coconut macaroons

this is the quickest and easiest recipe ever. it's from the pillsbury complete cookbook. i always keep coconut on hand, just so i can whip these out at the last minute if i need something quick to bring somewhere. you can always doctor this recipe a little bit by drizzling or dipping half of them in chocolate. or i've added lime juice a few times for a little something extra. these are by far my favorite macaroon recipe i've tried.

(this only makes enough for 12 cookies, so i usually double it)

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
dash salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups coconut

heat the oven to 325°F. grease and slightly flour cookie sheet. in medium bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. add sugar, flour, salt, and almond extract; mix well. stir in coconut. drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on to prepared cookie sheet.

bake for 13 - 17 minutes or until set and light golden brown. immediately remove from cookie sheet.

strawberry jam

lately, i've been really into jam. so basically, jam is my jam. am i wrong? i had extra strawberries from a brunch and i was thinking of all the things i could make with them. i was looking in nigella lawson's "how to be a domestic goddess" cookbook and i saw this really simple recipe for cooked strawberry jam. and it had basalmic vinegar in the recipe. sold! basalmic is pretty much a magic ingredient and makes most things infinitely better. it's supposed to bring out the flavor of the strawberries. and there is no pectin! the recipe calls for preserving sugar, but i just used granulated and it worked out just fine. while cooking, she doesn't use a thermometer and cook it to a certain temperature, she uses a method where she puts a saucer into the freezer before she starts, and while cooking, she takes the pan off the heat and drips a teaspoon or so of jam onto the saucer. then if the jam wrinkles when she pushes at it with a finger, then she knows it's ready. i did this as well, but i was looking for a bigger wrinkle than i needed, so i overcooked it a tiny bit. it's still delicious, just a tiny bit stickier than it should be.

3 - 3 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped to desired size
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 8oz. jars or equivalent

stick a saucer into the freezer.

put all the ingredients into a wide saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon to make sure all the fruit is coated.
 

 

put the pan on a low heat and, stirring every now and again, bring to a boil. let boil for about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of your pan, and start testing for setting point from 4 minutes, taking the pan off the heat and putting a scant teaspoon onto the saucer. leave it to cool for about 10 seconds or so and then poke at it to see if it's ready (look for a slight wrinkle).

when you've reached this point, leave the pan to cool for 20 minutes before decanting into the cleaned, prepared jars.

makes about 3 1/4 cups.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

most people love spring and summer mostly for the heat, and while i appreciate not always being bundled up and on the verge of hypothermia, one of my favorite things about these months is that it's rhubarb season. april to september brings us this tangy treat.

for some recipe ideas, here are some past posts that showcase this delicious plant/fruit/what-have-you.

image and more ideas via serious eats.

leige waffles

a while back i talked about the best waffle in the world, the liege waffle from bruges, here in downtown salt lake. my whole family became obsessed, and one by one, when each would visit, i would take them and share with them this glory. i took my dad for his birthday when he was in town last september and they had fresh seasonal peaches from the farmers market across the street as a topping option. best. thing. ever. and let me tell you, my dad is the last stop in the family when it comes to a food critic. if he loves something, you KNOW it's legit. so, lo and behold he searched on the internet to find a recipe for my mom to replicate. and a place to buy the sugar pearls that go in these little delights. he sent me this recipe and found one place in utah that sells the sugar pearls. they don't even have them by where they live so i am in charge of getting them their supply. like a dealer of sorts.

so this recipe. it's good. but it's not as good as bruges. it's a little thicker and breadier and waaay more buttery (while that's usually a good thing, it wasn't AS good as it could be in this case). also, it takes some serious time to make these. but when you don't live within a few miles of the original, they would most definitely be worth it. especially if you froze peaches from last summer and made créme fraiche to top them with.

**also, i have no idea where my dad found this, so i can't credit this original recipe**

LIEGE WAFFLES (10 servings)

3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 TB granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 pkg active dry Yeast
1 1/3 cup unsalted butter (i would actually only do 1 cup)
6.5 oz. cold sparkling water
1 cup (approx.) pearl sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


allow eggs and sparkling water to come up to room temperature first. melt the butter over hot water or in the microwave then allow to cool to lukewarm.

sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then make a well in the middle. beat the eggs in another bowl, then add butter whisking to combine. sprinkle yeast over the top and whisk well. then add the sparkling water and whisk again. add the entire mixture to the flour along with the granulated sugar and vanilla extract. beat the dough for at least ten minutes. it will start out kind curdled looking, but will stiffen and become a slightly sticky brioche-ish type dough. cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 60 – 90 minutes.

begin heating the waffle iron and knead the pearl sugar into the dough. drop by heaping 1/4th cup onto each quarter or section of the waffle iron and bake until well browned. serve warm and top with whatever goodness you like. (avoid too many too sweet toppings like nutella + créme fraiche + peaches unless you want a bellyache like my good friend, tan, experienced).

