Peanut Butter and Julie

Chocolate Orange Pecan Kugelhopf

2013-05-23T22:37:28Z

In my family, Christmas breakfast is just as important a meal as is Christmas dinner. This could be because we aren’t usually done unwrapping our gifts until just before it’s time to eat dinner, so we rely on our morning meal to sustain us through the day (along with a healthy dose of snacking on my mom’s Chex party mix, that is.)

Our gift opening marathon is not due to an abnormally large number of gifts piled under the tree and stacked up to the ceiling. We usually have what most people would consider to be a normal amount of gifts. We just have an abnormal way of opening them.

At some point during my teenage years my mom decided that having us tear down the stairs and tear through all of the gifts before 8 a.m. meant that the bulk of the day was spent with our new goodies as opposed to with our family. So, being the creative person that she is, she came up with a solution, which would become an annual tradition:

The Biederman Family Christmas Game

Every year the game would have a different theme, and we would always start playing it immediately after eating breakfast and opening stockings. One year the game was “Christmas Pictionary,” when the winner of each round would get to choose a gift to open. My dad didn’t like that one so much, as everything that he drew looked pretty much the same. I, on the other hand, loved it, maybe because I won most of the rounds. Other years the game was “Christmas Charades“, “Christmas Trivial Pursuit”, or “Christmas Jumble.”

My mom made sure that the games were challenging, part of her scheme to keep us in the same room for as long as possible. When friends and family would start to call to say “Merry Christmas” at what they thought was a “safe” and polite hour, we were barely one-third of the way through our presents (this was also due to the fact that my dad and brother would have to get up to make iced tea or get a snack every 10 minutes.)

Winning the games was a double edged sword. If you won, you were allowed to select a present to open. Of course this also meant that you would go through your presents first. I would often throw the game and lose intentionally so that I would have presents left. That’s the only reason why I ever lost a round.

What?

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

The games always involve a ton of laughter, and they really do make Christmas morning extra special. I can’t wait to find out what this year’s game is going to be (although I think we all know who will win it….)

So, you can see why an extra hearty breakfast would come in handy in our family–sort of like a pre-game Christmas tailgate. Just indoors. And not held on the back of a vehicle. OK, so maybe “tailgate” wasn’t the best descriptor. You know what I meant.

This kugelhopf recipe would be perfect to serve at your holiday breakfast or brunch, whether your day’s activities involve a game of “Christmas Scattergories” or a walk with the family. It will keep on the counter, wrapped, for a few days, but there is no way that it will last that long.

Kugelhopf, also spelled Kugelhupf, gugelhupf or kugelhoph, is a classic brioche-like yeast cake, which supposedly originated in Austria or in the Alsace region of France. Variations of the cake are also popular in Germany (where I first tried it), Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, and Hungary. Instead of being a dessert cake, kugelhopf is traditionally served at breakfast or as an afternoon snack, much like the Italian panettone.

It also makes a mean french toast or bread pudding……just putting that out there.

Although there are pans made specifically for kugelhopf, you can use either a Bundt or a tube pan, as I have done here. Fillings range from booze-soaked fruit to nuts to chocolate, or a mixture of all three if you’re feeling really wild.

Here are my extra tips for making this irresistible holiday sweet:

To make the optional glaze, mix 3 cups confectioner’s sugar with 3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, enough to reach a consistency that is pourable but still thick. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled kugelhopf and allow to set for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the two rising stages, if the dough has no doubled in size during the time indicated, just let it rest longer. Depending on the temperature of the dough and the yeast that you used, it might take a bit longer to rise.
When I need to set dough aside to rise in a warm place, I always turn the oven on to preheat for a few minutes and then turn it off before placing the dough inside. This creates an ideally warm and draft-free area in which the dough can rise.
Feel free to experiment when making the filling. Use different types of nuts or raisins in place of the cranberries. You could also “marinate” a mixture of dried fruit in some Kirsch or Grand Marnier and use that in place of the chocolate.

Chocolate Orange Pecan Kugelhopf

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Printable Recipe

Serves 12-14

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

12 tablespoons butter, cubed

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoons orange zest

2 teaspons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)

5 cups flour, divided

4 large eggs

Filling:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has almost melted. Remove saucepanfrom heat and stir in the sugar, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and allow to cool a few minutes, until lukewarm.

Add the yeast and 2 cups of the flour, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in remaining 2-1/2 cups flour until combined.

With floured hands (because dough will be very sticky!) turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface; gently knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, pecans, chocolate, orange zest and butter. Add cranberries, if using.

Punch down the dough and give it a quick knead. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 14 X 22-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the filling over the top, leaving a 1-inch border.

Starting from a longer side, carefully roll up dough into a log. Cut the log crosswise into 12 even slices. Place the cut sides of 6 of the slices against the side of a buttered 10-inch tube pan. Place the remaining slices, cut sides pressed together, in a ring around the tube of the pan. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Bake kugelhoff until browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center emerges clean, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes, then carefully unmold and cool completely. Drizzle with an orange glaze (see tips, above), or dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Gingerbread Pear Pocket Pies

2013-05-23T22:38:06Z

One of the cardinal rules of food blogging (or any blogging, for that matter) is:

Never start a post telling your readers, “I’m sorry that I haven’t posted in a while, but I’ve been very busy.”

Well, I don’t know who had the authority to create this blogosphere no-no, but whoever you are, guess what?

1. I have been busy.

2. I am sorry that I haven’t posted in a while.

3. I don’t mind breaking a rule every now and then.

So………

I’M SORRY THAT I HAVEN’T POSTED ON MY BLOG IN A WHILE. YOU SEE, IT SO HAPPENS THAT I HAVE BEEN VERY VERY BUSY.

Were the all caps a bit too much? A bit too in-your-face? Sorry, I was feeling defensive.

