top secret recipe: my sister's chocolate chip cookies

prepare yourself. this recipe is going to change your life. but first, a totally adorable childhood photo and a story:

my little sister sarah is actually the baker in the family. she's been coming up with delicious recipes since before she was old enough to safely use an oven and her chocolate chip cookies are, by far, the most addictive of them all. when she came to visit me this weekend she whipped up a batch and it has taken every ounce of willpower i have not to eat them all in one sitting.

before we made these this weekend she had always kept the recipe super secret. she never wrote it down, did the entire thing basically by sight, and the cookies always came out perfectly. luck? magic? genius? all of the above?

in her debut as a guest blogger - and let's be real, it was only a matter of time - she is bequeathing the recipe to you all. i know, i'm psyched too. to be honest, i'll be making triplicates and opening a safe deposit box just to keep them. i suggest you all do too. 

for someone who is a total control freak (me) and measures out everything (me) i was astounded when my sister just started pouring measurements out in her hand. she's a total professional. 

my favorite job since day one has always been mixing in the chocolate chips and this weekend was no exception. there is just something about folding in these morsels of goodness into an already outstanding dough base. 

i'll warn you, these cookies are spreaders. i ended up doing six to a sheet to make sure that i didn't get a giant cookie blob, so make sure to leave your cookies some room to breathe.

another warning, these cookies take on these amoeba shapes that i find completely endearing. this is a homemade-looking cookie. no chips ahoy circle perfection in this recipe, which is reason #92832 why it is fantastic.

and, as if you need another excuse to make these cookies, i'm going to end with a gratuitous close up. just try to resist.

sarah's top secret chocolate chip cookies

yields 4 dozen

ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  cream sugars and butter in the stand of a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. add egg and vanilla and mix until evenly combined.

3. add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to mixing bowl and combine.

4. add chocolate chips and stir by hand until evenly distributed.

5. drop cookies six to a sheet and baking for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown, rotating halfway through.

6. let cookies rest for 2-3 minutes on baking sheet before carefully transferring to wire rack.

nutritional information:

calories: 108, fat: 5.21g, cholesterol: 14mg, sodium: 102mg, carbs: 15.06g, fiber: 0.46g, sugars: 11.51g, protein: 0.78g. 

thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

the chewy [alton brown's chocolate chip cookies]

exactly one year ago - almost to the day - i declared the cook's illustrated chocolate chip cookie as the best cookie i've ever made. it seems like ever since then, alton brown and his ubiquitous chewy have been taunting me with promises of chewiness from the use of bread flour. until one friday night, when i just couldn't take it anymore, i gave in.

and now i don't know what to think! can there possibly be two best chocolate chip cookies?!

there's really only one thing that makes this recipe different from any other chocolate chip cookie i've ever made before: bread flour. sounds odd, right. and if you're like me, using it requires another trip to the grocery store, since i've yet to come across a reason to purchase it. until now. and at first, i was skeptical. could changing the flour really make the cookies chewier? i didn't buy it.

i didn't notice a difference in the texture until two days later, when the cookies were remarkably still really chewy. not dried out. not soft. but chewy. i wouldn't necessarily say i'm sold on the bread flour switch out, but it definitely didn't hurt.

what i did miss from last years' cookies is the browned butter. now that, is entirely different. magical, almost. the nutty taste is perfect in a chocolate chip cookie. i wonder how the cook's illustrated recipe would be made with bread flour? sounds like the next recipe when the next chocolate chip cookie hits.

the chewy
adapted from alton brown
15 min prep, 2 hours chill, 1 hour bake; makes 2 1/2 dozen large cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. pour in a large mixing bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer) and set aside.
2. in a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together. set aside.
3. add the sugar and brown sugar to the melted butter and cream on medium speed, about 2 minutes. add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until combined. stir in the chocolate chips.
5. chill the dough at least two hours or overnight.
6. when your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. roll about 4 tablespoons of dough (or 2 ounces if you want to weigh each one) into balls or use a #20 disher, and place on the cookie sheet. be sure to leave ample room between them, as they spread while baking.
8. bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool. store in an airtight container.

check out more sweet eats at sweet tooth friday & sweets for a saturday!

