cobbled peanut bars

don't you love hello dollies

the layered cookie

with lots of goodies

held together with a bit of condensed milk

and a 

crunchy graham cracker crust

me too

i set out to make a batch just the other day

only to find

i didn't have any butterscotch chips

in the pantry

what's a girl to do?

cobble together a substitute

of course

these are chewy and peanuty

and

seriously delicious

bust open your pantry

and make a batch

cobbled peanut bars
(printable recipe)

3 Tbs butter--melted

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup shredded coconut

2/3 cup marshmallows

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 oz peanut butter chips

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

1  14oz can sweetened condensed milk

mix together the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together.  press into the bottom of a 13x9" pan.  sprinkle coconut on top.add the chips and marshmallows on top, distributing evenly.  drizzle the condensed milk over the top, then add the peanuts.

bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour

let cool, then cut into bars to serve

i am sharing this with
rook no 17 a little birdie told me
and
hearth and soul blog hop

i'll swap ya

i am constantly

cooking

canning

baking

creating

preparing enough goodies

for a family of 

ten teenage boys

yet

we are not a family of 

ten teenage boys

we do have neighbors

lots of neighbors

who sadly

now that summer is around the corner

don't appreciate being

fatted like a christmas goose

which occasionally leaves me

with excess goodies to share

which is why

i couldn't stop smiling

when i found

LAX Swappers

i quickly signed up to be part of the very first event

we met at a hip and local joint

called reform school

each person arriving with 

baskets

bags

boxes

loaded with 

food

lovingly prepared and*or foraged

packaged to delight

it was a small but enthusiastic crowd

each person describing their own wares

while scoping out

what others had on offer

no money changed hands

just goods

goods like

freshly milled wheat

bread warm from the oven

jams, jellies, marmalades and conserves

tinctures, scrubs and freshly cut herbs

elixirs, aperitifs, concentrates

eggs, fruit, pasta and sweets

for two hours

on a cloudy sunday afternoon

we were not urbanites

drinking skinny lattes and talking about gas prices

we were

individuals enamored with 

what the land brings to us

and

how we honor its abundance

by

foraging, collecting, preserving

and 

sharing

transforming a

space filled with bodies

into

a community

a personal thank you to 

emily ho aka misschiffonade

who organized this fantastic event

why must i be...a dog in a suitcase?

i don't speak french

which is why it is slightly insane

that i subscribe

to french magazines

aside from the few french words 

incorporated into the english language

i have not a clue

if the prose is 

inspired 

or

insipid

however

the photos

and 

creativity

never fail to 

turn this

punctual taskmaster

into a 

daring daydreamer

a recent issue of marie claire idees

showed a small dog

perched in a

 darling white-washed bed

fashioned from an old valise

at a romp through an overstuffed antique store

i found this

with a

 bit of fabric

little ingenuity

and

sackful of patience

(i am a horrible seamstress)

we now have

our own darling version

(if i might say so myself)

both girls checked it out

but only one 

reigns supreme

she seems quite content

mais oui!

*i have a tutorial here with a material's list and some steps

this is not a sewing tutorial...that would be like the blind leading the blind!

linking up to
tatertots and jello weekend wrap up

and

fresh ricotta

homemade ricotta 

is nothing like

what you find in the supermarket

packed tightly into tubs

with expiry dates a month long

it is naturally sweet

with creamy curds

and

only lasts a few days

that is the good news

it is a bit time consuming

uses quite a bit of milk

and can be a bit of a mess

last week

cannoli was on my mind

so i whipped up a pot of fresh ricotta

and when i say whipped

i mean

spent an entire day

preparing, cooking, skimming

and draining

for my birthday

my friend gave me a beautiful cookbook

"my calabria"

by rosetta costantino

rosetta shares a family recipe for ricotta

using

 a combination of milk and cream

it produces a large yield

perfect for 

eating with a spoon

whipped into lemon pancakes

stuffed into cannoli shells

or sharing with friends

ricotta

(printable recipe)

