pistachio-strawberry swirl ice cream

a warm winter makes way for an early harvest of strawberries

meandering down a country road this weekend passed

i happened across a roadside stand

loaded with berries and heaps of pistachios

locally grown

to keep up with our highly productive flock

i find myself

dreaming up custards

frozen custards

frozen custards made from

backyard eggs

fresh milk

and

farmstand goodies

pistachio-strawberry swirl ice cream

1 cup unsalted (roasted and shelled) pistachios

1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
7 large eggs yolks
pinch salt (sea or kosher)
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (optional)
whisk the egg yolks, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. place milk and the pistachios in a blender and puree until the nuts are completely liquid and smooth.  add 3/4 cup sugar and place over low heat and warm to a simmer.  remove from heat and whisk into the eggs and sugar mixture.  tip back into the saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring continually with a rubber spatula.  do not allow to boil, and cook until it just begins to thicken to nappe.  remove from heat and pour through a sieve into a clean bowl.  stir in vanilla and heavy cream. refrigerate 6 hours to overnight.  freeze according to ice cream manufacturers instructions. 
once the custard is frozen, transfer it to a freezer safe container.  swirl in the strawberry preserves and the chopped pistachios (if using)

*if you choose to make your own strawberry preserves, simply place 2 cups of roughly chopped strawberries in a saucepan.  taste for sweetness.  squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon.  add sugar according to sweetness.  add up to 1 1/2 cups of sugar (less if sweet strawberries, more if not sweet).  cook at a simmer until strawberries break down and soften and they sit in a thick glaze.  refrigerate until needed

cherry marzipan ice cream

recently

in an early morning whim

i dragged hubster

to a far-off orchard

to pick

 a bushel of cherries

as we stood in the shade of a  tree

him reaching to higher branches

me 

for the low hanging fruit

cherry stained and gleeful

i half whispered

"isn't this just so much fun"

to

which hubster responded

as he bent a branch to my reach

"no

this is torture

but i am happy

you are enjoying it"

this ice cream

is

a love letter

filled with 

sweetness of ripe fruit

rich-depth of ground almonds

&

 deep warmth of a stiff drink

from me

to him

i must tell you this is not a difficult recipe, but it is complicated

taking many steps and some time

but

if you are an ice cream person

with 

a special occasion on the horizon

you should make this

it is seriously good

 

 cherry marzipan ice cream

(printable recipe)

i'm linking up to

browned butter chocolate chip cookies

 mayberry-esque after school tales

of

warm cookies and cold milk

aren't mine

in my world

cookies were for christmas

fruit, yogurt, cheese

were snacks

i never quite developed

a sensory memory for the ubiquitous
toll house

instead of invoking memories

of

backyard tag, championship games, mom with flour dusted apron

i've been a bit bored by them

until now

this is not my recipe

it came to me by way of a third-party

i have been told

it was created by

Cook's Illustrated 

which doesn't surprise me

in the least bit

this cookie is filled with 

notes of toffee

 enough salt to tease your palate

the bite of bitter chocolate

and 

manages to be both soft and crispy

the recipe is a bit fussy

but worth it

trust me....

browned butter chocolate chip cookies
makes 16
(Print Recipe Here)
from cook's illustrated and only v.slightly changed

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 Tbs unsalted butter--divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar-firmly packed
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups toasted walnut halves

heat oven to 375F.  line baking sheets with parchment paper.  whisk flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.  heat 10 Tbs of butter in a skillet over medium heat, swirling continually,  until it becomes a dark golden brown and it smells a bit toffee like. this should take about 3-5 minutes...the larger the skillet, the quicker the reaction.  remove from heat and pour butter into mixing bowl.  add the remaining butter and stir until it is melted.  add the sugars, salt and vanilla to the bowl and hand-whisk until mixed well.  add egg and egg yolk and whisk until smooth and begins to lighten in color a bit.  let rest for 3 minutes.  whisk again for 30 seconds and let rest for 3 minutes.  do this procedure 2 more times.  use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the flour mixture so that it is just combined--do not over-mix.  stir in chocolate and nuts.  scoop out large balls (about 3 Tbs) onto to the parchment, placing about 2" apart.  Bake for about 10-14 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.  cool on wire rack.

