The Busty Baker

Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprints

2012-02-09T16:34:00.000-05:00

I swear I spend most of my day in my head, thinking about things that are not at all important to what I’m currently doing. Given even the smallest opportunity, my mind wanders off down its own little path, meandering through its own little world. If I had to guess, I would say that world inside my head probably looks a lot like the board game Candyland, since a lot of what I think about is baking related. Lollipop trees and chocolate rivers. M&M paved roads and marshmallow Peep animals. Not a terrible place to hang out, if I do say so. Somewhere along one of those random paths, I found these cookies.

I was flipping through a magazine when this idea hit. I don’t even remember what brought it on. All I know is that suddenly I had this glimpse of a chocolate thumbprint with a salted caramel filling and knew I had to make it. I’m a sucker for anything salted caramel.

I made my own caramel for these. It turned out mostly successful—it was good, just not amazingly great. I think I cooked it just a touch too long at first, because I’m never quite sure what the perfect amount of color is. And I had a slight mishap with my candy thermometer before I started.. I dropped and shattered my good candy thermometer, so I was left with the older one that was loose—the part that actually measured the temperature slid up and down in its bracket… So I had a good 60 degree range to guess from. Not really an accurate reading. But I put it in a pot of boiling water and lined it up to the 212F line and taped it down, so I think I was pretty close to being right! This is why I can’t have nice things…

Bake the cookies first, and let them cool completely. Then work on the caramel. You don’t want to get distracted. Sugar goes from caramel to burnt very quickly. And liquid caramel = MOLTEN HOT SCARINESS. So have everything ready to go before you start. If the thought of boiling sugar scares the bejeezus out of you, just melt down some store bought caramel squares and add a tablespoon or 2 of heavy cream to keep it soft when it cools. Let the caramel cool slightly before filling the thumbprints, then give it about 5 minutes before you sprinkle on the sea salt, otherwise it’ll just sink into the caramel. Then let the caramel cool completely for a smooth pretty look. I was too impatient to let mine cool before taking pictures, which is why my caramel looks slightly puckered. But it still tastes pretty good!

PS- These are the very first pictures from my brand new camera! (Well, not totally true. The first pictures were of the cat.) I’m finally a DSLR owner! Check that off my 30 before 30 list!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprints
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies and David Lebovitz
Makes about 1 ½ dozen (The original recipe says 3 dozen. They must be TINY because I only got 18)

Cookies:
¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature, cubed*

*Note: If you only have unsalted butter, add another pinch of salt to the heavy cream mixture.

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
3. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. (Or, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.) Let cool slightly.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and chocolate, and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
5. Place about ¼ of a cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, roll dough into 1-inch balls, and then roll in sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Chill dough in refrigerator on baking sheets for about 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove chilled dough from the fridge and press your thumb into the center to make indentations. (I used my ½ tablespoon measuring spoon instead.) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and press centers down again. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (If centers have puffed up again, press down one more time.)
7. Make caramel: In a small saucepan, heat the cream with 1 tablespoon of butter, vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
8. In a heavy saucepan with tall sides, fitted with a candy thermometer, heat corn syrup and sugar, stirring gently until sugar melts. Once sugar is melted, try not to stir. Simply swirl the pan gently every now and then to ensure even heating.
9. Cook until syrup reaches 310F and has turned the color of an older penny. Remove from the heat and pour the cream mixture in slowly. The mixture will boil up quickly, so be careful. Stir until smooth. Place back over the heat and cook until the mixture reaches 248F.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, mixing until it is melted and smooth. Let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before filling cookies.
11. Using a spoon, pour caramel into indentations. Allow to set for about 5 minutes before sprinkling with sea salt. Let cool completely.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

2012-02-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

What’s Valentine’s Day without a little Red Velvet? It’s my favorite cake flavor, so of course I had to sneak it in again this year. After last year’s not so stellar cupcakes, I went for a different approach this time. Instead of the usual cake, why not Red Velvet cookies? Sandwiched with delicious cream cheese frosting, they’re hard to resist!

And you don’t even have to tell anyone it’s a box mix.

That’s right. A box mix. So even the busiest of us can whip up a special treat for our Valentines! While I’m not generally a fan of mixes, these are pretty darn good. They’re just a bit crisp and crunchy around the edges and soft and chewy in the center. And it’s got the added bonus of not having to smear red food coloring all over myself and my kitchen in an attempt to achieve the perfect brilliant hue. I will say that when I was rolling them into balls before baking, they looked SO oily I thought I had messed up. But they baked up just fine.

Want an even quicker and easier treat? Opt for canned frosting to fill these, and you'll be serving them up in no time! I went for the homemade cream cheese frosting, and man is it good. Much better than the frosting I attempted for a batch of ill fated orange cupcakes last week. It ended up looking exactly like cottage cheese, and didn’t taste much better. But this frosting—it’s smooth and creamy and delicious!

And if you don’t like Red Velvet, you can substitute any cake mix you prefer. Devil’s Food cookies with a strawberry frosting would be an equally delicious and fun Valentine’s treat. To dress it up even more, use a heart cookie cutter to cut out shapes in the baked cookies for the perfect festive look!

Are you making anything special for the sweeties in your life?

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
Adapted from Let’s Dish
Makes about 12 sandwiches

Cookies:
1 box (18.25 ounces) Red Velvet cake mix
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable or canola oil

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and flour, breaking up any large clumps of cake mix.
3. Add in oil and eggs and mix until combined.
4. Using a spoon or a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tops are puffed and slightly cracked. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet about 3 to 5 minutes, or until cookies have deflated slightly. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
6. Make filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of milk, beating until combined.
7. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated, and beat on medium high speed for another minute or until frosting is light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add another teaspoon of milk and beat until combined.
8. Spoon or pipe about 1 to 2 tablespoons of frosting into the middle of bottom of one cookie. Top with a cookie of the same size and press gently to push frosting to the edge of the cookies.

Cornbread

2012-01-28T10:48:00.001-05:00

During my senior year of college, between full time classes with more homework than I’d ever had before, a part time job at the grocery store, and an internship with the local police department 3 times a week, I barely had any free time. What time I did find, I lacked all motivation to slave it away in the kitchen. So I rarely cooked. My big meal was baked chicken. Over and over again. But when I didn’t have the time, I’d just throw a box of Jiffy cornbread in the oven and call it a meal. Countless nights I sat at our little kitchen table, highlighter in one hand, reaching for a plate of cornbread with the other.

I wish I would have known about this cornbread years ago.

This? This is no Jiffy cornbread. This is the real thing—thick and dense, yet moist. This cornbread has substance. The cornmeal gives it just the slightest cruch and the honey gives it just a touch of sweet. And it’s incredibly easy to throw together. The first time I made it, I went from sitting on the couch reading my Everyday Food magazine to putting it in the oven in just 15 minutes. The 2nd time, it took me longer to find the magazine again than it did to actually make it! So skip the Jiffy and make your own. It’s the perfect side for a bowl of chili in the cold months.

Warm and fluffy, slathered with a heaping scoop of sweet jam or honey and butter— there’s something completely comforting about a big pan of cornbread.

Cornbread
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine October 2011
Makes 16 slices

1 ½ cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9x9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, buttermilk, eggs, and honey.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined.
5. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish and smooth top. Bake until top is lightly golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes*. Let pan cool on a wire rack about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

*Note: Both times I've made this cornbread I had to bake it longer than the instructed time. Checking it at 20 minutes, the top was starting to brown, but the center was completely raw still. At 25 minutes, the top was a beautiful golden color, but the center was still undercooked and jiggly. To keep it from browning more, I covered it with foil and baked it for another 3 minutes.

Lemon Pull Apart Bread

2012-01-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

I give you fair warning—if you’re still going strong on your New Year’s Resolution (go you!), turn away. This isn’t for you. This will completely and utterly derail you from your goal, and I don’t wish to be responsible for your demise. So quick—look away! Click somewhere else! Save yourself! For the rest of us… Behold. The carboholic’s dream.

Lemon Pull Apart Bread. Layer upon layer of delicious lemony sugar coated carbs. Amazing. Beyond amazing! So incredibly good, you won't be able to control yourself.

I’ve seen these pull apart breads around for quite awhile, usually in Joy the Baker’s cinnamon adaptation, but I’d never gotten around to trying it out myself. Until I saw the lemon version. Something just clicked, and I HAD to make it.

In every post I’ve read about these pull apart breads, they always say they totally just stood at the counter eating piece after piece of this stuff still warm from the oven. I thought it was just an exaggeration—surely all these people could control themselves better than that, right? Wrong. After the first bite, I knew they weren’t just exaggerating. I found myself just standing there, like so many others before me, pulling piece after piece off, indulging in the utter bliss that only warm sugary carbs can give you.

I’m telling you. This bread is like crack. Bright, lemony, candied, carbolicious crack. You won’t be able to stop. You’ll literally stand there, shamelessly pulling piece after sticky piece, losing all control of your senses. You’ll eat half the loaf within hours. You’ll proclaim to the whole world, “Oh... If I die tonight, I'll be going down in a heavenly blaze of carboholic glory.” You’ll find yourself at 3am pulling off just one more piece. Your clouded senses will convince you that it’s really okay to have a couple more pieces for breakfast the next morning. Within 24 hours you’ll have singlehandedly finished off an entire loaf of bread all by yourself. And you’ll dream about making more before you’ve even finished the last piece.

I’m already plotting a roll version of this. Like a cinnamon roll. But with lemon instead. Oh it will be done. I’ve already got the lemons waiting on me. Must. have. more.