The past few weeks in particular were way up there on the crazy scale. I participated in the World Food Championships which, despite the fact that they were held in my hometown, managed to keep me occupied for the better part of a week. When I wasn’t competing, which took place right in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, I was running around town like a mad woman, sourcing ingredients, gathering equipment and helping friends who had traveled thousands of miles to participate in the cook-off.

By then end of the competition I felt like I had run two consecutive marathons or, as a friend put it, like I had been hit by a mack truck.

I was fortunate enough to come in second in the World Burger Championships, which consisted of two rounds of competition. My Mojave Desert Cactus Burgers earned the top score in round 1 (woot!), but I was edged out by half a freakin’ point in round 2, losing to a team of 3 guys from Utah. They were really great guys, and their win was well deserved. That said (and not to be snarky, but):

Team of 3 vs. Team of 1

Hmmmm.

That’s all. On to the next topic.

This week has been equally cray-cray. On Monday and Tuesday I drove back and forth to L.A. Twice. That’s 1000+ miles total. I can’t really say much about why I took this journey, during which I became the Foursquare mayor of the Barstow Starbucks, but I can tell you that the reason was not so I could have some quality time alone in the car with my thoughts.

My treks could most likely amount to nothing, but they could also amount to something very cool, in a scary-cool-surreal sort of way.

Yes, you guessed it: I am being considered for the starring role in the upcoming Jennifer Aniston biopic. Really, I’m a dead ringer. How could they not choose me?

Oh, and just a question for any Los Angelinos out there: How on Earth do you people live in that city and not go absolutely insane from the traffic??

Seriously, I just about lost it as I started my final leg home, when it took me over 1-1/2 hours to go 50 miles on the freeway. Good times.

So now I finally get to focus on the upcoming activities for the next month: Hosting Thanksgiving for 10 people, finishing the editing for my first cookbook (and starting the content for my second one!), and of course everything associated with the holiday season, especially baking.

Show of hands: Who likes gingerbread?

That’s what I thought. ME. TOO.

No, scratch that. I loooooooovvvveee gingerbread. No offense to peppermint, eggnog and pumpkin, but gingerbread is easily my favorite holiday flavor. I am one of those rare beings who could do without the pumpkin lattes–they just don’t do it for me–but I will happily indulge in the gingerbread varietal (sans the whip) for a mid-afternoon treat.

So, I will try to turn the gingerbread flavor profile into just about anything that makes sense during the holidays: macarons, creme brulee, doughnuts, cupcakes, etc. This year, I decided to try it with pie crust and then, since I have become somewhat of an expert on hand-held pies, I decided to make mini pocket pies (kind of like round Pop Tarts, but I don’t want to mess with trademarks, so they are called “pocket pies.”)

The filling is simple spiced pears. Pears, the red headed step-children to apples, just never get the recognition they deserve during the holidays, but I love them. The crust is a combination of a gingerbread cookie and a pie crust, and I couldn’t stop picking at the finished product, which is always a good sign.

Hand to God: These are really good.

Serve these as part of a holiday breakfast or brunch, take them to a bake sale, or just have one with coffee for an afternoon break.

Here are my extra tips for making these hand-held holiday treats:

Select firm, not overly ripe pears that hold their shape when baked. Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou are all good choices.
Instead of making round pocket pies, feel free to experiment with other shapes, such as rectangles, squares or even hearts.
Once assembled, the pocket pies can be frozen for up to 1 month. Freeze them for at least 30 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer them to zip-top bags. Bake directly from freezer per the instructions.
For another twist, turn these pies into pie pops. Make the cut-outs 3-inch rounds, and press a wooden or paper lollipop stick into the bottom round before filling. Fill with about 1 tablespoon filling and top with another round. Bake 18-20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Gingerbread Pear Pocket Pies

Makes about 12 pies

Printable Recipe

Gingerbread Crust

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

14 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 cup cold buttermilk

2 large egg yolks

2 tbsp dark molasses

Pear Filling

2 tbsp unsalted butter

4 pears, peeled and diced

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries, optional

Egg wash: 1 large egg mixed with 1 tbsp water

Sanding Sugar or Confectioner’s sugar glaze

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour, brown sugar ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking powder to combine. Scatter the butter over the top of the flour and pulse several times until butter is the size of peas.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, egg yolks and molasses. Slowly add half of the buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, pulsing to combine. Add more buttermilk, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing after each addition until the dough begins to hold together in moist clumps.

Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and gently press into a disk. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Prepare the filling: In a medium skillet, melt butternover medium-high heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and lemon juice. Cook until the liquid has almost completely disappeared 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Transfer the pears to a large bowl and toss with the flour. Stir in raisins/cranberries, if using. Set aside to cool completely.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into halves. On a generously floured surface, roll out 1 half to a thickness of slightly more than 1/16-inch (2 mm). Using a 3-1/2 or 4-inch cutter, cut into rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Reroll scraps as necessary.

Brush surfaces of the rounds with egg wash. Place about 2 tbsp filling in the center of each round.

On the floured surface, roll out the remaining dough. Using a slightly larger cutter, cut out rounds, rerolling scraps, as necessary (using a larger cutter helps to cover the filling). Place the round on top of the filling, pressing edges together to seal. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork and brush tops with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle the tops of the rounds with sanding sugar.

Place the pocket pies on sheets in freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place oven racks in upper and lower third positions and preheat oven to 375°F.

When you’re ready to bake, pierce the tops several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until pies are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling. If tops become too dark while baking, tent the sheets loosely with foil.

Let pies cool on sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Spiced Apple Pull Apart Bread

2013-05-23T22:38:39Z

We all learn something new everyday. You could discover that the walk to your mailbox is exactly 26 paces or that Oxy Clean will remove the worst red wine stain from your favorite white pants (long story). No, it’s not always something mind-bogglingly enlightening, but that doesn’t mean that your fun fact won’t ever come in handy. Tuck that little nugget away for now. You never know when there will be a lull in the conversation.

