When I have time on Sundays (which isn’t terribly often), I like to make a batch of muffins so I have breakfast for the week. Because I had some overripe bananas, this week I decided to make Banana Bread Muffins. I was recently sent some coupons to try Kretschmer Wheat Germ products so I thought adding some of the Honey Crunch would add some nice texture and flavor to the muffins.
So what exactly is wheat germ? Wheat germ comes from the wheat kernel, which is the part removed when refining whole grains into white flour. Wheat Germ is a great source of Vitamin E, B vitamins and folic acid. You can find it in the cereal aisle. Wheat germ can be used in recipes calling for flour or breadcrumbs so its quite versatile. I’ve also used it in smoothies.
So that you can try wheat germ for yourself, Kretschmer is giving away some coupons good for free wheat germ products to an I Can Cook That reader! More on that below.
Ingredients (makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins, of 6 large muffins):
One of my favorite parts of learning to cook is having the chance to learn about cultures through different foods. I love paging through cookbooks that contain recipes I’ve never tried and learning something about the history and tradition behind these recipes. In preparation for Passover, I was sent a copy of The New Jewish Table, written by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Washington D.C.’s Equinox Restaurant. The cookbook takes traditional Jewish recipes and turns them into beautiful modern dishes.
The cookbook is filled with a ton of re-imagined comfort foods, and is broken into seasons to make the most of seasonally available product. The last few pages of the book also has suggested menus for Jewish holidays. I hope to cook through the Passover menu over the coming days because it all sounds so delicious (besides the gefilte fish, sorry haha.)
The Grays’ have filled the cookbook with personal stories and notes throughout that give a family feel and a background to their traditions which is a really nice touch. Each recipe is also labeled by type of recipe to make it easy to keep kosher: dairy, meat, parve, or mixed. Todd Gray’s childhood traditions are also present throughout the cookbook and include a few nods to traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. (I particularly liked these recipes because, well, what is more comforting that food from the Pennsylvania Dutch?)
This cookbook almost reads like a memory book and is filled with wonderful stories, photographs, and obviously recipes. The New Jewish Table would be great for someone who is interested in learning about Jewish traditions through food and those who have grown up with these traditions and are looking for a fresh update to their family favorites.
I decided to make the recipe on the cover, called “Not Exactly Aunt Lil’s Matzo Ball Soup.” The recipe is a more polished version of Ellen Kassoff Gray’s Great Aunt’s soup. It has noodles in it, but to make it for Passover, this version below has omitted them. Todd Gray’s spin on this traditional recipe turns a comforting dish into a truly beautiful dish. I altered the dish very slightly, but my version is below. To see the original recipe, be sure to pick up a copy of this cookbook.
This recipe falls into the “meat” category. It is also appropriate for Passover.
Ingredients:
Caramelized Shallots:
2 cups chopped shallots
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Matzo Balls:
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/4 cup club soda
1 cup matzo meal
1/2 cup chopped Caramelized Onions (above)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
One 3-pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
1 large yellow onion, quarterd
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 medium turnip, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch parsley, washed and blotted dry
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
12 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt
Garnish:
2 cups finely diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup finely diced turnips
1/2 cup sliced scallions, both green and white parts
With Easter almost here, I am having visions of Peeps and Cadbury Eggs. I’ve mentioned before my family’s Easter tradition includes a Bunny Cake. But many Italian families celebrate the holiday with a sweet Easter Cake. I personally have never had one before so I was so excited to when Nudo asked me to try their version. Nudo Italia has an absolutely delicious Colomba Easter Cake on their website for a limited time.
photo courtesy of nudo-italia.com
The Colomba cake is filled with tasty bites, including candied orange peel and amaretto. The dove-shaped cake (la colomba means “dove” in Italian) is topped with sugar and almonds.
photo courtesy of nudo-italia.com
This cake is huge, perfect for a large family. I ate this for breakfast and as a dessert (for a few days!) and loved it for both. The cake is fluffy and perfectly sweet.
The cake is delicious with a cup of coffee, espresso, or a hot chocolate. I went with hot chocolate and loved the pairing!
Nudo’s limited edition Colomba ($25) is available on Nudo-Italia.com now. It is the perfect addition to any Easter table, as well as the most delicious gift for a host or hostess.
