Oxo | I Can Cook That

Spring Cleaning with OXO

What is it about spring that finally motivates me to clean? As the outside thaws out, I finally get the drive to reorganize and do a deep clean, especially things I have been putting off. I tend to start in the kitchen and work my way into other rooms. I live in a tiny apartment, so once organized spaces get cluttered and messy quickly.

OXO is my go to for all things cleaning and organization, so I was really excited to receive some cleaning tools from them! These tools are great throughout the house, but I’ve only made it through my kitchen cleaning so far!

As soon as I opened the compact dustpan, I knew it would forever have a home in my kitchen. I actually didn’t use this for spring cleaning exactly, but it is the perfect tool for countertop messes, including a flour-dusted surface (after baking).

The brush snaps into the dust pan and the pan’s flat bottom allows it to stand up, so it’s really easy to store on the countertop or on a shelf. (It’s so thin though it can easily be stored in a drawer as well). The dust pan’s soft rubber lip allows you to press down on the pan while sweeping with the brush to get every little bit into the pan.

The Large Sweep Set with Extendable Broom was put to the test almost immediately; I spilled a container of rice when I went to grab it from a cabinet!

The sweep set includes a full-size broom and extra-large dustpan. When it’s fully extended, the broom and dustpan are great for sweeping large areas. The broom also retracts to easily sweep dirt piles into the dustpan. The dustpan features teeth to comb out dirt (which I love; I have a cat so this is a great tool!) and a flexible lip that conforms to surfaces so dust is not swept underneath it. The dustpan also locks open for easy emptying. The broom snaps into the closed dustpan for upright, compact storage.

I was probably the most excited for the Electronics Cleaning Brush, and so was my DSLR camera! As a food blogger, my poor camera is subject to flour, splatters, and all other non-camera-friendly kitchen hazards.

The OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush is made of a slim silicone wiper to remove dust from small, hard-to-reach places including between keyboard keys and around the edges of a monitor screen, while soft bristles are gentle enough to clean camera lenses. The Brush comes with a cap to protect the silicone wiper and the bristles retract into the device, keeping both tools clean but ready to use.

are other tools I was sent that I will be using in other areas of my apartment:

The OXO Goodgrips Dust Pan and Brush Set is the perfect tool to store near my cat’s litter box. The whisk-broom shape makes it easy to sweep from above and the rubber lip along the front edge of the Dustpan conforms to surfaces, making sure every last bit is swept up. The Brush also features a soft, non-slip handle for a comfortable grip. Snap the Brush into the durable Dust Pan for convenient storage.
I also received expandable drawer dividers which I can’t wait to use in my bedroom drawers when I get to that room! The set includes two Dividers that are each 4” tall and expand from 11” to 17” to fit most drawers front to back or side to side and does not require tools for installation!
The Microfiber Delicate Duster traps and holds dust instead of just pushing it around, and it does so without the need for cleaning chemicals, which is perfect for use on electronics like your TV or monitor. After dusting, the head of the Microfiber Delicate Duster pops off with a push of a button and is machine washable.

Have you begun your spring cleaning? What tools are you using to get your home tidy?

Spritz Cookies

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Annually, OXO highlights this month with a program benefiting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, founded by two OXO employees who’s son battled pediatric cancer. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support to allow anyone to easily get involved in fundraising to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

To show support, OXO will donate up to $100,000* to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through the sales of specially marked items, bake sale matches, and other fundraising efforts. And that’s where this post comes in! OXO sent me a set of cookie-baking tools including specially marked OXO baking products with this Cookies for Kids’ Cancer sticker:

OXO is donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this cause in September. (I made these Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies and these Gluten Free Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes last year in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer as well.)

But they aren’t stopping there. For every stickered item sold, OXO will donate 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer research as part of its $100,000* pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Look for specially marked OXO products at participating retailers in September. (Here’s a list of OXO products that include the sticker.)

* In 2014, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through specially marked baking tools, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.

So my cookie-baking set came with a Cookie Press with Disk Storage Case, as well as a Cookie Spatula and a 3 Piece Spatula Set. OXO was even kind enough to send over their newest Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons! I have never made Spritz cookies before so I was really excited to try the Cookie Press out. Although Spritz cookies are typically thought of as a holiday cookie, OXO’s Cookie Press comes with plenty of other non-winter shapes, including a Leaf, Daisy, Sunflower, Buttercup, Fleur-de-lis, Butterfly, Shell, and Heart! (More winter-y shapes include a Bear, Snowflake, Tree, and Wreath)

For my first attempt, I stayed traditional and made a traditional Butter Spritz Cookie Dough using a recipe adapted from the Food Network to make these Spritz Cookies!

Ingredients:

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Sprinkles or colored sugar, for garnish
Food dye (optional)

note: to make Spritz cookies you need a cookie press Continue reading Spritz Cookies

Charred Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes #WhatAGrillWants

Grilled corn is one of my absolute favorite foods of summer. There is just nothing like a cob of sweet corn charred over a grill. Mmm. But as much as I love a simple corn on the cob, sometimes I need a little variety. This recipe from Bon Appetit gives me my beloved grilled corn, plus fresh herbs and tomatoes. What’s not to love?