creamy barley with tomatoes, chicken, and spinach

last week was great. the temperature was finally warm enough for enough days in a row to melt the snow. all of it. birds started chirping. ponds filled up with canadian geese, returning for the warm weather. and bulbs just started to peek out of the ground. it was so nice, i debated boxing up my sweaters for the season and unboxing my short sleeve shirts.

and then, just when i thought it was all over, this happened. six inches. of snow. really?! and days of below freezing weather to ensure it stayed. couple the weather with my love of all things risotto, and this creamy barley is the perfect warm-me-up.

one of my favorite ways to enjoy leftover risotto is to make cakes out of it. it's quick, simple, and changes the texture just enough to taste like something different besides "leftover risotto." and since this barley had the same oh-so-creamy texture as risotto, i thought it would make perfect cakes.

i was wrong. i attempted them and they fell completely and totally apart. in the pan i'm not sure what the culprit was - too much liquid or not enough melty cheese/starch holding it all together. regardless, leftovers heated up well in the microwave or on the stovetop.

 

creamy barley with tomatoes and spinach
adapted from real simple, february 2010
30 minutes, serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups quick cooking barley
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
2 1/2 cups water
1 large or 2 medium chicken breasts, raw or cooked, diced
8 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. coat the bottom of large saucepan or dutchoven with olive oil and place it over medium heat. add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute until the onion softens, about 7 minutes.
2. add the barley, tomatoes, wine or vermouth, and water and bring to a boil. if using raw chicken, add it now. reduce heat to low and simmer until the barley is tender, about 15 minutes. check the package directions of your particular barley for suggested simmering time. if using cooked chicken, add it now.
3. add the spinach and parmesan cheese. cook until the spinach wilts and the cheese is melted. serve with more parmesan sprinkled on top.

mushroom stroganoff

i really should apologize to all the mushroom haters and dislikers out there. i'm sorry you don't like them because you're really missing out on greatness. anyone who has had a perfectly sauteed mushroom - especially in garlic and butter - knows exactly what i mean.

whether you are in the mood for salad, mexican, italian, soup, an accompaniment for chicken, or just need to use up some leftovers, mushrooms are perfect.

this time, they're sauteed in butter, olive oil, onion, and a splash of sherry. tossed with egg noodles, it's perfect for a quick meatless weeknight meal. 

 

the original recipe called for one tablespoon whole peppercorns. as i was adding them to the dish, i kept hoping something magical would happen, that they would transform somehow while cooking, so that we didn't have bites of whole peppercorns. needless to say, magic did not happen, and we were left with mouths full of pepper. jason took one bite and declared "unless i can pick out those peppercorns, i'm done with this" and rooted around in the fridge for something else. i stuck with it, maneuvering my fork around the peppercorns, and the sauce and mushrooms were perfect. i'll definitely make this again, without the peppercorns.

mushroom stroganoff
adapted from healthy delicious, as seen on mushroom channel
30 minutes, serves 4 adults

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cremini, baby portobello, or white button mushrooms, stems removed and caps quartered
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 pound egg noodles

1. cook the egg noodles in salted water according to package directions.
2. set a large saucepan over medium heat. add the olive oil and butter.
3. once the butter has melted, saute the onion until it turns soft and starts to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. add the mushrooms, all but about 2 tablespoons of the sherry, and whisk in the cornstarch. season with salt and pepper. bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the sauce has thickened.
5. stir in the reserved sherry. serve over cooked egg noodles.

chocolate souffle with white chocolate mint cream

what? you were imaging cute little cupcakes. or a great big cake, piled high with mint cream. yea, i was picturing that too. things aren't always as easy or foolproof as you may think.

but it doesn't mean they aren't absolutely delicious. to die for, even.

i spied these beautiful babies (have i been watching too much anne burrell?!) months ago and have had them flagged deep in the back of my mind to make for st patrick's day. perfect.

i read and reread the recipe. skimmed the comments for any show stoppers. nothing major. no huge disappointments or complete failures. perfect x2.

also, for the last couple months, i've been intrigued by the baking cake in a jar concept. sounds simple enough - instead of baking cupcakes in cupcake tins, the batter is baked in oven proof glass jars. the cake can be iced and lid closed, making them easier to transport.