*the original recipe calls for table salt, semi -sweet chips or chunks  and chopped pecans or walnuts.  i prefer kosher salt, bittersweet (60-70% cocoa solids) and large pieces of walnut which is why i inserted them into the recipe.  try it both ways and decide for yourself!

chocolate dipped

i'm a chocolate girl

when i was young

young, like grammar school, young

my sister and i had a chocolate business

we spent our evenings

melting chocolate

making caramels and creamy marshmallows

filling

chocolate

eggs in spring

christmas trees in winter

chocolate lollies for every holiday in between

as an adult

my choice in chocolate

has become a bit more sophisticated

now

i prefer dipped confections

to molded ones

for the holidays

i made a few of my favorites

"100grand bars"

chocolate dipped grahams

gingerbread "mallomars"

for the 100Grand bars

 i like this caramel recipe from joyofbaking

just add a nice pinch of sea salt

cut into squares

mix crispy rice in the tempered chocolate and dip the caramel into it

for the gingerbread mallomars

the gingerbread marshmallow recipe can be found

here

place on top of a graham cracker and enrobe in tempered chocolate

for the chocolate covered grahams

i simply cut the graham crackers into 4 pieces and dip them in tempered chocolate

the design on the top is made with a chocolate dipping tool

i buy my chocolate 20 lbs at a time and to be frank, only use callebaut 63% and 70%

i find it is terrific both in sweets and baking

here is a great video showing you an easy way to temper chocolate using your microwave

like anything, the better the ingredients, the better the result

happy dipping!

cornmeal and fig financiers

recently

i  met

a young man

he asked to meet 

to discuss an idea

an idea

born in sharing

i was early for the meeting

because 

i have yet to shake some of my

uptight corporate mores

he was tardy

only by minutes

delay caused by

a sweet pause

 to pick these gorgeous ripe figs

which he then

gifted to me

we talked for hours

about

our love of

good food

and

how we share it with others

cornmeal and fig financiers

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs honey

2 Tbs buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal *

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

5-6 fresh figs-halved

measure the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  whisk to combine. in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and honey. add the eggs one by one, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  quickly beat in vanilla and buttermilk.  on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients, do not over mix.  scoop into small brioche molds, cupcake tins or other vessel. fill to about the halfway mark (perhaps just a tad bit more), and then gently push 1/2 fig on top.  bake at 350 for approximately 15-30 minutes. use the toothpick method to ensure they are baked through.  

*i used a medium coarse cornmeal--but you can use anything from fine to coarse...the texture of your cake will reflect whichever you choose to use.

{to learn more about devin's project

go to realgoodfood.org}

i can't promise he will bring you figs, but he could probably point you in the direction of someone who would!

lemon cooler cookies

honestly

i'm not sure if i have actually tasted

the original 

lemon cooler cookie

i. do. know.

i wanted to try them

but, alas

they were in a box

on a shelf

in the grocery store

lest you forgot

we have established

that my mom 

didn't do 

"store bought"

odds are

i only remember these cookies

by how my friends

(insert tongue in cheek )

with 

better brown bag lunches than mine

described them

and not

by taste

which is why

i believe

my version

is 

a perfect impostor

packing a lemony punch

with a

sweet sugar chaser

 lemon coolers

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter--room temp

2 cups powdered sugar-divided

2 heaping tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp kosher salt

 stir together flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1 cup powdered sugar until evenly mixed.  beat in lemon zest and lemon juice. slowly stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.  gather the dough and form into a flat ball.  divide dough into 4 pieces, rolling each into a log.  the diameter of the log is to your own specifications, depending on your desired cookie size. my preference is about 2" round.  wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. you may also freeze the log(s) at this time.  

when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325.  line cookie sheets with parchment.  remove the log from plastic wrap and slice in 1/4" rounds.  it is helpful to twist the log clockwise each time you cut, so as to avoid a flattened bottom. place cookies 1" apart on the cookie sheet and bake approximately 10-12 minutes. cookies are done when they are just turning golden on the bottom.

while cookies are baking, place the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. as you remove the cookies from the oven, they will be too delicate to handle.  once they are cooled a bit (not fully cool, still slightly warm), carefully turn them in the powdered sugar, and place back onto same cookie sheet. the sugar will melt slightly and be a bit like frosting. once the cookies are fully cooled, toss them in the powdered sugar a second time.

