Baking with Apples

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September is here and apple picking is in full swing! In my area, there are many orchards (and therefore many varieties of apples) to choose from, so I thought I would do a post about baking with apples.

There are a few basic things to remember when using apples for baking:

1) The best apples for eating raw are often NOT the best for baking: Macintosh turns to mush, Gala and Fuji become bland. And just forget about Red Delicious - I personally don't think these apples are good for much of anything, but they are absolutely horrid in baking. Golden Delicious can be good, but you have to be careful to get really firm ones.

2) Use different apples together:  For Apple Pie, using two or three different kinds of apples gives your pie a more interesting, complex flavor. Using only one kind of apple can make your pie have a "one note" flavor, and using a couple of different kinds lets you get the best of each apple - one might have a great flavor but lacks the firmness to stand up to baking, while another firm apple may not be as flavorful. Mix them together and it works perfectly. I like to use a mixture of firm sweet, firm tart, and just a little bit of soft-sweet together. Last year the best apple pie I made was a mixture of Gingergold, Honeycrisp, and Cortland with just one thinly sliced Macintosh thrown in for flavor (again, don't use a lot of Macintosh, they break down to mush - which, incidentally, makes them excellent for applesauce).

3) Keep in mind the use: You may perfer a different type of apple for pies than what you would use for apple muffins or apple cake. In muffins, cakes and breads, I would generally use just one type of apple, a firm-sweet or a firm-tart variety. For sauce I tend to use whatever I have on hand, though I prefer Macintosh. For apple crisp, I use whatever I have on hand, since it doesn't need to hold its shape the way a pie does. For apple pies, I always like to use 2-3 types together.

4) There are endless varieties of apples, and selection will vary by region. While there are a handful of apples we all see in the grocery store (Granny Smith, Delicious, Macintosh, Gala, Fuji) there are numerous lesser known varietals which each region is known for. Because of this, it is hard to recommend apples that everyone will be able to find. There is an excellent book devoted to the subject of cooking with apples. The Apple Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso. This fantastic book goes into many of the rare and strictly regional varieties and how they are best used.

The orchard I go to every year, Breezeland's Orchards, has a very good Pick Your Own Apple Chart to help you determine which apples are good for what. They are located in Western Massachusetts, so some of the apple varieties listed are ones you might only find in New England. But there are many common varieties listed, so take a look.


5) It really comes down to your personal taste. Some of the apple types I like to use are listed as "good" but not "excellent" for baking, but I prefer them. Some people love the tartness of a pie made with all Granny Smith apples, while some people bake with Galas and think that's just fine. The best way to discover which apples you will like in desserts is to get baking! Yes, it is time-consuming to try out different apples, but it is a delicious experiment. Here are my local favorites, which are by no means the only good ones for baking, it is just my personal list:

Cortland - Firm, on the tart side but sweeter than Granny Smith
Jonathan - Medium firm, sweet
Jonagold - Medium firm, sweet
Ginger Gold - Medium firm, sweet with a hint of spice
Granny Smith - Very firm and very tart, assertive flavor, good for very tart desserts
Honey Crisp - Medium firm, sweet


6) Apples vary from year to year, and even orchard to orchard. Fresh is best, so get them from an orchard or farmer's market rather than the grocery store if you can. Not only will the apples be fresher there, it will give you more selection to experiment with. An apple fresh from the orchard will taste very different from the same variety of apple in the grocery store! I was surprised to realize how different they can taste. For example, the Cortlands I get in a store are usually sweeter, blander and not as juicy as the ones that are fresh picked from an orchard.

In  the recipe section, I have recipes for Brown Sugar Apple Pie and New England Apple pie. This Autumn, I will be adding apple cake and apple muffins to the recipe list.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

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I adore Peanut Butter cookies, and my kids like chocolate. So one day when I was mixing up some PB cookies, my daughter chimed in with, "Can't we put some CHOCOLATE in there?!" Normally I would just add chocolate chips as a compromise, but I didn't have any in the house. I figured cocoa powder would be a good idea; maybe they would taste like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. So I substituted some of the flour for Cocoa Powder, and I'm glad I tried it - One simple change to a classic peanut butter cookie recipe made them deliciously different!