silly me, i put two and two together. and got this.

i filled each 8 ounce jar three quarters full. each and every one of them rose so much during baking that they spilled over the sides! they look hideous! but the taste. perfect flourless chocolate. but how to serve it? i scraped (yes, scraped, this cake was stuck like glue) the cake out of the jars, roughly cut it up into bit size pieces and layered it in a bowl with the most perfect white chocolate mint cream i've ever had. judging by the scraped clean bowls and licked clean spoons, no one seemed to care that it didn't look perfect.

now i'm off to find more uses for this whipped cream.

chocolate souffle & white chocolate mint cream
adapted from smitten kitchen
1 hour, plus chill time, serves 8-12 (or makes 18-24 cupcakes)

for the cake:
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

for the white chocolate cream:
8 ounces heavy cream
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped
about 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. make the mint cream. place the white chocolate in a bowl and set aside. warm the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat just until it simmers. pour cream over the chocolate and let sit about five minutes. whisk until the chocolate is melted. whisk in the peppermint extract, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired mintiness. press plastic wrap on the surface of the cream (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill at least two hours.
2. while the cream is chilling, make the cupcakes. preheat the oven to 350F. line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.
3. in a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over medium heat until smooth. remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. beat chocolate mixture and vanilla extract into the yolks. set aside.
5. using clean beaters, whip the egg whites until very soft peaks form. gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and the salt, and beat until medium peaks form.
6. fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture, one third at a time.
7. divide batter among the cupcake cups. bake about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.
8. cool cakes on a wire rack.
9. while the cakes cool, make the whipped cream. whip the chilled mint cream until soft peaks form.
10. if your cakes were successful (and look good enough to serve to other people), spoon a dollop of mint cream on top of the cake and serve. if your cakes weren't successful, layer cake and mint cream in a large bowl or trifle dish (see above) and serve. 

check out  more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday and sweets for a saturday!

vegan almond-flax coffee cake

last week at work one of my coworkers snuck into my office and let me know that, no pressure, he wouldn't be upset if i whipped up some vegan goodies. well, with me it's ask and you shall receive, so i decided to figure out a coffee cake recipe that would be a crowd pleaser with vegans & non-vegans alike.

i'm generally a bargain hunter and rarely very brand loyal when it comes to staples like sugar or butter, but when it comes to vegan baking earth balance non-dairy margarine is really the best of the best. it creams and whips beautifully, which has been a problem with off-brands, and it's awesome for icings. the only other thing that i think is worth splurging on are extracts. i find that mccormick and generic brands leave an artificial aftertaste that is a little off-putting to me. moral of the story: be cheap when you need to be, but splurge on the good stuff when you can!

i used an 8" round for this little project but found that the pan was a little over-filled, so i would actually recommend a 9". if you have a springform grab that, it will definitely make removal much easier. also, don't forget to flour your pan!

the delicate almond flavor in this cake is well-balanced by the hearty and nutty flax meal. it isn't overly sweet, which is perfect for a cake served in the morning hours, but the crumble and drizzle do give it a little crunch and sweetness that really helps bring it all together and make it treat-worthy. 

vegan almond-flax coffee cake

yields 16 servings

ingredients

for the cake:

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

3/4 cup vegan margarine 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

3 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup cake flour

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

for the crumble:

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegan margarine, melted

for the icing:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 - 1 tablespoon almond milk

1. combine almond milk and vinegar in a small bowl & let curdle. combine flax meal and water in another small bowl and let soak.

2. preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

3. lightly grease and flour a 9" round or square pan.

4. in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together margarine, sugar, and almond extract until light and fluffy. add flax meal paste and beat until smooth.

5. in a separate bowl whisk together salt, baking powder, and flours. 

6. alternate adding flour mixture and vinegar mixture to mixer bowl until well combined. pour batter in to prepared pan and knock on counter several times to remove any bubbles.

7. melt margarine in microwave safe bowl and add remaining ingredients. cut & mix with fork until there are even pebble-sized crumbles throughout.

8. spread crumbles over cake batter and pat down lightly. 

9. bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. let cool completely.