Lemon Pull Apart Bread
From Buttered Up and Hungry Girl Por Vida
Makes one 9-inch loaf

Dough:
2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 package dry active yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 4 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm butter and milk until butter is just melted and is warm to the touch. Remove from heat, add water and vanilla.
3. Pour the milk mixture over flour mixture and mix by hand using a rubber spatula. Add eggs, mixing until combined. Using the dough hook of the electric mixer, add ½ cup of the remaining flour, mixing until incorporated. Add the rest of the flour and knead until smooth but still sticky.
4. Place the dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about an hour. Deflate the dough and chill for about 20 minutes, up to overnight. (It’s easier to roll out when it’s chilled a bit.)
5. Make the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest and sugar with your fingers until the mixture looks a bit like wet sand.
6. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12 by 20 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 5 strips 12 by 4 inches long. Brush the first strip with melted butter and sprinkle on about 1/5 of the lemon sugar mixture. Top with the next strip. Brush with butter and sprinkle lemon sugar, topping with the next strip. Repeat with all remaining strips.
7. Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch overhangs on either side.
8. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the stack into 6 equal sections, about 2 by 4 inches each. Place stacks in loaf pan, lining up the stacks like slices of bread. (It helped me to turn my pan on its end and stack the sections on top of each other to keep them from sliding down into the pan before I could get the next section in. Don’t worry if there are gaps. When it proofs a second time, they’ll fill in.) Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size again, about 45 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 350F. When dough is ready, bake until top is golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove loaf from the pan. It’s best enjoyed when it’s still warm. Or wrap tightly in plastic wrap to keep for a day or two.

Spritz Cookies

2011-12-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

Oh, Spritz Cookies, how I’ve come to both loathe and love you. You’re a staple holiday cookie, which obviously means that most people don’t have all the problems I have with you. But for me, you’re nothing but drama. Last year it was the broken cookie press that made me want to tear my hair out. This year, you just wouldn’t part with the pan. But alas, Spritz Cookie. I’ve finally bested you, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Because you’re actually pretty delicious!

After last year’s broken plastic disaster, I’d resolved to buy an old-fashioned metal cookie press on Ebay or somewhere this year, but never actually got around to it. But on a recent trip through Williams-Sonoma, I found a nice looking set by Kuhn Rikon with METAL disks instead of plastic. Sold! I was ready to give Spritz Cookies another shot.

I found a good recipe and loaded up my press and started pressing out my cookies on my ungreased, no parchment paper cookie sheets like the instructions said. It took me a little bit to get the hang of it, but once I figured out how to get them to stick and press out, I was a pressing machine! I had 2 trays full of cookies before I knew it! They baked up perfectly and I was so excited! Finally! Spritz Cookies and a press that worked!

Kind of. I let them cool on the tray for a few minutes (probably my fatal mistake), and when I went to put them on the cooling rack, they wouldn’t come off. Like at all. More than half my cookies ended up in a pile of broken shards. Talk about disappointment. I knew it wasn’t the fault of the recipe (cause they were still dang delicious) or the cookie press. It was something between the process of pressing, baking, and cooling that things went wrong.

I tried a different approach with the next round. I used room temperature dough instead of cold dough, since the warmer dough tended to press out and hold together better. But the warm dough stuck a whole lot more than cold dough did to the pan. So I lined the pan with parchment paper to keep it from sticking after baking. But because of its non-stick properties, the dough wouldn’t release from the press onto the parchment either! Finally I decided to press it onto a separate non-stick surface (the lid of a plastic container), and transfer it over to the parchment to bake. A little more involved than just pressing it straight onto the cookie sheet, but it worked like a charm! Not one single stuck or broken cookie!

And the cookies themselves are delicious. The cream cheese keeps them so soft and tender! I ate literally handfuls at a time they were so good! These will definitely make the cut again next year for my cookie packages. And the cookie press is definitely a keeper. Not one single problem with it at all! Yay!

Spritz Cookies
Adapted from Sugarcrafter
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
Sanding sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, beating until just combined. (Dough should be soft, but easily moldable without being overly sticky. If it’s too sticky, chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle. But you don’t want it too cold, or it’s hard to press.)
3. Load dough into cookie press and press out onto an ungreased surface (I used the lid of a plastic container). Gently peel the shape up from the surface and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Add sanding sugar for decoration, if using.
4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Remove from oven and transfer on parchment to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread Cutouts

2011-12-12T12:06:00.000-05:00

“We should totally do a food blogger cookie swap.”

That’s how it started. One tweet from Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil. With one sentence, she, with the help of Julie of The Little Kitchen, connected over 600 people around the world. Within a month and a half, over 22,000 cookies were boxed up and headed across their respective countries to the eager hands of other cookie lovers like me! 22 THOUSAND cookies. All from a single tweet.

Because of that one single sentence, for the past week I’ve eaten nothing but cookies for literally every meal. (Seriously. I just ate ~~one~~ two for breakfast.) And I couldn’t be happier about it! For the first time in a really long time, I’ve actually looked forward to going to the mailbox every day to see if a special surprise awaited me. When I opened the door to find a little white box nestled inside, I’d practically run home, eager to see what kind of treats they were, and who they were from. I was so excited the night the first package came that I actually broke my camera’s memory card trying to get a picture of them. (Hence the lack of posts last week.. But Boyfriend came to the rescue with a replacement, so we’re back in business!)


Top: Double Chocolate Macadamia Gingerbread Blondies from Holly, Middle: Gingerbread Snowflakes from Karen, Bottom: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies from Kate. All amazingly yummy!

As for the cookies I sent across the country—I’ve found my new favorite gingerbread recipe. I’ve been using the same one for years now (the first one I ever tried), but felt like it was time to switch it up. And I’m really glad I did. Sorry original recipe, but I think we’re breaking up. I’ve found someone else. You were good, but new recipe is so much more flavorful and soft. So.. I guess this is goodbye.

Also, note to self—Don’t drink so much caffeine before trying to pipe details with royal icing. I never realized how bad my hand shakes when I’m all hyped up until I tried to pipe prettiness onto cookies. Needless to say, there were a good amount of cookies that went into the reject/eat pile before I could manage the shakes.

I can’t wait til next year for the next cookie swap! Thanks SO much to Lindsay and Julie for setting this all up and connecting us all through the wonderful cookie goodness. They’ve introduced me to six of my new favorite blogs and bloggers! Megan of Wanna be a Country Cleaver, Andrea of Recipes for Divine Living, and Nicole of The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie who I sent my cookies to, and Holly of Phemomenon, Karen of Small Kitchen, Big Taste, and Kate of Cookie and Kate who sent me their amazingly delicious cookies! Thanks so much!

Want to get in early on the action for the next swap? Sign up for all the emails now, so you’ll be the first to know all the details next year.

Gingerbread Cutouts
Adapted from Annie’s Eats and Bake at 350
Makes about 5 dozen 2-inch round cookies

Cookies:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
1 large egg

Royal Icing:
4 tablespoons meringue powder
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
Scant ½ cup water
¼ teaspoon lemon extract (or another clear extract)
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
Food coloring

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in molasses and egg, beating to combine. Add flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Turn out dough onto clean work surface and divide into four portions. Pat each portion into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters in desired shapes. Transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Reroll scraps as needed. Place the cut dough, on the baking sheets, in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes.
5. When chilled, bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are puffed and edges are just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Once cookies are cooled completely, make royal icing: In the clean bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, mix together meringue powder, confectioners’ sugar, water, and extract until combined. Add corn syrup and mix to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes. (It will still look a little runny, and but should hold a line drawn through it with a knife for 5 to 10 seconds. If it rushes back in less than 5 seconds, beat a little longer. If it holds the line for more than 10 seconds, add a small amount of water (a teaspoon at a time) to the icing and beat until it is combined, testing until it reaches the right consistency.)
7. Divide icing into bowls and add food coloring, mixing until color is completely incorporated. Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used a Wilton #3).
8. Working with one cookie at a time, pipe the outline on your cookie, holding the tip about a ½-inch above the cookie and letting the icing fall onto the cookie around the edges of your shape. Then begin to fill the cookie, making zig-zag shapes across the cookie, fairly close together (or whatever works for you).With a small offset spatula, or the tip of a butter knife, gently spread the icing across the cookie to fill in any gaps. Once filled, lightly shake the cookie back and forth (or tap gently on a flat work surface) a few times to help settle the icing. Allow icing to dry for several hours before piping on any raised details*, allowing the final design to dry completely before storing. (I usually let mine dry overnight.)

*Note: If you’re doing very small or intricate details, you’ll probably need to beat your frosting again to stiffen it back up. Just put it back in the mixer and beat for a few minutes more to create a thicker, stiffer consistency.

Handmade Holidays: Rosette Jewelry

2011-12-02T14:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we made fabric rosettes. Totally simple. Totally cute. Today, we're going to turn them into jewelry to give as holiday gifts!

We left off yesterday with some almost done rosettes. Now we'll finish them off depending on what we're using them for.

First, the bracelet:

You'll need:
4 to 6 rosettes, depending on the size
some scrap fabric or felt
ribbon, cut to the size of your wrist, plus a bit of extra length to tie in a bow
hot glue

1. Cut a bit of scrap fabric or felt into a square slightly larger than the width of your rosette. Apply a generous amount of hot glue to the underneath side of your rosette.
2. Press the scrap fabric onto the hot glue to adhere.
3. Trim away the excess fabric and glue down any loose edges. This is now your finished single rosette. (By gluing on the scrap fabric, it'll help hold the rosette together and give it a clean finished look.)

4. Find the center of the ribbon. Apply hot glue to the underneath side of a finished rosette and press onto center of the ribbon.
5. Add the next rosettes on either side of the center, placing them as close to the center rosette as you can. (Seriously. Just smash 'em together as much as you can. It'll help with filling the gaps later.)
6. Repeat with all remaining rosettes.

As you can see, even though I put my rosettes as close as I could onto my ribbon, when I tie it around my wrist, there are still gaps between them. If it doesn't bother you, you can always leave it like this. Or you can fix it with a little more hot glue.

7. Place a dot of hot glue on the side of the rosette (near the bottom so it doesn't squish up and out) and push the rosettes together. This will eliminate all the gaps between the rosettes and the bracelet will hold it's curved shape.

And there you have it! A pretty rose bracelet to give as a gift, or wear yourself!

Now for my favorite project, the necklace:

You'll need:

5 rosettes (I used varying sizes)

scrap fabric or felt

thin link chain (about 20" to 22" long)

ribbon

hot glue

1. We'll start by gluing the rosettes together first. Apply a dot of hot glue on the side (near the bottom) of the rosette, and press rosettes together to adhere.

2. Once they're all glued together, cut a bit of scrap fabric slightly larger than the size of the rosettes (like you did in step #1 of the bracelets).