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Chunky or smooth depends on whether you want bits of peanut in the cookies)
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
2 Tablespoons Shortening
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Optional: Add Peanut Butter Chips or Chocolate Chips, Nuts or Candies (1/2 to 1 Cup as desired)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the Butter, Shortening, Peanut Butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda with a fork until well-mixed. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add any chips/nuts you want to at this point.

Roll the dough into balls, then roll balls in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Press down on the balls with a fork to make the classic Peanut butter criss-cross pattern.



Drop onto a greased (or parchment lined) cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies look "set" and the tops are no longer shiny. (It is hard to detect browning with cookies this color). Cool on parchment or brown paper, then enjoy!

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

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Sourdough CAKE? Hmm...I found this unique recipe in The Joy of Cooking when I was looking for a way to use up some of my sourdough starter. You can only make so many loaves of sourdough bread before you start looking for other things to do with your starter.

This cake is dense and slightly chewy, with a slight tang underlying the chocolate flavor. It is not as sweet as many other chocolate cakes, which makes it more geared toward adult taste buds. You can add sweetness by frosting it with a rich chocolate ganache or butter frosting, or just sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

If you do not have Sourdough starter already, this recipe doesn't really justify starting one (but Sourdough bread does!) However, if you are already a Sourdough Bread baker and have starter on hand, this is a really interesting way to use some of it up.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or line with parchment) one 9"square cake pan. For a layer cake, prepare two 8" round pans or three 6" round pans.

1 3/4 Cups sifted all-purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Sourdough Starter
3/4 Cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Sift all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In an electric mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for one minute until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until just combined. Add the sourdough starter and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl down. Mix the vanilla into the milk and then add them into the batter, beating for another 30 seconds or so, until well-mixed.

Pour batter into the pans and bake at 350 degrees. Three 6" rounds will take 20-25 minutes; two 8" rounds will take 25-30 minutes; a thick square cake will be 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back when touched in the center, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with frosting of your choice. I used Sinful Chocolate Buttercream.

Top 5 Easy Scratch Items

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Alright, when I am honest with myself, I must accept that not everyone enjoys the time and effort scratch baking involves. Sometimes people actually have other things to do.

But the good news is that there ARE some things that are so easy to make from scratch, it's almost pointless to buy them pre-made. Here is my list of things that are so quick and easy, once you make them you won't go back to a box or a can.

Whipped Cream - This is about the easiest thing you can make from scratch: Put your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer to chill for a while. Make sure your cream is very cold (I stick that in the freezer for about ten minutes too - just don't forget about it in there). Whip the cream with a balloon whisk by hand (you can use an electric mixer or KitchenAid mixer if you watch it CAREFULLY). When the cream just begins to thicken, add in however much sugar and vanilla you would like. Continue beating until it forms stiff peaks, but be careful not to overbeat or you will have butter. Of course if you have kids like me, they might always prefer the pressurized can of squirtable whipped cream - there's just no getting around that!



Frosting: Why would anyone use Canned frosting? It is SO bad. Do people just not know how quick and easy frosting is? If you are intimidated by Meringue Buttercreams or Ganaches, you can just whip up a batch of good ol' American Buttercream (a.k.a. Butter Frosting). One stick of room temperature butter, 1 pound of confectioner's sugar, 1 Tablespoon vanilla (less if you like) and just enough milk to moisten it (usually about 2 Tablespoons). Beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Done.



Skillet Cake - This rivals box mixes for speed and simplicity. Is it my favorite cake? No. But it is so fast that I find it very loveable! You don't have to make it in a skillet, you can use a square baking dish instead. Mix the dry ingredients right there in the pan (don't even bother to sift the flour), and stir them together really good. Add the wet ingredients and stir well. Bake as directed, then sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost as desired. Here is one recipe: Quick & Easy Skillet Cake



Graham Cracker Crust: Manufacturers may be able to put out fairly good pre-made flaky pie crusts. But pre-made cracker crumb crusts are still terrible. Instead, use this simple recipe to make your own: Put crackers in a food processor and grind to fine crumbs. Measure out 1 1/2 Cups of crumbs into a bowl with 6 Tablespoons melted butter and, if desired, a little sugar. Mix well and then press into a pie shell. Chill until set for ice box pies, or prebake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes for cooked pies.



