A teaspoon of vanilla

Don’t you love it when you have an excuse to bake? I often bake whenever I feel the desire to, but then I am always left making up excuses in my head, such as I will give it away as a treat or I had a bad day and deserve these cupcakes. However, a tried and true excuse for baking in the kitchen is always experimentation. What if I try this recipe with different flour, or try it with a little less butter? These are questions I always ask myself. This weekend my goal was just to experiment with new recipes. I rarely make brownies, so the brown butter brownies on the cover of Bon Appétit were calling my name. I was also going to try a new sugar cookie recipe (a classic that never gets old). While I thought that would be my experimentation for the weekend, I came across a new idea that would revolutionize all of my future baking.


I have viewed a lot of recipes for cookies, cakes and more over the years. I tend to have a problem of sitting and going through an entire cookbook, even if I never bake anything from it. Just reading about so many good ideas, gets me excited. Before I drift off too far, my main point is that the amount of vanilla is usually pretty similar. My usual standard is one teaspoon, more or less. I always stuck to that amount, occasionally free handing, but I drew the conclusion that the key to vanilla must lie in the quality of the vanilla. I only use pure vanilla, and whenever I have a gift card to Williams-Sonoma I buy the high quality Madagascar Vanilla or Mexican Vanilla, (be warned they are addicting and expensive).

Then this past weekend I came across two recipes that both called for a TABLESPOON of vanilla. It sounded a little crazy to me, how could a cookie possibly need that much vanilla. However, in the kitchen I am all about trying new things. If you have ever looked at the difference between a Tablespoon and a teaspoon you will realize the dramatic difference. Imagine adding a Tablespoon of salt, rather than a teaspoon. My theory for vanilla had always relied on the importance of quality, so I was not going to back track there. Granted there is tension in that alone, if it didn’t turn out that’s like flushing $3 down the drain.

I prepared the cookies as usual, and let’s just say they were LEGEN wait for it DARY (I stole that line from my friend Brett, who quotes it from How I Met Your Mother). The increase in vanilla brought a whole new dimension to the cookie. All of the flavors were stronger and it was a truly decadent treat.

I know the next step would be to use a whole vanilla bean, but for now I am content with this delicious discovery.

What experiments have you had in the kitchen?

Soft Sugar Cookies
Adapted from: Lovin' From the Oven

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. 
Cream the sugar and butter together until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients.
Set in fridge to chill for at least one hour.
Once chilled, roll into Tablespoon sized balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Top with your favorite frosting.

Decisions

Do you ever stop to think about the amount of decisions you have to make in a single day? Some are so unconscious they simply become another part of the day, while others can stop us completely in our tracks.

I occasionally find myself thinking of life in terms of those flow charts that I often see in magazines or presentations, wishing I could see a layout of where my life would go based on a single decision. There are always going to be days that I wish I could go back and make a different decision, that’s just a part of life. As I watch all of the horrible chaos occurring in Egypt, I step back and realize how fortunate I am to have the ability to make a decision, whether small or large.  It’s a daily task I too often look at with apprehension and stress, rather than as a gift to determine my own path. 

There will be the occasional day when you get the best of both worlds and I am sharing the recipe below in honor of those terrific moments.

French Toast Waffles

I was scanning through blog posts when I came upon this terrific idea to combine the texture of waffles with the flavor of French toast.  There is no batter required, just a recipe for French toast and a waffle iron.

Recipe:

Favorite French toast recipe (Note: A thin slice of bread will work best for this recipe)

Prepare French toast as usual and heat your waffle iron to the desired setting.  Grease your waffle iron with butter or cooking spray.  Place the French toast in the center of the waffle iron and close. When the waffle iron lights up, check on the French toast, it may take slightly longer than the normal setting. Continue to check the toast until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Discovering Creativity In The Kitchen

I love anything homemade, but sadly I was not born with the “Martha Stewart” gene. I failed at sewing in middle school, my drawing ability does not reach much farther than a flower and my pumpkin carving skills could use some work (if Alex Brosnahan and Beth Turner read this I know you are laughing at some of my failed attempts).

Over the years I did have some moments of success, I could make a pretty mean friendship bracelet and my best friend Ana and I were nearly in business making rubber band necklaces in high school. However, it was not until I found my place in the kitchen that I truly discovered a place I could put my creativity to use.