It should come as no surprise that my go-to gifts tend to be food related. I love gifting Philadelphia-themed gift baskets, assorted tea presents, and engagement cookies. New to my list are these beautiful gift boxes from a*pour toi.
The founder, Julie Hasson, began this company recently to provide gourmet treats that feel like they have been picked with care just for your recipient. Julie works with Dr. Tara D Seneviratne who specialized is nutrition and endocrinology to help select every item in the box.
This option is brand new, it is being launched to the public in mid-January. But I was given the opportunity to try a box beforehand. I was sent an a*pour toi box for free, but my opinions below are my own. a*pour toi, which translates to “a gift for you,” is also hosting a giveaway on my blog, with the winner receiving their very own gift box! (The box ingredients change monthly, so you may receive different treats than I did. Please see below on how to enter!)
What is it about tiny treats that make the food taste better? I love perfectly portioned food so I was excited to be sent Petite Treats: Mini Versions of Your Favorite Baked Delights. The cookbook has recipes for mini donuts, muffins, scones, pies, and bundt cakes. The recipes sound absolutely delicious but to make most of the treats, you’ll need quite a bit of hardware: mini bunt cake pans, mini donut pans, mini scone pans, mini cupcake pans, etc. There are a few recipes that use a normal muffin pan that sounded really appealing, including mini cakes, but I decided to make the mini coffee cakes so I could have breakfast all week.
Ingredients:
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries (I used frozen cranberries, thawed)
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter,at room temperature, divided
Oh pasta, how I love you. Pasta, or any Italian food for that matter, is my ultimate comfort food choice. I was sent Lidia Bastianich’s newest cookbook: Lidia’s Favorite Recipes– 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees, which after my first page through, I already knew would be one of my favorite cookbooks. Lidia Bastianich obviously knows her Italian dishes, she’s been in the cooking industry for most of her life; she has a number of best-selling cookbooks, owns 6 restaurants, and is basically the face of Italian cooking on PBS. I’m also happy to let you all know that I will be giving away one copy of this awesome cookbook! More on that after the recipe…
The cookbook makes Italian recipes approachable. A lot of the recipes include childhood favorites of mine, Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Italian Wedding Soup. There are recipes that the photos look so fantastic I can’t wait to try them (I’m specifically talking about the rice balls. Oh. My. Goodness.)
But I had to test out the cookbook with my favorite Italian staple: a pasta dish. The Tagliatelle with Wild Mushroom Sauce sounded just wonderful. But something didn’t want me to make this recipe. My supermarket didn’t have wild mushrooms or tagliatelle! Well, the show must go on. This is my somewhat adapted version of the recipe, Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce.
“The secret of good cooking is, first, having a love of it. … If you’re convinced that cooking is drudgery, you’re never going to be good at it, and you might as well warm up something frozen.”
– James Beard
James Beard is basically the father of American cooking as we know it today. He, along with the beloved Julia Child, is basically the “foodie” community’s version of The Beatles. As Julia Child put it, “in the beginning, there was James Beard.” So when I was offered to review a new compilation of some of his best recipes, I couldn’t wait to dig in. The cookbook, The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking is in stores beginning today.
The cookbook is filled with what we think of today as quintessential recipes: coleslaw, potato salad, pot roast, chicken pot pie. But James Beard’s travels through France as well as inspiration from the Chinese cooks who worked at the hotel his mother owned. Each page is filled with both new and different recipes as well as classic approaches to everyday food (ex. roasting a chicken). The editors did a great job of going through and adding notes to help enhance the recipes as well, including insight into what an ingredient is and what can be substituted.
I really had a tough time choosing a recipe to do this post. It’s really tough to pinpoint what James Beard is known for, because, well, he’s known for everything! I finally settled on his Cream of Tomato Soup recipe.
This recipe, passed down from his mother, is a classic comfort food choice. I loved the idea of making a family recipe and was intrigued by the process. (The onset of Hurricane Sandy may also have had some input into my decision.)
