Tag Archives: baking

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Oatmeal Cherry Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips + Walnuts

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I made these cookies for my mom.

Well, I made the recipe for my mom so she’d have something to bake for my aunt’s annual holiday cookie party. In her usual fashion, my mom doesn’t want to bake anything.

To quote her, “I hate-dat-dang-baking…”(to get the full effect, say it in one word, in your head like a scolding-Korean-mother would).

What she really wants is to bribe one of her baking-friendly pals into make something totally cute and delish for her… except, according to my aunt, that is cheating. And, my aunt is totally right! You cannot show up to a cookie party with another persons baked goods–it’s a tragic holiday charade. I told mom to suck it up and get to baking! Usually moms dole out the tough love, but sometimes adult-daughters have to step it up.

So, after figuring out what my moms dream cookie would be–something chewy and oat-y, with mix-ins, and the possibility of sandwiching some cream cheese frosting between two–I came up with these lightly spiced, chewy oatmeal cookies full of dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. It also had to come together quickly and with the least amount of fuss possible–since my mother thinks  the no-bake, rice krispy treat is fussy and somehow a baked good. While mom will most certainly switch out the chocolate chips for white chocolate (excuse me while I weep, I have a white-chocolate bias), and the dried cherries may become cranberries, these cookies are everything she asked for–chew, chunky texture, endless mix-in possibilities, sandwich capability, easy assembly…the works.

These cookies have molasses and thick oats, for lots of rich and chewy goodness. The dried cherries are tart and deep, the walnuts are toasty, and the chocolate does it’s chocolate thing. These are a great cookie-jar cookie. They are not too sweet and would totally welcome a slick of tart-creamy frosting to make the best holiday cookie sandwich. Like those oatmeal cream pies in the cellophane but, well, better.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

These don’t have to be cherry-walnut-chocolate cookies, you can use whatever nutty, dried fruit, chocolate-y mix-ins you’d like. I made small cookies, about the size of a silver dollar–but you could make these larger, just bake a few minutes longer. I used my favorite Extra-Thick Rolled Oats, but regular Quaker rolled oats will work just as well. 

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup each dried cherries, walnut pieces, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment, set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and molasses, beat well until combined, scraping bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine well.

Scrape bowl and add the dry ingredients, pulsing mixer until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in the dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. Scoop cookies in desired amount (I used a mini disher for these) and place on a baking sheet spaced about 1-2 inches apart (1 for smaller cookies, 2 for larger) and bake 1 sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11-13 minutes–possibly more for larger cookies–until the bottoms are golden brown and cookies are just done in the center. Over-baking will make for a less chewy cookie. Cool on sheet pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining dough. Can be kept in a cookie jar or other container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

 

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Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Bread

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I love working with yeast.

It seems a lot of you have a little bit of yeast-fear…and I totally get it. The idea of wasted ingredients and failed baking endeavors is always a bummer. Nothing gets under my bakers-skin like a failed mess of a recipe that either ends up being thrown angrily into the trash whilst swearing, or, ends up languishing in the refrigerator for weeks until I begrudgingly toss it into the trash–though with less anger, yet more resentment. It’s no fun.

I mean, I know yeast can be scary–sometimes it dead before you even begin, sometimes you just don’t know what’s going to happen. Will it rise, deflate and fall flat, come out dense and heavy and flavorless?

The thing is, working with yeast–as scary as it may seem–is incredibly rewarding. It’s where science and domesticity converge to create something amazing. For me, there is nothing like working with a smooth, elastic ball of dough…and not to get too weird, but I absolutely LOVE the way it feels in my hands (thats’s why you don’t see any bread-machine recipes here…not that there is anything wrong with a bread machine, promise!).

