Dessert Party 2012

Here's the dessert spread I had this year - some standbys (click on recipe title to go to recipe) and a couple of new ones (those recipes to follow)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Kisses

Holiday Caramel Treats

Chocolate Turtle Cookies (recipe to follow in a future post)

These are my new favorite this year

Buttery Tea Balls

I always have to make "snowballs" since I have mitten serving dishes

Lemon Bars

Instead of powdered sugar, I glazed with powdered sugar and lemon juice

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ferrero Rocher Brownie Bon Bons with Nutella Buttercream Frosting (you're going to want to wait for this post)

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies - made November 29, 2012 from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

I had my holiday dessert party last night and had a few friends over.  I think I've given up on sticking to tried and true recipes during the holidays.  There are just too many great recipes out there to try and having people over gives me an excuse to not only try out new recipes but to provide them with new ones to sample. I still made a couple of stand-by recipes but I also compromised to work in a few new recipes. I did mini-taste tests of some new recipes before the party and if they passed muster before the big day, I kept them in.  And if a picture was alluring enough to persuade me to take a risk on it, I did.  This recipe falls into that category.  It's hard to go wrong with brownies and 'tis the season for red velvet.  I'm not a cheesecake fan but I have friends who are so they could taste test these with me.

Mine didn't turn out quite as alluring-looking as the picture that drew me in from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.  In the time it took to bake the red velvet brownie part, the cheesecake part started to turn a little brown.  It looks better when it isn't browned but I didn't want the brownie part to be raw as opposed to fudgy.  Still I thought it tasted pretty good.  This is about the only way I'll eat "cheesecake" - when it's marbled or swirled into a brownie and this is also a seasonal-appropriate option for Christmas or Valentine's Day.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8" pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
5. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
7. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the foil to remove the brownies.

Chicken Pad Thai

Chicken Pad Thai - made November 19, 2012 from Prevention.com

The last of a "real food" blog post for a bit since my dessert party is tomorrow and I took the day off so I could bake all day - woot!  Lots of pictures and some new recipes to come.  I have a planned and semi-planned list of things to make; we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

I found another pad thai recipe to try, this one with a few more ingredients so it seemed a little more authentic.  Plus, let's be honest, I wanted those brown rice flour noodles again.  I adapted and simplified this recipe from Prevention.com as I omitted the tofu and bean sprouts called for in their recipe.  I also didn't have any cilantro on hand (the remnants of the last bunch had already wilted) and didn't bother with the peanuts so perhaps this still isn't very authentic pad thai.  But it's easy to make, quick and (to me) tasty so I was happy with this.  The sauce is so easy and I love the noodles so I can see this being an easy staple to fall back on when I'm too lazy tired to cook after work.

8 ounces rice flour noodles (I used pad thai noodles I found at Target)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium fish sauce (can be found at any Asian grocery store)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
8 ounces chicken, cut into chunks (I used chicken breasts), cooked
4 medium scallions, green tops, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
1 cup cilantro leaves

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; set aside.
2. Whisk together fish sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, pepper and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in wok or nonstick skillet and add garlic, stirring until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and stir until gently set.  Add chicken, noddles and scallions then add sauce mixture.  Simmer until mixture thickens just slightly.  Serve garnished with peanuts and cilantro.

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CagwRZX7

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CagwRZX7

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2DMalQrm7

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2DMalQrm7

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.
*There are 3 ways to soak rice-flour noodles:
Easiest: Soak in enough cold water to cover for 40 to 50 minutes.
Quicker: Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Our favorite: Barely cover with water in a shallow dish. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes.
Nutritional Info Per Serving  493.1 cal, 26.1 g pro, 69.9 g carb, 5.6 g fiber, 14.2 g fat, 2.9 g sat fat, 972.3 mg sodium


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CageP4Pi

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.
*There are 3 ways to soak rice-flour noodles:
Easiest: Soak in enough cold water to cover for 40 to 50 minutes.
Quicker: Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Our favorite: Barely cover with water in a shallow dish. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes.
Nutritional Info Per Serving  493.1 cal, 26.1 g pro, 69.9 g carb, 5.6 g fiber, 14.2 g fat, 2.9 g sat fat, 972.3 mg sodium


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CageP4Pi

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CageP4Pi

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.
*There are 3 ways to soak rice-flour noodles:
Easiest: Soak in enough cold water to cover for 40 to 50 minutes.
Quicker: Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Our favorite: Barely cover with water in a shallow dish. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes.
Nutritional Info Per Serving  493.1 cal, 26.1 g pro, 69.9 g carb, 5.6 g fiber, 14.2 g fat, 2.9 g sat fat, 972.3 mg sodium