Ingredients:
2 28-oz cans of Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
1 cup Beef Stock
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 whole cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups heavy cream
Chopped fresh basil or fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
This recipe is adapted from James Beard’s The Essential James Beard Cookbook
If you’ve noticed an uptick in my interest of miniature food, the cookbook Tiny Food Party! is to blame. Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, who also write on their blog Spoon Fork Bacon, have developed an entire cookbook based on tiny versions of dozens of food. The recipes range from breakfast favorites to delicious desserts. Tiny Food Party! also includes themed menus so you can throw your own tiny food party to your friends delight.
Brian at Bridges,Burgers & Beer and I were given the opportunity to test out the recipes in this cookbook in the best way possible: by hosting a Tiny Food Party!
oOnion Rings w/ Roasted Red Pepper Aioli & Buttermilk Ranch
oPotato Salad Bites
oCaprese Skewers
–Main Bites:
oChicken n Waffles
oLamb Sliders
oShepherd’s Pie
oCountry Style Eggs Benedict
–Desserts
oFudge Puppies
oSnickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches
oCinnamon Spiced Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Candied Bacon
We invited over a bunch of friends to help us test out the above food. We did require a few tools that might not be in everyone’s kitchen: A mini muffin tin, a deep fryer (you can use a normal pot, and then you just need a candy thermometer), biscuit cutters, and slider buns. Past that, the ingredients should be available in your local grocery store.
At first look, the cookbook had both of us really excited. So many things stood out to us we had one heck of a time cutting it down to a few choices. I did think there were a high number of fried foods but hey, if it’s tiny, it’s not nearly as bad for you (right?)
After my first trip to Wegman’s (why has no one brought me here before?! I’m in love!), we split up the menu so we could both do some prep stuff before the party. I was able to make the seafood cocktail cups, potato salad bites, and all of the desserts completely ahead of time.
We met a few hours before the party and went on a cooking rampage. Shepherd’s Pies were filled, Caprese Skewers were … well, skewered, and the Onion Rings were prepared throughout the night (we even got some frying help from Zoe from Row Home Eats, thanks so much Zoe!)
In review, we decided the size of the Pajeon pancakes weren’t different enough to be considered mini, so Brian cut the size down a bit more for effect. The seafood cocktail cups were a hit, I loved that they were served in a cucumber cup and were quite easy to make. The mini onion rings, made from shallots, took a ton of prep work. Poor Brian was probably having nightmares of shallot slicing by the end! The Potato Salad Bites were served in mini wonton cups which made the overall flavor quite bland unfortunately. But the actual potato salad was quite delicious! I’ve already decided the Caprese skewers will be a staple for any party: they are so easy to make and the presentation is fantastic.
Panjeon
Seafood Cocktail Cups
Mini Onion Rings
Potato Salad Bites
Caprese Skewers
The mini mains were definitely the crowd favorites. The Chicken and Waffles, served on mini Eggo Waffles (in the freezer section of your supermarket) were drizzled with a bit of honey. We substituted chicken thighs for the chicken tenders suggested and were really pleased with the results. We could not get enough of these!
The Lamb Sliders were also absolutely fantastic. Brian flips a mean (mini) burger! The sliders were topped with a mini slice of cheese, roasted red pepper aioli, caramelized red onions, and arugula. I know, sorry, your mouth is now watering. There was a good bit of prep work for these but it was well worth it. I loved that when it came down to the actual party, it was basically just assembly!
The Country Style Eggs Benedict was the biggest surprise, at least for me. Served on a mini biscuit, we used quail eggs and drizzled them with a roasted garlic cheese sauce. I could eat these all day!
The Shepherds Pies were gone before I could grab a taste, so I’m going to call those a win. My only complaint as someone with Irish blood was that the recipe used cumin. Cumin? Anywho, it was delicious. And I hate to admit it, but the cumin was a big part of that tastiness. We had some trouble making the little puff pastry cups the pies were made in so be sure to actually prick the bottoms of the dough before baking. Those little guys puff like crazy!
Dessert was a mixed bag, completely due to human (a.k.a Kaitlin) error. You’ll never believe this, but ice cream sandwiches don’t travel well. Insanity, right? If you could get past the meltiness of the ice cream sandwich, these were super tasty. Ah well.
The Fudge Puppies were another favorite. We used the leftover mini waffles from the Chicken N Waffles and dipped them in melted chocolate. We then rolled them in crushed banana chips. Mmmm. Best part of these was I was able to make them the day before, refrigerate them, and bring them out when needed. No day of work required.