I just have to feel the dough–plus, it’s the best way, over time, to figure out exactly what you are looking for. At this point, I know exactly how sticky I want an unrisen dough to feel–and that, friends, feels like a major accomplishment. So, if my “I-wanna-touch-all-the-bread-dough-in-the-lands” didn’t freak you out, and maybe you want to do a little more yeasted baking, I have a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

Is it ALIVE?! Your yeast can die on you. If it’s been lounging in the pantry for who-knows-how-long, it could be inactive. Meaning, all your efforts are completely wasted ’cause those little dudes are D-E-A-D. You can avoid all that heartache by sprinkling a pinch of yeast into a cup of warm water–if it doesn’t start to foam, ever, it’s done-zo.

Bulk up–buying yeast in bulk is super economical  If you like to bake yeasted goodies, it’s definitely the way to go. I buy yeast in bulk–like, Costco style. I keep it in a screw-cap jar in the refirgerator where it will last for daaaaaays. Like, well over a year. You can also freeze yeast and possibly even extend its life further.

Feed your yeast. If your recipe calls for some sugar–granulated, honey, etc.–add some to the liquid while you proof. It will feed the yeast and get it started a bit faster. Add your salt to the dry mix, don’t add it to the yeast as it will inhibit it from doing it’s thing and it may just die on you.

Perfect isn’t everything. Maybe you’re looking for the perfect artisan-whatever-bread. It’s probably not going to happen the first time. I worked as a baker, mostly cookies and cakes, but the bread baker was a pro. He’d been doing it for almost as long as I’ve been alive and would still phone his consultants and take classes. It’s a learning process and the more you do it the better you’ll get. Really though, few things beat warm, homemade bread–even if it is imperfect.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is, if you are a bit of a yeast-a-phobe–don’t be too scared. It’s only bread, don’t let it defeat you because it is SO worth the effort–even if only every once in a while. Plus, everyone you share your baking-spoils with will think you’re like a baking champion or something…which is totally worth mowing through the self-doubt and yeast-fear.

Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Bread

Adapted from this recipe. 

Yields , 9x5inch loaf

I added some whole wheat flour to this version, though it can certainly be made with just all-purpose. This bread is the very best the day it is made, still warm and slightly gooey. Make it when there are people around for sharing, as you might find yourself in a bread-coma, otherwise. The apples and walnuts make for a messy filling, if they fall out from between the layers, just tuck any stray bits in between the folds of dough after you have placed them into the pan. I streamlined the original steps in the recipe to make it a bit easier to pull together. 

Dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or 1 envelope)

1/3 cup whole milk

4 Tablespoons (2 oz.) butter, unsalted

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, room temp, beaten lightly

Filling:

1 large apple, peeled and diced small (I used a Honeycrisp)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 Tablespoons (2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

Icing:

3 Tablespoons butter, browned

1 cup powdered sugar

milk to thin

To make the dough, heat milk with butter in a small saucepan just until butter has melted. Add the water and sugar, set aside to cool for a minute–you want it to be just warm, not hot or the yeast will die. Once it has cooled (to about 120*F), stir in the yeast and set aside until foamy–about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours and salt. Stir the beaten egg and vanilla into the yeast mixture and using the dough hook, or your strength and a sturdy spoon or bowl scraper, mix the wet into the dry until a dough forms. Knead–either with the mixer or by hand–until you get a fairly sticky and tacky, but well mixed dough.

Grease a large bowl (the one you mixed in is perfect), place the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, melt the butter for the filling, pour into a small dish and set aside. Brown the butter for the icing in a skillet–heat butter over medium until the solids turn deep brown and smell like nuts and toffee. Pour browned butter into a bowl and set aside. Add the diced apples to the skillet and sauté with a pinch of salt, until softened slightly–3-5 minutes. Set the apples aside to cool. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the filling, set aside.

Deflate the dough (at this point you can recover and place in the refrigerator overnight and continue the next day).

On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough into roughly a 12 X 20 inch rectangle (erring on the side of smaller is okay here as the finished dough will rises considerably, filling in any gaps). Using a pastry brush spread all of the melted butter over the dough. Cut the dough North to South in strips (12X4 in pieces). Spread 1/5 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto a rectangle of dough followed by the apples and walnuts, stack another rectangle on top and repeat. You can reshape and maniupulate the dough as needed to make a nice stack.