3. Apply a generous amount of hot glue to the back side of the rosettes, and press the scrap fabric onto it to adhere. Trim away any excess fabric and glue down any loose edges.

4. Now it's time to add the chain. I used a very thin link chain that I found in the jewelry section of the craft store. This kind works perfectly because it cuts easily with just regular scissors. No need for wire cutters or any special tools. Loop the chain around your neck and adjust until you find the length you want, then cut. I made mine long enough to go over my head so I didn't have to mess with clasps--it ended up being about 20" long.

5. Apply a dot of hot glue on the backside in the center of the top rosette. Lay one end of the chain into the hot glue.

6. Cut a tiny scrap of fabric and lay into the hot glue over the chain and press to adhere. This will keep the chain secure in the glue, and also give it a nicer finished look.

7. Repeat with the other end of the chain on the other side of the rosettes.

8. To give it a little pop of color, I added a bow onto my necklace. Tie a piece of 1.5" satin ribbon into a bow, adding a little dot of hot glue under the center loop (kind of tucked inside) to keep it from coming untied. On the back of the ribbon, add a dot of hot glue and press the chain into it right above the rosettes to adhere.

And there you have it! A gorgeous necklace that any girl would love to get as a gift!

Need other ideas to use rosettes? Cluster a few together and glue a pin on the back to dress up that boring old cardigan. Add a couple to a tote bag to brighten up the look. Attach some to a headband or hair clip. Go crazy with them, adding them to everything you can find!

Handmade Holidays: Fabric Rosettes

2011-12-01T16:50:00.001-05:00

I'm back with another crafty holiday idea for you. This my favorite craft project I've made so far--they're so cute! I've seen these fabric rosettes all over the web, but never realized just how easy they were to make. (Not as easy as the tshirt scarf, but still pretty simple). And the possibilities for them are endless! Make jewelry with them. Attach them to an apron or a tote bag. Make pins out of them to dress up a sweater. So much you can do with something so simple! This is my favorite way to use them so far.

Perfect for the fashionista in your life, or to wear to those holiday parties coming up! And they're so easy to create.

I think this is my first real attempt at a full on step-by-step tutorial. So I apologize if the pictures are a little blurry or things don't make total sense. I never realized how hard it was to stop every 30 seconds and take a bunch of pictures! If you need any clarification on anything, leave me a comment or drop me a line and I'll try to help out! Also, pay no attention to the huge fingers, chipped nails, cat hair, and hot glue strings floating around in these pictures..

What you'll need:

*Fabric Quarters (usually 18"x21") - You can find these in the fabric section of the craft store. They're usually with the quilting fabrics. (1 Fabric Quarter makes four 1 1/2-inch rosettes or 8 1-inch rosettes) Or use any scrap or remnant fabric.
*fabric glue and/or a hot glue gun
*iron

The Fabric Quarters are perfect for this project. They're the right size, come in a whole range of fun colors, and the best part--because they come all folded up in a packaged square, you don't even have to measure the fabric. Just cut along the creases! They won't be exactly the same size, but it's close enough. (If you're using scrap fabric instead of Fabric Quarters, you'll cut your strips about 5"x21" each.)

1. With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, place a dot of fabric or hot glue roughly in the middle of the fabric. Place several dots down the length of the fabric. (This will hold your fabric together so it doesn't slip while you're making the rosettes. If you've got skills and can hold it all together on your own, you can skip the glue.)
2. Fold the bottom part up a third of the way, like you're folding a letter. Press down to adhere the glue.

3. Place a few more dots of glue in the middle along the length of the fabric. Fold the top third over the bottom third and press to adhere the glue.
4. Fold the top half of the fabric over. Press with a hot iron to crease. (Ironing should hold it together, so you don't need to place glue on this fold.)

I've seen a lot of tutorials for rosettes that don't use any glue or ironing or anything. They just fold the fabric. I ended up really frustrated when I tried it because my fabric kept slipping and coming unfolded, which left me with a messy, frayed looking rosette. Folding the ends in, gluing them together, and ironing the whole thing made it much easier for me to keep everything neat and gave the rosettes a nicer finished look. But it's completely up to you!

Once you've got your strips made, it's time to make the rosettes! If you're making larger rosettes (bigger than 1-inch wide) use the whole strip. For rosettes an inch or smaller, cut the strip in half before starting.

5. Twist one end of the strip.
6. Fold the end in at the twist.
7. Fold the end over and start to roll the fabric to create the bud of the rose.
8. After you've created the center bud, place a dot of hot glue on the fabric to seal. (Otherwise, one false move and it all unrolls. Trust me..)

A few tips before we really get rolling *haha* :
*Hot glue seems to work better at this stage because it sets a lot faster than fabric glue.
*Make sure to put the dot of glue near the bottom of the fabric so it doesn't squish up and out the top of your rose when you continue rolling.

9. To create the "petals", twist the fabric the same way you did in step #1. (I usually put a dot of glue on the section of fabric right before I make a twist, to secure it.)
10. It'll look a little lumpy, but just keep rolling.

11. Keep rolling, twisting the fabric every so often to create the petals, gluing as you go to keep it together.
12. Roll and twist until you have about a 1 1/2 inches of fabric left. (Or until the rosette is the size you want it to be.)
13. On the underneath side of the rosette, put a bit of hot glue in the center.
14. Fold the last bit of the fabric strip under the rosette and press into the hot glue to seal.

There you have it! An almost done rosette. We'll finish them off tomorrow when we make a bracelet and a necklace with them!

Triple Chocolate Biscotti

2011-11-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving’s over and we’re officially into prime Holiday season. I don’t know about you, but this time of year is B-U-S-Y for me. For those of you who have never had the “privilege” of working retail during the holidays, let me tell you… You literally run for 8 hours a day. No joke. It’s like being on a treadmill all day long, only stopping for a half an hour to eat your lunch. It’s an intense workout! By the time I get home, I’m exhausted. The last thing I want to do is bake dozens of cookies. Well, that’s not true. I do want to bake dozens of cookies. I just don’t have the energy.

I know it’s not just retail employees that feel this way during the season though. We’re all tired and stressed and feel like there’re just not enough hours in the day. That’s why Biscotti cookies are perfect for this time of year. They’re easy to make and keep for quite awhile, so you can make them whenever you have time, and not have to worry about them going stale right away! And nothing’s more perfect than Triple Chocolate Biscotti.

Made with cocoa powder, bursting with chocolate chips, and dipped in melted chocolate, it’s a chocolate lovers dream come true! Dipped in coffee, they’re perfection. But the best thing about them? You can make them in advance. Since they’re already extra crunchy cookies, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Talk about a time saver! There are tons of ideas you can do with these cookies:

• They’re perfect for mailing in cookie packages. They’re sturdy and dry so you don’t have to worry about them too much if they take a prolonged trip through the postal service.
• Package them up in treat bags and give them as a gift with a nice mug and a package of coffee or some homemade hot chocolate for a neighbor, coworker, or teacher.
• They freeze beautifully—Bake them up, then pop them in the freezer once they’ve cooled. Take them out of the freezer a few hours before serving to allow them to come to room temperature. They’d make a perfect snack for that after-dinner coffee. (Or just to snack on by yourself through the holidays.)

So save yourself some stress this holiday season and do some of your baking in advance! But just be warned—if you’re anything like me, the prebaked dough will make you giggle uncontrollably.

Doesn't that just look appetizing..

Triple Chocolate Biscotti
Adapted from David Lebovitz
Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Glaze:
1 egg white (reserved from separating the yolk for the biscotti)
1 tablespoon coarse sanding sugar

Topping:
¼ to ½ cup dark or milk chocolate, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together whole egg, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Gradually fold in dry ingredients, then chocolate chips until mixture forms a dough that holds together.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a log the length of your baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet and flatten the top of the log slightly.
5. With the reserved egg white, brush the top of the log liberally with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. Bake for 25 minutes (the dough should feel firm to the touch).
6. Remove dough from oven, leaving oven on, and cool for 15 minutes. On a cutting board, using a serrated bread knife, cut diagonally into ½-inch slices. Lay cookies cut side down back onto baking sheet and return to oven. Bake again until cookies feel mostly dry and firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.
7. Melt chocolate for topping in a small saucepan set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth and melted. (Or melt in the microwave, stirring every 10-20 seconds, until completely smooth and melted.) Once the biscotti have cooled, drizzle chocolate over cut side, or dip half into chocolate. Let cool until chocolate hardens.

Handmade Holidays: Tshirt Scarf

2011-11-26T22:13:00.002-05:00

I'm obsessed with crafting again. I blame Pinterest. I spend forever scrolling through the DIY & Craft section, looking for ideas of things to make. Most are things that are either a bit beyond my crafting skill level, or things that I'll never need. Ever. But every once in awhile an idea jumps out at me that says, "Hey! Even I could do that!" This is one of those. I swear, even if you're not the slightest bit crafty, you can do this one. It takes about 5 minutes and you probably already have the materials hanging out in the back of your closet! So why not wrap up a gift of handmade love this holiday season?

Scarves are totally in right now, and with winter quickly upon us, they're not just fashionable, but a necessary accessory. And this one couldn't be easier to make! Literally about 3 steps, and you're good to go.

What you'll need:
1 large tshirt (I used a men's XL)
Scissors

Seriously. Just pull, pull pull. Stick it around a doorknob and pull. Step on part of it and pull up. Play tug of war with the kids! Anyway you can, pull the crap out of it (without ripping it). The more you pull, the longer it'll be, so stop and try it on every once in awhile until you find the length you like. Simple as that!

Recycle a shirt you already have (that one with the holes in the armpits that you can't even give away), or hit up the clearance section or the thrift store for a cheap shirt. Use any color you like (or maybe a fun stripe pattern), or go the extra step and dye a shirt to create your own color. It's hard to see in the pictures, but I dyed mine to make an ombre color. (Ombre: French for "shaded" it's a graduated color, light to dark.) To create an ombre look, place the very bottom part of the shirt in the dye and let soak according to the dye package directions. Every couple minutes, lower the shirt a little farther into the dye, until you finally get to the very top of the shirt. Dip it quickly, then remove and rinse the dye from the shirt according to the directions. The longer the shirt is in the dye, the darker it will be, so bottom should be pretty dark, while the very top should be fairly light, creating the ombre look!