Last but certainly not least were the Cinnamon Spiced Cupcakes. I’ve gotta tell you, the frosting for these cupcakes stole the show. It was oh so creamy and delicious. Topping it with pieces of candied bacon didn’t hurt either.
Overall, people left full and happy. Brian and I were pret-ty proud of ourselves after turning out all of this food! We’ve already decided that we are Tiny Food Party addicts. Although the next time we have a tiny food party, we think a potluck version would work best so that we can munch on all the bites at the same time!
The cookbook is really extensive but it’s got me thinking… what else would you make in tiny food form? Mini grilled cheese dipped in a “tomato soup?” Mini whoopie pies? The options are endless!
This cookbook is actually being released today, October 9. You can find it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at your local store.
I’m excited to share with you this recipe for Quinoa Chicken Curry, but before I do, I wanted to share a bit about quinoa.
Although quinoa seems to be a bit of a “new” super food, it has actually been around for thousands of years and was considered one of the most important crops of the Incas. This grain-like seed is really easy to cook (you cook it like rice) but is chock full of nutritional benefits. Quinoa’s high protein content makes it a great choice for vegans and vegetarians. It is also a complete protein which means it contains all the essential amino acids. Quinoa is also rich in vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin B, folate, and riboflavin. Quinoa is also naturally gluten free, and can be ground into a flour that allows for gluten free baking. Whew.
I really didn’t know much about quinoa, or how to use it. So I was excited to be given the chance to review The Complete Idiot’s Guide Quinoa Cookbook to learn more about it. The book is full of quinoa recipes, including breakfast, dinner, and even dessert recipes. I wanted to try one of the more traditional preparations of quinoa, but can’t wait to delve into the more interesting uses for it in future posts (Lemon Poppy Seed Quinoa Cupcakes, anyone?) The book had a recipe for Quinoa Indian Chicken Curry that sounded absolutely fantastic!
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 teaspoons curry powder, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces
Cannolis always remind me of my Italian/German side of the family. I can’t think of a Christmas that these little delicious desserts didn’t make an appearance. My sister was downright obsessed with them as a kid, if she got to the dessert table first, there was no chance of getting one. So when I was sent Grace’s Sweet Life: Homemade Italian Desserts, I was really hoping to find a recipe for cannolis so I could make some for her. Well, the cookbook did me one better: Vanilla Cupcakes filled with Ricotta Cream, topped with Marsala-Chocolate Whipped Cream. And to make them even better, they are topped with a mini cannoli!
Grace is a blogger over at La Mia Vita Dolce. The website is absolutely fantastic. Just the names of the recipes are enough to make your mouth water. Her new cookbook is no different. It is filled with recipes for the very traditional (Pizzelles – those Italian waffle cookies that look like snowflakes) to the super creative (Chocolate Salami, you read that correctly!) The photography is stunning. The titles of the desserts are in both Italian and English which I thought was a nice touch. (The title of the cupcakes in Italian is Piccoli Torta alla Vaniglia con Crema di Ricotta, Panna Montata al Cacao e Marsala in case you were wondering.) Grace breaks down the recipes into easy to follow steps, which is really helpful, especially for a recipe like the cupcakes I made. I changed bits and parts to her recipe just due to what I could and couldn’t find.
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
1 3/4 cups cake flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk (I used skim milk)
For the ricotta cream:
1 1/2 cups ricotta
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
For the marsala-chocolate whipped cream frosting:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon marsala
24 mini cannolis
Superfine sugar is just normal sugar that is ground into a finer grain. If you can’t find it in your local supermarket, just add a little more than 1 1/4 cups sugar to a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes. Just make sure that you have 1 1/4 cup of sugar at the end.
So, I really wanted to make my own mini cannolis. I really did. But I couldn’t find anything to wrap the cannolis around to make mini ones, all the places I looked only had the metal tubes for regular sized cannolis. So then, I tried going to bakeries to ask for mini cannoli shells. They all either didn’t have any or were unwilling to give them to me without filling them first. Sigh. So the cannolis on top of these lovely cupcakes are not my own making. But, they are the best cannolis in Philly (in my humble opinion), from Termini Bakery. On to the cupcakes!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and egg yolks to a measuring cup with the vanilla extract. Lightly beat with a fork.