Preheat the oven to 350F and place rack in the center. Lightly grease a 9X5 loaf pan.

Slice the stack through the five layers into 6 equal sections, about 2X4 inches. Fit the layered strip into the loaf pan, cut side down…as if it were a loaf of pre-sliced bread. Cover the pan in plastic and allow to rise another 45-50 minutes until nearly doubled in size. If you poke the dough and the indentation stays it is ready to bake.

Bake until the top is golden and brown and the insides are done (you can test this with a thermometer, it should read between 189-190*F). Check it after 30 minutes or so…this loaf took about 45 minutes to bake–if it starts to brown too much before the interior is done, tent the top with foil and continue baking.

Make the icing by stirring together the browned butter and powdered sugar, adding milk to thin to desired consistency.

Turn the baked bread out onto a cooling rack while it is still warm and glaze.

 

 

 

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Buns

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I know that I just lamented about pumpkin, but, truth be told…I’m not even close to being over it yet.

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for Chocolate Swirl Buns since I saw them on Smitten Kitchen over the summer, but I wanted to wait until the air was crisp and the leaves were fallen before I delved into it. There’s just something about baking with yeast when the cooler months start rolling in, that I cannot resist…I can’t resist pumpkin right now either…surprise!

So, given my love of fall-time baking AND pumpkin AND chocolate, these buns were a no-brainer-mega-hit. I had 3, THREE, the day I made them. My husband had a few himself, and the rest got sent to his office and out of the danger zone–aka, my face. The dough is super-soft and tender, lightly flavored with pumpkin and cinnamon, and slightly sweet. The spiced chocolate filling is the best thing when still warm–gooey, melty, and just spiced. The egg wash and sugar crust make for the best crisp-crunch on the tops of the buns. I love the way the buns unravel, allowing you to eat layer-after-layer of perfectly tender, yeasted dough, with bits of crunchy sugar topping, and rich, gooey pockets of chocolate. Though these buns may be nice for an ultra-decadent weekend brunch, they would be perfect along side an afternoon pick-me-up, as well.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Swirl Buns

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 12 buns.

This recipe calls for a bit more liquid and flour than the original and yield buns that are a little larger. I also switched the sugar in the dough and filling to brown, but regular granulated sugar would be perfectly fine. The dough is pretty soft, so work gently and flour the counter and rolling pin liberally to keep things from getting too sticky. Though these are best eaten soon after baking, you can pop leftover buns in the microwave for 10-15 seconds–mimicking that ‘just-baked’ warmth. 

Dough:

1/3 cup warm milk

1/3 cup plain pumpkin puree

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 Tablespoons unsalted, softened butter

Filling:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

8 ounces (1 cup) chocolate chips, or chopped bar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 Tablespoon cream

sugar for sprinkling

In measuring cup, combine milk with yeast and a pinch of sugar. Allow to proof 5 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and the egg. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attatchement, combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the yeast-pumpkin mixture and mix on low to combine. Add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, mixing until the butter is incorporated before adding the rest. Scrape dough from the paddle, add the dough hook attachment  and knead on medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be quite sticky and stringy. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

While the dough rises, make the filling. In the bowl of a food processor, process all ingredients until all of the butter is distributed and you have an uneven, gravely mixture. Set aside.

Liberally butter a 12-cup muffin tin. Set aside.

Once dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and gently deflate. Allow to rest 5 more minutes, before rolling the dough out into a large rectangle, the short end measuring about 12 inches–the long edge can be about 18-22 inches. Sprinkle the chocolate filling evenly over the rectangle, it will be bumpy, and begin rolling from the short end all the way up into a 12-13 inch log and pinch to seal. Gently saw off about 1-inch spirals, placing each into a prepared tin. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise another hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350*F.