(BIG tip--dye things in a bucket or a container you don't really care about. Not your kitchen sink.. Not that I'd know anything about that. Mine totally doesn't have a purple tint to it now.. Not at all..... In completely unrelated news, does anyone know how to get stains out of not-so-stainless steel?)

Now you've got a cute, totally easy to make scarf to wear or give away! It only took you 5 minutes and cost you next to nothing! Wondering what to do with the rest of the shirt you cut off? Check out Make it and Love it's braided headbands. I made one of these with my scraps and it's so cute!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2011-11-23T14:34:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is a day of true indulgence. We’ll pile our plates high with turkey and stuffing and sides, eat until we’re on the brink of explosion, then go back for dessert. Unbuttoning our pants and falling asleep on the couch are perfectly acceptable, if not encouraged behaviors. And as punishment for uttering that dirty, four letter d-word, “diet”, our mouths are washed out with pie. It’s a day where calories don’t count and seconds and thirds are mandatory. So why not start the day with a truly indulgent breakfast as well? How about a batch of delicious, gooey pumpkin cinnamon rolls?

They’re soft and fluffy and full of warm spicy goodness. And Oh. So. GOOD! Believe me when I say these are seriously incredible. I made smaller rolls because I had every intention of taking them to work to share, but it was dark by the time I got around to taking pictures (darn you, Winter!) so I had to wait until the next day to shoot. In the meantime, I ate a couple. And then a couple more. And a few more after that. By the end of the night, I’d eaten about a quarter of the pan. Oh darn.. Now I don’t have enough to share. Guess I won’t take them with me to work.. Over the next couple days, I ate them for breakfast. I ate them for dinner. I ate them as a midnight snack. I ate the entire pan. by. my. self. And I thought about making more.

In addition to tasting incredible, they’re actually incredibly easy to make. There’s no kneading involved. Heck, I didn’t even use my mixer! At all. For any of it. I did every bit of it with a whisk and a rubber spatula. Even the frosting. So there’s no excuse not to make these! I’ll even give you my secret proofing tip if it’ll help convince you. My house is always freezing cold. (seriously. I JUST turned the heat on a couple days ago when the thermostat finally dropped down to 55 degrees. Inside my house.) That’s exactly how I like it. So that “warm” place to let your dough rise doesn’t really exist in my house. My trick? I put it in the oven and turn the preheat on for about 30 to 45 seconds, then turn it back off. Makes a perfect little warm spot for my rolls to do their proofing. And now you truly have no excuse.

Cinnamon rolls take some time to put together, and you’ve already got so much to do for Thanksgiving, so make it easy on yourself by doing most of the work the night before. You can do up through most of step #5 tonight. Instead of allowing to rise in a warm area the second time, cover the dish and put them in the fridge to proof overnight. In the morning, pull them out of the fridge, let them finish rising in a warm area for about a half an hour, then pop in the oven to bake! Just make sure to snag a couple before everyone devours them to pack as a snack to enjoy while you’re standing in the early morning Black Friday lines! Gotta keep your energy up!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything and My Baking Addiction
Makes 12 large rolls or 24 small rolls

Rolls:
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour

Filling:
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

1. Make the rolls: In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons of butter until just warm and butter is almost completely melted; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together bread flour and all purpose flour; set aside. Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat until combined. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and yeast. Add half of flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the other half of the flour mixture and beat until combined. (Dough will be soft and sticky still, but should hold together in a ball.) Turn dough out into the greased bowl, and lightly spray top of dough with cooking spray.

3. Cover bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour. With floured hands, deflate dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead gently a few times to create a smooth dough. (It will still be sticky, so keep your hands floured.) Sprinkle dough with enough additional flour to make it easy to handle, and roll out into a 12x10 inch rectangle. (For smaller rolls, divide dough in half first, then roll out each half to 12x5 inches.)

4. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Brush surface of dough with melted butter, and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture, leaving about a quarter- to a half-inch of the top long edge clear of brown sugar mixture. (This will make it easier to seal the dough later.)

5. Starting with the long bottom edge, roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into twelve 1-inch slices. Place rolls, cut side up, into a greased baking dish (for large rolls, a 9x13 baking dish; for smaller rolls, either a 9-inch round cake pan, or an 8x8 square baking dish). Cover dish and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake rolls until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes.

7. While rolls are cooling, make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add maple syrup and beat to combine. Add cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency. (If frosting is too thick, add a little bit of milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. If it is too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.)

8. Drizzle or slather frosting over still warm rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

2011-11-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

There’s nothing like a wrapping your hands around a steaming mug of hot chocolate on cold winter days, each sip spreading warmth through your entire body. Wrapping up in a blanket on the couch with a mug and a good book? Heaven. So why not share a little bit of happiness with those around you this holiday season?

Making your own hot chocolate mix is incredibly simple; throw all the ingredients in a bowl and stir! With most of the ingredients probably already in your pantry, in the long run making your own will save you money—one batch makes 16 servings! Plus, knowing that you’re drinking something completely homemade just makes it extra special. Top it with some homemade peppermint marshmallows and you’ve got yourself the perfect winter drink.

The marshmallows are a bit more involved, but well worth it. I’ve been eating handfuls of marshmallows by themselves! Floating on top of my cup of cocoa, they’re the perfect cool bite in my warm drink. Not a peppermint fan? Substitute the peppermint extract for the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean, and you’ve got the perfect vanilla bean marshmallows.

Now that you’ve got the mix and the marshmallows, it’s time to share! Fill a small treat bag, disposable piping bag, or Ziploc bag with 1/3 cup of cocoa mix, top with a handful of marshmallows and tie with a pretty ribbon. Put your single serving cocoa package in a nice mug or tumbler, and you’ve got a great gift for a neighbor, boss, or teacher! Or fill a jar with cocoa and marshmallows for more than a single serving!

And don’t forget the gift tag to go with it! I made these cute printable tags just for you! Print out on cardstock, punch a hole and tie it up with festive ribbon!

Click here for downloadable and printable pdf file. (Tags will print 3-inches by 5-inches)

How do you warm up during the cold winter days?

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes about 16 servings

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 ½ cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper (I used less than a pinch.)

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine all ingredients.
2. To make cocoa, mix 1/3 cup of mixture with hot water or milk. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream.

To store: Place mixture in a large airtight container, or divide into single servings, measuring out 1/3 cup of mixture and placing in zip top bags.

Peppermint Marshmallows
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Makes a LOT. (I didn’t really count, but it filled a gallon Ziploc bag nearly ¾ full of 1/2-inch squares.)

½ cup cold water, divided
Three ¼-ounce packets unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Make marshmallows a day in advance: Spray an 11x17-inch baking pan (or 9x13 baking dish for thicker marshmallows) lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment as well; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup of water. Let soften for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine remaining ¼ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Without stirring, continue to cook until syrup reaches 236F on a candy thermometer.
4. With the mixer on low, using a whisk attachment, slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the gelatin. When mixture turns opaque, add peppermint extract. Gradually turn the mixer up to high, beating until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and sticky, about 8 to 10 minutes. (The bowl will probably still be warm to the touch.)
5. Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. (Don’t worry about trying to scrape it all out of the bowl. It’s not going to all come out, and you’ll just end up covered in marshmallow. Trust me.) With wet hands, spread the mixture to the edges and smooth the top. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, lightly sprayed with cooking spray, and let stand overnight.
6. Once set, using a knife, a pizza cutter, or cookie cutter, cut marshmallows into squares. (Cut them as big as you want. Mine are about ½-inch squares) Toss in confectioners’ sugar to coat, tapping lightly to remove any excess.

Lemon Vanilla Bean Shortbreads

2011-11-14T20:13:00.000-05:00

We’re getting dangerously close to the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just a week and a half away, and then it’s time to dive right into the rest of the winter holidays! It’s prime gift giving season, which means Santa needs to start making his list and checking it twice, very soon. Sure you’ve got ideas for the major players in your life, but what about the little people too? The neighbor who always rakes your leaves or shovels your driveway? The mailman who delivers, rain or shine? A teacher? A boss? The friends and family who live far away, or the ones you’ll visit close to home? It’s the season to say thanks and show how much you care. And what better way to express those feelings than something homemade. That’s why this year, for my annual holiday post series, I’m sharing ideas for Handmade Holidays! From food to crafts, there’s something for everyone, near and far!

First up, a little something to pack in those cookie care packages to ship to family and friends around the country.

Shortbreads are perfect for the holiday cookie package. Crisp and sandy, they can handle a few days in transit without losing their delicious buttery flavor. While, honestly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of shortbread (I like my cookies soft and chewy), I have to say I’ve eaten a shameful amount of these. And I’m well on my way to being a shortbread convert too (along with apple pie and baked fruit. This is apparently the year of changing my mind about food!) Flecked with vanilla bean seeds and kissed with just a hint of lemon, they’re the perfect bite-sized treat. If I can tear myself away from nibbling them as is, I might even dip the rest in chocolate for an even more irresistible treat.

What kind of cookies will you be sending in your care packages this year? And what tips do you have for getting them there in one piece?

Lemon Vanilla Bean Shortbreads
Adapted from Bake! by Nick Malgieri
Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen 1-½ inch cookies

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add scraped vanilla beans and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove bowl from mixer and, with a rubber spatula, fold in flour by hand.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a large rectangle. Divide the dough in half. Working with a half at a time, gently roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 1 ½-inch cookie cutter to cut out shapes, placing them on prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart.
5. Gather the scraps and reroll with other half of the dough, repeating until all dough has been used.
6. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until edges just begin to brown, about 14 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2011-11-08T14:26:00.003-05:00

Have you ever come across a recipe that just demands to be made right. this. instant? One that no matter how many other things you have on your list of things to make, jumps right to the top? You’re so excited to make them, dancing around in front of the oven waiting for them to be done so you can take that first bite. Delicious smells fill the air. The anticipation almost overwhelming you. And then…

Total disappointment. They’re not at all what you envisioned. You’ve fallen for their siren song, and you’re left feeling deceived. That’s exactly how I feel about these muffins.