chocolate eclairs

while in paris last fall

hubster and i made a quick stop

at

lauduree

a beautiful pastry shop known world-wide 

for 

gorgeous confections and beautiful tea salon

only in paris for the afternoon

arriving 

via chunnel from london in the morning

and scheduled

on a sleeper train to barcelona, later in the evening

we were making a whirl-wind day of it

while waiting in a very long taxi queue, i spotted a gentleman

with a car for hire

because it was hubster's first time in paris

 and 

we wanted to see as many sights as possible, in our short stay

i made a unilateral decision 

a hired car was definitely the way to go

thankfully

pierre was a good sport

and 

negotiated fairly with me

despite my butchering of his beautiful language

as i waved hubster from the taxi queue, i saw a look i have never before seen 

one that perfectly combined the relief he felt that we would be on our way

and 

worry that i had blown our entire travel budget on a frivolous luxury

he was partly right

the day was perfect

we climbed the eiffel tower, stood under the arc de triomphe

glided down the the champs-elysees, spent hours in the louvre

relished in a languid lunch with a bottle of wine

and

shared afternoon tea with well dressed dames at laudree

drunk with culture and satiated with sweets

i eagerly purchased the laudree sucre cookbook

a beautiful tome with a cover of suede

presented in a gift box

so beautiful and full of promise

i tucked it away for the rest of our journey

and promptly forgot about it

recently i discovered this little jewel

and became inspired

which is why

on a whim

i made eclairs

printable recipe

i am linking this to hearth and soul

and
a little birdie told me

blood orange caramel sauce

honestly

i don't know how much more i can do

with these bloody oranges

i have

sugared and squeezed them

turned them into jam, jelly and marmalade

rendered them drunk with vodka

tossed them in salads

lifted the flavor of cakes

and 

eaten them out of hand

and now 

i have boiled them into a golden-sticky-sugary delight

so delicious

that i am going to crown myself

the caramel queen

of

orange grove

 blood orange caramel sauce

(printable recipe)

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup blood orange juice

2 Tbs unsalted butter--room temperature

1 cup heavy cream--room temperature

place the sugar, salt and orange juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat.  bring to 275F for 3 full minutes.  quickly add the butter and cream.  be careful as it will boil up and spatter.  stir to combine and bring back to the heat.  cook to 225F while stirring constantly, letting it sit at that temperature for a full 3 minutes. remove from heat and allow to cool.  use while still slightly warm, or at room temperature. keep in refrigerator for approximately 3 weeks...if it lasts that long!

great over ice cream or in your morning tea

more recipes using blood oranges
arancello
sugared orange tea cake
sugared oranges

brown-butter bacon shortbread with bourbon-maple glaze

at a recent food-swap

i traded jam for 

browned butter shortbread 

it was
out of this world

within minutes 

of finishing the very last crumb

i was conspiring to make my own

the gal with whom i swapped

was kind enough to share the recipe 

from gourmet magazine

(insert long sigh and whimper mourning the loss of this fabulous magazine)

while browning the butter

i was reminded a bit of the smell

of bacon

caveat

i have been know to swear
that i smell bacon

at a kosher deli

i'm only slightly obsessed

i do draw the line

at

chocolate covered bacon

don't love it

but

here is what i do love

these 

crispy, nutty, salty 

with a throat warming

bourbon glaze

 brown-butter bacon shortbread

with bourbon-maple glaze
*this recipe only slightly resembles its inspiration. the addition of bacon, bacon fat, nuts, and glaze are all mine
original recipe here
(printable recipe)

shortbread

4 oz browned butter-cooled to solid in fridge

2 oz bacon grease--cooled to solid in fridge

1/2 tsp grey sea salt (kosher is fine)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup bacon--cooked crispy and finely chopped

1 1/3 cup+ 3 Tbs all purpose flour

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cooled butter, cooled bacon grease and brown sugar. add the salt and vanilla and stir to mix.  mix in the bacon bits, then the flour. mix only to fully incorporate the flour, do not over mix. 

remove the dough from mixer and form into a cylinder on plastic wrap

roll the dough into the chopped nuts, cover and place in refrigerator.  let rest in fridge for an hour.

when ready to bake, heat oven to 350f. slice the roll into 1/4" slices and place on lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1/2" between each cookie. these will spread a bit.

allow to bake about 10-12 minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom. remove from oven and let cool.  

once cool, drizzle with glaze.

bourbon maple glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp maple syrup

up to 1 Tbs bourbon

place powdered sugar in a bowl. stir in the maple syrup.  add bourbon 1 tsp at a time until it reaches a nice runny consistency, that will barely hold its shape.  pour into a piping bag or use a spoon to decoratively drizzle over the cookies.  allow to sit until the glaze has firmed up.