This recipe also allows me to show off some of my favorite grilling tools, courtesy of OXO. I was sent some grilling essentials as a participant in OXO’s #WhatAGrillWants campaign, including a Corn Stripper, Silicone Basting Brush, and 16″ tongs. I was also sent a Bladed Meat Tenderizer (which I plan on using for steak in an upcoming recipe… stay tuned) and a Little Salad Dressing Shaker that is the perfect size for 2 servings; I will have a post including that little guy soon too!

The Silicone Basting Brush is perfect for grilling because it is head resistant, odor resistant, and easy to clean. I used it this time around to rub the corn with olive oil before grilling. The center bristles have circular gaps that hold on to the liquid as you transfer the sauce from the bowl to the food and the tapered outer bristles let you baste easily. Because the bristles are heat resistant to 600 degrees F, it’s a great tool to add an extra layer of barbecue sauce to a protein while grilling! The basting brush is also dishwasher safe.

My boyfriend was most excited about the 16″ tongs. They are stainless steel but have non-slip handles that make them safe for barbecuing. The long length is very much appreciated when working over a hot grill! The tongs also lock closed with a large pull tab that also doubles as a hole for hanging, great for my peg board! (You can also get the tongs in 9-inch and 12-inch sizes).

The corn stripper is the perfect tool for this recipe. I’ve mentioned on here before that I have a (ridiculous) fear of knives. So when trying to strip corn off a cob, I get a bit anxious. This tool makes it SO much easier without the risk! The corn stripper has a container that actually stores the kernels as you strip them from the cob; it holds up to 1/2 cup. You can then just pour the kernels out of the top of the container and you’re good to go!

Now that I’ve gone through all of my nifty tools that made this recipe a breeze, maybe it would be a good idea to actually share the recipe, no? 🙂

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn, husked
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, large leaves torn
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Continue reading Charred Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes #WhatAGrillWants

Farro Berry and Walnut Salad

This recipe from Cooking Light is actually supposed to be a side dish. But I thought this Farro Berry and Walnut Salad would make a great summer lunch! I have been looking for something that can be made the night beforehand and transports easily so this salad seemed perfect. I added in some blueberries because my boyfriend is allergic to cherries and I wanted him to still be able to enjoy a fruit within the salad (he’s fine with cherries being in something, he just has to pick them out).

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked farro
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 pound sweet cherries, pitted and halved (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup blueberries
2/3 cup diced celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
the juice of one lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Continue reading Farro Berry and Walnut Salad

Hot Cocoa Cookies

It’s that time of year again! I signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap again this year and got some great ideas for what to bake for Christmas!

In its third year, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap helps raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. The swap raised $13,778.40 this year, raised through blogger participants donations and matching donations from OXO, Dixie Crystals, Gold Medal, and Grandma’s Molasses. The goal was $10,000, so to get nearly $4,000 more in donations is amazing!

So here’s how the actual swapping part of this works: I was assigned three food bloggers and made one dozen cookies for each of them. In return, I received three different boxes of cookies from other bloggers.

Last year, I received a batch of hot cocoa cookies that were SO good I was craving them again this year. So I decided to make some myself! The chocolate cookies are topped with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a touch of grated chocolate. I based my recipe off of Rachel Ray’s Hot Cocoa Cookies recipe.

Ingredients (get all ingredients here):

8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter
1 (12 oz) package of semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 oz of milk chocolate chips
1 package of mini marshmallows
1 dark chocolate bar, for garnish (optional)

Continue reading Hot Cocoa Cookies

Gluten Free Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Gluten free baking. Does it terrify anyone else? Just me? Hm. Whelp. I finally decided it was time to conquer my fear and try my hand at it.

I was sent a copy of Kyra Bussanich’s new cookbook Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle which makes gluten-free baking seem not-so-scary. Kyra was the first gluten free baker to win Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and has actually won twice overall so she knows her stuff! The cookbook is filled with really amazing sounding cupcakes but has a bunch of other mouthwatering baking recipes, including gluten free muffins, scones, cookies, brownies, and much more!

As I was paging through the cookbook, I came across her recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. I just had to make them!

I used a bunch of OXO baking tools to create these cupcakes including the Cupcake Corer, the 6 Piece Measuring Spoon Set, and the 6 Piece Measuring Cup Set. These tools, along with many others, can be found during the month of September with these green stickers on them:

For every specially marked item sold, OXO is donating 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer research as a part of its $100,000 pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Keep an eye out for the green sticker when buying your baking tools, every little bit helps!

Now, on to the recipe. I changed the frosting but kept the rest of the recipe intact.

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup potato starch
2/3 cup white rice flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM:

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 cup heavy cream
1 package dark chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
Cocoa powder, as needed

“Adapted with permission from Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle by Kyra Bussanich (Ten Speed Press, © 2013).”