They had me at Snickerdoodle. Add a tang of sour cream to the mix, and I couldn’t resist. If I had sour cream in my fridge at that moment, I would have been off the couch and in the kitchen in record time. But it was in my shopping cart the very next day, and the next chance I had, I was whipping these up.

When they finally cooled, I was more than ready to tear into them. Expecting to have my mind blown by the awesomeness of these muffins, I was slightly surprised when I got to the center and tasted... nothing. Well, not nothing. There’s a hint of tang from the sour cream, and just a touch of spice, but it’s mostly just bland. I was so disappointed. These were supposed to be life changing muffins!

In retrospect, I suppose I should have known. It's not a bad recipe. Not at all. It's moist and fluffy--everything you want your muffin to be. It's just the nature of the beast. Snickerdoodles get all their flavor from the cinnamon and sugar coating. With a flat cookie, you get the flavor in every bite. Even with a cupcake, you get a bit of flavorful frosting with each bite. But muffins? Not so much. Oh well. They can’t all be winners. Even the ones you have such high hopes for.

Snickerdoodle Muffins
Adapted from eat me, delicious and Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Makes about 16 muffins

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup sour cream

Topping:
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately, beginning and ending with the flour, until just incorporated.
4. In a small shallow bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar for topping. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into cinnamon sugar mixture, rolling to coat. Place coated mixture in muffin tin. Bake until golden brown, about 20-22 minutes. Let cool completely.

Extra Crispy Apple Crisp

2011-11-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

Apple season is winding down as we get closer and closer to the flavors of the holidays, when even pumpkin is an afterthought behind peppermint and gingerbread. But before we say goodbye to apple, I thought I’d share one more yummy treat to send apples off with a fond farewell—a good old fashioned apple crisp.

While we picked apples, Boyfriend kept insisting I make an apple crisp for him. His one requirement for this apple crisp? Make it with tons of topping, because the “crisp” is the best part. After apple braids and handpies, I finally got around to making his crisp with the last few apples I had.

With double the crisp topping, you could barely see the apples on the bottom of my pan! But I have to say, Boyfriend is right. That topping is amazing. I’d eat an entire pan of just the crisp if I could.

I brought it over to Boyfriend’s still warm from the oven and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. He actually kept pausing his video game to take another bite! I left it with him to finish off, but ended up making a tiny loaf pan sized crisp for myself the next day because I wanted more. I guess I really am an apple convert now. So long, apples. I'll definitely be seeing you again next year.

Extra Crispy Apple Crisp
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Makes about 6 servings

Filling:
4 apples, peeled and cored, diced
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp apple pie spice
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Topping:*
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice
2/3 cup (13 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats

1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, sift flour, apple pie spice, and brown sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut in cubes of butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in oats to distribute evenly; set aside.
2. In an 8-inch square baking dish, toss together apples, lemon juice, apple pie spice, and brown sugar until evenly coated. Sprinkle oat topping over the apples. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden and apples are tender.

*Note: This is double the amount of topping from the original recipe. Halve the topping measurements if you don’t want quite as much on your apple crisp.

30 before 30: Halfway There

2011-10-31T13:48:00.000-04:00

It’s getting closer and closer. I’m just 6 months from the big 3-0, and I feel like I’m falling way behind on my list already! I didn’t even update last month, because I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything. So it’s time to hold myself accountable, and get my butt in gear.

7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on): I’ve been bitten by the crafting bug. I blame Pinterest. Not only have I sewed a little lately, but I’ve been knitting like it’s my job. Not that I have anything to show for it yet, because I end up pulling it all back out and starting over, but soon. Very soon, I’ll at least have a new scarf to wear this winter!

10. Send out Christmas cards: I had the grand idea to make my own Christmas cards this year. If I spent time and money on making my own cards, I just had to send them out, right? Well, after realizing just how much I’d have to invest in yet another new crafty venture, I decided to just stick with the premade ones I already have. So we’ll see if it happens. Someone remind me. Constantly.

14. Read 3 non-fiction books: I’m up to 2 now. I finally plowed my way through the book I wasn’t enjoying, and promptly went right back to reading a bunch of mindless fiction. I have a couple non-fiction books I want to read, so I think I’ll be able to handle one more in 6 months!

17. Read 8 books I already own: Check 3 more off that list. The great thing about working for a bookstore is that publishers send all kinds of free copies for us to read to be able to recommend. Most of them are things that would never interest me in the first place, but I’ve taken home a few that I’ve actually enjoyed.

* The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern-- filled with absolutely beautiful imagery, but I think I’ve been spoiled by young adult fiction, because I kept waiting for something huge and spectacular to happen, and it never really did. Nevertheless, I liked it.
* Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close--Chick Lit is something I normally shy away from, but I liked this one. Centered around a group of friends trying to navigate their way through young-adulthood, it’s completely relatable. I found myself laughing at parts and thinking, “I’ve definitely got to pass this one on to my friends to read when I’m done.”
* Glow (Sky Chasers) by Amy Kathleen Ryan—Yes, it’s teen. And yes it’s sci/fi. But it’s not the typical type of teen fantasy that fills the shelves now. No vampires. No paranormal stuff. And it’s not mindless fluff either. It’s totally a make you think, big issues type book. The general idea of it didn’t thrill me at first. Set in space? No thanks. But once I got into the actual story, I was hooked. Bound for New Earth, Kieran and Waverly are the oldest of all the children aboard one of 2 ships—those that will be the future of New Earth. When the 2nd ship in the mission suddenly attacks Kieran and Waverly’s ship, they only want 1 thing. The children. More specifically, the girls. I won’t go into too much more because I don’t want to give anything away, but Glow brings forth a lot of big issues and really makes you think, which is a bit of rarity in the YA genre.

18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before: 1 more down. Recipe still to come, but I made Apple Crisp last week for Boyfriend with my haul of handpicked apples. I know, I know. A crisp? Easiest thing in the world! But I’d never made one before, so it totally counts.

23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before: 2 down now. I made steak before and this time, BBQ Chicken Pizza. I’ve made pizza before, so that wasn’t a big deal. But for the first time ever, I made my own BBQ sauce. And it was gooood. I’ll have to make it again so I can get some good pictures, but I’m definitely putting it up here for you guys soon. It was so good, Boyfriend still asks for it.

I think that’s it for now. I really need to work very hard on a lot more of them, so hopefully next update, I can have a few crossed off completely! Here’s to the last 6 months of my 20s.

Self Improvement:
1. Lose a dress size
2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.)
~~3. Get my hair cut finally. And actually style it every day~~
4. Get highlights
5. Pay off my credit cards (or at least significantly pay down)
6. Get back into couponing
7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on)
8. Decorate my house and put pictures up on my walls
9. Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers)
10. Send out Christmas cards
11. Visit a new city
12. Visit another state
13. Get a passport (even if I don’t get to use it right away)

Reading:
14. Read 3 non-fiction books (2/3)
15. Read 3 classic books (1/3)
16. Read 3 Shakespeare plays (1/3)
17. Read 8 books I already own (6/8)

Food:
18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before (3/5)
~~19. Enter a baking competition (and win!)~~
20. Bake a pie
21. Make another tiered, fondant covered cake (I will master you, fondant.)
22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before (2/3)
23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before (2/3)
24. Make pasta from scratch
25. Cook more, eat out less
26. Put together a cookbook of my favorite recipes (even if it’s just for me)

Blogging:
27. Get back into a blogging routine (I've been a slacker lately! Sorry.)
28. Be more interactive in blogging (Giveaways and other ideas I’ve had rattling around my brain)
~~29. Give the blog a makeover?~~
30. Buy a fancy DSLR camera (and learn how to use it)

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

2011-10-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year. But not just for the weather, the beautiful colors, and the warm fall flavors, although those don’t hurt. What I love is that from now until the end of the year, there’s nothing short of a flood of new cookbooks coming out. The holidays are huge for cookbook sales, whether it’s to find new recipes to make for the endless gatherings, or gifts for the chefs and bakers in your life. Already in just the past couple months, over a dozen new dessert books alone have come out. And the season has only just begun. Every day at work I discover a new treasure. I’m constantly skimming through the new arrivals, mentally adding more and more to my wish list.

One of the books at the top of my list was The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando. Cute, fun, and full of recipes for all your favorite classic cookies. You know, the kind your mom and grandma made when you were younger. The ones you turn to whenever you just need a cookie. The simple, classic, not-much-fuss cookies we all know and love. Sure, if you want those fancypants patisserie-type cookies like French Macarons and Madeleines, those are in here too, but the majority of the recipes are of the “whip up a batch when the craving strikes” variety.

I say “was” at the top of my list, because it’s no longer on my list. It’s in my possession now thanks to the lovely ladies at Cleaning Plates, a Philly-based food podcast! (Yay! I never win giveaways!) As soon as I got it, I started plotting all the recipes I wanted to try from it. I finally had a little time (and a big cookie craving) the other day to try it out.

First up—Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies. I love me some sugar cookies. And these are soft, chewy, totally simple, and incredibly quick to whip up. Dress them up in festive Halloween colors for the perfect treats for your party. They’ll be ready in a flash, leaving you plenty of time to work on getting your costume just right. Dress them up in any color you want, slather them with your favorite frosting, or just roll them in granulated sugar and enjoy them naked (the cookies. Not you. Or maybe you, if that’s what you want. Who am I to judge.) This is definitely a recipe to keep in your arsenal. I’m already thinking of all the possibilities for these delicious cookies. And already plotting when I can make more yummies from this book.

Thanks so much Shao and Christine!

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Adapted from The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando
Makes 3 dozen 3-inch cookies

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Non-pareils or sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl, making sure to get any dry bits at the bottom.
4. Using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, roll dough into 1-inch balls. If using non-pareils, dip one side of the ball into a shallow bowl of sprinkles to coat the top. (If using sanding sugar, you can just dip half, or simply roll the ball in the sugar to coat the whole thing.) Place on prepared baking sheets, pressing down gently to flatten balls slightly. Chill dough on baking sheets in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
5. Once chilled, bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple Hand Pies

2011-10-18T14:36:00.000-04:00

I may have found the remedy to my baked fruit aversion. Tuck it into a tiny little pie. Then smother it with whipped cream or ice cream. Suddenly, what once was only somewhat tolerable turns into something I’ll downright eat the crap out of. I totally get the whole “a la mode” deal now.

