{things i made} grapefruit pound cake
Every time the seasons change, there is a corresponding but subconscious shift in my cooking and baking. For instance, winter is marked by stews, soups, and casseroles, the summer by barbecues, mixed drinks, and cupcakes, and fall anything with pumpkin, apples, and cinnamon. Spring is harder to pin down, but I do like brighter and more colorful foods as the weather warms up. This grapefruit pound cake fits that description— it's super tasty (think tart and sweet) but also very light and refreshing.
__________________________
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon grated grapefruit zest from approximately one large grapefruit
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla.
3. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the oil into the batter, making sure it’s incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5. Cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
6. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Carefully place on a baking rack over a pan and place cake on top of it. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
7. For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and grapefruit juice. Spread over the cake and allow to dry.
{things i made} cranberry-almond crumble cake
I made this cake for one reason and one reason alone: a few lingering bags of frozen cranberries were just begging to be used. My thought-process for the recipe was pretty simple. What to pair with the tart fruit? A sugary sweet crumble! And what would make the cake more texturally interesting? Almonds! The result was an incredibly moist, deeply flavorful cake (you can thank cinnamon, ground cloves, and almond extract for that). The treat won't last more than a few days in your kitchen–consider yourself warned.
Today's your last day to enter my GIVEAWAY to win a $50 gift certificate to Ettika Jewelry here!
__________________________
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch of salt
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Cake:
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly toast almonds on an un-greased cookie sheet until golden, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. In small bowl combine topping ingredients, blending with fork until crumbly. Set aside.
2. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in cranberries and almonds.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together egg, 3/4 cup sugar, and oil. Add milk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet (do not over-mix).
5. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over batter.
6. Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack and slice.
{things i made} pistachio lime cookies
One night as I was making a few Lebanese-inspired dishes for dinner (these meat pies included), I decided to surprise everyone with a matching dessert. The flavor combination in these cookies seemed like absolute perfection–and I was right. The pistachios, lime, and cardamom come together in a bright, unique (and not to mention colorful) way. The crisp finished cookie is both sugary and savory and probably unlike any you've tasted before. In a word: yum.
Enter my GIVEAWAY to win a $50 gift certificate to Ettika Jewelry here!
_______________________
3/4 cups sugar
½ cup canola oil
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. rosewater (optional)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
¼ cup cornstarch
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
½ cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line trays with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, milk, rosewater (if using), vanilla, lime juice, and zest. Add the cornstarch and whisk until dissolved. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Mix well.
3. Roll dough into balls about 2 teaspoons in size and drop into chopped pistachios. Press down until the dough flattens and the nuts collect on the bottom.
4. Place the cookies, nut side up, about 2 inches apart on the lined trays. Bake for 13 minutes (cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool). Remove from the oven and let cool on the trays for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.
{things i made} stuffed mushrooms with clams
I'm always looking for easy but impressive side dish and appetizer recipes. These stuffed mushrooms are definitely a crowd-pleaser. I've tried filling mushrooms with all sorts of flavor combinations but this is by far my favorite. The stuffing is both easy to throw together and complex, with moist breadcrumbs, plump clam meat, and flavorful herbs and cheeses. Make sure you cover the tray properly–the key to cooking this dish is to let everything steam for its long bake-time.
Enter a brand-new GIVEAWAY to win a $50 gift certificate to Ettika Jewelry here!
___________________________
12 fresh mushrooms, stemmed and washed
2 6-ounce cans clams, drained and finely minced
1/2 cup of clam juice, reserved from can
2 green onions, finely minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup breadcrumbs
1.5 teaspoons oregano leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon finely grated romano cheese
4 tablespoons finely grated mozzarella cheese, for stuffing
1/2 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese, for garnish
1/2 cup olive oil
fresh parsley, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a small baking dish.
2. Combine clams, onions, garlic powder, minced garlic, oil and oregano in a bowl and mix well. Add bread crumbs, egg, and clam juice,mixing well. Add Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella cheeses.
4. Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of the clam stuffing mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound.
5. Place the stuffed mushrooms in the baking dish and pour 1/4 olive oil over their tops. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes.
6. Remove cover; sprinkle with 1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese and return to the oven to melt the cheese.
7. Remove from oven. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
{things i made} biscotti regina
As I've said before, a dessert without chocolate (almost) isn't worth the calories to me. Of course truth be told there are many treats that sneak in past this rule. Biscotti regina, or "queen cookies," are one of them. Simple but flavorful thanks to their coating of nutty sesame seeds, these crisp oblong confections are a perfect light snack. Tradition holds that the "queen" in the name is Margherita di Savoia, the second regent of a united Italy who was well-known for her love of sweets–and no, I don't think we're related.
P.S. Congrats to Nola–she's the winner of the FashFoward Boutique giveaway. Didn't win? Don't worry! You can enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Shop September here!
__________________________
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons of baking powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup olive oil
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoons orange juice
sesame seeds, for coating
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, juice and extract.
2. Add the egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until a smooth dough forms (it will be crumbly and slightly oily).
3. Form the dough into small ovals about one inch in diameter. Roll the top and sides of each cookie in sesame seeds. Place one inch apart on baking sheets and bake 25 minutes or until golden and just firm.
{things i made} brownies and blondies with heart cut-outs
I like many different kinds of desserts but when one doesn't list chocolate among its ingredients I can't help but feel a bit let down. This holds doubly–okay even more than that–true on Valentine's Day, which is why I made a batch of these brownie/blondie hybrids for tomorrow. I of course reach for the more chocolatey of the two, but I'm overall memorized by the sweet neatness of their cut-out black and white hearts. In an (appropriate) effort to be healthy for our actual tickers, both recipes use olive oil instead of butter–but don't worry, they're still decadently rich (you can trust me, I'm an expert).