Whisk together the egg and cream, brush gently over the tops of the proofed buns and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for 15-25 minutes. Mine took closer to 25 minutes to bake. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

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Chewy Chocolate Ginger-Spice Cookies

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Sometimes a night in with friends is what you need. Ideally, these sorts of gatherings should involve a plethora of mini sandwiches and spiked libations…maybe even a little illicit cross-stich art for good measure. Hopefully, a kitchen dance party will erupt, followed by girl-talk, then more dancing. Sometimes that is exactly what you need to remind you that good times are to be had…even if you go to bed with the threat of a headache and need an evening nap the next day, it’s still a breath of fresh air and totally worth it.

Sometimes you just need all of that, but, sometimes in a pinch a cookie will do.

These cookies are an ultra-spiced, chewy, chocolate delight. Cocoa and shards of chocolate add depth and smooth richness. A gang of spices, plus candied ginger, add heat and excitement. Sparkly and fragrant cinnamon sugar bring crunch and texture to the party. These sweetly-spiced cookies are similar to one of my favorites, but with an added layer of depth from the cocoa. The combination of spices in this cookie is pretty bold and literally spicy–these are not for the shy, but perfect for the adventurous and brave.

Chewy Chocolate Ginger-Spice Cookies

Makes 24-30 cookies.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

The dough for these chewy gems has to be chilled before baking and I would suggest placing the remaining dough in the refrigerator between batches, as well. Also, there are two forms of chocolate in this cookie, as well as three incarnations of ginger, PLUS cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and black pepper. One could dial back the spices, but I think these cookies are made different because of the boldness of the spices. As always, I encourage you to make these your own, so if super spiced baked goods aren’t your game, then definitely begin by reducing each spice by half. These cookies are great for cookie jars and will keep at room temperature for several days. 

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon fresh, grated ginger

1/2 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground, dried ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground, black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

pinch of salt (scant 1/4 teaspoon)

1/4 cup chopped, candied ginger

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon, for rolling

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar until creamy and combined well. Add the fresh ginger, molasses, and vanilla, mix to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and pulse until just combined. Fold in the candied ginger and chopped chocolate. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or until very firm.

Preheat oven to 325*F and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Scoop dough (I used a 1 1/2 inch disher/levered scoop) into rounds and roll into a ball. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar and place on baking sheets spaced about 1-2 inches apart–as the cookies will spread. Working with 1 sheet at a time, flatten the top of each cookie and chill for 10 minutes before baking in the center of the oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the sheet pan about 10 minutes before placing on a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

 

 

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Applesauce Spice Cake with Brown Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting

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I love an easy weekend and I especially love an easy weekend in early fall. The air is cool, but the sun still shines warm. There’s good, fresh stuff to be had at the farmer’s market, and the trees are just turning. Everything is vivid and bright, yet warm and comforting. This weekend Sean and I took a farmer’s market stroll, rode our bikes to the library, walked the pups through our favorite foliage filled park, lounged plenty (key to easy weekending), and finished up this cake.

I made this cake late last week and sent two slices to a friend. She ate both slices for lunch, that same day. Being irresistible is almost always a good trait to have in a cake. This cake is a dream to me, lightly apple-y, spiced, and redolent with browned butter–both in the cake itself and the nutty-tangy frosting. The cake part is only lightly sweet and incredibly moist from the unsweetened applesauce. It’s dense but not heavy, and with a slick of frosting, makes the quintessential fall snack cake. It’s the kind of cake to tuck into lunch boxes or share with a cup of something warm and good conversation.