With 8 pounds of apples left after my Apple Braid, and some apple pie spice I found hanging out in the back of the spice cabinet, I decided to get some use out of my new toy and give hand pies another shot.

I found this contraption at Target for about $5. You just roll out your pie crust, open the press up and use the back (non-textured) side to cut out your rounds. Place the round on the textured side, fill with pie filling, then fold over and press to crimp them shut! (Rub a little water around the edge of one side before you fold to help seal.) It seriously cut my pie making time in half! So incredibly easy!

And so incredibly tasty too. Warm from the oven and smothered with the can of whipped cream I’ve had hanging out in the back of my fridge-- oh man. I never thought I’d say that about an apple pie, but seriously. This won me over. The recipe only made 8, and I’m not ashamed to say I ate 2 of them myself, and contemplated eating the two I saved for pictures that I promised to give to Boyfriend, since he seemed to like them a lot. After snagging one in the car from the container of still-warm-from-the-oven pies I was taking to my parents while I went back inside to grab something, he declared them to be “pretty kick-@$$”.

My only warning—don’t overfill your pies. I learned this after my one casualty sort of exploded in the oven. But it still tasted amazing.

My other word of advice—check the expiration dates on things in your pantry every now and then. When I pulled my apple cider vinegar out, I noticed there were some gross random floaties in it. Then I realized it had expired about a year ago. Oops. (Also, feel free to substitute regular vinegar instead, so you don’t end up going to the store to buy 1 thing and walk out with $70 worth of groceries you probably didn’t really need.. Not that I’d know anything about that. And don’t forget to take the water you have chilling out of the freezer if you go to the store, because you’ll come home to an ice cube rather than ice water.. But I wouldn’t know that either.)

Apple Hand Pies
Adapted from Joy the Baker and My Kitchen Addiction
Makes 8 pies (or up to 2 dozen depending on size of cutter)

Crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) shortening, cut into small cubes
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Filling:
3 apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (about 3 cups)
¼ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon apple pie spice*
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Topping:
1 to 2 tablespoons half and half or heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

*Note: If you don’t have apple pie spice, simply use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, and if you have it, 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom.

1. Make crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, add shortening and chilled butter and cut into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. (Some will look like oatmeal flakes, others will be the size of peas.) Stir together ice water and vinegar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add liquid, stirring until dough comes together and holds together when squeezed. If mixture is too dry, add additional water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Divide dough in half and create a disk out of each. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. Let sit out for about 2 minutes to warm up slightly before rolling out.
3. Make filling: In a medium bowl, stir together apples, brown sugar, apple pie spice, and lemon juice to coat evenly.
4. Assemble: Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out pie dough to ¼-inch thick. Cut out circles with a pocket pie press or a circular cutter (anywhere from 3 to 6 inches wide, depending on how big you want your pies to be.), gathering scraps and rerolling (try to do no more than 2 to 3 times, otherwise your dough will be tough.).
5. Spoon filling into center of dough round (2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons, depending on the size of your round), and brush the edges with a little bit of water. Fold dough in half to create a half circle and press to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Cut a small slit in the tops of each pie to create a vent.
6. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar for the topping. Lightly brush the tops of the pies with half and half and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are golden, about 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

Apple Braid

2011-10-11T23:58:00.000-04:00

It’s 67 degrees and sunny, and right now, this is the view outside my window.

This is perfection--the fleeting few weeks where the mornings are crisp and cool, the afternoons are warm and bright, and the world bursts into flames of vivid color. These few weeks are what I’ve looked forward to all summer.

Every fall, Boyfriend and I try to make it out to a local farm to pick our own apples and pumpkins. The last few years, we’ve only made it for the pumpkins, but this year I was determined to get some apples too. Luckily, I found myself with a gorgeous, sunny Sunday off, so it was time to hit the orchard and start picking.

I always feel bad for the apples that fall on the ground.

Our bag filled up fast, and after jumping mud puddles and climbing trees, we carried home 10 pounds of gorgeous apples. I would have loved to keep picking, but I knew I would struggle finding ways to use the ones I had. After scouring my usual recipe sources, I found the perfect inspiration in what has lately become my new obsession—Pinterest.

It’s there I found the Apple Braid that Rachael of La Fuji Mama posted on Eat, Live, Run. Think of it as "cinnamon roll meets apple pie and get’s braided up into a gorgeous loaf." Incredibly simple to put together and looks like a lot more work than it really is. The best part about it? It’s a yeast dough, but you don’t even have to let it rise. Just mix the dough together, knead it like you would normal yeast dough, roll it out, cut and braid, then bake.

My braid didn’t turn out quite as defined and gorgeous as Rachael’s. (Check out the link to see step-by-step photos of the braiding) I think because I tried to roll it out a bit too big, so my strips were really thin and stretched way too much, but it still turned out nice. (It would probably have also helped if I had a pizza cutter. Cutting with my knife just wasn't working.) I have to say though, while everyone else thought it was good, it still didn’t change my mind. I’m still not a fan of baked apples at all. I thought I’d overcome my baked fruit prejudice with my Peach Cobbler and Peach Handpies, but nope. I just don’t like baked apples. I’ve still got about 8 pounds left, so I’ll definitely be baking more, I just probably won’t be eating them myself... So.. Who wants some apple treats?

Apple Braid
Adapted from La Fuji Mama and Eat, Live, Run
Makes one 14-inch loaf

Filling:
3 to 4 medium sized apples (I used Jonathans)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Bread:
2 ½ cups bread flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 (1/4 oz) packet dry active yeast
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons vegetable oil

Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 teaspoons whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Make the apple filling: Peel, core, and chop apples into 1-inch dice. In an 8-inch baking pan (or similar size), toss together apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, Bake the apples for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside. Leave oven on.
2. While the apple filling is baking, make the bread: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add water and oil and mix with dough hook on medium-high speed for 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (Alternately you can knead by hand on a clean, lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic.) Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead about 3 or 4 times to give it a smooth surface. Roll out dough into a large rectangle about 12-inches by 16-inches. Lift onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each of the long sides of the dough into 1-inch strips, leaving the center third uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle (uncut) portion of the dough. Starting on the left side, fold the top strip of dough over the filling. Then fold the top strip on the right side over the filling and the other strip, making an X shape across the filling. Press lightly on the ends to seal. Repeat with remaining strips of dough. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for several minutes.
4. While the braid is cooling, make the glaze: Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, whipping cream, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. When braid is slightly cooled, brush the glaze over top in a thick coat. Transfer braid to a wire rack set over a cooling rack to catch any drips. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

2011-09-23T17:51:00.000-04:00

All I wanted to do was go camping one more time before the summer was over. That’s it. Was that too much to ask?

With an ever changing schedule at work, it’s next to impossible to have 2 days off in a row. Much less on a weekend. So finding time to squeeze in one more camping trip with Boyfriend was tough. But a couple weekends ago, I scored probably my only chance to get away for quite awhile. I begged Boyfriend to go camping at one of the state parks not too far outside town, even if it was just for 1 night. He agreed, as long as the weather would be decent. So naturally, it rained practically the entire week. But Friday was dry, and the weekend looked alright, with nothing major in the forecast. I crossed my fingers and stared out the window all day Saturday, just begging the sun to stick around. By mid-afternoon things were still looking good, so Boyfriend and I loaded the car and headed north for one last camping adventure!

I’ve been lulled into a false sense of security with every other camping trip we've taken. No crazy drama. No huge issues. Nothing other than the occasional raccoon. I had come to believe that the family curse of bringing on inclement weather by merely thinking about an outdoor activity had been broken. (Seriously. My whole life, we’ve never been able to do anything outside--camping, grilling, yardwork—without a previously perfect day turning into the storm of the century within minutes.) But of course, the streak had to end sometime.

What had been a good day went south the second we turned onto the main road of the park. Literally. Not even exaggerating when I say the exact instant! Turn signal on, and splat. The first raindrop hits the windshield. It slowed while we found our site, but by the time we got our tent set out and were attempting to put it up, the one little black cloud we saw while driving unleashed every bit of its fury on us. Sprinkles turned into a torrential downpour and our nice shady little area turned into a soggy mud puddle in about a minute and a half. And most of the puddle ended up inside the tent. Everything was soaked, including us, and all I could do was sit in the car and cry that my one last camping trip was ruined.

The most frustrating part of it all? It only rained on us. As we were driving out of the park towards town to get dinner (since we didn’t bother bringing food for 1 night), the road just instantly dried up at one point. It was literally like a line had been drawn across the road. One side wet, the other completely dry. Like a force field or something! By the time we got to town, we realized it hadn’t even rained anywhere else. Just our part of the park. It’s the curse, I'm telling you.

After the rain, the trip never seemed to get much better. Everything was soaked, so a fire was out of the question. No fire, no light, nothing to do. So we decided to just call it a night. At which point, our neighbors in the site closest to ours decided to get into an all out screaming match with each other. Yelling, cursing, the works. Awesome. Even though they finally shut up, I still didn’t sleep well because the trees we set our tent under kept dripping on us all night. By morning, I was cold, damp, and grumpy.

Boyfriend tried to cheer me up by taking me to Denny’s for breakfast, which worked, except when the table behind us was a total JERK to our waitress, practically attacking her, demanding to know how many orders were in front of them and how long it would take to get their food because they were in a hurry. He threatened that if our waitress couldn’t get their food out to them in 10 minutes, they were leaving--they hadn’t even ordered yet! Good luck getting a slice of TOAST in 10 minutes mister, much less a whole meal. Oh and btw. Look around you. See all those tables that don’t have food yet? That’s how many orders are in front of you. Hit the drive thru at McDonalds if you’re in that big of a hurry. Don’t come to a sit down restaurant on a Sunday if you’re on a schedule.

Needless to say, our last camping trip of the summer wasn’t quite what I hoped for. On top of the actual disaster of the trip, I came home totally sick with either severe allergies or a cold, I’m still not sure which. But it kicked my butt and made me miserable and snotty for nearly a week. Which is where these blondies came in. All I wanted after the weekend was to wrap up in a blanket, lay on the couch, and eat comfort food. Lots of it.