Here is what I learned this week, thanks in part to this glorious recipe:

1. Don’t purchase Honeycrisp apples at Smith’s grocery store, at least not early in the season. Like I said above, they’re not all gems. The chance that this little smidgen of wisdom will apply to you is slim, but if I can get through to at least one Smith’s-shopping-apple-buyer out there, well, my work is done.

I am crazy about Honeycrisps. From their hybrid tart-sweet taste to the crunchy sound they make when bitten, they are the perfect variety of apple. The Smith’s produce guys are clearly onto me. They know that I cannot pass up a neatly stacked display of shiny Honeycrisps, especially one that is positioned front and center as I walk through the sliding glass doors.

Here’s the problem: Three Honeycrisp apples should not cost over $7.50. These were not magic apples. They were not Chanel apples. They weren’t even organic apples. Yes, they were each roughly the size of a softball, but still, no excuse. Am I missing something here? Enlighten me, please.

I shall now purchase Honeycrisps elsewhere or suffer with some other varietal.

2. Some recipes are the culinary equivalent of “The Ugly Ducking.” Let me explain. I’ve experienced this a few times. Have you ever been working through a recipe, following it diligently step by step (except for maybe a few insignificant alterations), when at some point you stop and think: There is no way that this thing is going to turn out right.? Perhaps one of the components tastes odd. Maybe your creation looks like an ugly explosion on the counter top. Maybe you should just throw it away and start over.

Or maybe not.

I initially learned this lesson several years ago when I first attempted a traditional Swiss buttercream. For the majority of the mixing process, the stuff in the bowl looks nothing like buttercream. It’s a clumpy curdled concoction just tempting you to throw in some confectioner’s sugar (a big no-no in classic buttercreams) to smooth it out. But, after I pulled up a chair and allowed the mixer to do its thing for several minutes, the lumps magically transformed into a swan — a beautiful silky buttercream.

The same applied with this recipe. As I assembled the final loaf per recipe instructions, I thought: The recipe writer clearly never tested this. These stacks of dough are such a droopy mess. But since I had almost gotten to the end of the recipe instructions, I decided to proceed the best that I could.

Thank God for that decision. If you do make this, just trust me and forge ahead, even if the situation on your counter top says otherwise. The results are worth it.

3. Don’t bake anything irresistible, especially Spiced Apple Pull Apart Bread, when Eric is out of town. This was a stupid move on my part, knowing my will-power (or lack thereof in this case.) Cookies I can resist. Cake too. Ice cream–usually. But bread? Especially warm, super-squishy, slightly sweet bread swirled with spices and dotted with tart apples? Not a chance. In fact, I’m amazed that there is any left as I type this (boy, it looks good sitting there on the counter all but itself…) I tried to keep my sampling to a reasonable minimum–a slice with breakfast and one with dinner, but those slices were probably just a tad on the thick side. I couldn’t even toss any to the dogs since Fenway is on a diet and it’s impossible to slip some food to Cameron without Fenway noticing.

This is the bread that I made. I can’t take credit for the entire recipe, as I initially saw a version of it in the King Arthur Catalog that arrived a few weeks ago. I typically just flip through the catalog without tearing out any recipes, mostly because they tend to require one or more ingredients specific to K.A. This one spoke to me though, as good bread usually does. So, I made some changes based on my personal preferences and what I have in the pantry (these are listed below.)

I encourage you to give this recipe a try. With the amount of baking that I do, it is rare that I add a new recipe to my regular arsenal, but this one is going in there. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or a treat before bedtime, and it would make a killer french toast.

Here is a list of the ways that I changed the original recipe from the King Arthur catalog:

Instead of “thinly slicing” the apples for the filling, I opted to chop them. I felt like slices might be too large. As I mention above, I used Honeycrisp apples, but any sturdy tart apple would work well (i.e. Granny Smith.)
I added the allspice and the cardamom instead of just using cinnamon. The more spices, the better!
During both rising stages, the King Arthur directions stated that the bread should double in size in about 1 hour. In both cases, it took more like 1-1/2 to 2 hours in a warm space. My yeast might have been the problem here, but allot for extra time, just in case.
When forming the loaf, K.A. directed to stack all six strips of dough on top of each other. This would have been a huge mess, so I created two stacks of three strips instead (still messy, but better.)
Finally, K.A. listed one of their thickening products called Clear Jel in the ingredients. I don’t have this, so I used 2 tablespoons cornstarch instead — worked beautifully!

Spiced Apple Pull Apart Bread

Printable Recipe

Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

Filling

2 tablespoons butter

3 medium apples (I used Honeycrisps), peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Dough

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (1-ounce) package rapid rise or instant yeast (equal to 2-1/4 teaspoons)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup warm whole milk

1/4 cup warm water

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the filling: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples; saute 1 minutes, until warmed through. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, salt and cornstarch to the pan; toss to combine. Cook the mixture until apples are softened and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla then set mixture aside to cool completely.

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, milk, water, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on medium speed until well combined. Continue to mix, adding more water or flour in small amounts if necessary, until a smooth soft dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large lightly buttered bowl. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in size, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Generously butter a large loaf pan (I used a 10″ X 5″).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it to a 12″ by 20″ rectangle. Spread the cooled apple filling evenly over the surface of the dough.

Cut the dough crosswise into six even strips (about 3-1/2″ by 12″ each). Carefully stack the strips on top of each other in two stacks so that you have two stacks of three strips each (this part is kind of messy.) Cut each stack into four even pieces. Turn the pieces on edge and carefully place them in the loaf pan, one in front of the other, from one end of the pan to the other, squeezing tightly to fit.

Cover the pan and allow the loaf to rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Bake the loaf for 30 minutes. Tent the top of the loaf with foil, then bake for 15 to 25 minutes more, until deep golden brown. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then carefully turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Toasted Walnut Buttercream

2013-05-23T22:39:46Z

Ah! The circle of life.

Last week we experienced a loss in our household. The good news is that it wasn’t a person or a pet. It wasn’t even a plant.