i am parading this recipe

is if it is a

pig at the county fair

at foodbuzz' baconalia

with 

fingers crossed

that it is blue ribbon worthy

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

chocolate love {home-made twix bars}

a few years ago

a friend of a friend said to me

regarding chocolate

if you could come up with something

that has

chocolate

caramel 

and a

cookie

i would totally go for that

and i said

you mean

like a twix?

and she replied

exactly like a twix

and i gave her

25 cents

and walked away

fast forward a few years...

i was digging through the freezer

and came across 

shortbread cookie dough

and figured

why not

i could take a twix

and make it just a wee bit better

using

fine chocolate

homemade caramel

and

a smattering of shaved sea salt

folks

this is 

good

this is

valentine good

this is

write 100 times on the chalkboard

"i love you more than chocolate"

in

penance

good

"twix" bars

(printable recipe)

1/2 recipe shortbread dough--rolled out, cut into batons and baked

1 recipe caramel--cooled and cut into batons equal to the cookies

tempered bittersweet (62% or higher) chocolate

flaked sea salt

let the cookie base cool, then place the caramel on top.  allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes so the caramel will begin to stick to the cookie base.  dip in tempered chocolate and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  sprinkle with sea salt, then place in the refrigerator to finish setting.  remove from fridge after about 10 minutes or so. serve at room temperature.

enjoy!

i am linking to 

tuesday night supper club

and

hearth and soul blog hop

also

a little birdie told me

and

pizzelle

i learned to make pizzelle

at the knee of my great-aunt rose

while still quite young

she was an amazing baker

and

a real stickler

i learned not to lick the spoon

at a very early age

each time i lift

my pizzelle iron

from its tattered 

and 

batter scarred box

my memory of  my aunt rose floats richly

in the fragrance of these cookies

and

the season

 Pizzelle 
(printable recipe)

3 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 Tbs Anise flavored extract

4 oz unsalted butter--melted and cooled

combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, extract and melted butter.  stir into the flour mixture. this batter will be nice and thick, similar to a pate a choux.  drop by the spoonful onto a hot pizzelle iron.  check after 60 seconds for color. you want it to be a light blonde in color.  do not undercook, undercooked pizzelle will not get nice and crispy.  sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar and serve.

you can form these into cones or cups, or even cut in fourths while they are still warm.  i like to use them for large and beautiful ice cream sandwiches...or rolled and filled with a bit of brandy flavored whipped cream...but i mostly like them just as they are.

one last thing...

wishing you all

a peaceful holiday

filled 

with sweet memories

humble gratitude

and

deep joy

Merry Christmas

gingerbread marshmallows

i love gingerbread

gingerbread houses

gingerbread cakes

gingerbread lattes

and now

i LOVE

gingerbread marshmallows

come holiday time

i like to create a special treat

to tuck into the christmas hampers

i prepare for friends and family

this year it is these

gingerbread marshmallows
(printable recipe)

3/4 oz gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs molasses

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground clove

2 egg whites

Put sugars in a saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water to make a mixture that looks and feels like wet sand.  What is most important is that all sugar has the same amount of moisture. Add molasses, salt, ginger, cinnamon and clove, and place over low heat.  Cook until it becomes a sugar syrup of 235-240 degrees. It should have the consistency of corn syrup.  Meanwhile...place 2 room temperature egg whites into the bowl of your mixer. Add the salt .  Also, prepare gelatin.  Place 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water.  Let bloom.

Once the sugar syrup is ready, turn off heat and let sit for a couple of minutes...not too long.  Start your mixer on low and get the whites to foamy.  Mix the gelatin into the sugar syrup and stir until melted completely.  Bring the saucepan over to the mixer and turn it to high. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl, careful not to hit the whisk attachment.  Leave on high and mix until the mixture is warm, but full volume and comes to a peak.  While it is still warm, pour into tin or pan.  Sift powdered sugar on top. Cut into squares and store in airtight container.
these are yummy tossed into a cup of hot cocoa
and a real grown up treat when toasted and sandwiched into a s'more.