10. once cake is cool, stir together all icing ingredients and drizzle over cake. let set and dry.

nutritional information

calories: 258, fat: 10.25g, sodium: 184 mg, carbs: 39.5g, fiber: 1g, sugars: 25, protein: 2.34g.

thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

cook's illustrated's chewy brownies

the first time i made homemade brownies was two and a half years ago. september 9, 2008, to be exact. jason and i had just moved in together and i was just starting to ditch boxed mixes and attempt things from scratch. one saturday, jason had a special request for brownies. attempting to impress him, i made the first recipe for brownies i could find. they were perfect.

i've never touched a box brownie mix since. if anything will make you a converter to the "make from scratch" camp, it's a homemade brownie.

these perfect brownies had it all. they were rich and dense and fudgy. had a perfect crackly crust. and didn't taste greasy or mushy in your mouth. they held their shape when cut. perfect. perfect. perfect.

the only problem is, i have no idea what recipe i used. so i've spent the last two and a half years trying to either find (a) that exact same recipe - the chance finding it is slim to none - or (b) one that's at least as good or maybe, just maybe, even better.

and since one of us has a brownie craving about once a year, the process of discovering the perfect one is slow and steady.

after hearing ina gush one too many times about making her brownies for jeffrey for the last 20+ years, i bought a giant sheet pan and made a batch. i know this is going to sound crazy, but i didn't care for them. don't get me wrong, i love ina. it's just the brownies were way, way, way too rich for me.

on to a year later, when cook's illustrated featured the "best chewy brownie: we crack the code." sounds like a potential contender. it only took a couple months for jason and i to have a brownie craving in the middle of the week. these babies were whipped up in one weekday evening.

and they were good. chewy, with a nice, thick, crackly crust.

like chewy brownies? then this one's for you. because chewy, they definitely are. almost too chewy. sounds weird, right? i don't care for cake like brownies, but these needed a bit more cakey-ness to them. and they stuck horribly to the aluminum foil. i had to literally flip the brownies over and peel the foil from the bottom. i chalk that one up to not spraying the foil enough.

long story short, the search continues for the perfect brownie. any suggestions?

chewy brownies

adapted from cook's illustrated, march & april 2010

20 min prep, 40 min bake, 2 hour cool; makes 24 brownies

1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces

1. preheat your oven to 350F and move the rack to the lowest position. line a 9 x 13 inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing the ends to overhang the pan. this will make it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan once cool. generously spray the foil with nonstick spray.
2. whisk cocoa and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.
3. whisk in melted butter and oil. add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. whisk in sugar until smooth.
4. add flour and salt and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
5. fold in the chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate.
6. pour into the pan and distribute evenly. bake about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.
7. transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.
8. use the ends of the aluminum foil to lift the brownies out of the pan. transfer to a cutting board, cut, and serve.

check out more sweet treats at sweets for a saturday!

recent errors

behind the scenes of any kitchen, are a number of disasters. some can be salvaged, and sometimes so well, that you can't even tell that it's the result of a disaster. others, are complete and utter messes. unsalvageable. in keeping with the spirit of sharing both messes and successes, here are a few messes i've made recently -

vanilla caramels. the picture doesn't really capture the mess. some of these came out perfect, the others had sandy patches or hard as a rock spots. i don't know what i did to these - cook them too long, or under uneven heat - but they need some work.

snickerdoodle monkey bread muffins. great concept. but i overfilled the pan or the batter needs more leavener to make these babies rise. another one with great flavor.

snickerdoodles. easy, right? who screws these up? this girl. i ended up with crunchy pancakes. my diagnosis is that the butter was too warm. better luck next time.

sugar crack cookies. see snickerdoodles above. this time, i had puffy, crunchy, flavorless cookies.

lentil soup. boring + flavorless. sorry joy of cooking. i still love you. maybe i don't like lentils?

sweet quinoa. quinoa + milk + cinnamon + maple syrup + orange zest. my own experiment that was really a conglomeration of others. the consistency did it for me. i'm still playing around with ways to make this one work because the flavor is spot on.

gnocchi. check out my attempt.

amaretto cheesecake

...or lisa's birthday cake. without trying, 2011 has become the year i celebrate your birthday with cake.

