Day 64 - Pignoli Cookies

     As I write this, my son is talking to himself in the shower.  He doesn't sing, he talks.  He's having this whole conversation with himself tonight because his undefeated baseball team lost to a team that was 3-3.  He didn't hit so well, but he played ok defensively.  They had been losing 7-1 and then came back to go ahead 8-7.  The other team had the last ups because we were playing at their field.  In the bottom of the last inning, combined with pent up frustration, he was involved in a collision at second when he was catching the ball and was slightly injured.  It's one of those things where he was legitimately hurt, but I think the frustration of the team not playing well and his not hitting increased the pain all the more.  Know what I mean?
     So, he does this.  He talks to himself, works it all out in his head and is then ok.  I really do love to listen to him.  He'll do it when he's in bed, too, and then is beyond embarrassed if he sees my shadow in the hall.  I can't help it.  I'm his mother, and I know my enjoying moments like these are limited.  So, I'm going to listen.   
     When we were living in Rhode Island, our friends, Mary and Eddy, would travel back to New York where they were originally from and bring back Italian goodies.  One time they came back with a PINK BOX!  Remember how I not only LOVE those pink boxes, but especially the things that are inside them?  Inside this box were some Pignoli cookies.  It was definitely one of my Oh My Goodness moments.  They were SO completely delicious - chewy on the outside and so soft and tender on the inside.  And then they melted in my mouth.  They were oh so good that I would ask, or rather beg Mary to bring some back whenever they went to New York.  They were one of those creations that was so good I was afraid to make it because I really and truly believed I wouldn't be able to duplicate it.  Yes, I was intimidated by a cookie.  Over 12 years I've put it off.  Today, I baked a cookie so close that I think even I could put it into a pink box!  So darned exciting!
   We can thank Martha Stewart for this one.  I found it in her Baking Handbook, p.93; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-307-23672-2.

     Pignoli Cookies
    
     7 ounces almond paste
     ½ cup granulated sugar
     ½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
     2 large egg whites
     ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
     3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
     1/8 teaspoon salt
     3/4 cup pine nuts

     Preheat oven to 350ºF, with racks in the center and lower third.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat almond paste and both sugars on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 2 minutes.

Add egg whites and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until a smooth paste forms, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add flour and salt; beat until combined, about 1 minute.  Dough will be very soft and tacky.

     Place pine nuts in a small bowl.  Scoop out a tablespoon of dough; using dampened fingers, drop dough into pine nuts, coating one side.  Transfer rounds, coated side up, to prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Fill in any bare spots on rounds with remaining pine nuts.

     Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies and pine nuts have turned golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes.  Transfer cookies on parchment to a wire rack to cool completely.  Using an offset spatula, carefully loosen from parchment paper.  Using a fine sieve, dust cookies with confectioners' sugar.  Cookies can be kept, stacked between layers of waxed or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

     Yes, I forgot to dust with confectioners' sugar.  But they Didn't. Even. Need. It.  They were just so yummy delicious.  Yes, they were Oh. My. Goodness.   My husband was amazed at how good they were.  He says, to date, that they are the best thing I have made. 

I asked, "better then the créme brulée?". 

He thought and then replied, "yeah, even better than the créme brulée".

Now that's saying something 'cause he even said that was pretty darned good.  (I think I may be spoiling him.)

     Instead of dropping them into the pine nuts by tablespoonfuls (I also used a knife to scrape it out), next time I'll probably use a teaspoon and lessen the baking time.  I just think the final cookie was too big.  Also, the dough was so sticky that instead of taking them out of the pine nuts with my fingers, I used a larger table spoon.  Granted I grabbed a few extra pine nuts in the process, but they were transferring to the parchment a lot easier and they were more rounded as opposed to mishapen.  Then I just removed the extra pine nuts by hand.  Personally I would prefer to have two cookies to every larger one that I made.  In the end, I made about 23 and it says you'll finish with about 18.

     My rating system is based on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best.  I'm pretty sure you already know what the rating is on these:  4 rolling pins!  Yes, they were that good.  I would highly recommend that you put your Italian apron on and make these puppies.  I'm sure you won't regret it.

     Happy baking!