Continue reading Gluten Free Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I personally am not vegan. But as more of my friends dabble in veganism, I have been getting more requests to do some vegan friendly recipes. I’m honestly finding vegan baking to be relatively easy; most of the substitute ingredients are already in my pantry!

I received a bag of One Degree Organics Sprouted Spelt Flour along with some vegan baking recipes that sounded really tasty! I have never made a vegan cookie before so I appreciated the nudge towards trying and decided to make some Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

Sprouted Spelt Flour works generally like normal flour, you just need to adjust your dry-to-wet ingredient ratio (less dry ingredients or more wet ingredients). Sprouted Spelt Flour contains more fiber, vitamins, and essential fatty acids than regular flour so it seems like a generally good switch to make. (I’m not giving up eating cookies, but hey, at least I’ve increased my fiber!) 🙂

One Degree Organics prides itself on using only organic foods grown using natural veganic methods for its grains used in its cereal, bread, and flours. The company also does not add any synthetic ingredients and practices sustainable growing methods. One Degree Organics actually includes a QR code and alphanumeric code on each package so that you can learn about where that specific product came from and the family of farmers behind it. Pretty cool right?

So I was really excited to use their Sprouted Spelt Flour in this recipe! Because this is my first time baking vegan cookies, I kept the recipe mostly intact. I did add some walnuts for a bit of crunch which resulted in these Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup One Degree Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour
¼ cup Coconut Palm Sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla powder or extract
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Continue reading Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Double Chocolate Soufflés

As I’ve mentioned before, I cannot help myself from making a million desserts in December. There is something about the last month of the year that makes me want to bake my little heart out. Oxo has decided to help my cause by asking me to check out their new and improved Egg Beater. I am a huge fan of Oxo products (bowls, containers, apple corers; you name it, I have it). So I knew that their egg beater would find a happy home in my kitchen. Oxo also sent me an extra egg beater to give away to one of lucky reader. Details will be below!

The egg beater has a non-slip grip handle for ease of use. The beaters are removable and then entire base can be detached and is dishwasher-safe (a must in my kitchen. I’m way too lazy to clean dishes after cooking). The beater itself has managed to improve upon its predecessors by adding a steel bridge at the bottom that can rest on the bottom of the bowl. This allows the beaters to be slightly in the air without causing arm strain.Note: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Jill J;you have won! Check your e-mail 🙂

Photo courtesy of oxo.com

Their website had a great video that shows all the features so I wanted to include that hereas well.

So I really wanted to test this bad boy. I decided to not only test it’s ease of use, but it’s ease of cleaning by making a recipe that uses the egg beater in more than one step of the process. How about a chocolate souffle topped with a warm fudge sauce and some freshly made whipped cream? (Not going to lie, the whipped cream was an afterthought because my souffle collapsed. Sigh. Still learning…)

Ingredients:

Souffle:

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 large egg whites

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon powered sugar

This recipe requires a bit of oven preparation. Take out the top rack of your oven. Position the other rack as low as possible. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Spray six 8-ounce souffle dishes (or ramekins) with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons (or 1 teaspoon per ramekin) of sugar and set aside.

In a large saute pan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and the salt over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk or the Oxo egg beater. Add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add 3 ounces chocolate, stirring until smooth. Add to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, add the egg whites (reserve one egg yolk!) and beat using your egg beater until stiff peaks form. This took a good 5 minutes for me.

Once the egg whites are beaten, the chocolate mixture should have cooled. Add the vanilla and egg yolk to the chocolate mixture and stir.Fold in 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.

Once combined, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Sharply tap the dishes two or three times on counter to even out each mixture in the ramekin. You want them to be about 3/4 full so that they can puff over the top of the ramekin. If you are making these ahead of time, you can cover the ramekins at this stage and freeze until you’re ready to bake them.

When ready to bake, place them on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven (which is at 425) on the bottom rack. Immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees (keep the souffles in the oven and don’t open the door, the temperature will slowly lower over time). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean.

The sauce can also be made ahead of time if you so wish. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour, stirring well with a whisk.

Gradually add 1/2 cup milk stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir. Remove from heat, add 1/2 ounce chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon over warm souffles.

To make the whipped cream, add the heavy cream to a bowl. Using the egg beater, beat the cream until peaks are just about to form. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar and beat until peaks form. Add a dollop of the fresh whipped cream to the souffle and serve.

So my souffle came out puffy and happy and I was so excited!

But as I started adding the chocolate sauce, it began to deflate. Sigh.

So I topped it off with the fresh whipped cream and called it even.

Souffles are notoriously difficult to make, but I wanted to at least give it a shot. Who honestly cares if it deflated though? It still tasted wonderful! I think even a collapsed souffle still looks pretty darn nice as well, no?

So if you’re still with me, you can win your very own Oxo egg beater to beat and whip until your heart’s content.

How to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and feel free to leave me a comment below with any questions, comments, or complaints 🙂

Note: I received both a free egg beater for myself and for the giveaway through Oxo’s Blogger outreach program. All opinions and photos with the exception of the egg beater photo are mine.