when we were celebrating tracy's birthday a couple weeks ago, lisa casually mentioned that her birthday was coming up soon too. immediately my head spun in a thousand directions. chocolate? vanilla? caramel? how about something rich and fudgy? or light and lemony? when lisa brought me back down to earth and suggested cheesecake. perfect! i haven't made one in at least five years.

next frantic thought: what kind!? as i was skimming through flavors in my head, i thought amaretto at the exact same second the word came out of her mouth. (apparently i also have an almond thing going on lately too.)

perfect. and i had a great amaretto cheesecake recipe tucked away somewhere from the last cheesecake i made. too bad i never found it. i spent a few evenings combing cookbooks, thinking i tucked it away. i went though old college books, thinking it might be thrown in with something else. i went through my stack of "things i want to make" recipes ripped from magazines. it was nowhere to be found. turns out i spent all that time looking when it's the first one that comes up on all recipes. even worse - it's the very first recipe when you google "amaretto cheesecake." lesson learned.

this cheesecake is exactly how i remember it. rich and creamy, with a light almond flavor. the cake did puff up a lot while cooking, but fell right back down perfectly. and the cake didn't crack, it looked perfect for our work party. next time i'll serve it with blackberry sauce, since everyone at work requested it. be careful with that sauce; once you get people hooked, it's hard to take it away from them.

amaretto cheesecake
adapted from all recipes
90 minutes total, serves 16

for the crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the filling
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
16 ounces sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons amaretto
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs

1. preheat your oven to 350F. grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan and set aside.
2. using a fork or your hands, blend the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. pour into the springform pan and use the flat bottom of a drinking glass to evenly press the crust into the pan. bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. set aside.
3. while the crust cooks, make the filling. in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and mix with a mixer until smooth. add the sour cream, vanilla, amaretto, and salt and mix until incorporated. add the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
4. pour the filling into the prebaked crust and bake for 60 minutes. as soon as you take it out of the oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges. cool completely on a wire rack in the pan. refrigerate before serving.

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday and sweets for a saturday!

giada's quick bolognese [and gnocchi disaster]

this is a tale of two dishes: one perfect masterpiece and one hot mess.

gnocchi has been on my 11 in 2011 list since before the list really existed. it's one of many foods that are tricky to make, but when they're done right, they're like little potato pillows. light and fluffy, they're perfect sauteed in butter & herbs or slathered in rich tomato sauce. good gnocchi is hard to find. apparently it's hard to make too.

so one saturday morning, when i was especially ambitious, i set out to make giada's gnocchi. i followed the instructions to a T - i wasn't going to screw this one up - microwaving the potatoes (a great time saver), peeling them, and grating them using my microplane ribbon grater. they were beautifully light and fluffy. so i continued, adding just the right amount of egg, and incorporating the flour. the dough was perfect. i rolled it out and cut it into little potato clouds, dropped them into boiling salted water, and started getting excited at my accomplishment.

not so fast. giada says to boil them for five minutes total. great. no problem. except that when i did that, the gnocchis had totally disintegrated. virtually none of them held their shape. i had a layer, at least an inch thick, of potato mush at the bottom of my pan.

it was a complete fail. needless to say i was not happy. i had a pot of bolognese (more about that in a minute) bubbling away, waiting for the gnocchi. i keep a box of spaghetti in the pantry for situations exactly like this.

i picked up the green plastic strainer at sur la table in portland last fall, when i was there for a conference. it's huge and perfect for scooping pasta, friend foods, and poached eggs.

bolognese. i've always wanted to make it the traditional way - over low heat for a long time - and have never gotten to it, simply because i'd have to dedicate an afternoon to it. lucky for me - and you - giada shortened the cooking time down to 45 minutes. yea, no kidding. 

this is my new favorite go to sauce for pasta. wanna make this meatless? replace the meat with one pound of quartered mushrooms. white button, cremini, or baby portobello work great. we had half a pound of meatloaf mix in the freezer, so i used that instead of beef. use whatever you have on hand or prefer.

giada's quick bolognese

adapted from giada de laurentiis

45 minutes, serves 4 adults

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 carrots, diced

1/2 pound ground beef, meatloaf mix (my grocery store's mix is 80% beef, 15% veal, 5% pork), or 1 pound quartered mushrooms