(ps, if you want probably the best fries of your life, bruges is also the place to be. and the aioli is ridiculously good.)

good kitchen tips

tons of great tips on this page from thekitchn.com

chem them out!

best chocolate chip cookie dough ever

i had to finally try the now infamous new york times jacques torres recipe. you know, the recipe that tells you to refrigerate the dough for at least 24 and up to 48 hours. this actually works for me because i could eat cookie dough all day long, so i just nip (what am i, british?) into the fridge and steal some. it's seriously ridiculous. and it does get better with time. it has THE perfect sweet to salt ratio. i can't gush about it enough.

original recipe here.
here is the recipe via the new york times with my notes:

time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (i just used semi sweet chips, cause i'm lazy and that's what i do.)
sea salt. (i didn't do this part i thought it had the perfect amount of salt as is)

sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. set aside.

using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. stir in the vanilla. reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours (i usually scoop them out on to sheets and refrigerate them like that until the hold their shape then freeze i freeze them until i'm ready to bake—usually at least 48 hours). dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. (again, i already scooped them out and ditched the extra sea salt) sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. (okay, another area where i differ. this timing didn't work for me, maybe it's an altitude thing? so i tried another batch at 375° for 12 minutes and it still seemed dry, so then i did 400° for 8 minutes, then, i found the magic formula. 385° for 10 minutes. and seriously, it is truly magic. so. so. good.)

yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

more granola bars

 so, it maaaaay seem that i am obsessed with granola. well... that's only because it's true. it's delicious and filling and i love oats and it's usually in the healthy vein of things. also, as i've said before, i want to avoid preservatives in my snacks, etc. so here is another recipe i tried, and this one is gluten free. this recipe was found on phoo-d via food gawker.

so i made some changes based on what i had on hand and really, whatever i felt like putting in. here is the original recipe.

and for my altered version:

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup coconut
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
      (****because i changed things a bit, i think this could use less honey and less brown sugar****)
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chopped dried fruit (i used a mixed bag)


pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil (or silpat). mix together the oats, wheat germ, seeds, and nuts and coconut on the baking sheet. place the sheet in the oven and toast the dry ingredients for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping a close watch to make sure they do not burn. as soon as the ingredients are toasted, remove the pan from the oven.

while the dry ingredients are toasting, line a 11x13 inch rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper and spray it lightly with cooking oil (this is an important step!)

place a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add in the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt. bring the mixture to a strong boil for two minutes stirring constantly. remove from heat.

place the toasted ingredients in a large bowl, and stir in the dried fruit. pour the hot liquids into the bowl and stir  until all of the ingredients are moist and well combined.

using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared baking sheet, pressing down to evenly spread out the mixture. fold over the greased waxed paper or add another greased sheet on top and press down hard all over the granola. set the baking sheet aside and let the bars cool for 2-3 hours until they are hardened.

once the bars are hard, peel off the waxed paper and turn the granola out onto a cutting board. cut the granola into bars by pressing straight down with a long knife (don't saw or they will crumble). the bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature individually wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a week.

 

i really loved this recipe and i think you should try it!

**UPDATE: I made this again and instead of whole flax seeds, I used ground flax and I liked it so much better!

i know it's a bit late...

...but, i've been busy and out of town for work. and prepping for that and recovering have been... intense. anyway, i just wanted to share with you what i had the privilege of eating at my parent's house when i was home for the holidays. (sorry, i know it's unfair and sort of braggy, but wouldn't you do the same?)

this was for our Christmas eve dinner.

butterhorns

i made the brussel sprouts with some olive oil, apple cider vinegar and pine nuts. pretty good, if i do say so myself!

the largest twice baked potatoes of all time.

citrus salad. and we had some other foods, but those were my favorite.

also, this dessert. my mom only makes it for christmas. for a few reasons, one being it's the most delicious thing you'll ever eat in your life so it needs to stay special. and two, it's... not... healthy. in any way. at all. (but so worth it!)

we had hot chocolate and scones Christmas morning before we opened presents. oh and we used some homemade marshmallows i brought home for everyone to try in the hot chocolate. so dreamy!

other breakfast goodies:

don't worry about it. that's just overnight french toast with orange syrup and mixed berries. just another day at our house.

and one of my favorite breakfast goodies: raspberry cream cheese coffee cake.

again, i'm sorry.

who's hungry?

christmas gifts part 4: chocolate truffles

on the hunt for more christmas food gifts, i found this recipe via foodgawker. these are way easier to make than one would think, but just be prepared for the delicious mess when rolling them out. on singforyoursupper, where this original recipe is posted, she splits up the chocolate to make different kinds. i was lazy/in a hurry/didn't have some of those things but had more crushed peppermint, so i did just plain chocolate rolled in candy canes.

here is the recipe

1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar (I like mine a little sweeter)

bring the cream and sugar to a boil over low heat, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. cover and chill the chocolate for at least 4 hours or overnight. roll into walnut size balls then refrigerate again for at least 20 minutes. roll in crushed peppermint candy. store in refrigerator.

guest posting: homemade marshmallows

my latest post on your heart out also makes a great gift. homemade marshmallows.

melt in your mouth delicious.