To enter to WIN my LATEST GIVEAWAY–an item of your choice from FashFoward Boutique– click here!
__________________________
For brownies:
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 pan. In a large bowl, combine melted chocolate and olive oil. Whisk in eggs, sugars and vanilla until combined.
2. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 1″ away from the edge comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
For blondies:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butterscotch chips (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk oil and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.
2. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in chips if using. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
3. Bake until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely before cutting into squares.
To finish:
Using a heart shape cookie cutter to remove center of squares. Reassemble, reversing colors.
{things i made} eggplant lasagna
I always find it interesting how people define comfort food in such different ways. The list of entrees and desserts that make feel happy is quite long, although it's safe to say anything with cheese and tomato sauce will jump to the top pretty quickly. Eggplant lasagna is one of those dishes that takes time to make but is worth the work the second you bite into your first flavorful fork-full. In a (somewhat) futile attempt to lighten what can feel like an indulgent meal, I bake the eggplant slices rather than fry them and use part-skim cheese wherever I can. Don't worry, you can't taste the difference–but you may feel a little less guilty about reaching for that second slice.
_________________________
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 head minced garlic
2 28-ounce cans of peeled tomatoes with puree
1 can of puree
1 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
For the filling,
2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
4 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/2 head minced garlic
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 large eggs
pepper, to taste
6 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise 3/4-inch thick, salted and drained in a colander for about 1 hour
Preparation:
1. For the sauce: Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on sheet pans. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant until soft and golden, about 25 minutes.
2. Lower oven to 350°F. Combine ricotta, garlic, and cheese in medium bowl. Season to taste with pepper. Mix in eggs and parsley.
3. Spread half of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Lay slices of eggplant to cover followed by the ricotta mixture and additional sauce. Repeat, finishing with marinara sauce. Top with remaining Parmesan.
4. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and continue to bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
{things i made} pigs in a blanket
I always make picking food for the Super Bowl, whether we're having a large party or a smallish get-together. Nothing is a bigger crowd-pleaser than pigs in a blanket–old and young alike love the mini hotdog/bun treat. I'm not going to lie, the few times I ever crafted the appetizer I used store-bought, tube-popping crescent roll pastry and after I read the long (and not so yummy) ingredient list, I avoided snacking on the finished product. Then I discovered this dough. Easy to make and so much more tasty, these cocktail franks are more addictive than ever.
What do you think? Which team are you rooting for during Sunday's game? And what will you be eating while you watch?
________________________________
Dough:
2 1/4 tablespoons canola oil
¾ cup milk
1½ tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3½ cups unbleached flour
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
2 packages of mini hot dogs
2 tablespoons milk
1. Heat oil and milk in small saucepan over medium heat until just warm. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs.
3. Mix flour, salt, and yeast in bowl. Slowly add milk mixture. Mix until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, kneading in extra flour if dough is too sticky. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead to form smooth, round ball.
4. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.
5. Line baking pan with parchment paper or grease. Roll dough in one direction until dough is ¼-inch thick. Trim to size and place 1 hot dog near a short end, then tightly roll, keeping the tips of the hot dog exposed. Place seam side down on pan. Repeat with remaining dough and hot dogs.
6. Cover and let rise until dough is slightly inflated, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush dough with milk. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
{things i made} dutch apple pie
It's hard to imagine improving apple pie, but somehow topping the treat with sweet crumbs does just that. It's funny to think that I used to be overwhelmed by the idea of baking a pie from scratch–homemade crust? cutting the fruit to the perfect size? a super-long bake-time?–but to be honest this is now one of the easiest desserts I make. Don't skimp on the spices (I've put in much more than I've written here and the results always have been spectacular). So what's the most difficult thing about this dessert? Deciding whether or not to pair a finished slice with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or both.
ENTER MY LATEST GIVEAWAY for a statement ring HERE!
_______________________________
Pastry:
2-2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons skim milk
1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Put the oil in a measuring cup then add the milk without stirring. Pour mixture into the flour and mix briefly. Do not refrigerate.
3. Flatten dough by rolling on floured surface or between two sheets of wax paper (the crust is easily repairable). Place in pan.
Crumb topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1. Mix oil into dry ingredients until well blended. Set aside.
Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 pound(s) Granny Smith and/or Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine sugar with cornstarch and spices. Add apples and lemon juice and toss to coat evenly.
2. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Fold overhang up over the pie-plate's rim and pinch to form a decorative edge. Top evenly with crumb mixture.
3. Bake pie 1 hour 10 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with knife (to prevent burning, cover pie loosely with tented foil after 40 minutes). Cool pie on rack 3 hours to serve warm, or refrigerate to serve cold later.
{things i made} coconut cookies
I've made coconut macaroons a few times before–they're pretty simple and practically fool-proof–but although they're tasty, something about them always seemed too candy-like to pass for a cookie (think a "Mounds" or "Almond Joy" bar). These not-too-sweet treats on the other hand don't suffer from any identity problems: chewy and full of flavor, shredded coconut is mixed with flour to ensure that the end result feels, looks, and tastes like a cookie. I highly recommend the chocolate drizzle–it really complements all the other ingredients.
ENTER MY LATEST GIVEAWAY for a statement ring HERE!
________________________________
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
scant 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, for rolling
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place coconut in a food processor along with cinnamon, salt and baking powder; process until finely ground. Add flour and process again.
3. Combine wet ingredients and sugar, beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix (do not overmix: dough should be slightly crumbly). Shape the dough into 1/2 inch balls and roll balls to coat with coconut.
5. Bake about 10 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet (do not brown).
6. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate if desired.
{latest instagram}