Day 63 - Gluten-Free Ham and Cheese Pocket Pies

         Today was an absolutely wonderful day!  We were blessed with a new addition to our extended family; a new nephew/cousin.  I'm very excited!  We are waiting on pictures, but I'm sure he is just as beautiful as his older brother.  A HUGE congratulations to the new mommy and daddy!!  Babies are always so exciting, and sometimes I wouldn't mind being pregnant again.  I do miss those days.  But, that phase of my life is over.  I don't know if I could tolerate waking in the middle of the night every few hours anyway.
     I also received a most wonderful phone call from my very dear friend, Mary.  I shared her Spanikopita recipe on Day 48.  And just as I thought it would be, we picked up right where we'd left off.  It's been a couple years since we've spoken on the phone, but it was as if no time had passed.  And we talked for 2 hours; I'm sure we could have stayed on longer.  It was great to catch up, but it was even better to hear her voice, and especially her laugh.  Mary will always have a very special place in my heart. 
     If you have a friend like that or a friend who you haven't spoken with in a while, call or e-mail them.  You never know what they might be going through and you may be contacting them at the perfect time.  Why wait?  I'm sure it would do you both good to reconnect. 

     I saw this recipe and kind of said, "eew" when I saw it.  Then looking at the 2 cups of shredded carrots and ½ cup of raisins it called for I thought, "hm, this might be pretty healthy" (well, as far as the baked goods thing goes anyway).  It is from The New Doubleday Cookbook, p. 667; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-385-19577-X.
     As a side note, until I started this baking project, I didn't realize that there was a difference between 1 cup sifted flour, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup flour, sifted.  Am I alone or are there other people that need to know this?  (Here's where I need that book, "Baking for Dummies".)  I guess I was always in too much of a hurry to pay atttention, mom and grandma never showed me, and I don't remember Mrs. Rathbun ever teaching us that in 8th grade Home Ec. (I can't believe I actually remembered her name - that was ages, well, nevermind).  1 cup sifted flour is sifting the flour and then putting it into a measuring cup and leveling it with a knife.  For 1 cup of flour, I just scoop the measuring cup into the flour canister and then level it with a knife.  For the 1 cup of flour, sifted, I scoop the measuring cup into the canister, level it, then sift it into the bowl.  So, to make it easy:  Sift before measure; just plain old measure; sift after measuring.  Have I confused you?  Because I think in trying to simplify it, I've taken it too far and overexplained it.  I kind of confused myself.  And I'm fading here.  Just post if you have a comment or question!
     I actually learned this from the Martha Stewart Baking Book the other day.  I had never done it before and I admit, I was very surprised the difference it makes when you sift the flour before you measure it.  I wonder how many things I 've made over the years that may have tasted differently had I really paid attention.

     Carrot and Raisin Bread

     2½ cups sifted unbleached flour
     1 tablespoon baking powder
     ½ teaspoon salt
     1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
     2 eggs, lightly beaten
     ½ cup melted butter or margarine or cooking oil (I used butter)
     ½ cup milk
     1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind (optional) (I didn't use)
     ½ cup seedless raisins  (I used golden raisins)
     2 cups finely grated peeled carrots

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add sugar and rub well between your fingers, breaking up any lumps of sugar.  Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Spoon into a well-greased 9" X 5" X 3" loaf pan and bake about 50 minutes until loaf shrinks slightly from sides of pan and is springy to the touch.

(Note: Do not underbake; test by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in center of loaf; it should come out clean.) Cool bread upright in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn out.  Cool completely before cutting.

This loaf will cut more easily if you wrap it airtight and store it overnight.

     I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome of this bread.  It tasted a lot better than I thought it would.  It was perfectly sweetened, extremely moist, and delicious.  I thought it was going to taste very similar to carrot cake, but it didn't.  My husband and my son both really liked it.  My husband thought it was one of the best recipes I've made so far.  Wow.  I liked it, but didn't like it enough to give it a 4, so I'll give it 3½ rolling pins.  My rating system is based on a scale of 1-4 with 1 being a "save yourself the time, money and effort" and 4 "this really takes the cake" (sorry, no pun intended.  Ok, I lie.  I did it on purpose.  After all, it IS a baking blog).      

     If you learn one thing from this post, please, please wrap it up airtight and let it sit overnight before you slice it.  I had the perfect slice cut for the purpose of taking a picture and it was sitting alone on the cutting board when my husband says, "Oh, is this my piece?"

"NO!" I yelled.

"Oops, too late."

Son of a ...

What the heck do I have to do, put yellow tape around it, a big orange cone that's labeled "DON'T TOUCH"??!!  Do I have to start hiding the stuff now, too?  Oy vey! 