28 ounces crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese plus more for serving

1. in a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. add the celery and carrots. cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. add the meat or mushrooms, and cook until meat is no longer pink or the mushrooms are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. stir in the tomatoes, parsley, and basil. cover and bring to a boil. reduce to simmer and cook about 30 minutes.
5. season with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese.
6. serve over pasta.

homemade graham crackers

these homemade graham crackers were the perfect next step in my battle against perfection. i mentioned in my quiche post about how tempting it can be to only post professional-grade cakes & cookies, but to me that takes away from the heart of baking and i'm determined to show you all everything - the gorgeous, the yummy, and everything in between. 

instead of using a cookie cutter i just free-handed the cutting process and i am kind of in love with how unique they each are. i may have to eventually cave and buy a scalloping tool to give the edges a little pizazz, but they are equally adorable cut with a sharp knife.

this dough came together quickly and with almost zero effort. i was careful not to over-mix, which would make the dough tough, and combined dry with wet until it was 90% mixed and then did the rest by hand. 

the heat of your hands will help smooth out the dough before you stick it between two pieces of floured parchment. sandwiching dough between parchment is something i do for every roll-out cookie i make, i wouldn't tackle the process without it! 

one of my favorite parts of this whole process was poking the traditional graham cracker holes in these suckers. the surprise was finding out that this step happens post-freezing. who knew! 

i ended up using these cookies as a make-shift spoon for my coffee ice cream a few nights ago. do i own spoons? yup. are they as delicious as cookies? nope. what i learned, but was too lazy and impatient to actually do, was that these would make an absolutely perfect cookie for ice cream sandwiches. summertime, here i come!

homemade graham crackers

pretty seriously modified from martha's recipe

yields approximately 30

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk flours, salt, baking soda, and spices in a medium bowl, set aside.

2. in the bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and honey. add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

3. using your hands, shape dough into a smooth-ish ball, and place between two sheets of floured parchment. roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. (note: mine are obviously thicker and i sort of like them like that, it's this cracker-shortbread-biscuit hybrid, but you can choose your own adventure with this one.)

4. cut out desired shapes and place on another sheet of parchment. chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.

5. remove dough from freezer and pierce crackers using a fork. transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment and bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown (8-9 minutes, depending on thickness). let cool on wire racks.

nutritional information*

calories: 63, fat: 2.9g, cholesterol: 8mg, sodium: 41mg, carbs: 8.3g, sugars: 3.27g, protein: 0.64g

*this information is totally dependent on how many you yield. if it helps, the total caloric amount for the entire batch is 1890 cals, which you then can divide by how many cookies you end up getting for a more accurate number.

thank you for reading & happy baking!

amanda

vegetarian wild rice soup

if you remeber, back in december, i made a version of this soup with chicken. it was so good, so perfect for a cold winter night, that i declared it "one of the best soups i ever had." this version, a tweaked version of the other, is so good, i can't declare a winner. they're both at the top of the list.

vegetarian wild rice soup
adapted from the pastry affair
45 or 75 minutes, serves 8

there are two ways to make this soup, depending on how much time you have. i made the soup on a weeknight, so the night before (once all the dishes were done and i planned to watch tv for an hour), i cooked the wild rice. i stored it in the refrigerator and added it to the soup the next day. if you have a longer block of time, go ahead and cook the rice in the soup.

1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry sherry

1. if you don't have enough time to cook the rice in the soup, cook it the day or night before, according to the package directions.
2. when you plan to eat the soup, melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. cook the leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
3. add the flour and stir until blended into the vegetables. cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute, until the flour is browned.
4. add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. turn the heat down to low, and if you haven't precooked the wild rice, add it now and cook until the rice is done, about 1 hour. if you did precook the rice, simmer for 30 minutes and then add the cooked wild rice.
5. stir in the cream and sherry. cook a few minutes until heated through. season with salt and pepper.

vegan oatmeal raisin lace cookies

let me take you all on a quick trip down memory lane. since what i understand as being the beginning of time, my favorite cookie in the world has been a super-thin-but-still-chewy cookie my little sister has made. the recipe is completely in her head and obviously top secret, but if i'm really lucky she will whip up a batch for me and they will be gone in less than a day. 