sweets table

our thanksgiving dessert "buffet"

recipes coming soon

until then

i hope everyone had a wonderful day

loaded with gratitude and joy

that will fill your heart

longer than the leftovers

fill your fridge

crispy-crunchy chocolate bars

mea culpa

i can't resist it

chocolate is so lovely

i can't resist making stuff with it

truth be told

i am sort of hoping that surrounding myself with chocolate

will perhaps make me sick of it

and then miraculously

poof

i become one of those people

who hates chocolate

and then

i become one of those people

who can't seem to keep my weight up

and then

i become one of those people

that gets stopped on the street and asked if i am a model

until then

i suppose i will just have to suffer

and so will you

again

mea culpa

hubster claims he hates caramel

unless of course

it is surrounded with bittersweet chocolate

and 

especially if it is surrounded by

crunchy, crispy chocolate

these are easy to make

if you don't have a chocolate mold

you can make these in paper cups

tart tins, candy cups,

or

you can form caramel into bars and dip in the chocolate

in the image of a popular bar found in the candy aisle

you can find a couple of good caramel recipes

and how to temper chocolate

in this post

for the crispy bits

i use tiny crisp rice

which you can purchase at a candy supply store

 (cereal can be used in a pinch)

try this

if nothing else

you can make a grand

and eat it too

L is for Lemon Bars

as spring begins to peek about

i long for a day in the garden

eating lemon bars

and sipping tea

Mim's Lemon Bars
(printable recipe)

(these were originally passed on to me from the mother of my good friend--i play around with the recipe a bit)

Crust

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

1 cup unsalted butter--melted

Filling

6 large eggs

2 3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

6 Tbs flour

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

pinch salt

For Crust:  prepare an 8x8 pan by lining with aluminum foil allowing the foil to come up the sides and extend at least an inch.  lightly spray with pan spray.  mix all crust ingredients together and press into pan.  Bake at 350 until just starting to brown.  

For Filling:  In a mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat all ingredients until pale and fluffy.  Pour over hot crust and bake about 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting.  Sift powdered sugar over the top and serve chilled.

Variation:  Make 1 1/2 times the crust recipe and use 2/3 for the bottom of the bars.  To the remaining, add additional generous pinch of cardamom and 1/4 cup sweetened coconut.  After 15 minutes of baking, lightly sprinkle the topping onto the bars and cook until golden brown.

Hey! you know what else starts with the letter L? Limoncello

I did this post a long time ago...but think it is worth sharing, since we are celebrating

all things lemon. aren't we?

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter L

So I Spent the Afternoon In Tears....

...weeping, like I had a year's worth of crying stored up and hit my breaking point.  And in public no less.  But it isn't a rare occasion that I cry, actually I do it a lot.  Not, oh you hurt my feelings, so I am going into the corner to cry.  More like...that scene from Chariots of Fire where they are running on the beach and the music is building to a crescendo and you can see toil and victory on their faces.

Add music to just about any situation and you can just hand over the kleenex.

Today I attended a beautiful and emotional Veteran's Day celebration at our American Legion Post.  Every year, they hold a flag retirement ceremony. Flags that are too damaged to be flown, are respectfully disposed of by fire.  Veterans, children of veterans, friends of veterans, lined up to dedicate flags to fallen comrades.  As each flag was dedicated and subsequently burned, my emotions became more and more exposed.  It was a bit distracting...thank goodness we were outside and I could wear my over-sized sunglasses---it, combined with my camera--were very good camouflage.
It was an amazing afternoon and I am filled with Gratitude for the men and women who are our military.  I am Proud of my country and flag.  I am filled with Faith.

What an wonderful day...despite the tears.

By the time I got home I was in need of some comfort.  But it was too early for a drink, and I don't find solace in ice cream. What to do, what to do?

Donuts make me happy.

I thought, "I should make donuts"

So I did

and I took a photo--okay about a thousand photos

and then I gave the donuts away

almost all of them

i kept a few

because they look so yummy

and I have a husband who is a veteran

and he deserves a treat

on Veteran's Day

But I abstained

which I don't really don't want to do again

Red-White and no more Blues Donuts
(printable recipe)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbs baking powder

2 Tbs melted butter

1/2 cup whole milk

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the butter and mix in until well incorporated.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Turn onto a floured board and gently knead, incorporating more flour if needed.  You will probably need about another 1/4-1/3 cup flour.  Flatten dough out to about 1/2" and cut in donut shapes. I used a 2" round cutter and then the large end of a frosting tip for the center hole.  

Fry up.