I then went through half the loaf, hacking off various pieces (and not intentionally) in order to obtain another perfect slice.  Again.  The one pictured above is the best I could do before I went throught the whole loaf.  There had to be a point where I stopped before it was completely massacred.  I'm really interested to see how it cuts tomorrow.

     Remember:  To sift, or not to sift?  And when?

     Happy baking!

Day 61 - Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

     Since we started my daughter on this gluten-free diet a week ago to see if it would help with her acne, she's really been wanting me to bake her something besides those chocolate chip cookies from the pre-made mix.  So, I went to Barnes & Noble today and purchased The Gluten-Free Kitchen.  There is quite a selection of books for those with special needs.  I was just searching for one that was published by Random House so that I could copy the recipe for you.  The recipe is on page 182-183; author, Roben Ryberg; publisher, Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-7615-2272-7.

     Double Chocolate Cookies   makes 3½ - 4 dozen

     ¼ cup softened butter
     3/4 cup dark brown sugar
     2 egg yolks
     1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
     1/3 cup water
     ¼ cup oil
     ½ cup potato starch
     ½ cup corn starch
     ¼ cup cocoa
     ¼ teaspoon baking soda
     ½ xanthan gum
     ½ teaspoon salt
     1¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. 

Add egg yolks, vanilla flavoring, water, and oil.  Mix well.  Add remaining ingredients except for chocolate chips.  Mix well, being sure to remove all lumps. 

Fold in chocolate chips.
     Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes.

     NOTE:  These cookies will soften if stored in an airtight container.  Freeze your extras, or give them a few minutes of air before serving.

     My daughter liked them and based on my rating system of 1-4 with 4 being the best, she thought they deserved 3 rolling pins.  I thought they were ok.  They are definitely different then anything I've baked before - a lot flatter as you can somewhat see from the picture.
     Happy baking!

Day 60 - Beautifully Complicated Butterscotch Brownies

         I was on Facebook yesterday and one of my friends from high school posted this: 

Ah, life. Beautifully complicated. Embrace it. Whatever the complications may be. Wherever they may find you.

Rich was always a great friend and I had quite a few classes with him throughout those "formative years", and he was on the school's baseball team with my husband.  He was quiet and unassuming, staying true to his character and I know he has remained this way.  I admire him for that.  He has become a great man and undoubtedly his working at World Neighbors is a testament of that character.  He was also wise beyond his years which is another reason I love this "Rich Original".  Sometimes we become so involved in the problems or challenges that we are facing that we have a tendency to not step back and see that even though it may be difficult, life is still beautiful and we do need to embrace it.  Our individual struggles are beautiful.  Be in the moment.  Do not wish it away.

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
— Friedrich Nietzsche

I can attest to the fact that the hardships I have endured throughout my years have definitely made me a stronger person.  Life truly is "beautifully complicated".  Thank you, Rich!
    
    
      I found these brownies in my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Thirteenth Edition, p. 629; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.
     Ok, I have to be honest, the making of these Butterscotch Brownies was anything but complicated.  I just called them that because the words went so well with Rich's post.  They really couldn't have been easier.  And the really fun part was that I was able to use my mother's nut chopper.  I loved that thing when I was little.  It was always so much fun to put the peanuts or walnuts in at the top, turn the handle and watch those teeth grind them into little bits.  Brought back some more memories.

     Butterscotch Brownies

     ½ cup melted butter
     2 cups dark-brown sugar
     2 eggs
     ½ teaspoon salt
     1½ cups flour
     2 teaspoons baking powder
     1 teaspoon vanilla
     1 cup chopped nuts

     Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
     Butter a 9 X 13-inch cake pan.  Mix all the ingredients together, combining them well.

 Spread in the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dry on top and almost firm to the touch. 

Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then cut into small squares.

     My son and husband loved them.  I thought they were good, too.  I'm going to give them 3 rolling pins even though there was disagreement over whether they should be awarded 3 or 3½.  My rating system is based on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  These will make a great treat to take to a friend's when you need to bring a dessert and don't have much time.  Just be conscious of those people with peanut allergies!
     Happy baking!  Remember, life is beautifully complicated.