*from my calabria

1 gallon whole milk

3/4 cup cream

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp rennet

1/4 cup cold water

place the milk and cream in heavy pan and stir to mix well. warm over heat to 200-210F.  remove from heat and add the salt. stir to dissolve.  let the milk to cool to 100F. skim any foam or skin that forms on top of the milk.  in a small bowl, mix the rennet with cold water. stir the diluted rennet into the pot of milk, then leave undisturbed until the milk has visibly thickened, about 10 minutes.

cut a large "cross" in the milk.  stir quickly with a wooden spoon for 15-20 seconds to break up the coagulated milk. using a perforated metal skimmer immersed in the milk,slowly and gently stir in one direction, so slowly that it takes about 20 seconds to make one revolution.  milk will begin to separate into curds and whey.

slowly pour off the whey through a cheesecloth lined colander, set over a bowl to drain. let stand at room temperature until whey stops dripping from the sieve.  alternately, if you have ricotta baskets, you can use those to drain the curds.  

the ricotta should be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. it is best used within 2-3 days.

this makes about 2 lbs

* i don't throw the whey out...i use it. hubster and i use it in our smoothies and i give the dogs a bit of it in their kibble. it helps with a shiny coat. i can't say the same for us humans.

cannoli

on march 19th

italians celebrate

st. joseph

in gratitude 

during a drought and subsequent famine

in sicily

the faithful prayed to st. joseph 

in hopes he would intervene

 when the prayers were answered

with 

rain and a successful harvest

the people of sicily

vowed to give thanks

yearly

for eternity

today

you may find italians

wearing red

praying in churches

preparing the altar

and

abstaining from meat

you will also find this italian

enjoying sweets

this is a day of 

reverence

and 

joy

last year 

i dispensed sage advice

(if you want to read it, click here)

this year

you get a recipe

cannoli

(printable recipe)

shells:

(you can buy them..there isn't a prize for the person who slaves over hot oil all day making these)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tbs crisco or lard

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup marsala wine

1 egg--whisked with a bit of water

combine the flour, sugar, salt and lard together.  slowly add the marsala while kneading the dough. continue working the dough until it is well mixed and a rather hard dough is formed. cover with plastic wrap and let sit an hour and up to 3 hours. roll the dough out to 1/4" sheet and cut with a 4-5" round cutter.  quickly run a rolling pin over the rounds in 1 direction to form the rounds into ovals.

place a metal tube in the center of the oval and bring the sides up, overlapping enough to form the shell. brush seams with a bit of egg wash to seal.  

heat oil in a pot.  drop the shells a few at a time into the hot oil and fry until they are light brown and bubbly.  remove from oil and place on greaseproof paper. allow to cool long enough to handle, then slide the tube out and allow the shells to fully cool. 

filling:

1 1/2 lbs ricotta--drained to remove excess moisture

1/2 cup powdered sugar

pinch kosher salt

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 Tbs finely grated lemon peel

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup mini  semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate

mix all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to meld. filled cannoli shells tend to get a bit soft after time. if you want your shells to remain crispy, wait until you are ready to serve before filling them.

makes about a dozen

linking up with
tickled pink @504main

and
the tattered tag

not so silently baking for japan

i am participating

in
for japan with love

no witty blog post

no sassy tweets

no self-promoting stumbling

just my toque in hand

i am joining a group of bloggers

who are united today

in an attempt to raise money

for 

shelterbox

please

donate what you can

help get the word out

give
HERE

for my part
i will send

 to those of you who donate
$25 or more
this offer is no longer valid
a dozen freshly baked and oh so good
double chocolate brownies

quite possibly

the best you ever tasted
(just ask my mom)
*this is limited to the first 200 who donate a minimum of $25 through the above link, and send their donation details to me beginning March 17, 2011 12pm (pst) and no later than 8pm(pst) March 20, 2011
(open to US residents only please)




send a copy of your donation receipt from FirstGiving
be sure to include a mailing address
to
fudgerippleblog (at) gmail (dot) com
and i will speed them on their way
please specify
with or without walnuts
--if you are allergic to nuts, please know--i do not use separate equipment--
this offer is no longer valid