You can dip in a icing made of powdered sugar mixed with a bit of vanilla and some cream, or chocolate ganache, or powdered sugar...or a myriad of other things. I am thinking that an icing made from apple cider might be delish.  But I'm only looking at the donuts...not tasting.

Today.

october bliss

It is October!

I wait for October all year with anticipation.  It is finally okay to start breaking out the Halloween decorations, the fall colors and, fingers crossed, a sweater or two.
I am very excited because this year..we have sugar pumpkins to harvest.  Mike planted them in our garden this spring, and they have taken over.

Earlier this week, after a day trip to our cabin, Mike tucked two into his motorcycle satchel and brought them home.  You could only imagine my glee when presented with these beautiful, home-grown orbs.  I was absolutely giddy with delight.  I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving when I can send one of the children out to the garden to pick a few for our table.  Very "prairie".

I love pumpkin pie.  And thanks to the Libby's company we can have it all year round.  I actually think their pumpkin, and their recipe produce a pretty good pie.  I must admit it has been a standby for many years, and I always get rave reviews.  But this year, since we have the pumpkins, I went for it.  100% from scratch.  No canned  pumpkin, no canned milk, no canned nothin'.

The results were amazing.  This recipe yields a nice 10" pie, with a smooth creamy texture and a minimal sweetness.  You can play with the sugar levels a bit if you like a sweeter pie, but this sits on the more sophisticated side of desserts.  And furthermore, it's perfect for breakfast because its less sweet than many cereals.  And who doesn't like pie for breakfast?

Pumpkin Pie

1 recipe flaky pie crust (recipe follows)

2 cups fresh pumpkin (instructions follow)

2 whole large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup light brown sugar--gently packed

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

*note: you can add or eliminate any spices you wish.  I only suggest that you don't overdo the cinnamon.  The flavor of fresh pumpkin is gentle, if you put too much cinnamon, you will kill the subtlety.

Preheat the oven to 375f.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and let sit together in the refrigerator while you "blind bake" the crust.  Be sure to bake only until the crust begins to look cooked, but not browned.  You do not want to over bake, as you need to put it back in the oven once you fill with the pumpkin custard.  Remove the crust from the oven, remove the weights and parchment paper, and immediately pour in the custard.  Reduce the oven heat to 350f.  Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  It is important that you  watch it. You do not want to overcook the custard.  It is done if you tap the side of the pan and you get a slight jiggle/ripple in the middle of the pie (1 or 2" from the center of the pie).  Just as if you have skipped a small rock into a pond.  If the ripple starts from the outer rim of the pie, it is not done. If it doesn't ripple at all, pull it from the oven and get it on a cooling rack right away.

Pie Crust

you can use a favorite recipe, or even a store bought crust (which simply isn't as good, but I understand).  This is a simple recipe that I use for a nice tasting and sturdy crust.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup cold butter--cut into chunks

1/3 cup solid shortening or lard (i prefer lard but it isn't the most healthy option)

5-6 Tbs of cold water

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the butter and shortening all at once and "cut" into the pastry. I like to use my hands for this.  I will work the mixture until the butter and shortening are incorporated into the flour in hazelnut size pieces.  Add enough very cold water to bring the mixture together, but it should not be sticky. It should also not be dry.  Handle the dough as minimally as possible, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.  If you are making the pastry well in advance (more than a day), I suggest wrapping it and freezing it.  Raw dough will turn gray after a time in the refrigerator.

Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Do not use a pumpkin that you would use for carving. They are too big and don't carry the flavor of a sugar pumpkin.  Wash the pumpkin well, cut in half and remove all the seeds and stringy bits.  Reserve the seeds for spicy-salty roasted pumpkin seeds.  Place the pumpkins, cut side down on a baking sheet and place in a 350f oven until they are soft.  Once cooked, remove from oven and run through a ricer or food mill. Discard outer skin.  For a silky smooth texture, process the "meat" of the pumpkin until it is no longer lumpy.  I use a hand blender which works perfectly, but you can use a processor as well.  You will need 2 cups for the pie recipe, but your pumpkin might yield more.  You can freeze the extra at this point. 

Spicy-Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

seeds from 1 or more pumpkins--rinsed and dried overnight

olive oil

1/4  cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Place the seeds on a roasting pan.  Toss in olive oil...just to lightly coat.  Sprinkle spices over and let bake at 325f. until beginning to brown and getting nice and crunchy.  You can up or decrease the spice level based on your preference. These are pretty spicy and would pair really well with a harvest or pumpkin beer.