Day 59 - Sticky Orange Muffins

     Today was a very full day of baseball.  My son's school team was in a tournament and they played three games.  Needless to say, baking wasn't done during the day and I started at 7:30.  These muffins really didn't take too long to make, so they could easily be done the morning you plan to eat them.  They taste better warm, too.
     The Sticky Orange Muffins came from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition, p. 543; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

     Sticky Orange Muffins

     2 oranges
     ¼ cup honey
     2 cups flour
     ½ cup uncooked oatmeal or oat bran (not instant)
     1 tablespoon baking powder
     1 teaspoon salt
     ½ cup sugar
     2 eggs, lightly beaten
     2/3 cup milk
     5 tablespoons butter, melted (about 1/3 cup)

     Preheat oven to 400ºF.
     Grease muffin pans.  Using the small side of a grater, grate the rind from the oranges, removing only the bright orange part; set aside.  With a sharp knife remove all the remaining peel and, if necessary, trim the oranges all around so that the slices will fit in the bottom of your muffin cups.

Cut the oranges into slices about ¼ inch thick, remove any seeds, and set the slices aside.  Put about 1 teaspoon of honey in the bottom of each muffin cup and place an orange slice on top.

     In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal or oat bran, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and stir to mix.  Add the reserved orange rind, eggs, milk, and melted butter, and stir until just mixed. 

Spoon the batter over the orange slices, filling each cup about two-thirds full. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a broomstraw (what the heck is a BROOMSTRAW?) or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

     I halved the recipe and unlike yesterday didn't burn anything!  Wait, except the butter when I melted it, but not the muffins. These were easy to make; the only difficulty I had was cutting the orange into small enough rounds to fit into the tins.

     I rate the things I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  These Sticky Orange muffins earned 3½ rolling pins.  They were moist on the inside and the taste of the honey combined with the orange was quite tasty.

     Happy Baking!

Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting

I am just one of those people who don't always keep up with the "fads".  I guess that is why it has taken me so darn long to make browned butter frosting. Now I am left thinking to myself "WHY?" Why did I wait so long and how can I add more hours to my day to work off all the browned butter frosting I will be consuming?!  It is heaven, pure and simple! And when you put it on top of brownies and then top them with MORE chocolate it is pure heavenly bliss! So get going already, you NEED these! I got this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe, of course! I did change them to match what I had in my pantry (my mom's pantry, actually!)

Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting
makes a 9x13 pan of brownies

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 t salt
1 cup flour
1 t vanilla

Browned Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 t vanilla

Glaze:
3 T butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

For the brownies:
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside until cool. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.  Mix with an electric mixer until the eggs are pale and the mixture is thick. Fold in the warm chocolate/butte mixture and then add the flour and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The brownies should just start to pull away from the sides.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Browned Butter Frosting:
Place the stick of butter in a sauce pan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the butter is a golden brown.  Be careful not to burn it. Once it is a nice caramel brown color remove it from the heat.  Pout it int a bowl and add the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and thick.  Spread the frosting on top of the cooled brownies.

For the glaze:
Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave or over low heat until smooth.  Pour over the frosted brownies, tipping the pan to cover evenly or carefully spread with a knife or spatula. Chill the brownies until the glaze is set, about 2 hours.

Day 58 - Baked Rice Pudding

      We had rice for dinner last night and I've been craving rice pudding lately.  NO, I am NOT pregnant.  I am looking forward to the time when we have grandchildren.  Yikes!  I feel so old when I say that, and I DON'T want it to happen anytime soon.  Back in Rhode Island whenever I'd go to a Walt's Roast Beef (they are SO much better than Arby's, I think!), I'd buy their rice pudding for dessert.  Mmm, mmm, good!  Now I'm homesick.
     I was really looking forward to this, and the recipe couldn't have been any easier!  I was psyched because I'd start it in the morning, it would bake while I cleaned the house, and this would be the one night that I could relax because I would type the blog up in the afternoon before making dinner.  But,

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

"To a Mouse" - Robert Burns

     See, last night I finished blogging shortly before midnight then sat up talking to my husband til around 1.  We were awakened at 5 am by yet another cat fight under our bedroom window.  Our cat, Charlie (my sous chef in pictures), likes to take cover under a plastic chair right next to our bedroom window.  He hides here because as tough as he attempts to be, he really is a big fat wuss, and is terrified of everything!  He doesn't even like to leave the security of our back yard and growls whenever I attempt to put him out the front door.  He freaks.  This black cat (I know because I finally saw him this morning) comes into our yard and kicks Charlie's butt.  He ended up with a scratch on his nose and I had to break it up.  So what, do you ask, does this have to do with baking rice pudding today?  Well, a lot actually.  Being up at 5 and then knowing that my alarm was going off in an hour, I decided it would just be best to stay up and be productive before taking the kids to school.  I was able to do some things before dropping them off and then completely crashed, so decided to take a nap.  I slept til noon and when I awoke, had no idea what day or time it was.  I know it's happened to you.  So, it took me quite some time to get my bearings, and never ended up cleaning the bathrooms, but managed to put the pudding into the oven after this....   