It was a treadmill. My treadmill. My BELOVED treadmill.

Allow me a moment to compose myself before continuing. I really loved that treadmill. In the meantime, look at this picture of a cake:

So you’re probably thinking, “What’s the big deal? Lighten up, J. It’s a freakin’ treadmill.”

You don’t understand. I purchased this particular treadmill, Old Faithful, back in 1997. It has traveled cross-country with me twice and resided in four states. It has lived with me longer than my husband or my oldest dog.

My conservative estimate is that I used it 300 days out of the year, averaging about 5 miles per use. So let’s do a little math, shall we?

5 miles X 300 days X 15 years = 22,500 miles

So I traveled from Los Angeles to New York City almost ten times on that machine — almost one time around the earth……and all while watching DVR episodes of House Hunters, Fashion Police, and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (it’s an entertaining show — don’t judge).

This was such a humid summer in Las Vegas — and we don’t do humidity here — so Eric had a tough time completing some of his longer marathon training runs outdoors. Because he looked like death every time that he would return from his “fun” hobby of running, I took pity on the poor guy. As a result, I did something that I never do:

I offered him the use of my treadmill.

The first 20 miler went fine, although it pained me to hear the repeated thud thud thud as Eric ran for 2-1/2 hours straight. Halfway through the second 20-miler, the thudding stopped.

Eric emerged from the workout room, still out of breath. “Hey — I think your treadmill just died.” My expression in response must have been meaningful, because he immediately said, “I’ll go get another one.”

Our new addition arrived two days later, complete with all sorts of bells and whistles that weren’t available waaaaaay back in the 20th century. When the delivery guys saw my old treadmill, you would have thought they were looking at an ancient Egyptian relic.

“Whoa. I haven’t seen one of these things in YEARS. They don’t even make that brand anymore. That must be really old.”

Uh, thanks guys. Your tip just went down.

And what better way is there to welcome a new addition to the house than with a cake? OK, I know that’s a stretch. I just felt like making a cake. Perhaps this is because I haven’t made one in a while…..or perhaps this is because I now have a new and improved way of working off the calories.

It may not yet feel like fall outdoors, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t smell and taste like fall indoors, right? This moist and flavorful pumpkin spice cake is topped with a luxurious and nutty buttercream.Here are my extra tips for making this autumn inspired dessert:

I originally wanted to make a toasted pecan buttercream, but alas, I was fresh outta pecans. So I moved on to walnuts (they’re less expensive anyhow), and made the walnut buttercream. The buttercream would work just as beautifully using a pecan paste, hazelnut paste or even a macadamia nut paste. Simply substitute your preferred nut of choice for the walnuts and proceed as directed.
Once baked and cooled, the cake layers can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to two weeks. Thaw them at room temperature before proceeding.
If you don’t want to commit to such a massive cake (and it is pretty massive), you can turn this recipe into cupcakes. Fill cups about 2/3 full and bake at 350F 18-22 minutes.
For a cleaner finish when icing the cake, do a “crumb coat” first. Once the layers have been stacked, spread a thin layer of buttercream onto the sides and top of the cake (see below). Chill the cake for 30 minutes. This will seal in any loose crumbs so that they don’t appear on the finished surface. Use the rest of the buttercream for a second coat of frosting.

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Toasted Walnut Buttercream

Printable Recipe

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

Cake Layers

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup canola or safflower oil

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

15 ounce can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (optional)

1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Walnut Paste

6 ounces chopped walnuts

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Buttercream

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F°. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat oil and eggs on medium speed until light, 3 minutes. Add both sugars; beat 2 minutes more. Beat in pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla. On low speed, add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in coconut and raisins, if using.

Evenly distribute cake batter into the prepared pans and transfer to the oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let pans cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; cool completely.

Make Toasted Walnut Paste: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them for 10 minutes, until fragrant. Cool 10 minutes. Place walnuts and confectioners’ sugar in work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until walnuts are very finely ground. Continue to process until the nut mixture until smooth and a “paste” texture forms.

Make the buttercream while the cake is baking: Beat the egg yolks in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until very thick, about 5 minutes. Combine the sugar with the syrup in a small saucepan, and set over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil. Immediately scrape the mixture into a heatproof 1-cup glass measure. With the mixture on high speed, pour a few tablespoons of the sugar mixture into the yolks and beat for a few seconds. Repeat until all of the syrup has been added. Beat until the bowl has cooled to room temperature. On medium speed, beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. The frosting will begin to come together after all of the butter has been incorporated (it will look curdled first, but be patient and it will come together beautifully!). Scrape the bowl and beat in the vanilla and salt. Add the Pecan Paste and beat until well combined and smooth.

Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, creating four layers (trim any mounds off top of layers so that they are flat). Set one later, cut side up, on a cake round or cake plate and spread a layer of buttercream on the surface. Stack next layer on top and spread with a layer of buttercream. Repeat frosting-and-stacking process until each layer is frosted. Spread remaining frosting on sides and top of cake. Chill for 1 hour for easier slicing or serve immediately if you can’t wait!

Wild Huckleberry Crisp Ice Cream

2013-05-23T22:39:16Z

If I had to sum up the summer of 2012 in one word, that word would be………

Pie.

I’ll bet that you thought I was going to say “Lochte,” didn’t you? Jeah…………..no.

Mini pies to be exact. Hand held pies. Pie pops. Sweet and savory turnovers. Empanadas.

And lots and lots of crust.

Yes, I am writing my first cookbook (whee!), and it’s all about pies–portable pies that fit in the palm of your hand. Because, let’s face it, having your own little pie all to yourself is so much better than having a slice.

So that’s where I’ve been over my little blogging hiatus. I’ve been covered in flour, toning my arm muscles as I roll out batch after batch of flaky/all-butter/whole wheat/vegan/gluten-free/cornmeal dough in the kitchen. And I’ve been loving every minute of it.

“Good things come in small packages” has become my mantra.

