Tart It Up
Posted: July 23, 2012 Filed under: baked goods, veggies | Tags: food, recipes, summer food, tart, tomatoes 4 Comments
would you like a slice of Parm?
Okay, you’ll notice that it’s Monday and there’s no ice cream. I’m changing it up this week. But don’t worry – hopefully you’ll have a midweek meltdown in a few days.
Last week was so hot, that other than rushing into my freezer to eat chocolate hazelnut gelato, I spent very little time in my kitchen. So when it momentarily cooled down this weekend, I took that opportunity to fire up my oven and make something that I’ve been thinking about for weeks: a tomato and mozzarella tart. You’re probably thinking “A tart? That’s it?” But listen to what’s in the crust: 2 full cups of Parmesan. If that doesn’t get your taste buds excited, I don’t know what will. I liken this tart to a fancied up pizza because it’s got fresh tomatoes, fresh oregano and yummy mozzarella. And allll that tasty Parm in the crust. When paired with a salad, it made for a great, simple supper.
Tomato and Mozzarella Tart
For the crust:
– ¾ cup of flour
– ¼ teaspoon of salt
– ½ teaspoon of pepper
– 2 cups of gated Parmesan cheese
– ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, chilled and diced
– 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water
For the filling:
– 8 campari tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
– 3 teaspoons of freshly chopped oregano
– 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions
– Garlic salt
– Pepper
– Cracked red pepper
– Olive oil
To make the crust, place the flour, salt, pepper, Parmesan and butter in a food processor. Pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Then with the processor running, drizzle in the water until the dough starts to stick together. Press the dough into a tart dish or pie plate and chill for at least 15 minutes.
Heat your oven to 375º.
Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with dried, uncooked beans (or pie weights) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans and bake an additional 10 minutes until the crust is golden. Let it cool completely.
Reduce your oven to 350º. Cover the bottom of the crust with mozzarella cheese. Arrange tomato slices in an even layer on top of the cheese and then season with garlic salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons of oregano and half a tablespoon of scallions. Repeat with another layer, adding cracked red pepper to taste. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
pizza(-like) pie
Bake until the cheese has melted and tomatoes are slightly bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and then eat.
Monday Morning Mocha Muffins
Posted: January 30, 2012 Filed under: baked goods, eggs! | Tags: chocolate, eggs, food, muffins, recipes 2 Comments
wakes you up before you go-go
If you’re like me, you need a few cups of coffee to get moving in the morning. Without it, I just wouldn’t function properly. I’m not a muffin guy, but this version is the perfect complement to my cup-o-joe. It’s got chocolate, a few scoops of espresso powder and won’t way you down like most muffins. The fact that it came together with just a whisk isn’t too bad either. I made regular sized ones, but I think these would be pretty great in mini form too.
Chocolate Espresso Muffins
– 2/3 cup of 1% milk
– 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
– 3 tablespoons of instant espresso powder (or instant coffee)
– 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla
– 1 large egg, lightly beaten
– About 2 cups of flour (use a about a tablespoon less)
– 2/3 cup of sugar
– 2 teaspoons of baking powder
– ¼ teaspoon of salt
– ½ cup of chocolate chunks or chips
– Cooking spray
– Muffin pan
Heat your oven to 400º.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, espresso powder, vanilla and egg. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chunks. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the milk mixture and stir until combined.
Spoon the batter into a muffin pan lightly coated with cooking spray (or muffin cups). Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently touched. If not using muffin cups, remove the muffins from the pan immediately and let them cool on a wire rack.
The Great (Mini) Pumpkin
Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: baked goods, desserts | Tags: Autumn Food, cupcakes, dessert, eggs, food, Holidays, pumpkin, recipes 6 Comments
one great lil' pumpkin
Thanksgiving is in a week, folks! Are you ready? Do you need a little treat for your friends and family? How about something with the most autumnal food of all?
How about mini pumpkin cupcakes?
Yep, I’ve finally done it. I brought out the great pumpkin. Which is something I loved watching as a kid (and as an adult). I know, I know … that was last month. But pumpkins are the reigning king of the season. We carve ’em at Halloween, turn them into pies at Thanksgiving, and maybe even stuff them into ravioli at Christmas. And now I’ve turned them into mini cupcakes, topped with brown butter icing. You’ll gobble (gobble) them up.
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Icing
For the cookies:
– 2 ¾ cups of flour
– 1 teaspoon of baking soda
– 1 teaspoon of baking powder
– 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt
– 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
– 1 ¼ teaspoons of ginger
– ¾ teaspoon of nutmeg
– 1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 2 ¼ cups of brown sugar
– 2 large eggs
– 15 oz of canned pumpkin
– ¾ cup of evaporated milk
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla
– Mini muffin pan
– Min baking cups
– Pastry bag or a Ziploc bag
For the icing:
– 2 cups of powdered sugar
– 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
– 3 tablespoons of evaporated milk
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Heat your oven to 375º.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, evaporated milk and vanilla and mix until well blended. (The mixture will be dark orange and very liquid-y at this point.) Add the flour mixture a little a time and mix until well combined.