let's fast forward on this journey a bit to a few months ago when my lovely boss brought me back a cookie from a local coffee shop. it didn't look like anything special in its little cellophane baggy, and it was my first experience with a vegan baked good, but as soon as i took my first bite i was in love. 

these oatmeal raisin lace cookies are gorgeous, golden-y brown, and vegan-tastic. they are the perfect combination of my two favorite cookies and, i can now officially say, my cookie trifecta is complete. 

these cookies have two kinds of fat (earth balance and vegetable oil) and three different sugars (raw, brown, and a little bit of granulated). these all get creamed together until they're light and fluffy before the next surprise ingredient gets added. 

flax! yup, my favorite ground meal makes a return as a substitute for eggs. all it takes is a 3:1 tablespoons water to flax meal ratio and around two minutes of time for the magic to happen. 

here's what the batter looks like after the fats and sugars have been creamed and the flax meal has been added and beaten in. the batter will get a little fluffier at this point, just like if you had used actual eggs. cool, huh?

while you dream about how good these cookies are going to make your kitchen smell, here are some quick tips on how to maximize the deliciousness of this particular recipe. 

tip #1: soak your raisins in tap water for about an hour before you start baking. this will bring them back to life and make their flavor more pronounced. 

tip #2: these cookies spread a lot. like, a lot. my standard two teaspoon portion spread to cookies with about a four inch diameter, which fit around six to a cookie sheet. you could do tablespoon-sized cookies for a jumbo version, just make sure that you give these babies a little room to breathe. 

tip #3: i always find my vegan cookies to get soggy, a problem i'm still trying to figure out, but my solution to keep these crunchy was to leave them out in a single layer overnight. i actually never ended up bagging these at all because i was afraid their thinness would lead to quick breakage. if you have any ideas on how to prevent this minor issue i would love your advice!

vegan oatmeal raisin lace cookies

yields 30 cookies

ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup raw sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon flax meal

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup oats

3/4 cup raisins

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

2. place raisins in small bowl and soak in room temperature water for the duration of the preparation process. in another small bowl stir together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 2 minutes. 

3. cream margarine, oil, and sugars with a stand mixer until light and fluffy. add flax mixture and continue to beat until fully incorporated. add vanilla.

4. in a medium bowl whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt. 

5. gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until well blended. stir in oats and raisins. 

6. drop dough onto lined baking sheets with enough room for spreading and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges brown and centers are set. 

7. remove from oven and let stand on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes. using an off set spatula, run blade between cookie and sheet to loosen and transfer to wire baking rack to cool. 

nutritional information:

calories: 100, fat: 3.77g, sodium: 54mg, carbs: 16g, fiber: 1.14g, sugars: 8.35g, protein: 1.74g. 

thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

indian butter chicken

one of the many ways jason and i differ is in our love for indian food. what i mean, is that he has love, i do not. just when he had given up on the thought of indian food, i surprised him with this one. and it surprised me too. mostly because i liked it.

it's pretty well known among my friends that i do not particularly care for indian food.

but i broke my own rule to come to that conclusion. i had indian food exactly once prior, at an indian buffet, about five years ago, with a coworker for lunch. it was not good. everything tasted the same. at the time, i assumed all indian food was like this, and that it didn't even deserve a second or third try to see if i like it.

lame, i know.

until a few weeks ago, when it seemed like everywhere i looked, i saw indian butter chicken. i was taunted, with the seductive, descriptive blog posts and bright, delicious looking photos. and after reading through a few posts, it started to grow on me. so much so that i was disappointed in myself for dismissing it so easily.

so while this dish hasn't converted me to a full fledged indian food lover, i wouldn't mind making or eating this again.

indian butter chicken
adapted from bakedbree, who adapted it from goodlifeeats
30 minutes, serves 4

1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
6 ounces tomato paste
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small cubes
1/4 cup unsalted butter
cooked rice for serving