Homemade Pancakes:  When you buy a box of pancake mix, you usually have to add fresh eggs and milk, so it's not much more effort to just make them from scratch. Then you can control the ingredients and choose a recipe you love. This one is my favorite: Homemade Pancakes

Autumn Sweet Potato Pie

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I love pumpkin pie, and I like it with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a touch of clove. When I started making a Sweet Potato Pie recently, I just couldn't resist spicing it up like I do with a pumpkin pie. Southerners will see that this vears off the traditional sweet potato path, but I think it tastes delicious! This is the same recipe I use for my Spiced Pumpkin Pie, the only difference is I use sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin (I use the orange-fleshed ones commonly called yams, but you can use the yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes if you prefer). If you want, you could even do half sweet potatoes, half pumpkin.

To prepare the sweet potatoes:  Pierce with a fork two large or three small yams. Bake in the oven until tender just like a regular potato, 400 degrees for 40-60 minutes depending on size. OR pierce with a fork and microwave until soft (about eight minutes, turning halfway through cook time). Do not boil them or they will be watery. When they are soft, carefully pull the skin off and mash with a fork. I was told by a Southerner years ago that my sweet potato pie was too "smooth" because I had used a potato ricer to remove all lumps - since then I just mash with a fork.

1 flaky pie crust shell, unbaked

1 1/2 Cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1 twelve ounce can of Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of cloves (about 1/8 tsp)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 Cup Molasses
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add the sweet potato to the eggs, then mix in the spiced sugar mixture and the molasses. When it is mixed well, slowly pour the evaporated milk in, stirring to incorporate in gradually (The mixture will be thin). Pour into the pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until the filling is set in the middle. (Check the crust halfway through and put foil over the crust if it is getting too brown before the filling is set. Cool to room temperature before slicing with a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Serve with whipped cream.

Brandied Apple Skillet Cake

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 This spicy cake with a rustic look makes a great Autumn dessert to go with a hot cup of tea. I originally intended for the apples to stay on the bottom of the skillet, baking into the bottom of the cake so that when it is inverted after baking, the apple slices are on top (sort of like a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake). But the batter was not thick enough, and some of the apples mixed into the center of the cake and baked there. I thought about changing the recipe to be denser so the apples would stay on the bottom, but after baking it I really liked the taste and texture, so I kept it as it is.

The brandy is inevitably cooked off, so this is not a "Tipsy Cake." But it mixes nicely with the spices and the apples, giving the cake a delighful flavor, just for grown-ups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10" or 12" Cast Iron Skillet with shortening.

For the Brandied Apples:
2 Tablespoons Butter (you can omit the butter for a vegan recipe)
2 large crisp apples, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup Brandy

In a separate skillet (not the one you will bake the cake in), melt the butter over medium heat. Add apple slices, brown sugar, and gently pour in the brandy. Cook over medium heat for several minutes until the apples are softened and the liquid has turned syrupy. (If your liquid is still very thin when the apples are cooked, you can remove the apples and thicken the liquid a bit more.) Set aside.

For the Cake:
1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon Vinegar (white or cider vinegar)
1/4 Cup Brandy
3/4 Cup Cold Water

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and spices. Stir well. Add the oil, vinegar, Brandy and water into the dry ingredients and stir until batter is moistened and larger lumps disappear.

Arrange the cooked apple slices in one layer on the bottom of the cast iron skillet.  Pour the syrupy liquid over the apples. Pour the cake batter over the apples and bake for approximately 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Time will vary depending on the size skillet you use.

When the cake has cooled a bit, run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen it and then invert onto a large plate. sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Tangy Pancakes with Camelized Apples

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These carmelized apples are so quick and easy to make and taste heavenly. You can put them on top of the tangy pancake recipe below, or use them to top any pancakes or waffles. They would taste great on top of pork chops as well. This recipe makes two servings, so double as needed.


Carmelized Apples:

2 medium-sized crisp apples
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
dash of cinnamon (optional)
dash of nutmeg (optional)

Peel the apples and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, brown sugar, and spices. Cook the apples, stirring often, until they are dark golden brown and the juices have turned into a thick syrup. Make the apples before cooking the pancakes, but don't make them too far ahead - you want to serve the apples while still warm.

Tangy Pancakes:

These pancakes are thinner than regular pancakes, with a tanginess that comes from souring the milk with a little vinegar. These pancakes are perfect with the carmelized apple topping. (For a more traditional pancake, see my homemade pancake recipe in the recipe section.) This recipe only makes about 8 full sized pancakes or 12-16 silver dollar ones, so feel free to double it if needed.