So my deadline is looming–the end of this month–but I didn’t want to go an entire month without posting the recipe that has been running through my head over the past several weeks.

And yes, it was inspired by pie.

I’ve mentioned six-dozen or so times that Eric and I love Jackson Hole. We usually head up there for a few days twice a year. During the summer (and sometimes during the winter), one of our first stops is the ice cream shop on town square, where they sell the most fantastic huckleberry ice cream.

I don’t know what it is about this ice cream that makes it so necessary in my life. Perhaps it’s that fact that I can’t get anything like it here in Las Vegas (we’re not exactly known for our huckleberries.) Perhaps it’s the fact that I am on vacation whenever I eat it, and everything tastes better on vacation.

No, I think it’s simply really extraordinary ice cream: creamy without being too custardy-creamy and dotted with tart purple huckleberries. A quintessential summertime treat (or wintertime or falltime or springtime for that matter.)

This ice cream inspired one of the mini pies in my book. I actually bought frozen huckleberries at the Jackson Hole Grocer and toted them home with me on the plane, all in the name of research.

In turn, the ice cream that inspired a pie came full circle and inspired yet another ice cream, this time with a little streusel thrown in. You know how I love my streusel. There might be a bit of streusel in the book too.

The ice cream isn’t exactly the same as the one that I get in Jackson, but it’s pretty darn close for a first attempt. And the streusel crisp topping turned out great, especially since there is some leftoer for nibbling.

So, the book will be published in the spring of 2013. Until then, I’ll certainly keep you posted with any updates.

In the meantime, eat lots of ice cream…..and streusel. Here are some extra tips for making this pie-inspired huckleberry treat:

I realize that huckleberries aren’t exactly a staple at grocery stores across the country. Fortunately, this recipe will work beautifully with fresh or frozen wild blueberries.
If you absolutely must have huckleberries for your ice cream, you can order them from Oregon Mushrooms (warning: they’re not cheap.)
Feel free to play around witht the crisp recipe, depending on personal preference. Substitute almonds, pecans or hazelnuts for walnuts. Throw in a dash of ground allspice, cardamom or cloves (but just a dash!)

Wild Huckleberry Crisp Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

5 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1-3/4 cup whole milk, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh or frozen wild huckleberries

For the Crisp

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

In medium bowl, whisk together yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, salt and 1/2 cup milk. In medium saucepan, bring remaining milk and sugar to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Slowly add hot milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl; cool completely.

When mixture has cooled, stir in cream, vanilla and huckleberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare crisp topping: Heat oven to 350F. In medium bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and walnuts. Using your fingers, rub butter into mixture until fully incorporated and clumps form.

Press mixture into a glass baking dish or pie plate. Bake until your kitchen smells delicious and the topping has browned, 16 to 20 minutes. Cool completely then break into pieces.

Freeze ice cream according to ice cream maker’s manufacturer instructions. A few minutes before ice cream is ready add 2/3 of crisp mixture to ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to a container and freeze until firm.

Serve in a cone or in a bowl topped with additional crisp crumbles.

English Summer Berry Puddings

2012-07-08T10:26:12Z

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July and that the wrath of Mother Nature subsided a little bit so that you could enjoy the holiday. What's with her lately anyhow? Horrible fires in the west. Power outages and extreme heat in the east. She's been in a consistently bad mood so far this summer. Was it something that we said?

My brother, who lives in Utah, even had to evacuate his house over the holiday due to the fires. Per his emails, the firefighters worked tirelessly to get the damage under control. So, I'm sending them all a virtual shout-out of much deserved acknowledgement (because, you know, I am certain that each and every Utah firefighter reads Peanut Butter and Julie religiously.)

Now that Indepence Day has passed, we have another big event to look forward to at the end of the month. No, I'm not referring to the season finale of The Bachelorette. That's the second biggest event, silly.

I'm referring to the London Olympics.

I'm one of those people who gets really into the Olympics, which comes as just as much of a surprise to me as it probably does to those of you who know that I am not exactly what you would call a "natural athlete." Despite the fact that I am unfamiliar with most of the key athletes before the trials start, I know most of their names, stats, and backstories by the time the trials have finished. Eric loves watching the trials (well, except for gymnastics), so even if I am in the kitchen and only half listening to what is on T.V., I seem to absorb all of the pertinent information, and I am hooked.

This recipe is in honor of the two big events flanking the month of July 2012. It's a red, white, and blue dessert in honor of the 4th, but it's a traditional English summer sweet in honor of the London Olympics. I suppose it's my dessert version of a Glee mash-up. Summer puddings are similar to bread puddings, but instead of a custard, the brioche soaks up a spiked fruit compote, so the result is a more refreshing blend of tart and sweet. I decided to make individual versions simply because everyone likes to have their own personal dessert moreso than having to slice up one big dessert and share it. Here are a few extra tips for making these berry summery English sweets:

As noted below, these directions are for making individual puddings in ramekins. You can also make one large pudding, using larger pieces of brioche. You can use a loaf pan for this or you can also use a bowl, for a dome-shaped pudding.
Time is an important factor with this recipe. Don't try to unmold the pudding earlier than directed or the brioche won't properly soak up the juices. It's best to leave it overnight.
Feel free to mix and match any combination of berries listed below. You can also substiture other liqueurs for the Chambord, such as framboise.

English Summer Berry Pudding

Printable Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh strawberries, diced

1 pound fresh blueberries

1 pound fresh raspberries

1 pound fresh blackberries

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Chambord

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

1 loaf brioche (about 1 pound), sliced about 1/3-inch thick

Lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving

In a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the strawberries, blueberries, half of the raspberries, half of the blackberries, sugar, Chambord, vanilla bean and seeds, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the fruit is soft and almost pureed. Stir in the remaining raspberries and blackberries and simmer for 2 minutes more. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean.

These directions are for making individual puddings using ramekins of pudding (as I did), but you can also make one large pudding in a baking dish (two sizes that work are 10X7X3 and 7-8 inch diameter round pans.)