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CageP4Pi

8 oz rice-flour noodles
1/4 C reduced-sodium fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg + 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 lb ground chicken
4 C bean sprouts
4 med scallions, including green tops, thinly sliced (1/2 c)
2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 C cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. SOAK noodles*. Set aside.
2. WHISK together fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the oil in small bowl. Set aside.
3. HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add tofu and cook, turning once, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs. When just set, stir and gently push to side of pan.
4. ADD chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add sprouts and stir gently until all ingredients are barely combined. Stir in drained noodles, scallions, and fish sauce mixture and simmer just until liquid thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the peanuts and cilantro.
*There are 3 ways to soak rice-flour noodles:
Easiest: Soak in enough cold water to cover for 40 to 50 minutes.
Quicker: Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Our favorite: Barely cover with water in a shallow dish. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes.
Nutritional Info Per Serving  493.1 cal, 26.1 g pro, 69.9 g carb, 5.6 g fiber, 14.2 g fat, 2.9 g sat fat, 972.3 mg sodium


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/diabetes-friendly-chicken-dishes/quick-and-light-pad-thai#ixzz2CageP4Pi

White, Dark and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

White, Dark and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies - made November 24, 2012, adapted from Culture Espresso's recipe

I can never resist trying a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  I have perfectly good recipes I like to use but my recipe ADD always kicks in when I see a variation of it and I always want to try it.  I veered off the reservation from the original recipe in that I didn't have European butter on hand but I did have a triple chocolate slab of chocolate as the last of my European stash from my summer travels so I went with that.  It had a solid milk chocolate base, topped with triangles of white chocolate, topped with dark chocolate.  I chopped the whole slab into chunks and added them to this cookie dough.

I originally made this dough because I thought I was seeing my friends, Todd and Rob, for dinner and Todd's favorite is chocolate chip cookies so whenever I meet with him, it gives me an excuse to try out a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Our dinner got canceled but I already had the dough in the freezer so when my nieces were visiting over Thanksgiving weekend, I baked these for them.  One of them was meeting with her friends when she got back to school so I gave her the batch to take for their dinner.  Friends and chocolate go well together, I always say.

This recipe is a little different than the usual chocolate chip cookie recipe in that it only has granulated sugar and no brown sugar.  The brown sugar is what gives chocolate chip cookies more of a caramel flavor.  With just white sugar as the sweetener, these cookies were still good and reminded me of a Pepperidge Farm Sausalito cookie (but better tasting).  It was more crisp throughout but not hard, a texture you usually only get with shortening in the dough but this was all butter.  Mine spread more than the picture that showed the original recipe.  I wonder what the difference would be if I had used European butter?  That might have to be a future experiment.

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) European-style unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chunks

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
2. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix. On low speed or by hand, stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, mixing until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
3. Using a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or two spoons, form dough balls and place on prepared cookie sheets with a few inches of room in between. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 F with rack in the center. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place dough balls evenly spaced on cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes (depending on the size of your dough balls), until they are golden brown around the edges and puffy in the center. Let cookies cool a few minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. 

   

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars - made November 21, 2012 from Chocolate by Nick Malgieri

This is one of the desserts I made for Thanksgiving and a recipe I've had in my Still Need to Make file for sometime.  It's one of those recipes where you can tell by looking at it that it would probably turn out so I felt safe in trying it out for the dessert spread.  Worst case scenario, if it failed, I had other desserts to serve as backup.  Fortunately, it didn't fail.  If you like coconut and chocolate, this is a pretty easy dessert bar to make.  I used my scallop-edged pan to make it a little pretty.  The dough is easy to work with and the filling is very simple.  I used mini chocolate chips since I knew I would be cutting it into small pieces and I didn't want big chocolate chunks to get messy in the cutting.

The original recipe calls for making it in a 10 x 15" pan but I don't like my bar cookies to be that thin.  If I hadn't had my scallop-edged pan, I would've made it in a 9 x 13 pan, which I recommend if you don't like thin bar cookies either.

Crust

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown, firmly packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

One 7-ounce bag (2 2/3 cups) shredded sweetened coconut

2 cups (about 8 ounces) pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

One 10 x 15 x 1-inch pan (or 9 x 13 pan) lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray

1.     Set a rack at lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.

2.     To make the crust, use a rubber spatula to beat the butter in a mixing bowl.  Beat in the sugar.  Fold in the flour to form a crumbly dough.

3.     Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and, using the floured palm of your hand, pat and press the dough out into an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, until crust begins to color.  Remove to a rack and prepare the topping.