I’m a sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. So throwing them into a peanut butter blondie? Sold. Plus, they’re fantastically simple. You don’t even need the mixer for these! From getting the ingredients out of the pantry to pulling the finished product out of the oven, these blondies take only about 40 minutes. And most of that is baking time. They come out moist, chewy, and perfectly peanut buttery-- total comfort food. And they're adapted from a Cooking Light recipe! So they might have been healthy at one point. (I'm sure throwing PB cups into it and eating an entire batch by yourself negates any healthy qualities of these, but it's nice to pretend.) They were just what I needed after a disaster of a week.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies
Adapted from Alida’s Kitchen and Cooking Light
Makes 16 blondies

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¼ to ½ cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or a combination of both
10 mini peanut butter cups, quartered (or 4 regular sized, coarsely chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on either edge. Spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, butter, milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Spread evenly to the sides and smooth top. Arrange chopped peanut butter cups over the top of the batter. Bake, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift blondies out of pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Rum Frosting

2011-09-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

It’s here! It’s finally here! The calendar flipped to September and the temperatures dropped into the 60s. It’s FALL! I can finally break out my favorite black and red Miami University hoodie, not get overheated wearing cute scarves, stop sweating profusely on my non-airconditioned ride to work, and bake, eat, and drink all things pumpkin. It took one long hot summer to get here, but my favorite time of year has finally arrived. Oh Fall, how I love you so.

I kind of jumped the gun, and actually baked these cupcakes a few weeks ago, while we were still in the midst of summer, but I just couldn’t help myself. As the Halloween and Fall kids' books poured in at work, my coworker, Lisa, and I kept getting more and more excited about the upcoming season and the prospect of baking with pumpkin again! Finally we just couldn’t stand it anymore, and she invited me over for a pumpkin cupcake baking party at her house a couple weekends ago. So I packed up my stand mixer and half of my kitchen, and took my baking show on the road!

I’ve made pumpkin cupcakes before, with some delicious cinnamon rum frosting that I took to the second Cupcake Camp Columbus, but as a blogger, I have this terrible habit of never baking the same thing twice. So of course I had to find a whole new recipe. After comparing a couple different recipes, I ended up going with the always delicious Smitten Kitchen. Packed with spices, light with cake flour, and a bit more pumpkin than the other recipes, it just screamed, WINNER! to me. And it so totally was.

After a delicious dinner and my very first introduction to Jersey Shore, (now I know why I don’t have cable..), we hit the kitchen and started baking with the most adorable sous chef ever.

Chloe wants to help!

The best thing about Lisa’s kitchen? Her oven has a window. I want a window for my oven! Although, I’d probably just sit and stare the entire time things are baking.. So maybe it’s better that I don’t.

Look how pretty they are already!

After an episode of Supernatural, the cupcakes were cooled and frosted, and ready to be devoured. And let me tell you, they’re complete heaven. They were moist and super soft, with just the right amount of spice. And the frosting is perfect. Not too mapley, not too rum flavored. Just perfect. We saved a couple for ourselves and Lisa took the rest to work the next day, where they were polished off before I even got there.

So the baking field trip was a raving success! And I may just have to amend my bad habits—these cupcakes deserve to be made more than once. With a couple months worth of prime pumpkin season, these will probably make an appearance several times!

You didn't save any for me?

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Rum Frosting

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

Frosting:

3 egg whites

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon spiced rum

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon maple extract

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and pepper; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla, mixing until combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beating until combined. Add pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.

4. Divide batter between prepared liners, filling each with about 2 heaping tablespoons, or 2/3 full. Bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

5. While cupcakes are cooling, make frosting: In a bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water, whisk together egg whites and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisking constantly, heat until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. (To test whether the sugar is melted, rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers. It should feel smooth, not grainy, and be warm to the touch, but not hot.)

6. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and the whites have formed stiff peaks.

7. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, beating until each is well combined before adding the next (about 15 seconds in between). If the mixture looks soupy after adding the butter, put it in the refrigerator to chill for about 5 to 10 minutes before continuing to beat.

8. Once the butter has been added, switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (The mixture will probably break and look curdled at one point—don’t worry it’s totally normal. Just keep beating away. It’ll come back together.) Once the buttercream is fluffy, add rum, maple syrup, maple extract, and cinnamon and beat until well combined and fluffy. Pipe immediately onto cooled cupcakes.

30 before 30: 8 to Go

2011-08-31T15:45:00.005-04:00

2 months into my 30 before 30 challenge, and another month closer to the big 3-0. So far so good, I think. I've been working on the low-hanging fruit of the list, knocking them off so I can concentrate on the big stuff later (Like that whole lose weight thing. That's gonna be a hard one.) But I've done pretty well so far. I think. Here's where I stand after this month.

#6: Get back into couponing - I finally went through my stack of coupon inserts the other day. I buy the Sunday paper almost every week, and I get coupon inserts in the mail, but I've slacked off actually cutting them out and using them. Well I've got the cut them out part in check finally. Now to keep them organized and remember to take them to the store and use them regularly.

#9: Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers) - I'm addicted to crossword puzzles now. I still haven't gotten anywhere near finishing a Sunday crossword, but I did get a book of NYT Monday Crosswords (the easiest day of the week), which I've been working my way through, and I actually finished one without any help at all! So there's some progress.

#14: Read 3 non-fiction books- I'm reading a book right now called The Rules of the Tunnel. It's about a writer's battle with depression. Or at least it's supposed to be. I'm struggling with it because more than half of the book has been about people this guy has written articles about for his magazine, and their struggles with depression and bipolar disorder. With a little bit of the author's story thrown in. So far, not my favorite book.

#18: Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before - 2 down, 3 to go! I made graham crackers before my last update, and now I can check Peach Handpies off my list too! And I even made it with from-scratch pie crust! 1 step closer to accomplishing #20 too.

#19. Enter a baking competition (and win!) - At the last update, I had just taken my cookies to the fair to be judged and at the end of the week I was taking my cupcakes as well. Well, I've got the results! Every single one of my cookies placed. And 2 of my 3 cupcakes as well! 5 out of my 6 entries won ribbons!! Here's how they stacked up:
In 3rd place: drop cookies (Mexican Hot Chocolate) and chocolate cupcakes (Mocha Cupcakes)
In 2nd place: decorated cookies (Brownie Cut Outs) and chocolate chip cookies (Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies)
and last but not least, in 1st place, with a blue ribbon: vanilla cupcakes! (recipe to come)
So this one is definitely DONE!

#22: Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before - I tried Indian food before, which I actually enjoyed, and this time I went for something I literally had to force myself to eat. If you know me at all, you know that I despise any food that's green. Any of it. I hate vegetables with a passion. But I actually, willingly, ate a salad. Well. Part of a salad. Two different times. I have no idea what possessed me to buy a salad for lunch one day, but I did. And I got through about half of it before just giving up because there was nothing but lettuce left. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't taste good. I'm not really a fan of the crunchy texture of lettuce. So I'm still not convinced. But Boyfriend made me try again, so I got a different kind the next time. One with mixed greens instead of lettuce. BAD idea. I hated the taste of most of the greens, not just the texture, and one bite of the one that looked like weeds in the front yard literally made me gag. Like almost lose my dinner kind of gag. At the table. In a restaurant. Not cool. NEVER eating mixed greens again. So 2 down, 1 to go. (I'm throwing guacamole in as a bonus point to this goal. It was part of a sandwich I ordered, which I didn't even realize, so I don't really feel like I can count it toward the goal. But I ate it. Gotta say, not a big fan of that either.)

#27: Get back into a blogging routine - I've been trying to be better about this! I really have. I think the once a week (each Wednesday) thing is working out better for me. With a small budget and a fluctuating schedule, twice a week in a regular pattern is just too hard at the moment. I've skipped a couple weeks just because I didn't have time, but I'm trying really hard. I even made myself a Google Calendar to force myself to plan ahead and keep me on schedule!

#28: Be more interactive in blogging - I've been trying lately to post a little bit more to Facebook so I can get to know you guys, what you like, and how you bake. You were all great help to me in making pie crust! And giving suggestions on new books to read! Thanks so much! And a couple weeks ago, I held a giveaway for two autographed copies of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. I love this book and I'm so excited to share it with the winners! I have more ideas for giveaways to come, so be on the lookout. You might just score something cool too! :)

#29: Give the blog a makeover- Done! This one actually came together a lot easier than the previous incarnations, and I think it looks pretty good. What do you guys think? Have you found anything that needs tweaking yet?

Well I can cross off 3 full ones, and I'm well on my to crossing off a few more (hopefully by next update!) But I've got to get cracking on some of the others, like NOW! There's only a short window of time to ride my bike 15 miles before it gets too cold and snowy. And the next 8 months are going to fly by before I'm ready!

The List:
1. Lose a dress size
2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.)
~~3. Get my hair cut finally. And actually style it every day.~~
4. Get highlights
5. Pay off my credit cards (or at least significantly pay down)
6. Get back into couponing
7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on)
8. Decorate my house and put pictures up on my walls
9. Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers)
10. Send out Christmas cards
11. Visit a new city
12. Visit another state
13. Get a passport (even if I don’t get to use it right away)

Reading:
14. Read 3 non-fiction books - 1 1/2 down.
15. Read 3 classic books - 1 down, 2 to go
16. Read 3 Shakespeare plays - 1 down, 2 to go
17. Read 8 books I already own - 3 down, 5 to go

Food:
18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before - 2 down, 3 to go
19. ~~Enter a baking competition~~ ~~(and win!)~~
20. Bake a pie
21. Make another tiered, fondant covered cake
22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before - 2 down, 1 to go
23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before - 1 down, 2 to go
24. Make pasta from scratch
25. Cook more, eat out less
26. Put together a cookbook of my favorite recipes (even if it’s just for me)

Blogging:
27. Get back into a blogging routine (I've been a slacker lately! Sorry.)
28. Be more interactive in blogging (Giveaways and other ideas I’ve had rattling around my brain)
~~29. Give the blog a makeover? (I usually end up doing this once a year anyway)~~
30. Buy a fancy DSLR camera (and learn how to use it)

Peach Hand Pies

2011-08-24T19:31:00.000-04:00

I think I have the power to change the world. Like, seriously. I don’t believe in most of that new age stuff, but I think maybe that “law of attraction” thing might have something going for it. You know, that “think it and it’ll be true” theory. Lately, I keep thinking about something, and bam! There it is. Like the sweltering heat. During Ice Cream Week, I said how much I hated it and how done I was with it. The very next day, it was a comfortable 80 degrees, with not one single 90 degree day since. While baking for the fair, my initial vanilla cupcakes didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. I thought to myself, “I’m going to need a new recipe.” Oh look, My Baking Addiction just put up a recipe for vanilla cupcakes. So I baked them. And they won. 1st place. And most recently, I somehow convinced Joy the Baker, unbeknownst to her, that I needed a recipe to use up the gorgeous peaches my mom brought over from a local farm. The next morning I turn on my computer, and boom. She’s got a recipe for Peach Blueberry Pie.