How does it go, don't cry over spilled milk?

     Yes, another mishap in the kitchen.  I turned from the refrigerator after putting the milk away and put my hand into the measuring cup (I don't know, I guess with old age depth perception goes, too) which spilled it all over me, the cookbook, counter and floor.  I was extremely grateful that I had decided to halve the recipe since I knew I'd probably be the only one eating it.  If I hadn't, instead of spilling only ¼ of a cup, it could've been 2.

     Baked Rice Pudding

    
     4 cups milk
     ½ teaspoon salt
     1/3 cup sugar or to taste
     ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional) I can't imagine my rice pudding without it and used freshly grated.
     3 tablespoons rice
        Yes, only 3 tablespoons.  Marion says, "The little bit of rice to a quart of milk is correct.  Don't use instant or converted rice."

     Preheat the oven to 300ºF.  Put all the ingredients in a buttered baking dish and stir to blend.  If you don't like your rice pudding too sweet, start with only ¼ cup sugar, then taste.  Bake for 3½ hours, stirring three times during the first hour of baking so the rice doesn't settle.

In the oven

     Notice how she didn't mention what size baking dish to use - I didn't omit it.  I was still sleepy, so that really threw me off.  I think the one I used may have been too big and remember, I halved the recipe - didn't want to waste any ingredients.  While it still had 1½ hours to bake, I ran a few errands and was psyched because upon pulling into the garage, knew I had about ½ hour to spare before removing it. 



     Yeah.  Dried up, crusty, baked rice pudding.  I am now sitting here eating vanilla bean ice cream drenched in chocolate syrup.  I knew I should have bought some alcohol when I stopped at the store, and I rarely even drink.  NOT the rice pudding I was going for.  The hole in the middle occurred when I attempted to (Ready? Get this!) stir it after it was already burnt.  HAHA!  Obviously, something cannot be stirred when dried and crusty.  Note to self. 

     I had to taste it, otherwise, how else am I going to honestly rate it.  Um, 1.  1 rolling pin.  I rate my recipes on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best.  I realize this may be a partial rating (actually, come to think of it, aren't they all?), but this rating is due to baker's error.  I'm sure if the recipe isn't halved, an appropriately sized baking dish is used, and you are home keeping an eye on the pudding for the last 1½ that it is baking, you will determine that it deserves a different rating.  Do not allow my baking experience to deter you.  It is a simple recipe.  How much simpler can it be?  Remember, I have told you in the past that I enjoy making things more difficult than they are for myself.  I exhibited that again, today.  And it's now 10:22 pm.

     If you enjoy rice pudding, I encourage you to try it.  Happy baking!

