoo, it'd probably be me on a couch, oblong bun on the top of my head, with my body buried in sweaters and scarves.
i'd have a creepy smile plastered on my face and stare right back at you looking at me, and then you'd want to leave and move onto the meer cats and i could continue spooning ice cream out of my mug and watching breaking bad on netflix.


um..
i want a sandwich.


SANDWICHES, YES. it's obvious why everyone is obsessed with sandwiches.
i'd pick a good veggie sandwich over a meat one any day. it doesn't matter what the heck season it is, sandwiches are golden.
i like to think that making a good veggie sandwich is an art form.


in my perfect veg sandwich world, avocado is an absolute must.
there needs to be fresh crunch.
there needs to be juiciness.
there needs to be creaminess, the avocado has this covered.
there needs to be good crusty bread. i prefer it toasted.


there needs to be salt and pepper.
there needs to be something bold in flavor or spicy..like a flavorful spread or pesto.

and there should be lots of color! the more it looks like a rainbow the better.
i like to just wander around the produce at the market and see what pops out at me.


here i have fresh ciabatta bread, too-perfect-for-words-and-soon-to-be-gone tomatoes (wah), cucumbers, red onion, funky sprouts, romaine lettuce, avocado, and a little chipotle sun-dried tomato spread.


dip the cucumbers in the sauce to snack on.


there is grape juice too.
and hold up, does anyone drink concord grape juice on the regular?
no right?
this needs to change. drink that purple drink.

i made this exact sandwich for four days. for dinner. by myself.
it was probably the highlight of those days. i can't wait to eat it while i'm couch lounging under a blanket.


Avocado Chipotle Veggie Sandwich
inspired by wanting to eat sandwiches

fresh ciabatta, or other crusty bread
1-2 ripe avocados
1 large heirloom tomato
1/2 cucumber, sliced
a little red onion, sliced
romaine lettuce
sprouts
cheese (optional..i added a few shavings of parmesan)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
chipotle spread

mash up the avocado in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon and a liberal pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. 
toast the bread. spread avocado on one side of the bread and chipotle spread on the other. layer on the other ingredients, smush together, and slice. 

Chipotle Spread
1 chipotle pepper in adobo + 1 tsp adobo sauce
1-2 tbsp mayo, sour cream, or greek yogurt
1/4 cup red pesto (i had a small jar of this in my pantry, i think it might be from 
whole foods.. its just a pesto made with sun-dried tomatoes)

mix everything up. 




peach marshmallows + graham crackers. s'mores.


eating marshmallows right now = this moment could be even better if s'mores were to occur.
am i right y'ALL?

the marshmallows, they are peach.


not in-your-face gummy candy peach, but delightfully light, sweet, and peachy.

i plunged a few chocolate covered almonds in one corner. whatever, why not.
abstract food art! kind of..


and graham crackers. there were none to be found in my humble abode. blasphemy!
(is that a blasphemous thing? ..not reeally. i dunno, shut up.)
the graham crackers, i had zero of them. i decided, what the heck, i'll just make some. i couldn't find a good excuse not to.


to make graham crackers, all you need are some basic pantry staples. things like brown sugar and honey. this is going great.


and the makeshift s'more..
a composed mess of graham cracker peach marshmallow and white chocolate.

good. weird? sweet treat tasty. there's marshmallow goo all over my hands and i don't care.


if i did it again, i might sneak some tart lemon curd in there. i am a prisoner to the Tart.



oh, right..it must be mentioned.
*this does not fulfill your yearning for that comfortingly familiar flavor of a classic s'more.

i don't think the sandlot boys would approve of this s'more.
luckily they aren't here in this kitchen to stop me.

very lucky, because they must be old now and that'd be uncomfortable.
GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN, SMALLS



Graham Crackers
adapted from smitten kitchen via nancy silverton

2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour (i used 2 cups all purpose 1/2 cup graham flour)
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
7 tbsp (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild flavored honey
5 tbsp milk
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

 combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. pulse to incorporate. add the butter and pulse on and off until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. 
in a small bowl, whisk together honey, milk, and vanilla. add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times until the dough barely comes together. it will be very soft and sticky. lay out a piece of plastic wrap and dust it with flour, then turn dough onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. wrap it and chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. 
divide dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. flour a work surface evenly and roll out dough about 1/8 inch thick. use it's very sticky so flour is important. cut into rectangles, squares, circles, etc. place crackers on one or two parchment lined baking sheets and chill until firm, about 30-45 minutes in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer. repeat with the second batch of dough. (or freeze it to make later!)
preheat oven to 350 degreesF. bake for 15-25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the pan halfway through to ensure even baking
Fresh Peach Marshmallows
adapted from this recipe

 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1/2 cup peach puree, method below
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
drop or two of orange food color (optional)

 peach puree:
2-3 ripe peaches, diced
tbsp sugar
squeeze of lemon

 place the peaches, sugar, and lemon in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree. strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer, and transfer to a small saucepan. cook the peach puree down to about 1/2 cup, to concentrate the peachy flavor 

 for the mallows: oil the bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch baking dish. dust with confectioners sugar. 
in a bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and peach puree, and let stand to soften. 
in a 3 quart heavy saucepan, cook sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water and salt over medium low heat, stirring  with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. increase heat to medium and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240, about 10 minutes. remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. 
with a standing or hand held mixer, beat on high until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume. 
in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold still peaks. beat egg whites and vanilla into sugar mixture until just combined. pour mixture into prepared pan. sift a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar evenly over top. chill until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to one day. 
run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. loosen marshmallow with your fingers and ease onto cutting board. with a large oiled knife, trim the marshmallow and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. 
mix remaining confectioners' sugar with cornstarch and sift into a wide bowl or baking sheet. toss with the marshmallows on all sides. shake off the excess and store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

 and then ...

 Graham Peach Marshmallow and White Chocolate S'mores
i did it in the oven because i was too lazy to go looking for the old brulee torch.