I have always loved food, so it’s only natural that’s where I have discovered the biggest connection. While I would love to be able to sew and draw, it never felt natural to me the same way being in the kitchen did.

When it comes to cooking and baking the beauty is effortless, as the food often speaks for itself. A salad can make a beautiful presentation simply by being thrown together, and the simple addition of cranberries and walnuts can add an entirely new dimension. Sometimes creativity in the kitchen is hidden from the eye, but is definitely noticed by our taste buds.
My approach to the kitchen is that anything is worth a try and inspiration can be found anywhere. I am sharing two recipes below that are full of simplicity, but offer their own touch of uniqueness. Hopefully they inspire you to find your own source of creativity in the kitchen.

Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach
Adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups nonfat milk
1 ¼ cup Quattro Formaggio Cheese (Sold at Trader Joe’s a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone cheese)
1 ½ cups fresh spinach

Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions.
2) As the pasta cooks begin preparing the cheese sauce. Combine flour, salt and milk in a saucepan and stir to combine. Continue stirring, until thick.
3) Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until well blended.
4) Combine the pasta and cheese sauce and add spinach. The spinach will wilt from the heat of the pasta and sauce.
5) Serve and enjoy!!!

Open- Faced Baby Broccoli and Chicken Sausage Sandwich with Cherry Tomatoes


Ingredients:1 loaf of crusty bread, such as Ciabatta, sliced into 8 pieces
1 ½ cups baby broccoli
3 links of shicken sausage, sliced ( you can also use pre-flavored chicken sausage, such as roasted garlic)
½ cup cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) Slice the bread and set aside.
3) In a large skillet combine the broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, chicken sausage, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cook until heated through.
4) Spread the mixture across the sandwiches and top with cheese. Add salt and pepper.
5) Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
6) Serve and enjoy.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Every year seems to go by quicker and quicker. Days fly by and then weeks and before we know it we are looking in retrospect at the year that was and look forward to a new year of possibilities.


Throughout the month of December I constantly had so many ideas of a great blog post and I kept telling myself I have to sit down and write. Before I knew it Christmas was over and my blog had suffered. I love writing on this blog and sharing my stories of food with anyone reading and over the years it has truly been an adventure. In the upcoming year I want to bring a new approach to my blog. I want to make it a priority. Even if’s just a quick paragraph, there are so many ways food can connect and bring us together, and who knows if my experience with food can bring a new level of joy to your kitchen. So to all of my readers I wish you a happy and safe new year filled with food that nourishes your body and your heart.

Cheers!

Cranberry- White Chocolate Cookies

For every holiday a specific food comes to mind, the Thanksgiving turkey, candy on Halloween, Easter eggs, Valentine’s Day chocolate, etc., etc. When it comes to Christmas I think it’s fair to say cookies of all forms and varieties top the list.

While it makes it the worst possible time to start a diet, there is something so comforting about a house that smells of homemade cookies in the oven and the packaging of cute little gift boxes. It’s like creating a personal North Pole in your own house.

The other day I started to get curious about the connection between Christmas and cookies and did a little Google research. This is what I discovered on a website called The Food Timeline:

“Cakes of all shapes and sizes (including smaller items such as cookies) have been part of festive holiday rituals long before Christmas. Ancient cooks prepared sweet baked goods to mark significant occasions. Many of these recipes and ingredients (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, dried fruits etc.) were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages. "By the 1500s, Christmas cookies had caught on all over Europe. German families baked up pans of Lebkuchen and buttery Spritz cookies. Papparkakor (spicy ginger and black-pepper delights) were favorites in Sweden; the Norwegians made krumkake (thin lemon and cardamom-scented wafers). The earliest Christmas cookies in America came ashore with the Dutch in the early 1600s."

Over the years we have added our own spin to Christmas cookies, yet cookies featuring those same ingredients are shared today with love just as they were all those years ago.

A box of Christmas cookies does not cost a ton of money, and is not something you have to wait in line for, but the meaning it carries for those giving and receiving is truly priceless.

I love baking cookies more than anything and I am currently putting together a Christmas cookie wish- list of all the recipes I want to try before the season is over. However, a classic recipe I know I can always turn to in a crunch is my recipe for Cranberry- White Chocolate cookies. They festively represent the colors of the season, and make a perfect companion to a cup of hot chocolate. They are one of my personal favorites and I hope they can start a new cookie tradition for you during the holiday season.