Applesauce Spice Cake w/ Brown Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Gourmet.com

The original recipe calls for creaming butter with sugar, I adapted it to use melted, cooled browned butter. I also upped the spices and switched up the frosting a bit, creating a nutty, buttery, slightly tangy frosting. It’s my new favorite.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 stick unsalted butter, browned

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, browned

3 ounces cream cheese, soft

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

To brown the butter: I did each stick separately, since I made the cake a several hours before the frosting. You could do them together and divide evenly in half. Place butter in a small skillet and melt over medium-low heat until the butter becomes foamy, continue to heat until foam subsides and milk solids begin to brown at the bottom of the pan. The solids will become a toffee-colored-brown and smell intensely like toffee and toasted nuts. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. Butter should be cooled, but still liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Butter and line an 8x8inch baking pan with parchment paper. I like to leave and overhang on two of the sides, secured with small, metal binder clips.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together browned, cooled butter with the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between each, until completely incorporated. Whisk in the applesauce. Finally, using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely. Frost once the cake is completely cooled.

To make the frosting:

Beginning on low speed, using an electric mixer (hand or stand), beat together the browned butter and softened cream cheese. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Beat until completely combined and spread evenly over the cooled cake.

 

 

 

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Little Peach Galettes

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Even though fall is creeping up quick, I am trying to soak in all the goodness of summer I can. Peaches are the epitome of all things summer, to me, and this weekend I am clinging on to every last bit of it.

I made these galettes last week before we left for our trip and they are a super simple pie-like treat. The recipe comes together with a classic, flaky, buttery crust that lets the fresh peaches do their thing.

Little Peach Galettes

Makes 6, if you economize the pastry surface area. 

Just a few basic baking staples and fresh fruit make up this easy, homemade dessert. I use this recipe for the pie dough, the recipe below is half the quantity. 

1 stick butter (4 ounces), cut into small cubes and chilled

1 1/4 cups all-purpose of soft wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2-6 Tablespoons ice cold water

Filling:

3 Peaches, cut into thin slices

1-2 Tablespoons sugar

tiny pinch of cinnamon

Using fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor work the butter into the flour, salt, and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger (pea-sized) chunks of butter throughout. Add ice water a tablespoon or two at a time, mixing lightly or pulsing with a food processor just until the mixture comes together to form a dough when compressed. Gather the dough together, kneading once or twice just to combine. Divide the dough in half and press into two discs, wrap well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out.

Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 6, 4-4 1/2 inch circles, gathering the scraps once, if necessary, and re-rolling. Chill rounds of dough on a baking sheet while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 400*F and line a sheet pan with parchment of a silicone baking mat.

Cut the peaches into thin slices and toss gently with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange peach slices in the center of each rust, leaving a 1/4 inch of pastry around the perimeter. Fold and gather the edges of the dough around the peaches. Bake galettes in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the peaches are soft and some of the juices start to bubble.

 

 

 

Pate Brisee recipe here.

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Sour Cherry Lattice Pie

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Classics should have a place in every repetoire–like a little black dress, red nail polish, a sharp suit for the dudes–and the same goes for the baking. I like to think of pies as classic, edible, nostalgia and aside from the iconic apple, Sour Cherry is right up there with the standards. Regardless of the filling though, pie needs a place in all our our recipe boxes.

There is nothing fancy happening in this pie. It’s a lattice-topped classic–sans the goopy filling from a can. There are sour cherries, sugar, a little cornstarch to thicken, and the teensiest pinch of cinnamon to take those cherries to another level. The crust is all butter, flaky and just salty enough. Even though it may not be fancy-pants, it is still classic and perfect.

That’s the thing with pie, it’s perfectly imperfect.  A lot of people seem to be afraid of pie baking…but, I’m here to tell you, don’t be. If there’s a tear in the crust, patch it up. So what if you overwork the dough a bit–dial it back on the next try, practice makes perfect…or at least good enough to eat. If you’re filling bubbles over or doesn’t set up, who cares–you made a pie and maybe you’re even going to share it with other people…and trust me, they sure don’t care that the crust is patched, torn, or fruit juices are leaking because you made them something from your own kitchen! The rustic, handmade nature of pie is part of the appeal–it just means that this pie is the real deal, made by a human being. So, make a some pie, top it with ice cream, and share it with other human beings. I’m sure they’ll thank you for it, pie-flaws and all.