Using a round cutter or a glass as a guide, cut out circles of brioche that will fit snugly into the ramekins. Spoon a thin layer of the berry sauce into the bottom of the ramekins and press a round of brioche on top of the sauce. Top with another generous layer of the berries and another round of brioche. Continue to layer the berries and brioche until you reach the top of the ramekin, ending with a layer of berry sauce.

Tightly wrap the ramekins with plastic wrap, so that the pudding is "weighted down." Top the plastic wrap with a small plate or a can to further weight the pudding and then place the ramekins in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it onto a serving plate. Top the puddings with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Biscuits with Bacon Date Jam

2012-06-25T14:10:20Z

Sometimes I get very jealous of Ina Garten.

No, I'm not saying that I long for a closet full of blue denim shirts — nobody should even try to rock those like the Barefoot Contessa. My envy derives from her massive and beautiful gardens, which are located behind her even more massive and beautiful Hamptons home.

There she will be, mid-episode of her Food Network show, casually putting together some sort of salad for some sort of scripted impromptu get-together with her fabulous friend T.R. (don't you just love T.R.?) At some point during the process, she will realize that (gasp!) she doesn't have one of the salad's ingredients on hand, like fresh parsley or purple potatoes or some rare varietal of squash.

But that's OK! This is The Barefoot Contessa, remember? She can just run out back to her garden and pick whatever is missing straight from the vine/ground/branch. She seems to have it ALL back there.

And on the rare occasion that her garden does not come to the rescue, that's OK too! This is The Hamptons, remember? According to the show, they have an endless supply of local artisans/cheese shops/chicken farms/dairies, so that Ina can just hop into her convertible BMW and pick up her ingredients from local vendors.

My "garden" is limited to a few citrus trees: a very generous Meyer lemon tree, an orange tree with a moderate crop, and a sad and droopy Charlie Brown grapefruit tree. We also have an unlimited supply of rosemary, which really seems to thrive in the desert climate. That's about it.

Thank goodness for the new Downtown 3rd Farmer's Market, which just started operating in Las Vegas a few months ago. I'd heard some really great things about this market — such as some of the best chefs on the Strip get their produce there — so I decided to check it out last Friday.

Eureka!!

Beautiful, fresh, organic and very non-Vegas-like produce (which was mostly foraged from California) and artisanal foods were everywhere, incuding bright seasonal rhubarb, freshly made porcini pasta, and several types of fruit that I had never even heard of. Just look at these tomatoes for crying out loud!

As I filled my bags with just about as much as I could carry, I started to envision myself as one of those people who dictates what she serves for dinner by what she finds at the farmer's market that day.

Why, I could be the Barefoot Contessa of Las Vegas! (Sans the denim, and I'd need to find my own T.R. Any volunteers?)

Anyhow, one of my finds at the market were some surprisingly plump dried dates from a friendly vendor who sold all-things-date: date cookies, date cake, date bread, date bars. She was like the Bubba Gump of dates. I love dates, so I purchased some and, per my new Barefoot Contessa mentality, decided that I would figure out what to do with them when I got home.

Here's what I came up with: Bacon Date Jam. I mean come on!

To go with this jam? How about some flaky blue cheese and walnut biscuits? I mean, shut the front door!

This combination of recipes offers up a little bit of sumpin' sumpin' for each and every one of your taste buds. There is a little bit of sweet, a little bit of savory, some saltiness, some buttery-ness and some tanginess too. You could probably even find a smidgen of umami if you look hard enough. This will likely require multiple tastings — but I know that you are up to the task.

Here are some extra tips for making this duo of deliciousness:

This biscuit recipe is actually a great blueprint for dozens of biscuit recipes, depending on your personal preference. Try combining pecans with fresh rosemary and gruyere or sage, fontina, and hazelnuts. You could even add some extra black pepper or a hit of cayenne for some spice.
These biscuits freeze well. Seal them in zip-top bags and freeze for up to one week. Reheat by wrapping frozen biscuits in foil and baking in a 300F degree oven until warmed through.
For a different twist on the jam, use dried figs instead of dates.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Biscuits with Bacon Date Jam

Printable Recipe

Serves 12-15

For the Bacon Date Jam:

8 ounces applewood smoked bacon, but into 1/2-inch pieces

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup water

1 cup chopped pitted dates

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

For the Biscuits

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

7 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I used Point Reyes)

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Prepare the jam: Place the bacon in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is lightly crisped, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Carefully pour off all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet. Add the shallots to the skillet, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the balsamic vinegar, wine, water, dates, brown sugar, allspice, and bacon to the skillet; stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the mixture until the liquid has reduced and thickened to a syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally, 25-30 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes in the skillet, and then transfer it to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse the mixture until the bacon is coarsely chopped (do not puree!) Transfer the jam to a bowl, cover, and set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse several times until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the blue cheese and the walnuts to the bowl, and pulse until they are evenly incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk and stir until moist clumps form. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead just until the dough holds together, about 4 to 6 turns. Flatten dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Re-roll dough and cut out more rounds until all dough is used.

Transfer biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing apart. Brush the biscuit tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with the bacon date jam.

Homemade Twix Bars

2012-06-11T10:54:12Z

I have an odd habit when it comes to eating. O.K., I actually have several odd habits when it comes to eating (i.e. snacking on frozen peas), but with this post in mind, I have one quirk in particular.

I like to deconstruct my food.

I don't mean "deconstruct" in a super fancy-pants Top Cheffy kind of way, where all of the dish's individual components are separated and artistically arranged on a plate (and usually drizzled with some sort of foam.) I mean "deconstruct" in a more traditional sense: I like to take my food apart, piece by piece, before consuming.

Let me offer up a run-of-the-mill turkey and swiss on rye as an example. Most normal people would consume this sandwich by picking up one half and biting into it……then biting into it again…..and again, yes?