Cranberry- White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ¼ cups all- purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together butter, 1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to cookie batter. Mix just until incorporated.

Fold in 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup dried cranberries.

Combine the Tablespoon of sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon together. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 -12 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Traditions

I know it’s crazy but I even love going to the grocery store the final days before Thanksgiving to pick up last minute items. I know that most people would not agree with me on that, but the way it feels to be around everyone buying food for their loved ones, rushing around to make sure they get everything they need that I enjoy being a part of. Then of course the Macys Parade in the morning is a tradition, the fight over who will get to break the wishbone, and having everyone go around the table saying what their thankful for. While food is the star of the show, it’s only part of what makes Thanksgiving so special.

As I mentioned in an earlier post this month my dad and I are always put in charge of mashed potatoes for the big day. As a baker I always bring a few desserts as well. As with every family you get in the ritual of being counted on to bring a specific item. In my mom’s case it’s the pop (she has never been the cook in the family, but she is content with her role). For awhile I always brought my favorite banana cake and pumpkin squares. While I continue to bring those desserts, I also love trying something new as well. Last year, I experimented with cream puffs. They turned out good, but there was no amazement factor. So this year I made it my mission to find a new recipe that could hopefully become a new tradition I am expected to bring next year. When I discovered this recipe on epicurious for Cranberry- Apple Cake it looked simple, yet delicious and classic. With so many pies stealing the show on Thanksgiving, why not put a spin on the crust and try a cake batter over the fruit instead. In my test run it turned out wonderful and I have a feeling it could easily be brought to the table next year.

Thanksgiving proves that any meal goes beyond the food that sits in front of you. Thanksgiving is not a feast because of the large amount of food, it’s because of the enormous amount of love and comfort that surrounds you.


Easy Cranberry- Apple Cake
Recipe from: Ina Garten "How Easy is That"

Ingredients:
12 oz Fresh Cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 Granny Smith apple, peel and cored, medium- diced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 eggs
1 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 Stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup all –purpose flour
¼ tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Combine Cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

With an electric or standing mixer beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup sugar, butter, vanilla and sour cream, beat until just combined. On low speed, add the flour and salt.
Pour the fruit mixture into a 10- inch glass pie plate. Pour batter over the fruit covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1/8 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 55- 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and it’s bubbling on the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.



I was so eager to try it, I stole a slice before I could snap a picture!



A simple cookie, with a few surprises!!!

From the exterior these cookies don’t look extremely special. There is no frosting, sprinkles or anything yelling “pick me”. Yet this cookie has a few hidden secrets that make it extra special.

I am sure you have all had the peanut butter blossom cookies that are baked with the Hershey kiss centered on top. They are delicious, but there is no anticipation factor. Imagine if the Hershey kiss was tucked inside the cookie instead, a perfectly portioned chocolate surprise waiting for you in the center. It doesn’t take long to discover this is the first surprise in this seemingly plain cookie.

The second surprise is not visible, but it definitely makes a difference in the final appearance of the cookie. The ingredients of the cookie are pretty standard, but the addition of vanilla pudding mix takes the cookie to the next level. The pudding adds extra structure to the cookie, allowing the kiss to stay comfortably tucked inside without oozing out. It also adds an extra level of thickness that gives the cookie a puffy texture.

This is one of my signature cookie recipes, which is why I am kind of surprised I have not written a post on this cookie yet, however I quickly remembered why. When I first came up with this cookie I LOVED it so much that I made it quite a bit. I made it for the holidays, friends and practically any occasion a cookie would fit into nicely, and inevitably I had to take a break from it. However, after that first bite this week I quickly remembered why I became so addicted in the first place.

Enjoy!

Hershey Kiss Surprise Cookie

1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix *(I usually use sugar free, and you can feel free to use any pudding flavor you like)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
24 Hershey Kisses, any flavor you like

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Un- wrap 24 Hershey Kisses and set aside.
Combine butter, sugars and pudding mix and cream just until blended. Add eggs and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Add to cookie batter and mix just until blended.
Take a spoonful of dough and place a Hershey kiss in the center. With your hands roll the dough into a circle ball until the Hershey kiss is not visible, but tucked inside the cookie. Place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart from one another.
Bake for 10 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!