For more Sour Cherry goodness, check out this post.

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie

Makes 1 double crusted 8-9 inch pie.

Pie Dough

recipe from Martha Stewart 

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled well

2 1/2 cups all-purpose or soft wheat flour (like White Lilly brand)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Using fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor work the butter into the flour, salt, and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger (pea-sized) chunks of butter throughout. Add ice water a tablespoon or two at a time, mixing lightly or pulsing with a food processor just until the mixture comes together to form a dough when compressed. Gather the dough together, kneading once or twice just to combine. Divide the dough in half and press into two discs, wrap well with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out.

Filling and Assembly

I used frozen sour cherries…one day I’ll snag some elusive fresh ones, but for now frozen works beautifully here.

When assembling a pie, I like to fold the overlapping crust back onto the edge of the pie instead of trimming it. It reinforces the pie edge and makes it a bit easier to remove the first slice when you are ready to cut it. 

2 pounds unsweetened sour cherries

1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste

tiny pinch of salt

tiny pinch of cinnamon

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

chilled pie dough

cream and sugar for brushing and sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

In a mixing bowl combine cherries, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Stir to coat the cherries.

Roll out your bottom crust to about 1/8 inch thick, making sure the crust is larger than the pie pan. Roll the bottom crust onto your rolling pin and unroll it over the pie pan. Fit the crust into the pan and fold any overlapping crust back over–reinforcing the pie edge. Fill the crust with the cherry mixture.

Roll out the remaining disc of pie dough and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Weave the strips in a lattice fashion over the filling and bottom crust. Once completed, crimp the edges of the pie and brush the top with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the center of the oven on a baking sheet for 40-60 minutes, until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling. If the crust edge begins to darken too much before the pie is done, fashion a collar out of aluminum foil to cover the edge of the pie and return to the hot oven until done baking.

 

 

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Blueberry Muffins with Streusel

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Heeeeyy! I am currently in arrid Nevada, getting ready for my friends wedding, we have poolside plans, drinks, silly bachelorette festivities, baby-niece play time, and about a billion other things in the game plan before I leave next week.

Every time I travel solo, I always miss Sean a ton. I also always try to make him a little something, to remind him how much he misses me…ha! This time I made him these muffins, classic blueberry with a little sugary streusel for good measure, and yogurt for moisture.

Blueberry Muffins w/ Streusel

Adapted from this recipe. 

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten lightly

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries

Streusel

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

pinch of salt and cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin w/ 8 liners.

FOR STREUSEL: In a small bowl work the butter for the streusel into the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until the mixture is crumbly. Set in refrigerator until ready to use.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large measuring cup mix the egg, yogurt, oil, milk, and vanilla to combine well. Fold the wet mixture into the dry to just combine. Fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and top with streusel. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool on wire racks for a few minutes before eating.

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Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit & Vanilla Ice Cream

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Even though I complain about the heat and humidity for the entire summer–I’m a fun housemate–there are still times that I HAVE TO turn on the oven. If I didn’t, there wouldn’t be pies and crumbles made with the bounty of summertime fruit that I just can’t resist buying.

While pies take a touch more time and care, and though they are always worth the effort, a crumble is an easy, laid back reminder that summer baking can be done without much fuss and with ingredients that are often already on hand. You can really use any fruit you like for the filling and the topping can take any number of mix-ins, or can be kept simple with just flour, sugar, salt, and butter. I love a crumble topping with lots of texture and this one delivers with chewy oats and toasty coconut. The warm richness of the topping pairs so nicely with the off-tart flavors of plum, raspberries, and blueberries.

Coconut Crumble w/ Summer Fruit

Feel free to use any mixture of fruit, I had about 4 1/2 cups and only sweetened it lightly, as the topping and ice cream are both a sweet compliment to the tartness of the fruit. 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 Tablespoons butter, cubed

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and work butter into the mixture with fingertips until you have coarse crumbs–some sandy bits and some that stick together in chunks. Set in refrigerator while you assemble the filling.