3/4 Cup Soured Milk (put 1 Tablespoon white vinegar in a measuring cup, then pour in milk to equal 3/4 cup. Stir well and let sit 5 minutes).
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg then add the milk and melted butter. Stir well. In a separate mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together and stir well. Add the dry ingredients to the milk and egg mixture, stirring just until the larger lumps are gone - do not try to get rid of all the lumps or it will be overmixed.

Pour onto a hot griddle (I like a cast iron pan for this). The pancakes are done when you see bubbles break on top AND the pancakes are starting to look "dry" around the edges.

Spoon the apples and some of the juice over the pancakes.

Apple Breakfast Muffins

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These muffins are not overly sweet, like so many of today's dessert-style muffins are. And you can make this recipe healthier by substituting up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour, reducing the sugar a bit, and adding in nuts if you'd like.

I made this recipe as shown with chunks of apple that were about the size of a dime. I was going to call them "Chunky Apple Muffins." But my kids turned their noses up at the big chunks, so I thought these muffins might be more universally appealing if the apples are diced very finely, so I changed the directions to reflect that.

3 1/2 Cups finely diced apples (If they are very firm you even can grate them)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
2 Cups Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease muffin tins (or line with muffin papers) for 12 muffins.

Put the diced apples into a large bowl and cover with the sugar. Let the apples macerate for about 20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir well to mix thoroughly.

Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and stir in the oil. Add the egg mixture into the apples and stir well. Add the flour mixture in and give it all a few good strokes with a wooden spoon.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Touch them lightly with a finger to make sure they are set in the center.

Decoding Antique Recipes

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Have you ever looked at an old recipe and wondered what the heck "Oleo" was? Or how to make sour milk? Here is a quick guide to some old-fashioned terms you might find on old recipes. Some of these may seem obvious, while others are real stumpers. Some of these you may not have seen because, hey, my ancestors just might have been oddballs.

Oleo = Margarine. It used to be called "oleomargarine" many moons ago.

T (Tbsp) vs. t (tsp) = Shorthand for Tablespoon and teaspoon. It used to be that people would use a capital T for Tablespoon and a lower-case t for teaspoon.

Spry/Lard = Spry was a brand name for Lard. Lard can generally be substituted with vegetable shortening very successfully in most recipes, but there are some recipes when lard really is better (a pie crust for mincemeat, for example). Nowadays many recipes that used to call for lard use butter.

Suet = Beef fat. The only recipe I have seen this in (and used it in myself) is a 100-year-old Irish mince pie recipe. It is also used a lot in traditional British puddings.

Soda = Baking Soda. That one's pretty obvious.



Sour Milk = Milk that has been soured with vinegar. To make sour milk, put 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup measure, then fill it with milk up to the cup mark. Stir well and let sit for five minutes. Not to be confused with clabbered milk, which is milk curdled with lemon juice. Sour milk can usually be substituted for buttermilk in most recipes.

"Coffee Cream" = No, they don't mean French Vanilla Coffee Creamer! I've seen this in a couple of recipes from the 1940s that list coffee cream where they apparently mean half and half or light cream.

Icing Sugar = Powdered, or "Confectioner's" Sugar

Carnation Milk or Pet Milk = Evaporated Milk. Many home cooks used to write out their recipes using brand names. Carnation is still around, of course, but they make many different milk products these days. In some cases, seeing a brand name in recipes gets confusing because the brand is no longer around or they were a strictly regional brand.

Treacle = Although they are not technically the same thing, if you see "treacle" in an old recipe, it basically means Molasses.

Salad Oil = Vegetable Oil.

Scant vs. Heaping = Pretty self-explanatory - "Scant" means slightly less than what is called for (a scant Tablespoon is just a little less than a full measured Tablespoon) and "Heaping" or "Rounded" means a little more.

"Mix like cake" = When you are making something that is not cake but will be mixing it in the way cakes are usually mixed: Cream butter with sugar, add eggs, then liquid, then gradually add flour.

"Moderate" Oven, "Hot" Oven, etc. = A moderate oven means 350 degrees. It is the "middle" temperature and the most commonly used in baking. A hot oven would be 400-425. A "Slow" oven would be 300-325 and a "cool" oven would be 200.