Day 57 - Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

     Ok, can someone please tell me why I'm doing this, baking every day for 365 days straight?  Did I start it because I thought it would be fun?  Because today or tonight rather, was NOT fun.  Whatever was I thinking??!!
     My husband had the day off, so he took me to lunch at elements restaurant - Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain.  OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!!  It was by far the best lunch that we have ever had and I cannot wait to go for dinner.  The view of the mountain and surrounding Paradise Valley was gorgeous, the service was as you would expect at an upscale restaurant - very attentive and friendly, but the food...  Oh, the food.  We went because I had heard great things about chef Beau Macmillan through the paper and through the Food Network.  BUT, whenever I saw him on Sunday's episode of Food Network's Chopped All-Stars (he's picture #10), AND he's a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island (Woo Hoo!), I knew we had to go.  I have a friend, Dean, who also graduated from there and is a pastry chef.  Dean's always making gorgeous and delicious items, so I know only great chefs graduate from Johnson & Wales.  Ok, I'm partial.  What can I say?  Unfortunately, we weren't able to meet him or talk to him about good ol' Little Rhody because he was in a meeting.  I'll have to send him an e-mail and tell him how delicious everything was.  Oh, and he's probably a Red Sox fan because he's from Plymouth, MA!
  After a great lunch and still savoring all of the flavors, we walked into the house and my stomach turned.  About 2 hours before leaving for lunch, I seared some chuck roast and put that along with a couple of other things into the crockpot for an easy dinner tonight.  It was also a gluten free recipe I decided to try since we've started my daughter on that diet.  BLECH!  When I walked in the house, I couldn't stand the smell!  But I didn't want to make a big deal of it or say anything before we ate because I knew (as has happened before) that if I didn't like it before we ate then the kids were probably not even going to taste it.  Man!  And if we don't like it and don't want to eat it, it's not like I can whip up something quick because now it has to be gluten free or at least it does for one of us.  We sat down to dinner, and the family thought it was just ok.  I took my fourth bite and almost lost it - removed myself from the table, ran to the garbage can and confessed that I couldn't stand the smell earlier in the day.  I think it was the coconut milk.  I haven't had an aversion to a smell that badly since fish when I was pregnant with our son.  Eew.  I know I won't be making that recipe again!
      After dinner, I'm disgusted still about dinner and the lingering odor, so I begin making the cookies.  This, I decided tonight, is not a good thing - starting to bake at 7 pm.  I've been doing this lately and consequently I'm up til 11 or 12 because after baking I then need to blog.  I started thinking about how late it was and that I was already becoming tired.  Oh yeah, did I mention that the house is a MESS?  And dinner dishes are now strewn about all over my work space, so that needs to be cleaned up before I can really start.  The baking process begins and I'm doing my best to wash my hands and be ever so careful with what I touch because I'm knee-deep in gluten and don't want to cross-contaminate anything (here comes my OCD).  A short time later, I was pissed that the dough was sticking to the counter, and I mean, really sticking to the counter.  Like I didn't have enough flour all over my kitchen already, I needed to douse the counter with it now.  AND, I'm pissed that I'm using all these ingredients and for what?  Is anyone going to eat these things?  Is this really economical?  No!  NOT AT THIS POINT!
This is when I start thinking, "Why am I doing this?  I don't want to do this anymore." 
Hmmm...
I guess I thought it out loud because my husband responded, "if it's not fun, don't do it anymore." 
My daughter exclaimed, "What?! You're not going to do it?".
I don't know, maybe it's the fact that I'm pissed my house is such a mess and REALLY needs to be cleaned.  AGAIN!  And I feel as if I have 50 different projects going on that I've started and haven't finished which only contributes to the mess in the house.
Oh yeah, that and I'm PMS-ing.  Yay, me.
When I sat down later at the computer to start the blog, my sweet, sensitive 13 year old son came over and without even being asked, gave me a shoulder massage.
Then I log into my blog and see I have an additional Follower.  Thank you, new Follower, I really needed that today.

     Another book I checked out at the library yesterday was Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.  The recipe for these cookies is on page 110; author, Martha Stewart; publisher, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-307-23672-2.  Growing up, I remember my grandfather having his half of grapefruit for breakfast with his burnt toast, eggs, and his cup of coffee.  Grapefruit brings up warm, fuzzy memories.  That may be one of the reasons I like eating it, besides the fact that I really like the taste, especially the Ruby Red.  While browsing through this book I came across this recipe and thought what a cool kind of cookie flavor to make.  Yup.  That's all I'll say until after the recipe. 

     Grapefruit Sandwich Sandwich Cookies

     Grated zest of 1 ruby red grapefruit, plus ¼ cup freshly squeezed juice
     1 cup sugar
     1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
     3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
     1 teaspoon baking powder
     ½ teaspoon salt
     1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
     2 large egg yolks
     Grapefruit Cream filling (recipe follows)

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the grapefruit zest with 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  
     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the egg yolks, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the reserved zest-sugar mixture.  Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.

     Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch thick disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

     On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the disk to 1/8-inch thick.  Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet.

 Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes.  Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes.  Transfer parchment paper and cookies to rack to cool completely.
     Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon filling onto the flat sides of half of the cookies.  Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.  Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

     Grapefruit Cream Filling
     1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
     2 cups confectioners' sugar
     1 tablespoon honey
     3 tablespoons freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice

     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Beat in the honey.  Add juice, one tablespoon at a time, until filling holds together and is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until ready to use.

     If you like ruby red grapefruits, you may or may not like these cookies.  I really wasn't too nuts about them.  Again, being honest with you, it may have been because I taste tested too much of the batter.  I really think that zesting a whole grapefruit may have been too much and that doing a half would have been sufficient.  Also, I think my cookies were too thick and needed to be rolled a wee bit thinner.  I used that flower cookie cutter and ended up making 34 cookies, so there would be 17 sandwiches.  I made four, took pictures, tasted one, then solicited opinions and packed the rest of the cookies and cream up.  If anyone out in blogging land would like to try one or two or three, call me.  I know I won't be gaining weight from eating these.  Although that cream right from the bowl was pretty doggone good.
     My rating system is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  Sorry, Martha.  I need to give these a 1½ rolling pins.  Two people thought they were rather good, gave them a 2½, and one took one bite, shook his head and said, "Uh-uh."
     Call me.  For cookies. 
     I will blog again tomorrow.  Happy baking!