With the mixer running (if you’re using a hand mixer, you might need a baking buddy for this step), gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time alternating with adding the milk in two additions. (1/3 flour, then 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 milk, 1/3 flour). Beat until just combined after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly in the muffin cups. Fill each tin 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To make the ricotta cream, beat the ricotta on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar as beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the frosting, sift the cocoa and the confectioners sugar into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Beat the heavy cream, cocoa mixture and the marsala on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until cold, about 15 to 30 minutes.
To assemble, use a pairing knife to cut a 1 1/2 inch deep cone shaped piece of cake from the center of each cupcake. Trim off the top of the cone piece into a round, flat disk that you’ll use to top off the cupcake. Add the ricotta cream to a large pastry bag (or a ziplock bag with a corner cut off). Pipe the cream into each cupcake, filling almost to the top. Top with the disks of cake.
Add the frosting to a large pastrry bag or ziplock bag. Pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake.
Top with the mini cannolis. How fun are these??
Although it seems like these cupcakes would be really heavy and overwhelming, they were actually light and airy (I have no idea how). The cannoli added a fun touch, but these cupcakes can hold their own without them.
The ricotta cream inside was fantastic. I loved the flavor of them with the vanilla cupcakes and the chocolate chips were a fun addition.
Be sure to go check out Grace’s Sweet Life cookbook!
I was recently sent the Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook to review. Paging through the cookbook, I really loved the number of how-to’s included in the book. Everything from how to cook an omelette to what kitchen utensils every beginner cook needs. The recipes are really simple with beautiful photos to help you throughout; it’s basically a better version of my blog! 🙂
The cookbook isn’t just for beginners though, there are plenty of recipes that are helpful for any level of at-home cook. There is a recipe for gnocchi I can’t wait to try! (I attempted to make gnocchi once before, but they didn’t end up being happy little pillows of deliciousness; they were pretty dense. Sigh)
I decided to try to make their cherry pie. I have only made pie crust once before so I was excited to try again. Plus, I recently bought a Babycakes Pie Maker and had yet to try it out. The recipe for the cherry pie was followed by a how-to for making a lattice pie top so I wanted to try that out as well.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup cranberry juice
4 cups frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pie crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
7 tablespoons cold water
Note: I will give the directions as if I was making a large pie and will add commentary where the mini pie maker has different instructions. (I’m guessing most people don’t have a mini pie maker lying around!)
To make the filling, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a large saute pan.
Stir in the cranberry juice until smooth.
“Smooth” might be more appropriate
Bring to a boil, stirring for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat and add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly.
Gradually add the cold water. Start with 5 tablespoons and add 1 or 2 tablespoons more if needed. Toss with a fork until a ball forms.
Divide the dough in half with one ball slightly larger than the other. (You don’t have to do this if making mini pies.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball to fit in a 9-inch pie plate. When ready to transfer to the pie plate, loosely roll the dough around your roller and unroll into the pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch beyond the edge of the plate. (The mini pie maker comes with a cutter so I used that to get the correct shape. I then used another tool that comes with the product to push the dough into the mini pie plate.)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Add the filling. (For mini pies, this is about 2-4 tablespoons of the filling per pie)
The book also goes through how to make a lattice-topped pie! Roll out the remaining pastry dough into a 12-inch circle. (I just used the cutter provided with my mini pie baker). With a pastry wheel (? No idea what a pastry wheel is. Feel free to use a pizza cutter or a knife), cut the dough into 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide strips.
Take half the strips (I just went every other that was cut) and lay them across the pie in with 1/2 inch to 3/4 inches between them.
Fold back every other strip.
Take one strip of dough and lay it perpendicular to the strips already on the pie. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip and fold back the strips that are running underneath that strip.
Lay down a second strip and continue the process until the lattice top is finished.
Trim the strips to fit in the pie and fold bottom pastry up over the edges of the strips and seal. (I couldn’t do this for mine, but I bet they would have looked much nicer!)
Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack. (I baked mine for 15 minutes and cooled on a wire rack).