This is just my own short list of what I've seen come up in my old family recipes. If you are interested in learning more, a really excellent website about food history is The Food Timeline

Cheddar Cheese Pie Crust

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In New England, Apple Pie with cheddar cheese is a traditional thing, though most of the rest of the country thinks we've lost our marbles. This is my Great-Grandmother's recipe for Cheddar Cheese pie crust, which I find odd since she was from Ohio, not New England. This crust doesn't taste overly cheesy, so don't be hesitant to make it for any standard apple pie recipe. People who do not like the idea of Apple Pie with cheese will not be put off by this crust because the flavor is subtle. For the best results, use sharp cheddar.

2 1/4 Cups sifted Flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup chilled shortening
1/2 Cup finely shredded cheddar

4-5 Tablespoons ice water

Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening in two batches with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese into the mix and gently mix it into the dough with your hands. Sprinkle the water over the dough a little at a time. You may not use all of the water, so don't put it all in at once. Mix lightly with a fork as you add the water, stopping when the dough is just moist enough to hold together in a ball. Chill the dough before rolling. (I flatten in between sheets of waxed paper).

Double Banana Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

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Double Banana Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
Photo: BonAppetit.com

If you love warm banana bread and rich buttercream icing, this banana cake is your dessert dream come true. Just like everything is said to be “better with bacon,” I’d argue that the same rule applies to frosting. Especially when that frosting is a homemade vanilla buttercream. Think sweet (but not sugary) and decadent (but not dense), this icing is a creamy finish to an already dreamy cake.

Speaking of cake, the addition of ripened, mashed bananas make it perfectly moist while giving the cake a beautiful flecked appearance. Just add some sliced fresh banana to the top and you’ll have yourself a stunning dessert centerpiece. Unfortunately, you won’t have much time to admire it because after one bite, you’ll be hooked. Which is good, because the cake is meant to serve 16 of your nearest and dearest friends, family, or simply banana-cake crazed acquaintances.

Double Banana Cake with Buttercream Icing

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

Makes: 16 servings

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for pans, room temperature
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups coarsely mashed very ripe bananas (about 6 large)
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ripe but not mushy bananas, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices

Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325°. Butter two 8-inch diameter cake pans with sides 2 inches high. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups butter and sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour mixture, scraping sides of bowl. Mix in bananas, then sour cream.

Divide batter between pans. Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes in pans on wire racks. Invert cakes onto wire racks; let cool completely. Remove parchment. Using a serrated knife, trim off rounded tops.

Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 6–7 minutes.
 Place 1 cake on a plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Arrange banana slices on top. Top with second cake. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake; chill for 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cakes.

Homemade Mallowbars = S'mores Version 2.0

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Homemade Mallowbars ... Yes, You Can Do It!

What's your favorite summer dessert? Fresh strawberry pie? Lemon bars? Peach ice cream? Mine, hands-down, is the S'more. You simply can't go wrong with S'mores; they're the perfect combo of snappy graham cracker, fluffy marshmallow, and ooey-gooey chocolate. For the record, ooey-gooey is an official term (to me, anyway).

Summer may be ending but that doesn't mean that S'mores have to go. Keep them going through the rest of the year in the form of a Mallowbar: A light, airy cake with sturdy graham cracker crust, delicate marshmallow center and chocolate glaze. But wait... why not get crazy and MAKE the graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate glaze from scratch? I'm serious. I did it and you can do it, too. The graham cracker crust couldn't be easier, the chocolate glaze makes it look (almost) professional, and once you make homemade marshmallows, you'll never go for store-bought again. They're beyond easy, not-at-all sticky and make me think of a great Winnie The Pooh quote, "Bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!"

Homemade Mallowbars 
(with Honey Marshmallow and Chocolate Glaze)
Adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
Makes about 18 (2-inch) squares



Graham Cracker Base:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Honey Marshmallow:

• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Step #1: Make the Graham Cracker Base:

Make the Graham Cracker Base

 In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugars, and honey until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat until the dough just comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic and pat into a disc. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, or in between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle that just fits the prepared pan. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Squish it to fit if it starts to tear (the dough is soft). Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake the graham cracker base until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely before topping with the marshmallow. (The graham cracker base can be made a few days ahead; store, covered in foil, at room temperature.)