lunch box pies {st. patrick's day meat pies}

gone are the days
of the tartan plaid
lunch pail
replete with
soup canister
trapped beneath a spring-loaded arm
and
monogrammed cloth napkin
so sad

but this girl
can still dream
moving from
shop to shop
hunting
for a bit of
my youth

these savory pies
formed and baked in cupcake tins
are perfect
for
lunch box days
picnics at the lake
afternoon snack for a carload of kids
or
enjoyed
as we are
a
st.paddy's day treat
with a guinness chaser

lunch box pies
(printable recipe)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 large onion--finely chopped
2 stalks celery--finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs creole seasoning

a few shakes of Tabasco sauce more or less to taste

1 cup breacrumbs

1/4 cup hot water
1 recipe pie crust
Creole Seasoning

from Emeril's New Orleans Cooking

2 Tbs  chili powder and paprika

1 Tbs ground coriander, garlic powder and salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, black pepper and dried leaf oregano

Mix together and keep in an airtight container

chop onions and celery and sauté until soft.  lightly cook pork and drain off grease.  add ground beef to pork and cook 5 minutes.  add onions and celery.  cook over low heat for 25 minutes. drain any grease.  add seasoning, tabasco and salt.  add hot water and bread crumbs and mix well.  let stand 30 minutes.  meanwhile, line muffin tins with pie crust.  fill the crust 3/4 full with filling.  close with top crust. decorate as desired. brush with lightly whisked egg yolk.  bake at 400 until pie crust is golden..about 20 minutes.
to make shamrock, color some of the egg with green food color and use a paint brush to paint design.

linking up to
a little birdie told me @ rookno17
and
hearth and soul blog hop

lemon chicken

i seem to be on a bit of a citrus jag lately

i suspect the reason being
this

on our back porch

sits a potted lemon tree

it produces exactly 

8 lemons

every other year

we have coaxed coddled and crooned to it

sadly

this is its best work

consequently,

when it produces

i get to work 

this recipe

is really 

a bit of this

and 

smidge of that

really delicious

very lemony

and 

extremely popular

in our house

the best part

it

freezes well

lemon chicken
(printable recipe)

1 lb chicken breasts
olive oil
1/2 onion--finely chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 2 large lemons (a bit less if you don't like your chicken really lemony)
1 tsp honey (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley--minced
pound the chicken breasts until they are thin like a cutlet. pat chicken dry.  heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet.  cook eat chicken breast enough to just brown, but not to cook completely through.  remove from skillet and reserve.  add a bit more olive oil and toss in the onion.  cook on medium heat until onion begins to soften. toss in the chicken broth and use tongs or spatula to scrape up all the bits of chicken that stuck to the bottom of the pan.  add the wine, lemon juice and honey. stir to combine, then put the chicken back into the skillet.  simmer on very low until the chicken is cooked through.  serve with the sauce spooned over the chicken. sprinkle a bit of parsley on top.  serve with lemon slices if desired.

  

st. paddy's cake

i do enjoy

a snazzy chapeau

especially

if it is edible

this is a simple 7" layer cake

placed on a 10" cake round

place the fondant covered cake in the middle of the round

roll out a strip of fondant wide enough and long enough for the brim, curling up the edges.

using a brush, paint a bit of water on the round (only a little) to help the brim stick and carefully place along the edges of the cake

the shamrocks are fashioned from lightly colored fondant cut out with a cookie cutter. i softened the edges a bit with my fingers to give them a bit of movement.

the buckle is simply rolled fondant covered in edible gold leaf, then brushed with a bit of bronze luster dust. 

i used just a bit of water to adhere all the elements onto the cake

if you would like more details or further instruction on how i made this

please ask

i promise i won't tell you

that a leprechaun left it behind

at the pub i frequent

i am linking this up to 

tickled pink at 504main

and

and
tatertots and jello

ratatouille

i

all too often

 fill my canvas tote

with fresh from farm

produce

bring it home

lovingly display it

and then

succumb to the reality

that 

father time

ages it

faster than

we eat it

i find myself

racing time

such an event

happened today

with a good ol' fashioned

crisper raid

ratatouille

(printable recipe)

olive oil

1 medium onion-thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic--chopped