I was quite happy with how these turned out. I think they needed a bit more sugar, but I think I used the wrong type of frozen cherries (mine were no sugar added). I also think a little lemon zest would really up the flavor of these quite nicely.
I also made a normal topped pie
I’m so excited about the lattice top! I obviously added a bit too much filling because it spilled over, but when I make a real pie, I now know how to do the lattice on top, yay!
To sweeten it up, I just topped the mini pies with ice cream. That solved the problem!
I have many childhood memories of me chasing down the ice cream truck to get my absolute favorite ice cream treat: a Chipwich. I mean, honestly, what more could you ask for in a dessert? Two chocolate chip cookies with ice cream sandwiched in between. Mmm.
So I was, well, horrified, to find out that the Chipwich brand name is no longer in existence as of 2007. At that time, Nestle bought the rights to the name and stopped all production because it competed with their “Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich.” I mean, come on. The name Chipwich is exponentially more catchy. But hey, whatever floats their boat.
Since finding out this information, I can’t get the idea of making my own Homemade Chipwiches or Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches out of my head.
I was sent an Airbake cooking sheet recently and wanted to test it out. The Airbake Nonstick Insulated sheets are pretty snazzy. They are made of 100% aluminum and are comprised of two sheets surrounding a layer of air. This is said to reduce the temperature of the metal that actually comes in contact with the food which should result in more even baking. Airbake also claims that cookie bottoms won’t burn, win! (They also have natural sheets if you don’t want nonstick)
I decided to use a recipe from David Lebovitz for Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies because the only way I can think to enhance my homemade chipwiches would be to add a little salt to bring out the flavor.
Ingredients (makes about 12 hand-sized chipwiches, make cookies larger if desired):
4 ounces salted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 pint vanilla ice cream (or your favorite ice cream)
Muffins are the perfect Sunday baking activity to set yourself up for breakfasts throughout the week. I haven’t made a batch in so long so I’m happy I finally had time to do so! I was given the opportunity to try Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil and I thought the best way to try the oil out would be in baking. (I adapted this recipe for Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins from the 1 Mix, 100 Muffins cookbook.)
Coconut oil can be used like butter in its solid state and like oil in its liquid state. It does have a slight coconut flavor to it so it’s a great way to enhance the flavor of many dishes. These Coconut-Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins have just a hint of coconut that is really complementary to the Lemon flavor.
Tropical Traditions is also sponsoring a giveaway! One lucky reader will win their very own jar of coconut oil! Details below.
Ingredients (this recipe makes a dozen muffins):
2 cups all-purpose flour, leveled with a knife
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted and allowed to cool slightly
the zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Note: The method I will list below is the one I ended up using for this recipe. And the reason I used this method was because I completely forgot to add in the sugar and poppy seeds at the correct time! Anyways, the muffins turned out fine. Whew.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a cupcake/muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Add 6 tablespoons coconut oil to a small saute pan over medium heat until completely melted. Remove from heat and reserve.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. (If you have a stand mixer, add the dough hook and turn it on low for a minute or two. It will break up all the chunks, just as good as sifting!)
In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Add the milk, melted coconut oil, and lemon rind. And mix with a whisk to combine.
Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet mixture to the bowl.
Stir until just combined (I used the lowest setting on my stand mixer. You can just use a spatula.)
Add the sugar and poppy seeds, stirring until just combined.
Add the batter to the muffin pan. To get equal sized muffins, use a small ladle or an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter.
Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes; you want the muffins to have risen and be slightly golden brown on top, or when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove.
So everyone knows how delicious normal Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are. The coconut oil brings the muffins from good to great!
They are so fragrant. I was having trouble photographing them because I kept trying to eat them!
There is definitely a taste of coconut present without it being overwhelming; I find that coconut can really overtake a dish sometimes.
The lemon still shines through and is wonderfully sweet (due to all that sugar!)
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil? You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.
To enter, use the widget below. You have 8 chances to win (Writing a comment is mandatory, the rest are optional)! Giveaway ends this Friday, May 11 at 11:59PM EST. Good luck!
I had the best Saturday. A huge part of making it such an amazing day was the opportunity to take an Indian Cooking Class taught by Haneeda Riaz, of Haneeda’s Kitchen. Every Saturday, Haneeda hosts two hour hands-on classes to groups of 8 students or less. The classes, posted here, lay out what dishes will be taught, although Haneeda also (I believe) has private classes that can be customized.