Line your mini muffin pan with mini baking cups. If have a pastry bag, fill it with some of the batter. If you don’t have a pastry bag like me, you can fill a Ziploc bag with batter, snip off one of the corners and you’re good to go. (You can also use a spoon, but if you read egg me on on a regularly basis, you know I have very little patience.) Carefully squeeze batter into each baking cup. Bake for about 12 minutes until the tops spring back. Rotate halfway through to make sure they evenly brown. Cool for a few minutes in muffin pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Note: this recipe made about 80 mini cupcakes. So if you have two mini muffin pans, I’d use them.
To make the icing: Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add the butter to the sugar, scraping any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Spread a little icing on top of each cupcake.
a little army of mini cupcakes
Or, you could leave some without icing. Those are just as good. Gobble, gobble, gobble!
Sunday Supper, Part 2: Cheddar Dinner Rolls
Posted: October 5, 2011 Filed under: baked goods, sides & soups | Tags: baking, dinner, eggs, food, recipes, rolls, supper 7 Comments
on a roll
Part 2 of my Sunday Supper extravaganza are these cheesy dinner rolls. Well, they’re really more like muffins.
Okay, actually — they’re a lot like the cheddar biscuits from Red Lobster.
Yes, I know. Red Lobster. But don’t judge. I grew up in North Texas and that was the closest thing we had to a real seafood restaurant. And honestly, if you’ve ever had their cheddar biscuits fresh from the oven, you know how awesome they are.
In this recipe, cheddar, Parmesan, scallions and cayenne turn what could otherwise be a sweet muffin into a savory roll. They’re not dry or crumbly, but are instead light, fluffy and full of flavor. They were perfect for sopping up my mushroom gravy, too.
Cheddar Dinner Rolls
– 3 cups of flour
– 1 tablespoon of baking powder
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
– ¼ teaspoon of pepper
– 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
– 2 scallions, chopped
– 1 ¼ cups of whole milk
– 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
– 1 large egg
– ¾ cup of sour cream
– ½ cup of grated Parmesan
– Cooking spray
– Muffin pan
Heat your oven to 350º.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper and pepper. Stir in the cheddar and scallions, making sure the cheese doesn’t clump together but is coated with flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg and sour cream. Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide the batter among a muffin pan that has been lightly greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle each roll with Parmesan.
Bake until light golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.
stash some for yourself (you won't want to share)
Spice Up Your Life
Posted: August 8, 2011 Filed under: baked goods, desserts | Tags: baking, bread, eggs, food, recipes, summer food, vegetarian 4 Comments
guess what -- i love it
Remember those zucchinis I got from the farmer’s market a few days ago? Rather than let them go to waste, I decided to turn them into something else.
thanks mom!
But what to do? What. To. Do. That’s what I thought to myself.
Then I glanced over at this new Pyrex loaf pan my mom sent me a few weeks ago. (Thanks again, Mom!)
Hmm. Maybe some bread. Maybe some … zucchini bread?
It’s been such a long time since I’ve had zucchini bread. So long in fact, that I was sure I didn’t like it. Always been a huge fan of banana bread. But zucchini bread? I don’t know about this. That’s also what I thought to myself.
Well, I was totally wrong. That’s what I’m saying to you.
Zucchini Bread
– ¼ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature + more for greasing pan
– ¼ cup of vegetable oil
– ½ cup of brown sugar
– ½ cup of sugar
– 1½ cup of flour
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– Pinch of nutmeg
– ½ teaspoon of baking soda
– 1 teaspoon of baking powder
– ½ teaspoon of salt
– 1 egg
– 1¾ cup of shredded zucchini
– ½ teaspoon of lemon zest
– 2 tablespoons of finely grated walnuts
– 8 ½” x 4 ½” x 2 ½” loaf pan
Heat your oven to 350º.
You can use a box grater to shred the zucchini, but if your food processor has a shredding blade (like mine) it’ll be much easier. I also used that amazing (and amazingly sharp) blade to finely grate the walnuts.
the shredder
Grease the loaf pan with butter and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugars until smooth. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture a little at time and mix until the batter is smooth.
Drain a little liquid from the shredded zucchini. Fold the zucchini, walnuts and lemon zest into the batter with a spoon.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Let the bread cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Slice, top with butter, jelly, what-have-you, and eat.
take a loaf off
The original recipe called for 1 cup of brown sugar, but at the last minute I realized I didn’t have enough. So rather than run to the store, I used ½ cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of regular white sugar. Luckily, the finished bread had the right amount of sweetness. I normally don’t like nuts in bread, but since I finely grated the walnuts in my food processor I didn’t have to deal with huge chunks.
I slathered my slice with margarine when it was still a tad warm. It was so flavorful and spicy, but not in a spicy-hot kind of way. More like a spicy cinnamon kind of way, much like a carrot cake. I love the way there are little green and yellow specks throughout the bread, too.
speckled with flavor
So, I guess I forgot how much I really like zucchini bread. I’m glad I remembered. And that I’m telling you.
egg me on 