2 plums, seeded and sliced

8 ounces raspberries, rinsed and dried

12 ounces blueberries, rinsed and dried

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Scrape the fruit mixture into a 8-inch pie dish and top with refrigerated crumble. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling.

Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use 2-3 teaspoons of extract. 

2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 Tablespoons (1/5oz) cream cheese, soft

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch, set slurry aside. Set the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mesh strainer over the top. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat remaining milk with the cream and vanilla beans + pod. Heat to a simmer, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk mixture and add sugar, corn syrup, and salt,  reheat to a low boil. Quickly whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue to boil, whisking, until thickened. Whisk a ladleful of the hot mixture into the cream cheese, before straining the remaining hot mixture into the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine. Prepare an ice bath and pour the hot ice cream base into a large plastic bag. Chill bag in ice bath until cooled and process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

 

 

 

 

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Recipe: Blueberry Hand Pies

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33

It’s been a fickle few days in my kitchen. I just can’t decide what to make/bake and when I finally land on something, I get too crazy with it. There were exploding pies, bits of yolk in custard, and tough crust. Le sigh. But! It ended well, my brain stopped being crazy and I went with a classic, in a smaller, hand-hold-able package.

These pies have a flaky, tender, buttery crust, and a syrupy, lightly spiced, blueberry filling. I opted to make these into little hand pies since I never seem to be able to slice a whole pie with any luck…and, individual pies are fun. You get yours, I get mine, and maybe we split another? Instead of the standard whipped cream, I softened a few ounces of goat cheese, mixed with a little honey, and folded it into unsweetened whipped cream. The goat cheese cream has a delicate flavor–slight tang, lush creaminess, sweet honey–it’s really good and pairs so nicely with the jammy pies.

Blueberry Hand Pies

Makes about 16 round, double crust, hand pies. 

Crust from Martha Stewart

for the crust I used White Lily brand, a soft wheat flour, if you don’t have it in your area All-Purpose is totally fine. I have made many crusts using All-Purpose flour with excellent results. 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 sticks (8ounces) unsalted butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

egg wash and cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Filling:

1 pint blueberries, rinsed

juice of 1/2 lemon

4-6 tablespoons vanilla sugar OR plain sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 scant tablespoon cornstarch

a tiny pinch of cinnamon

Goat Cheese Cream:

2 ounces very soft goat cheese

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

for the crust:

Cut butter into cubes and freeze while you gather the remaining ingredients.

Fill a glass measurer with a few ice cubes and 1/2 cup water.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fngers or pastry blender, blend cold butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs–leaving some pea-sized chunks of butter in the mix. A few tablespoons at a time, begin incorporating the ice water–how much depends on how humid it is where you live–just until the crumbs begin to come together when pressed. Turn out dough, knead 1 or 2 times just to combine, divide dough, press into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.

for filling and baking:

Preheat oven to 400*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Make an egg wash with 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk. Make cinnamon sugar, combining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set both aside.

In a large bowl, combine blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Toss to combine.

On a clean, smooth surface dusted with flour, roll out 1 disc of dough at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator, to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut rounds of dough using a biscuit cutter–try to get an even number as each pie will require a top and bottom crust. Spoon a small amount of filling into the center of a crust round, brush the edges with egg wash, top with another round, crimp the edges with a fork, brush the top with more wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and cut a vent in the top–repeat with remaining dough and filling and place on baking sheet with about 1 inch of space between each pie. Bake for 20 minutes until the bottoms and tops are golden brown, cool on a wire rack.

**Note: I like to keep one baking sheet of pies in the freezer while the other bakes. This ensures maximum crust-flaking.

for goat cheese cream:

In large bowl, whip cream to medium peaks. In another bowl, mix goat cheese with honey until combined. Mix in about 1/4 of the whipped cream, to lighten the consistency of the cheese. Fold in the remaining cream. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with warm or room temperature pies.