Posts Tagged baking
thumbprint cookies
Memorial Day in Austin was a rainy and stormy one, as you might have heard. Thankfully for us our side of town had no flooding and the lakes are filling up. Lakes filling up is A good thing after years of droughts.
Of course it’s not good for our south-western neighbors who have an unwelcome amount of water on their land or in their homes. If you feel like helping you can donate here.
We spent the day inside watching Mad Men reruns. After seeing a plate of cookies in one of the episodes I started looking for cookie recipes from the 1950-1960s and ended up making a feast of thumbprint cookies. They might be my new favorite thing!
recipe: peanut butter cookies
The cookies are good, but I wish they were a bit more peanut buttery. I may play with the recipe next time.
I put one or two in the oven for just a few minutes to warm and they come out soft and perfect.
saturday things
We’ve been working pretty hard on Bravery projects nonstop this week, but sometimes you just need a lazy Saturday morning and some just-for-fun projects.
The first thing I made today was this blueberry crumb cake and it is so good!
Joel’s sister and brother-in-law are expecting their first child (a girl) later this year so I’ve started on a baby quilt. So far I’ve created the pattern, cut the fabric, and pinned all the “squares” together.
apple & blackberry pie
Because St. Patrick’s Day fell on the Monday after SXSW we postponed our annual dinner party and had a belated, pie-centric celebration. Joel made the most adorable mini-meat pies and I made a cherry and an apple-blackberry (nicknamed the smartphone pie) for afters.
One problem that I always seem to have with lattice crusts is that they like to fall apart during serving. This time I tried to fix that problem by making the lattice tight enough that it was almost a solid layer. This worked really well and I like the way it looks. I’ve also found that completely cooling the pie is a must for easy serving.
recipe: blackberry tarts
I’ve had blackberry tarts on the mind for a few weeks now. I finally stole some time from school work and made a quick batch. They’re so nice with a big dollop of whipped cream and a cup of coffee.
Overall, I’m very happy with how they turned out, but I might cut back on the lemon juice next time. It made them just a tiny bit too tart.
Recipe: Chewy White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies
I’m still enjoying this break from school. It’s the longest I’ve had in a while because I ended up taking a last minute class over the summer. So it’s been school, school, and school and now a rest.
I halved this recipe for chewy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies but I wish I had made the whole batch. They disappeared in a ridiculously short amount of time.
I might need to make another batch tonight…
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recipe: bacon, cheddar, and chive scones
We stayed home in Austin for Christmas this year. It was a really nice break from the crazy busy semester I had and Joel’s end of the year flurry of Bravery Projects. December wore us out and we were happy for a lazy holiday.
Usually we do something a little special for Christmas breakfast and this year we tried out a new-to-us recipe for bacon, cheddar, and chive scones. I halved the recipe and it was more than enough for Joel and me.
monday macaroons
Mondays call for a little something sweet, don’t they? I was cleaning up the kitchen when I came across a ridiculous amount of coconut. That could mean only one thing, macaroons! These are the easiest, tastiest, and healthiest treats I know how to make. I might throw a handful of chocolate chips into the next batch.
What you need:
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut (about 5 cups)
What to do:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and salt until glossy and the sugar is mostly almost dissolved.
Fold in the coconut until evenly combined.
Drop the batter in mounds (about 2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
recipe: french breakfast muffins
One day last week I came across this French breakfast puff recipe and it was one of those moments when I just wanted to shake Pinterest warmly by the hand. The recipe instantly looked familiar to me and I recognized the “Puffs” as a treat from my childhood. We called them French breakfast muffins and I think my mother got the recipe from her grandmother.
I made a batch this weekend and they tasted just as lovely as I remembered.
I’ve copied the recipe below incase you’d like to try them for yourself.
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recipe: strawberry jam tarts
What’s a girl to do with a ton of soon-to-be over-ripe strawberries? She makes jam! And then she makes Jamie Oliver’s jam tarts. These are my new absolute favorite thing, perfect for using up any fruit you might have on hand, and I have a feeling I’ll be making lots more this summer.
The jam is the simplest thing to make. I really don’t know why I every pick up store made! Simply, halve your strawberries and toss them carefully in sugar, adding a small amount of sugar at a time. Mix until you see a syrupy quality in the fruit. I’m sorry that’s not very descriptive, but you’ll know it when you see it!
Place in a pan over medium heat for 20 minutes. Check to make sure jam isn’t burning from time to time by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Spoon off any foam that forms on top of the jam. Allow to cool before refrigerating.
For the pastry:
250g Flour
250g Powered sugar
125g butter, room temperature
1 Egg
1 Lemon (for the zest)
A pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350°.
Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and the butter in a food processor.
Add egg and lemon zest. Add the splash of milk if the pastry looks a little dry/crumbly.