Watch out world. I’ve apparently got some superpowers.

Because I can’t do anything full-sized, I decided to make them into mini-pies instead (without the blueberries). I’d made strawberry hand pies about a week before for a (not-my-own) family cookout, which I was in too much of a hurry to snap more than 1 picture of. So I thought I’d give peach a try as well, using Joy the Baker’s recipe instead. Searching around for a reference of how much filling to use for a hand pie brought me to Smitten Kitchen's Bourbon Peach Hand Pies. Mmm. I loved the bourbon in my Peach Cobbler, and this is an adaptation I know Joy would approve of.

Awhile back, I asked my fellow Facebookers how they made their pie crusts. It seemed like almost everyone did something different! Some used all butter, some nothing but shortening, some used lard, some did a more than 1. Well that didn’t solve my first time pie baking dilemma! I had no idea which to use! So I turned to Google to figure out what the difference was. Here’s what I found out from a very good explanation from Baking Bites:

*Butter is made up of mostly fat with a bit of water (about 1/5th of it). When the butter melts in the oven, it releases that water as steam, which creates a little pocket of air. All these little pockets of air create the layers in your crust that make it flaky. The butter also contributes to the overall flavor of the crust.

*Shortening is all fat, no water. When the shortening melts in the oven, it makes the crust even more tender than butter does, because you’re not losing any of it to steam, so every bit of the fat is soaking into the crust. However, without the steam, you don’t get the quite the flakiness you would with butter, nor are you getting much flavor.

*Lard is a bit of both worlds. It’s got most of the properties of shortening, being 100% fat, with the bonus of added flavor.

Well, I don’t generally keep lard on hand, so that option was out. I decided to adapt Joy’s to use a combo with a 3:1 butter to shortening ratio. I wanted the flavor and flakiness of butter without sacrificing some of the tenderness of the shortening. And it came out beautifully. Can I say how absolutely in love I am with making pie crust now? Seriously. I’m going to turn into a pie making machine soon! That 30x30 goal is going to be smashed! And I may have to change my stance on baked fruit. Cause between the peach cobbler, the strawberry pies, and these peach hand pies, I couldn’t stop myself from devouring them. These are sweet with a little hint of spice, and the perfect little hand-held size to grab a couple on every pass through the kitchen. (Which is exactly how the strawberry version disappeared. At the cookout, every time we saw Stacey’s husband, Bryan, he had a pie in his mouth and 2 in his hand.)

I realized with the strawberry version that 1 slit in the top is sufficient. 2 looks like a vampire attacked them.

I’m already envisioning an apple and a pumpkin version of these coming soon. And I’m excited to try out my new toy I found at Target the other day. (Yet another mind suggestion example?) I can’t wait for fall!

Peach Hand Pies
Adapted from Joy the Baker and Smitten Kitchen
Makes about 2 dozen

Crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) shortening, cut into small cubes
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Filling:
3 large ripe peaches
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon bourbon (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Make crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, add shortening and chilled butter and cut into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. (Some will look like oatmeal flakes, others will be the size of peas.) Stir together ice water and vinegar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add liquid, stirring until dough comes together and holds together when squeezed. If mixture is too dry, add additional water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Divide dough in half and create a disk out of each. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
3. Make filling: Chop peaches into small pieces (about ½-inch dice). Mix in a medium bowl with sugar, flour, cornstarch, and spices. Add bourbon (if using) and vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
4. Assemble: Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out circles with a 3-inch cutter, gathering scraps and rerolling. (If dough becomes soft, chill in refrigerator again.) Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle, making sure not to overfill (otherwise it won’t seal!) and brush the edges of the circle with a bit of egg wash. Fold dough over to create a half circle, and press the edges firmly with the tines of a fork to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough rounds. Chill on baking sheets for another 30 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Remove chilled pies from oven and cut a small slit in the top of each. Lightly brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are golden brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

For Strawberry variation:
Adapted from BetsyLife

Filling:
1 ½ cups strawberries, hulled and diced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (I might add more next time)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine in a large bowl, stirring together until well coated.

Follow the directions above, substituting the strawberry filling for the peach.

Omit the cinnamon from the topping and sprinkle with just granulated sugar before baking.

Once cooled, in a small bowl combine:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk

Drizzle over cooled pies. (If mixture is too thick, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it is too thin, add a little bit more sugar.)

Jeni's Giveaway Winners!

2011-08-22T09:00:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to announce the two winners of the autographed copies of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home! I can't believe how many of you entered to win. I wish I could give you all copies, but alas, I only have 2. So without further ado... *drum roll*...

With the help of Random.org, the first copy goes to..

Julie of Savvy Eats! (Which is a blog full of all kinds of awesome)

And numero dos...

Linda! (Who has a beautiful blog called For Goodness Sake)

Congrats ladies! Email me your info at the.mistress@bustybaker.com within the next 72 hours, so I can get them out to you soon! If I don't hear from you, I'll have to pass your book to someone else, so make sure you contact me soon.

For those who didn't win, you can still get a copy of your own. Check your local bookstores, or order online from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. (Both have it for pretty cheap!) Seriously. Do it. This book is awesome.

Salty Caramel Ice Cream (And a GIVEAWAY!)

2011-08-12T18:16:00.002-04:00

Here it is, Friday already. The final day of Ice Cream Week! I can’t believe we’ve made it through a week of recipes already! But I saved the best for last! It’s one of the signature flavors from one of my favorite ice cream places ever. Today, we’re making Jeni’s Salty Caramel Ice Cream! And if you stick around til the end, there might just be something in it for you too.

One of the best things about going to a Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams shop is that you can sample as many flavors as you want before you decide. Which can also be a bad thing, because I usually have a hard time making a decision after I’ve tried everything! I’ve gotten a little better at narrowing it down to 3 flavors for my “trio” (3 small scoops in a bowl), but there was a time I’d walk out with a bowl overflowing with scoops because I couldn’t narrow it down to less than 5! And one of them was ALWAYS Salty Caramel. Apparently I’m not alone in my love of the Salty Caramel. According to Jeni’s book, the flavor makes up more than 20% of the total sales of all the flavors offered. 20%! That’s one in every 5 people walking out the door with a scoop of Salty Caramel! So you know it has to be good.

I was a little terrified of making caramel for the ice cream. I don’t have a lot of experience with caramel (1 success and 1 drippy failure), and I’ve never made it using the dry method suggested (melting the sugar in a pan with no water). But I only messed up once! I didn’t follow the golden kitchen rule of mise en place-- making sure you’ve got everything ready to go before you even start, including a place to set the hot pan away from the heat. I realized too late that I didn’t have anywhere to set my pan to add the cream, except my counter, which I was scared of burning. So I ended up burning the caramel instead. Round 2 went much better though, and my caramel came out perfectly.

The finished product is a smooth, creamy bite of rich salted caramel. Mine’s not as salty as I would like it to be because I made the mistake of using just table salt rather than the good quality sea salt, but it’s still really good. Definitely one I’ll make again and again. And hopefully you will too! What’s that? You don’t have the book? Well, we’ll just have to change that won’t we?

I told you there was something in it for you! I’m throwing a giveaway! You could end up with your very own copy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home! Yay!

But if that’s not cool enough for you, how about I sweeten the deal a little more… Let’s make it an autographed copy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.

Oh, heck. While I’m at it, why not make it TWO autographed copies!

So how do you win one of these? Easy!

Just leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59PM EST on Friday, August 19th (1 week from now!), telling me what your favorite ice cream flavor is. It’s as simple as that!

Two winners will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on Monday, August 22nd. Winners will also be notified by email, so make sure you include a valid email address or some way I can contact you. If I don’t hear back from a winner in 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Also, the giveaway is limited to US residents only.

Want an extra entry? Just follow @thebustybaker on Twitter, and tweet:

I want to win an autographed copy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home from @thebustybaker. You can too! http://bit.ly/oSsoHs #giveaway

Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did! (Please leave either a link to the tweet or your Twitter name in the comment too, so I know who you are.)

**The giveaway has now ended! Thanks for participating and be sure to check back on Monday to find out if you won!**

*Giveaway disclaimer: All opinions on Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home are my own. I have not been paid for endorsement in any way. The books for the giveaway were bought by me, with my own money, and I went to a book signing to obtain the autographs. (And looked like a crazy, sweaty, spastic creep while I was there. But I did it all for you.) The books will be shipped to the winners via United States Postal Service as soon as I can get to the post office.

Salty Caramel Ice Cream
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Makes about 1 quart

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese and salt until smooth; set aside.
3. Mix the heavy cream with the corn syrup in a measuring cup with a spout; set aside.
4. Fill a large bowl with ice and water to create an ice bath; set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, spread an even layer of sugar over the bottom of the pan. Heat, without stirring, until there is a full layer of melted sugar on the bottom, but still some white unmelted sugar on the top. When the edges start to turn a golden color, gently pull it towards the unmelted sugar with a heatproof spatula to help melt the center. Continue pushing the sugar until it is all melted and evenly amber in color (like an old copper penny).
6. Remove from heat and gradually add the cream mixture to the pan. It will bubble up, so be careful! It’s extremely hot. Stir until well combined, then return pan to heat and add the milk. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in cornstarch mixture.
7. Bring back to a boil and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 2 minute. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into cream cheese, whisking until smooth. Add vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the prepared ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as needed, until well chilled, about 30 minutes.
8. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.