Make the Honey Marshmallow

Step #2: Make the Honey Marshmallow: While the graham cracker base cools, prepare the honey marshmallow. Place the gelatin in the cold water to bloom. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, honey, and 1/2 cup water, stirring until the sugar dissolves, until the mixture reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. When the sugar mixture has come up to temperature, carefully pour it into the egg whites while whisking. Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled slightly, about 1 minute, and add the gelatin and water mixture and the vanilla. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken and quadruples in volume, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the marshmallow onto the graham cracker base and smooth the top with a spatula. Allow the marshmallow to set for 4 hours or overnight at room temperature.

Make the Chocolate Glaze

Step #3: Make the Chocolate Glaze: place the chocolate pieces in a bowl. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the glaze is smooth and shiny. Pour the glaze onto the set marshmallow and smooth with a spatula. Allow the glaze to set, about 30 minutes, before cutting into squares.

'Barefoot Contessa' Ina Garten Speaks at Wilshire Ebell Nov. 15

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I am so so so excited. The Barefoot Contessa HERSELF is coming to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Nov. 15. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you might as well stop reading now. But, if you do, I hope you have just as big a culinary crush on Ina Garten as I do. My love for Ina goes way back. My grandma and I used to sit and watch her cooking shows together, and one-by-one, we'd collect her cookbooks as they came out. 
Slowly but surely, recipes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Family Style became my go-to's for dinner parties and last-minute meals. A few years later, during a period when I was slammed at work and looking for no-fuss meals, How Easy Is That? became my recipe bible. Pappa al Pomodoro — a Tuscan bread and tomato soup -- is comforting on a chilly winter night. Scallops Provençal helped me get over my fear of overcooking delicate (and expensive) scallops. And her Brownie Pudding had my chocolate-lover friends licking their plates. No joke.

All of this is why I can barely wait for an evening with Ina on Nov. 15, when Garten will chat with host Jennifer Garner about her new book, The Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. Tickets are $42 plus tax and include an autographed copy of Foolproof. Make reservations via the event sponsor, Vroman's Bookstore, by visiting Vroman's will call department (695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena) or calling (626) 449-5320.

Michelle & Stephen's Save The Date Photo Announcements

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Check out these amazing Save The Date Photo Announcements that one of our vendors customized for my sister Michelle and soon to be brother in law Stephen. What a beautiful couple! They are getting married on November 6, 2010 and they are incorporating all of the beautiful fall colors into their theme!! 

Thank you Cutie Pies Custom Creations!!! So Sweet Stationery can customize your photo cards too :)

Eggy-licious: Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie

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Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie
Photo courtesy: The Kitchn

Has kale jumped the shark? It's been hailed as a superfood and can be found, well, everywhere. Sure, kale makes sense in its natural culinary environment: Salads, slaws, braised as a side dish and wilted in pastas. But the notoriously chewy leafy green is breaking all the rules, showing up in frittatas, stews, gratins and even dipped in chocolate as a potato chip alternative (which, for the record, I can't bring myself to try).

All that said, it only makes sense that kale has made its way into a pie recipe. Yes, pie. Granted, it's a savory pie filled with eggs, artichokes, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. You can't go wrong with any of those ingredients, while kale adds a welcome level of texture. It's good for breakfast, great for lunch, and even better for dinner. Just think twice before serving it with a kale salad. That's bordering on over-kale. :)

Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie
Adapted from TheKitchn
Serves 4 to 6

• Olive oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces Parmesan, grated
• 1 cup canned artichokes, chopped
• 1 bunch (3 to 4 large stalks) nero cavola kale, rib removed and leaves roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, sliced (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan lightly with olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan. Roughly chop the artichokes and thinly slice the kale leaves and add to the cheese and egg mixture. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper Stir until combined.

Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cook until custard is set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

Tailgate Time! Loaded Baked Potato Dip & Homemade Chips

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Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Photo courtesy: The Kitchn

It's football season! Whether you're at a tailgate, attending a football party or hosting a pigskin shindig of your own, good grub is mandatory. So what to make/bring/serve? If your football party is anything like Bryan's and mine, there's no shortage of beer or hungry fans. That's where this loaded baked potato dip comes in. It's hearty, tangy and savory all at the same time, filled with a mix of cheeses, chives and Worcestershire sauce. Not to mention, it's studded with bacon. Need I say more?