1/4 cup red wine

1 red bell pepper-julienne

1 medium eggplant--cut into cubes

2 zucchini--cut into rounds

3 cups diced tomatoes--fresh or canned

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

pinch red pepper flakes

about 1/2 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)

1 generous Tbs balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

heat a small stock pot over low flame.  add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  toss in the onions and garlic and cook until they soften.  add in the eggplant and red pepper and give them a good toss. cook for about 10 minutes. stir in the red wine and cook for about a minute more.  finally, add in the zucchini, diced tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. give a good stir, cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes.  periodically give a good stir to the pot. once the vegetables are soft, but not falling apart, remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar and fresh parsley.  taste for salt and add if necessary.  serve hot, warm or room temperature.

i am linking up to 

tuesday night supper club

hearth and soul blog hop

fat-ish tuesday

i haven't been to new orleans during mardi gras

it sort of turns me off

jazz fest

is about as rowdy as i like to get

however

take a storied town

combined with

permission to indulge

and you are

talking my language

today

my indulgences will be

beignets

(printable recipe)

chicken and sausage gumbo

(printable recipe)

and

pralines

(printable recipe)

wishing you good times today

and

for those of you whom

share the 

traditions and faith

this season brings

a mindful 

lent

lemon-pecan mascarpone pound cake

march 4th is national pound cake day

don't roll your eyes

it is legit

i read it on the internet

before my great aunt passed

i borrowed her box of tattered and stained recipe cards

and copied each one

into a book of my own

my aunt rose baked a great pound cake

several versions

all different

all delicious

for national pound cake day

i borrowed a recipe from her

with a few substitutions

  lemon pecan mascarpone pound cake

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter--room temp

4 oz mascarpone cheese--room temp

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs--room temp

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup + 1 Tbs lemon juice

2 1/4 cups flour--sifted

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup toasted pecans

cream butter and mascarpone until very light. gradually add sugar and beat thoroughly, about 2-3 minutes.  add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides in between additions.  beat for an additional 2-3 minutes after you add the last egg.  beat in vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt, until fully incorporated. the batter may look curdled, which is okay.  blend in the sifted dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and mix until silky.  fold in pecans.  bake in a greased pan (10 cup capacity) at 325 for about 60 minutes.  if you separate the batter into smaller pans, bake for considerably less time.

once cool frost with icing made from powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice.  add enough lemon juice to make a drippy icing with good lemon flavor.

preserved oranges

i hadn't yet been to morocco

when i first became seduced by tagine

meat braised into submission

in the company of

dried fruit

toasted nuts

exotic spices

and 

preserved citrus

preserved lemon 

can be plucked off the shelf 

of your favorite fancy grocery

however

i have found preserved oranges

offer a slightly sweeter note

that 

couples well with

headier spices like

cinnamon

anise

nutmeg

and

cardamom

preserved oranges are

easy to make at home

and use few ingredients

within 10 minutes

you will be transported 

to a far away land

full of culinary possibility

preserved oranges

smallish thin rind oranges

kosher salt

pink peppercorns

star anise

bay leaf

thoroughly wash and scrub the oranges removing stems.  cut into fourths without allowing the knife to cut all the way through. cut approximately 2/3rds through the fruit. generously salt the flesh of the orange  using a sterilized jar with proper fitting lid begin to press the oranges into the jar.  pour additional salt in between the layers of oranges.  periodically drop in peppercorns using no more than 10   in your entire jar. continue doing this until the jar is well packed and full.  squeeze orange juice to fill in the gaps. slide in a bay leaf and star anise.  add a bit more salt, then seal.  turn upside down on the shelf of the fridge overnight. the next day, turn it back right side up. if you see a gap, fill it with oranges, salt and orange juice. close it up and place back in the refrigerator. let "steep" for 4 weeks. these will keep for about 6 months.  rinse before using.  use as you would preserved lemons.