Most normal people would do this. I repeat, most normal people.

I, on the other hand, feel the need to eat my sandwiches layer by layer. First, I eat the top slice of bread. Then, I eat the swiss (or the lettuce and tomato, whichever comes first.) Next, I'll eat the turkey, slice by slice, and finally, the bottom piece of bread.

I don't know why I stick to this routine. Freud would probably have a field day with the analysis though. And Emily Post would tell you that this is incredibly poor etiquette (but I still send hand-written thank-you notes, so I am allowed this one, Em.) My husband would tell you that it drives him crazy.

My earliest memory of playing the "let's take our food apart" game is from about third grade in the Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart cafeteria. I deconstructed a Ho-Ho. First, I peeled off that oddly-textured chocolate shell. Now that I think about it, how do they achieve that slightly waxy consistency? Ew. Next, I would unroll the chocolate cake and eat the sugary white frosting, followed by the cake. I'm certain that the nuns were appalled.

Candy bars were no exception. The best example of this was a Twix bar, which I would stick in the refrigerator or the freezer before eating, so that it the buttery caramel would easily peel back from the crisp shortbread cookie.

I still love Twix, but I never buy them anymore (except maybe to hand out to trick or treaters.) For today's post, I thought that I'd change things up a bit. Instead of deconstructing a Twix, I decided to construct a Twix, layer by layer. I'd seen a few versions of this recipe floating around the Internet and in magazines, so I took bits and pieces from various recipes (namely Sherry Yard's version and Martha Stewart's version), and put my own little spin on the candy.

The results are pretty darn close to the real deal. More importantly, these bars deconstruct beautifully.

Here are my extra tips for making these copycat candy bars:

The bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered. Because the caramel might be too hard after chilling, you might want to allow the bars to sit at room temperature a bit before serving.
If you don't have any Fleur de Sel, Maldon sea salt, or a flake salt, you can substitute kosher salt
I used Lyle's Golden Syrup for the caramel portion of the recipe, which has an appearance similar to honey and a buttery flavor. I found it at our local international market, but I believe that it can also be found at certain Whole Foods or Cost Plus markets. Per the recipe, you can substitute corn syrup.
The best way to cut the bars is by using an extra-sharp knife that has been run under hot water.

Homemade Twix Bars

Printable Recipe

Makes 16-20

Ingredients:

Shortbread crust

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) butter, softened

1/4 cup golden brown sugar, packed

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate caramel layer

1 1/2 cups sugar

9 tablespoons golden syrup or corn syrup

6 tablespoons water

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or Fleur de Sel (plus more for sprinkling)

1/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Chocolate coating (if you are dipping the individual bars, double this amount)

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

Prepare the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9X9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing for a 1-inch overhang. Butter the foil/parchment or spray it with nonstick baking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add the flour and the salt, and beat until combined. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it into an even layer using your hands or a spatula.

Bake the crust until it turns golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the caramel: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, and water. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly and wiping down any stray sugar crystals on the sides with a wet pastry brush. Once the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring.

Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture and continue to cook until it reaches 300F degrees. At this point, remove the pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream (the mixture will bubbly vigorously.) Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the condensed milk and the salt. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the chocolate (optional) until smooth.

Return the pan to the heat and whisk constantly until the temperature reaches 240F degrees. Pour the mixture over the shortbread crust and sprinkle the surface with additional coarse sea salt or Fleur de Sel. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare the chocolate coating: Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler set over low heat. You now have two options for coating the bars:

1. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to cover all of the caramel. Return the pan to the refrigerator until the chocolate is set. Using a sharp knife run under hot water, cut into 2 x 2 0 inch squares to serve.

2. These bars can also be cut and dipped into the chocolate to more closely resemble Twix bars. After the caramel layer has chilled, cut down the length of the pan using a sharp knife that has been run under hot water, into two long pieces. Then cut each piece into strips, about 3/4-inch wide. Quickly dip the chilled bars into the melted chocolate, turning to coat, and place them on a wire rack set over parchment paper to set until firm.

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie Bars

2013-05-24T00:56:37Z

I’m just as guilty as any other avid baker/cook when it comes to an overabundance of kitchen supplies. It has gotten to the point where I simply cannot cram any more pots/pans/mini appliances that I don’t really use/baking dishes into my cabinets. Trust me, I have tried to re-stack or rearrange the whole lot in every way possible. Nothing new is taking up residency in those cabinets unless something gets the boot in its place.

The same applies for my utensil drawers. To put it mildly, they are a cluttered mess. Despite this, I still seem to instinctively know where my grapefruit cutter is whenever I need it –

Wait a minute. Why do I even have a grapefruit cutter? I never eat grapefruit. Neither does Eric.

Clearly, I have a problem. It’s time to put a stop to my habit of mass collecting kitchen utensils that are only good for one rare purpose. I’m looking at you, Mr. Corn Kernel Remover.

With this in mind, it probably wasn’t the ideal time for me to bring home several pound of cherries with the intention to bake a pie. I don’t own a cherry pitter. Damn.

Folks, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Google is a beautiful thing. My cherry splatter-free t-shirt and unstained hands are proof. After googling “ways to pit cherries without a cherry pitter,” I learned a very cool and creative technique, which I will now pass on to you (you’re welcome.)

(The only downside to this technique is that it required me to empty out one of Eric’s bottles of Sam Adams lager. Sorry Eric, I might have forgotten to mention that to you.)

Anyhow, here it is:

1. Stem cherries

2. Hold a cherry in place over the top of the empty beer bottle

3. Using the pointy end of a chopstick or a skewer, push the pit through the cherry and into the bottom of the beer bottle. No clean up required!

4. Repeat with other cherries. Easy peasy.

Highly technical, I know, but I am convinced that you can handle it.

Oh, and somewhere along the way, the intended cherry pie turned into cherry pie bars. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Enjoy.