4.     To make the topping, whisk the eggs together, then whisk in the granulated sugar.  Whisk in the brown sugar, then the baking powder.  Add the coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips and fold them in with a rubber spatula.

5.     Distribute the topping all over the dough and spread it even with a small metal offset icing spatula or the back of a spoon.  Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is firm and golden.  Cool on a rack.

6.     Trim away 1/8 inch of the edges of the bars and cut into 2-inch squares.  Lift them from the pan with a spatula.

Storage: Keep the bars between sheets of wax paper in a tin or other container with a tight-fitting cover.

  

Thanksgiving 2012

The pictorial of our Thanksgiving feast - kudos to my cousin Elinor who put on most of the spread from scratch - all delicious.  I think the only dish I didn't get a close up shot of was the crab-stuffed mushrooms.  Otherwise, here's a feast for your eyes

The carved turkey

The ham

My mom's Shrimp Pesto Pasta

The Stuffing

Mussels

Crab and Cheese Wontons

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes - my favorite side dish

Salmon Teriyaki

mini quiches

My mom's lumpia (Filipino egg rolls)

Orange Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Orange Cinnamon Roll Pancakes - made November 16, 2012 from Hun...What's for Dinner blog

Thanksgiving is over in the US - I'll post some pics of our feast later but for now, back to a pre-Thanksgiving recipe I tried earlier:

I usually work from home on Fridays and I really appreciate the flexibility to do so.  But one of the downsides when I'm busy all week is when Friday comes and I power up my laptop first thing in the morning then go looking into my cupboards for something to eat, I realize I've been too busy to go grocery shopping and my cupboards are bare of "real food".  I typically don't notice during the week because I can always pop out to get something for lunch when I'm in the office and in the earlier part of the week, I'll usually have enough to scrounge up for dinner when I get home.  The game changes by the time Friday morning rolls around and I'm staring into the depths of my fridge.  "Empty" to me means I'm stocked up on baking ingredients (butter, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, cream cheese, whole milk - only for baking since I don't drink milk - and buttermilk). Plus some apples and oranges because I like my fruit cold. But no protein in sight.  When I work from home, I don't like to be away from my computer so it's harder for me to leave the house to go get something to eat.  So I get creative with what I have on hand.

My jacked-up attempt at swirling

Which is my lead in to the fact that I actually ended up having breakfast food for breakfast last Friday because pancakes were the only things I conceivably had all the ingredients for.  Which was a good thing because these turned out to be awesome pancakes.  Have you ever had those Pillsbury orange rolls?  The kind you pop the dough out of the can, roll them up, bake then frost with the orange glaze? They're best lukewarm with the orange glaze melting off of the rolls.  Well, that's what these pancakes reminded me off.  The healthy amount of baking powder ensures these rise admirably and have a fluffy texture.  But what really made these pancakes was the glaze.  They gave them a nice orange flavor and sweetness.  The pancake itself was pretty filling so I only had one (the double stack was for picture taking purposes only, ha) so you might want to make these small or else serve them for a crowd.

There are several components to this but it's still easy to make.  I would recommend you make the cinnamon swirl first then the glaze then the pancakes.  That way, when you cook the pancakes, you have everything else ready.  These are best eaten warm with the glaze melting over them.  Trust me.

Pancakes
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
a few drops of orange extract
3/4 - 1 cup milk

Cinnamon Swirl
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Orange Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1-2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Preheat a griddle pan over medium low heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the egg, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and oil. Add in 3/4 cup milk and orange extract; stir well. Add flour and baking powder, mixing until well combined; adding more milk if needed (do not over stir, it will cause tough pancakes).
3. In a small bowl, combine the butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Place into a zip top bag. Snip a small hole, in one end of the bag and set aside.
4. Spray griddle pan with cooking spray and ladle batter onto preheated griddle. Squeeze the butter mixture onto pancake, while going in a circular motion. When bubbles start forming on the pancake and edges are set, flip to cook the other side; about 2-3 minutes. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on second side. Plate pancakes, swirl side up; adding more of the butter mixture into the swirl, if desired.
5. In a third bowl, mix the powdered sugar with the orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice; stir until smooth, adding more orange juice to create a thin glaze. Drizzle glaze over cooked pancakes.

Thanksgiving Dessert Spread

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is my all-time favorite holiday - all the family, friends and food gathered together to express gratitude for everything meaningful and good.  May you all have many aspects of your life to be grateful for.  And did I mention the food?

We're having Thanksgiving at one of my cousins' this year.  Of course, I volunteered to bring dessert(s).  Is it odd that Thanksgiving is such a pie holiday and yet, despite all my baking, pie is the one thing I don't normally make for Thanksgiving?  Probably because I've found my own substitutes for the traditional pies.  We've already established I don't like pumpkin pie (the texture and spiciness is just not my thing) so I sub in Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake with Caramelized Pecans and Cranberries.