Me and Haneeda
My mom and I headed to Glen Mills, PA to learn how to cook 5 different Indian dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Tikki, Cucumber Raita,Vegetable Pulao, and Mango Lassi. Our class of 7 immediately got started. The Chicken Tikka Masala needs some time to marinate so we began there, making the marinade and letting it soak for 30 minutes. We then made the sauce, broiled the chicken, and added it to the sauce.
Cucumber Raita, a cucumber yogurt-based salad, also needs time for the flavors to meld, was made next and popped in the fridge.
Next came the fun part, we got to get a little messy 🙂 To make the Aloo Tikki, a potato croquette, we had to form the potato mixture into little discs. These get sauteed up until golden and are served with chutney.
Learning how to make the vegetable pulao, a rice dish, changed my life. Hehe. We made the whole thing, vegetables and all, in a rice cooker! Needless to say, I am now the proud owner of a rice cooker.
Last but certainly not least, we whipped up the Mango Lassi, an absolutely delicious mango yogurt drink.
We then got to sit and taste our fine handiwork. Yum!
Aloo Tikki
Cucumber Raita
Vegetable Pulao
Mango Lassi
SO GOOD!
See? I wasn’t joking.
Haneeda is a fantastic teacher. Not only does she guide you through the whole cooking process, but gives every person in the class a chance to do the actual cooking. Haneeda is also full of knowledge; she took the time to show and discuss each and every spice we’d be using. She can also direct you to where to find the ingredient you used in the area. (I went on Sunday, and I fell in love with the Indian grocery store, it smells SO good in there!)
Not only do you get to sit down and enjoy the wonderful meal you just made, Haneeda sends each person home with the recipes!
So I had to show off my newly developed Indian cooking skills for my boyfriend. I made everything but the Aloo Tikki, because I forgot to pick up potatoes (whoops). So how did it turn out?
Not. Too. Shabby. If I say so myself 🙂 It was delicious! I made a whole Indian meal on my own!
I would strongly suggest checking out Haneeda’s (or honestly, any other hands-on cooking classes) to learn a new cuisine, or even something like a knife cutting class, to further develop your skills. It’s a bunch of fun, and really informative!
Many thanks tor Haneeda for the opportunity to attend her class, I can’t even begin to describe how great it was!
For more information about Haneeda’s Kitchen, head over to her website: https://www.haneedaskitchen.com/ There was also a wonderful write up about Haneeda and her classes last year, which can be found here.
I love sweet potatoes, especially in fry form. I just cannot turn down a delicious sweet potato fry. So I was really excited when I was offered the chance to try an Alexia Food product of my choice through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. Not only did they send me a coupon for any food product my little heart desired, but they also send a spiffy apron and pot holder; thanks for all the fun new products!
Alexia Foods has plenty of great products, including appetizers, breads, french fries, and potato and vegetable sides. I decided to try the Waffle Cut Sweet Potato Fries because it’s something I can’t make in my own kitchen. (I have, however, made pretty awesome traditional sweet potato fries in the past, if I do say so myself).
The fries can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store.The Waffle Cut fries have a seasoning of sea salt, garlic, onion, chili, black and red pepper. The fries can go straight from the freezer into a preheated oven and are ready in about 20 minutes.
I got a random normal fry in there. It was delicious as well 🙂
I decided to try mine with a Sriracha-mayo dip that I made for my sweet potato fries.
The fries came out of the oven slightly softer than I’d like, but crisped up after cooling off a bit. The seasoning on these fries is absolutely awesome. It was a pleasant surprise! I liked it so much I didn’t want to mask the taste with my dip and ended up eating most of them plain.
Alexia Food has a number of other types of fries: classic, rosemary and garlic, lemon parmesan, and sea salt sound the most intriguing to me. However, they are currently looking for a new Alexia fry flavor and need your help to choose. Now until March 30, visit the Alexia Foods Facebook page and click on the “Reinvent a Classic” tab to vote for one of four gourmet French Fry flavors.
Which one would you like to see, or which existing fry do you want to try? I think the Thai Spiced Sweet Potato fries sound amazing!