Here are my extra tips for making this sweet and summery treat:

Need some help with your lattice-work? Here is a little how-to tutorial, compliments of All Recipes.
If you don’t want to make bars, this recipe can be turned into a deep dish traditional pie, you might end up with a little bit of extra dough, but the filling amount should still be the same.
You may use frozen cherries for this recipe. Just be sure to thaw and drain them before mixing with the other ingredients. Otherwise, you will likely have a soggy dessert!
If you don’t have turbinado sugar, then use regular granulated sugar or sanding sugar.
Cover the bars loosely with foil if they start to overbrown during the baking process (this shouldn’t happen, but ovens can be temperamental!)

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie Bars

Printable Recipe

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

For the Crusts

2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 small orange or lemon (optional — I just love zest!)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

6-8 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

5 cups fresh cherries, stems removed and pitted

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

Heavy cream

Turbinado sugar

Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and optional zest in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture and pulse an additional 8-10 times, until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, and sprinkle it with 1/4 cup of the ice water. Mix the dough with a rubber spatula, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to come together in large clumps. Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface and knead it together with your hands, gathering it into a large ball.

Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line a 9X9-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing for a 1-inch overhang. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece of dough to a 12X12-inch square (it doesn’t need to be perfect!), and carefully transfer it to the pan, pressing to fit into the corners. Chill the dough while assembling the filling.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt, tossing well to combine. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust, spreading evenly.

Roll out the smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch square. Using a paring knife or a pastry cutter, cut the dough into 3/4-inch strips. Arrange the strips, lattice-style, on top of the cherry filling, pressing into the sides of the bottom crust to seal.

Brush the top of the crust with the cream. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is a lovely golden brown, and the filling is bubbling. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and serving with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Coconut Key Lime Pound Cake

2012-05-23T08:36:10Z

Let's discuss pound cake, shall we?

I have a love/hate relationship with pound cake. The love part? Well, that should be fairly obvious. I mean, it's pound cake, and if successfully prepared, pound cake is not too hard to love.

The hate part stems from the myriad of mishaps that inevitably occur when trying to create the recipe for a perfect pound cake. I have had more than my fair share of these.

But what, you may ask, constitutes a "perfect pound cake?"

No doubt that the answer varies from baker to baker. Purists may insist that the recipe is not truly a pound cake if it strays from the traditional formula: 1 pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs, possibly flavored with vanilla or brandy.

But if we're being technical here, shouldn't this actually be called a four-pound cake?

This baking powder and milk-free version tends to yield very dense golden brown loaves with a fine crumb. Some say that they are too dense, or too dry (I fall into this category.) So, we bakers and bloggers do what we do best: We take a basic recipe and we change it around to make it our own unique creation.

There are countless credible recipes for pound cake in cookbooks and on the Internet these days. Some use cake flour. Some use bread flour. Some add sour cream for moisture. Some add whole milk or buttermilk. Some separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Some incorporate fava bean puree into the batter (not really, just seeing if you are paying attention.)

Anyhow, my point is that there is no one right recipe for the perfect pound cake. You really just need to play around with options until you find the mix that makes you happy. Through trial and error, these are the things that made me happy:

1. Baking temperature: I found that my perfect baking temperature for pound cake was 325F degrees. At 350F, the loaves would become much too dark on top by the time that the insides were fully baked. I ended up having to cover them with foil during the last 10 minutes.

2. Additional dairy: My most successfully moist loaves had some sort of dairy added to them, about 1/2 cup per loaf. I didn't find a noticeable difference if I used whole milk vs. buttermilk vs. sour cream, so I usually use what I have on hand, which is usually whole milk.

3. Leavening: 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder per loaf wasn't enough. The tops of the loaves were flat, which is a HUGE pet peeve of mine when it comes to pound cake. How on earth is the glaze supposed to ooze over the sides if the top is flat??? I like a nice dome on my pound cakes. So, 1 teaspoon it was.

4. Extras: I'm a big fan of glazes and syrups on cakes. The glazes just look pretty, and the syrups allow that extra punch of flavor to soak into the tops of the loaves. I also like to stir things into the batter: toasted coconut, chopped nuts, zest, etc. It's always nice to add a little texture, right?

So, this recipe is where I am right now in my quest for perfect pound cake. No doubt it will be tweaked even further in the future (I just can't leave well enough alone!) Here are my extra tips for making this lip puckering-ly possibly perfect pound cake:

The initial step of chopping the toasted coconut is not mandatory. I just prefer to have the coconut in small enough pieces so that it doesn't interfere with the slicing.
This cake is actually better the day after it is made, both from a flavor and slicing standpoint. Once the glaze has set, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap, and either store it at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator (my preference).
Feel free to substitute regular limes in this recipe. For other variations, you could also use lemons, oranges, or tangerines.
Add toasted and chopped macadamia nuts to the batter for an additional tropical element.

Coconut Key Lime Pound Cake

Printable Recipe

Makes one 9X5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, lightly toasted

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

Zest of 6 key limes (about 2 regular limes)

2 tablespoons fresh key lime juice

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

For the lime syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh key lime juice

For the lime glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2-3 tablespoons fresh key lime juice

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.

Spray a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and spray the parchment.

Pulse the toasted coconut in the work bowl of a food processor or a mini chopped until it is finely chopped.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar at medium speed until very light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Continue to beat the mixture after all of the eggs have been added for 3 minutes. Beat in the lime zest and the lime juice.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, mixing until combined. Mix in the toasted coconut.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 60-70 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Prepare the syrup: Whisk together the sugar and the lime juice in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the mixture for 30 seconds, stirring until the sugar dissolved (heat for an additional 10-15 seconds, if necessary.) Using a spoon or a pastry brush, pour or bush the syrup over the still warm loaf, allowing it to soak in. Let the loaf sit for 15 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and enough of the lime juice to create a thick but pourable glaze. Pour the glaze over the pound cake, allowing it to drizzle over the sides. Let the glaze set for at least 15 minutes before serving.