1. in a large saute pan coated with olive oil, cook the onions, ginger, and garlic over medium-high heat, until softened and slightly brown.
2. add the garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. cook for a minute or two more, until really fragrant.
3. pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor or blender. add tomato paste and chicken broth and process until smooth.
4. add the pureed mixture back to the saute pan over medium high heat and add the bay leaves and cream. bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook about 1o minutes until it is reduced to about 3 cups. be sure to stir frequently so it doesn't burn the bottom of the pan.
5. pour the pureed mixture into a bowl and set aside. wipe out the pan with a paper towel (be careful not to burn your fingers on the pan.)
6. season the chicken with salt and pepper. place the saute pan back over high heat. add the chicken and 1 tablespoon butter and cook until it starts to brown and is almost cooked through.
7. add the sauce back to the pan with the chicken. cook over medium high until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. mix in the remaining three tablespoons of butter until melted.  serve over cooked rice.

deep dark brownies with white chocolate drizzle

now, i'm not here to tell you that i'm a top chef. or an iron chef. i'm not even a rachael ray. but, i will say that these brownies are outstanding and maybe, just maybe, worthy of one of those titles. except the rachael ray one, she's down right annoying. 

the secret to my success* lies in using the cocoa with the highest percentage of cacao you can find. essentially, the darkest chocolate powder. this makes the brownies almost black in appearance and extremely rich in taste. 

* note: i define success by how much batter gets eaten before anything actually gets baked. in this case, it was a lot.

this recipe goes pretty smoothly until about halfway through where you will be told to randomly mix milk & cocoa into the batter. i'll be honest, the first time i made this i was caught a little off guard, with the general rule-of-baking-thumb being to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately until the very last step. but, i trusted the process and soldiered on. what i got was a semi-curdled chocolatey pudding that did not seem anywhere near brownie consistency.

i'm here to tell you, don't do i what i did (which was panic). take a deep breath and know that this little hurdle is simply there to weed out those who couldn't handle the intense brownies to come. you can make it through this - i believe in you!

i generally line my pans with parchment or aluminum foil when i make brownies because one too many times i've been left with a brownie bottom with so many craters it looks like the face of the moon. by using a lining (versus spray), i can pull out my whole loaf without the fear of stickage.

another helpful hint when it comes to brownies is to let them cool for as long as you can stand it. i let mine rest in the pan for almost a full hour before i slid them out and let them continue their journey to firm-dom on a wire rack. basically, you want them to be completely room temperature when you slice them up or risk there being a lot of crumbs and broken pieces.

i got a very oreo-vibe from this recipe, in both taste and appearance, so i decided to top them off with white chocolate drizzles. i actually wanted to title this recipe "faux-reo brownies", but i didn't know if that was just too cheesy. if i get enough support from the internet, though, i just might change it. 

this recipe is also fantastic because of its versatility. while making it i was thinking about how delicious mint chocolate chips would be mixed in the dark chocolate, or walnuts, or a vanilla buttercream topping, or caramel, or sea salt, or potato chips! listen, sweet & salty is a thing. 

if you come up with a creative take on this base let me know!

deep-dark brownies with white chocolate drizzle (or, faux-reo brownies!) 

yields 2 dozen squares

adapted from cooking light

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2/3 cup unsweetened 100% cacao cocoa

1/2 cup skim milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 13x9 inch pan with parchment or coat with cooking spray.

2. cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. add egg whites and egg, one at a time, beating will afer each addition. add vanilla and combine.

3. add cocoa and milk and beat - this is where it may appear curdled!

4. combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and mix with a whisk. 

5. add flour mixture to cocoa mixture 1/2 cup at a time on low speed until just combined. overmixing leads to tough brownies!

6. spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

7. bake for 30-35 minutes or until set. cool for 1-2 hours.

8. optional: once completely cooled, slice with a serrated knife or pizza cutter into even squares. melt 1/2 cup white chocolate in microwave on low until melted. pour chocolate into a ziploc baggy, cut at tip, and drizzle onto brownies. place in refrigerator to set for 10-15 minutes.

nutritional information:

cals: 142, fat: 5.22g, cholesterol: 19mg, sodium: 74mg, carbs: 22.4g, fiber: 1g, sugars: 14.72g.

as always, thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

ps: oh! and check out the newly-created about me page and my recipe index!