Editing to add a close-up look:

For pecan pie, I do Butter Pecan Tartlets.  They're like mini pecan pies but infinitely better.  And much easier to serve for a large crowd.

Now I do like apple pie but I'm making such a variety of sweets that I go for the mini desserts or baked goods that can be portioned small.  Apple cobbler is usually my crowd pleaser but I skipped it this year in favor of:
Glazed Lemon Bars
Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars (recipe to follow in a future post)

I was also going to bake a new chocolate chip cookie recipe as I had already made the dough but I have one more surprise dessert (will post it post-Thanksgiving) and I thought we just might have too much dessert (is that possible?).  Having "too much" is certainly something to be thankful for.

I've gotten my workout in, I'm leaving for Thanksgiving service at my church shortly, then picking up my sister and niece at the airport afterwards.  Then bring on the eats - Happy Thanksgiving!

ETA - here was the other dessert we had: red velvet cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes for my nieces' birthday, a yummy favorite.

Browned Butter Blondies

Browned Butter Blondies - made November 14, 2012 from Purple Chocolat Home

I'm supposed to be sticking to tried and true recipes now since I don't have time for baking failures during the holiday season.  But sometimes I don't listen to myself.  Which means I still try to sneak in a few baking experiments here and there, especially for something that looks so good like this did when I saw it on pinterest.  I cut  the original recipe in half since I didn't need a full 9 x 13 pan and brought these into work.

Mine didn't come out as fluffy looking as the original pinterest picture did, maybe because a half recipe in an 8 x 8 pan doesn't make as thick a blondie and I could've baked it a minute or two longer.  The frosting was good but I think mine came out a little too sweet and the sweetness competed with the brown butter taste.  I would be cautious about adding the powdered sugar and temper it with less milk and less sugar.  But everyone's taste buds are different so just experiment with what tastes best to you.  Overall, I think this was a good simple blondie that's easy to make.  And browned butter smells good no matter what you use it for.

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl and then beat into the butter mixture.
3. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.  Remove and let cool.

Browned Butter Frosting

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar (to taste and texture preference)

1-2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. In small heavy saucepan, melt the butter and brown on medium heat just until golden and fragrant (browned butter will have an almost nutty fragrance), stirring regularly.  Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.  
2. Place butter in mixing bowl and add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk.  Add more if necessary. Beat until desired texture is reached.
3. Frost cooled blondies and garnish with chopped toasted nuts if desired.

   

Lemon Melting Moments

Lemon Melting Moments - made November 10, 2012 from Itty Bitty Kitchen

My mom's lemon tree is literally spilling over with lots of juicy lemons so I need to ratchet up the lemon baked goods.  Loved the picture of these on pinterest so I made these as a pre-holiday baking experiment in case I want to serve it at Thanksgiving or my dessert parties.  As always with sandwich cookies, you want to make them small since you or your guests will be eating two cookies as one.  The dough was easy to make and great to work with, not too dry or sticky.  I portioned into small balls, flattened each with a fork and froze them first.  They don't spread when they're baked and I wanted them chubby so I didn't flatten them too thin.

I liked these cookies.  They were crisp but not hard and the crisp wasn't the snap of a shortbread or dry but just good chewing.  The lemon filling complemented the butter cookie nicely but note that you may need to let it set a bit before you use it to sandwich the cookies.  The filling is more like a glaze when you first mix it but unless you want it really sweet, refrain from adding more powdered sugar until it firms up.  Then it should be okay to use as filling.  If you're serving a "high tea" this holiday season, these would be good to have with your tea.

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon

Filling:
1 cup confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
juice of one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
   
2. In a large bowl cream the butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy on a medium setting, roughly 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and  incorporate the vanilla and lemon zest, scraping down the sides as you go. Sift the flour and cornstarch into the mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
3. Take small portions of the mixture and roll into balls, continue until you have 24-30. If you want them to be as even as possible, roll out the mixture until it forms a log then use a clean knife to section into 30 pieces.
4. Place them on a baking tray lined with wax paper, gently press on each piece with a fork until it has left an imprint. You can also press on them gently with your fingers, if you do not wish to leave an imprint. (You can also chill the dough at this point, if so, don't preheat the oven until you're ready to bake.)
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool completely.
6. For the filling beat the sugar, butter and lemon juice on a medium setting until incorporated. Use the back of a spoon, or a knife to ice one side of the cookie then sandwich them together. Try to find two which are similar sizes.