Day 56 - Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream

          Yeah, I know.  There was lime in yesterday's recipe and lime in the day before that, too.  I guess when I start using one ingredient I have a tendency to just "go with it".  I'll spare you the song and the video tonight though.  But you can go ahead and hum it in your head if you want.  No?  What, can't hum and read at the same time?  I suppose it's kind of like that rubbing your belly while patting your head kind of thing  - a little too difficult.  You can always go back to yesterday if you've forgotten how it goes.
     Today was a wonderful day while running errands.  I need to get out and do that more often!    I went to pick up some groceries and one of the cashiers, JoNell, came up to me and said, "Have I told you my joke about the mushroom?"  I said, "no", and was thinking, I don't ever remember you telling me any jokes, but I'm game.  She says, "A mushroom went into a bar and sits down and has a few drinks."  Now I'm thinking uh-oh, how is this going to end?  "After these few drinks he turned out to be a fun guy!"  Get it, fungi.  Mushrooms, fungi.  I thought it was cute, and very appropriate for a supermarket setting. And it was clean.  I love people.  You just need to open yourself up and let them in. 
     Then I went to the library to find some gluten free cookbooks.  They were all out, but I found others!  As I was browsing, a mother and an adorable little two year old with long brown hair and big brown eyes came into the section.  The little girl said hello after she'd rounded the corner because we were both eye level.  She showed me the book she was taking home and then sat down next to me to read it.  And read it she did, in the way a two year old will do.  Very loudly and nonsensical to adults, but true to themselves.  I couldn't help but chuckle as her mother kept trying to quiet her because it brought back so many wonderful memories.  The three of us talked for a few minutes, and as Peyton and her mommy started to walk away I said, "Peyton, it was so nice to meet you."  She turned around, and came running towards me.  She held out her hand, looked up at me and said, "it was nice to meet you!".  Awww, it made me melt!  I really hope I see her at the library again.

I found the Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream in a book that I picked up while listening to Peyton read.  I picked up a few actually and they are all SO YUMMY!  I'm excited!  This one though is from Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans, p. 361-362; author, Susan Spicer with Paula Disbrowe; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 978-1-4000-4389-7.  I really like this book and there are quite a few things in here that look quite delicious besides the items that I plan to be baking.  I just might have to purchase it or ask for it for Mother's Day (hint, hint).


Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream
     ¼ pound (1 stick) butter, plus more for buttering the pan
     1 cup sugar
     3 eggs
     2 cups flour
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1 teaspoon ground cloves
     2 teaspoons baking soda
     1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
          (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)   I used this.
     1 cup unsulfured molasses
     2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
     Lime Cream

     Preheat oven to 350ºF, and butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
     Melt the stick of butter, pour into a large bowl, and allow it to cool slightly.  Beat the sugar and eggs into the butter.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and grated ginger.

                                   

                     

     

     Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the molasses and soda solution into the water.  Whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar and the eggs, then stir in the molasses mixture.

     Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, testing for doneness with a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake (it should pull out clean and free of batter).  Another indicator is that the cake will pull away from the sides of the pan when it's done.  Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake, invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Cut into squares and serve with Lime Cream.

 

  
      Lime Cream
     2 eggs
     ½ cup sugar
     1/3 cup fresh lime juice
     Zest of 1 lime, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
     4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cut into small pieces
     1 cup heavy cream

     In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the eggs and sugar at high speed until double in volume and light in color.  Lower the speed and blend in the lime juice and zest.

     Pour the egg mixture into a medium metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water (or a double broiler).  Cook over high heat, whisking often, until smooth, very thick, and custard like (about 20 minutes).  Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is fully incorporated.  If the final mixture is lumpy, strain though a fine sieve.  Otherwise, cool to room temperature.

     Using an electric mixer or a wire whisk, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks.  Gently fold a fourth of the whipped cream into the lime curd.  Then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
     *Note:  If you don't have time to make the lime cream, no one is going to complain if you serve this cake with whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of bourbon.*

     I have always loved gingerbread and this one was absolutely delicious, especially with the Lime Cream!  The cake was extremely moist and very rich in flavor.  I liked eating that just by itself, but then add the lime cream.  Oh. My. Goodness.  As my husband said, it was unlike any other dessert he has ever had.  The lime cream really added something special to it.  I know Susan put in the note about using whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar and bourbon, BUT I would highly recommend that you do whatever it takes to make this cream.  I cannot tell you how excited I was as I was standing over the stove and dipped my finger into the double broiler and tasted the CURD!  I actually made lime curd!!!!  Something I've never done before and I made it tonight!  The best part was, that I didn't really think that was what it was going to turn out to be.  So, I was ecstatic with the surprise!  See what happens when we go into something with NO expectations?
     I must tell you though.  Be careful when you pour the soda solution into the molasses mixed with water.  It will bubble up on you extremely quickly and if you're not paying attention, you are going to have one big sticky mess all over your stove top.  I can proudly say, that this did not occur.  Also, when the batter is ready to be poured into the baking dish, it will seem pretty soupy and not as thick as other cake batters you may have made.  I kept checking the recipe, thinking I had added an extra cup of water somewhere.  Don't panic, it's supposed to be this way.  Also, when inverting the pan, wave your hand over the thing, do a dislodging happy dance, or put a heck of A LOT of butter and flour in the bottom 'cause that sucker ain't gonna cooperate.  I knifed around the edges as it said...

     Oh yeah, and when the cake is in the oven, it's going to get kinda high, so make sure there is plenty of room between the racks and you may want to put a cookie sheet under the pan in case it should spill over.  That did occur.  Back to the inverting.  Yeah.  No.  It came out.  Well, in pieces that were not so pretty, and only half of it.  So I shoved it back in the pan and served it from there.
     My rating system is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being something you really should consider making and when you serve it to others, they are going to think you're a baking expert!  Tonight was a definite 4 rolling pin recipe!  I was going to put a little Tequila in the lime curd, but was afraid to.  Maybe next time.  Enjoy this one!
     Happy baking!

Friendship Bread

I know! It has been FOREVER!  I have been traveling the country and spending some much needed time with my family, my mom especially!  So there you have it, my excuse for lack of posts, take it for what it is worth!

Now, on to yummier (is that a word?) things!

I don't know about you but Spring makes me feel all friendly and stuff.  I think that might be because I can finally venture outside of my house without getting frostbite.  Or maybe it is the sun finally making an appearance, or all the friendly flowers popping up.  Well, whatever the reason I usually end up making Friendship Bread and spreading around the love.  So this time I decided to spread it around on a much bigger level, the only catch is you have to make it yourself!  We have been making this recipe in my family for a while so I have no idea exactly where it came from, I know there are lots of recipes for this bread out there but here is mine...
* The starter for this bread has to sit for 10 days so plan in advance, it is well worth the wait!

Friendship Bread

Starter

2 1/4 t yeast (one package)
1/4 c warm water
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 c milk

Dissolve the yeast in the water.  In a different bowl mix together flour,sugar, and milk.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Store this in a large jar with a lid or in a large zip lock bag on the counter, DO NOT REFRIGERATE!

This bag will take 10 days and makes 2 loaves plus 3 starters to give to friends.  Make sure to put the date on the bag to track the days.

Day 1:  Do nothing
Days 2-5:  Mash, yes, mash your bag 2 times a day
Day 6: Add one cup flour, one cup sugar and one cup milk to the bag and mash together
Day 7-9: Mash the bag and release the air 2 times a day
Day 10:  YES!  Today is the day!  The day you get to make your bread! Follow the direction below...
* If you forgot and today is really day 11 or even 12, do not fret, you can still make your bread*

Squeeze the contents of the bag into a large bowl.  Add one cup flour, one cup sugar and one cup milk to the bowl and mix together.  Now get 3 big baggies and add one cup of this mixture to each bag (this is the starter for 3 more batches for you to share, keep one for yourself if you want to make more bread in 10 days!)

Now, here is what you do with what is left in the bowl...

Add:

1 c oil
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla

Mix this well and set aside.

In another bowl mix:

2 cups flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 large box instant vanilla pudding (you can also add other flavors of pudding, chocolate is really good, so is butterscotch)

Add these ingredients to the starter mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 t cinnamon.

Spray 2 loaf pans.  Pour 1/4 of the cinnamon and sugar mixture into the bottom of each pan to coat the bottom.  Divide the bead batter evenly between the pans and top with the remaining cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 325 for one hour.