If you want to get fancy, dedicate an extra hour to homemade potato chips (recipe below). Unlike thin, store-bought chips, these baked beauties stand up to the dip. No broken chips here! Your guests will thank you and your tailgate contribution will be a hit. Now all you need is for your favorite team to win!

Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Homemade Chips
Makes: 2 cups dip, chips for 4 to 6
Adapted from The Kitchn

For the chips:

• 
1 pound small white or gold potatoes

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the dip:


• 8 ounces (1 cup) sour cream (light is fine)

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese

• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 1/4 cup snipped chives, plus additional for garnish
• 
1 tablespoon powdered ranch seasoning mix

• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the chips: Preheat oven to 450°F, and prepare a large bowl of iced water. Slice the potatoes 1/4" thick. Submerge the slices in the cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and thoroughly pat dry. Toss the potatoes with canola oil, salt, pepper and cumin. If you want a kick, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Arrange slices in single layers on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, flip potatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes and flip again. Continue baking until chips are very crisp and light golden brown, approximately 8 minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. (Note: The chips can be baked up to 2 hours in advance and set aside at room temperature. Reheat at 425°F just before serving. If serving a crowd, double this recipe, cooking in two separate batches.)

For the dip: Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar and stir until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the bacon, chives, ranch dressing, and Worcestershire sauce. Chill for a minimum of two hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with homemade chips or the thickest-cut store bought potato chips you can find.

Spicy Pasta Bolognese...Ready in 30 Minutes!

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Spicy Veal Bolognese

I'm in New Jersey for work and I'm inspired. I know, inspiration and New Jersey don't typically go hand-in-hand (relax, I'm mostly kidding), but after spending the day with an Italian colleague who talked about her mother's amazing homemade pasta, gravy (sauce), meatballs and cannoli, I'm hungry.

If I could make anything right now, it would be my best attempt at spicy bolognese... in other words, pasta shells tossed in a rich veal tomato sauce. It's made from a mix of ground sirloin and veal, San Marzano tomatoes, a hint of nutmeg, a touch of cream and topped with basil and freshly grated Parmesiano Reggiano. The recipe might not come from my
Italian Nona but it's still pretty delicious. Even better, it's ready in 30 minutes. Enjoy!

30-Minute Pasta Bolognese
Adapted from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook the pasta
• 1/2 pound lean ground sirloin
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Sea salt, for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
• 3/4 pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra as for serving
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and veal and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of olive oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box. Al dente typically takes 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with basil and Parmesan on the side.

Kitchen Creativity 101: No Recipe Needed!

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I interpret the word "recipe" very loosely. To make a great meal, many times there's no need for official ingredient lists or step-by-step instructions; I'll just grab a bunch of things I like and throw them together. Boom, there's dinner. That's exactly what I did for today's lunch, which happens to be leftovers from last night's mish-mash dinner.

I went to the grocery store and pretty much laid waste to the produce section. Mixed greens, asparagus, red bell pepper, kale, sweet onion, zucchini, yellow squash and garlic all ended up in my cart. As did 1/3 pound of freshly ground turkey. When I got home, I finely diced some onion, garlic and a bit of red bell pepper and threw it in a bowl with the ground turkey. A few grinds of salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil of and hot sauce and I had myself a delicious turkey burger patty. The rest was easy: grill the burger and veggies. Chop them up. Add a few mixed greens and toss in your favorite dressing. I happened to make two servings, so I brought the leftovers for lunch. It was even better today.

The point? Be spontaneous. Make what you like, even if there's no "official" recipe. :)

Michelle & Stephen's Save The Date Photo Announcements

To contact us Click HERE
Check out these amazing Save The Date Photo Announcements that one of our vendors customized for my sister Michelle and soon to be brother in law Stephen. What a beautiful couple! They are getting married on November 6, 2010 and they are incorporating all of the beautiful fall colors into their theme!! 

Thank you Cutie Pies Custom Creations!!! So Sweet Stationery can customize your photo cards too :)

Michelle & Stephen's Save The Date Photo Announcements

To contact us Click HERE
Check out these amazing Save The Date Photo Announcements that one of our vendors customized for my sister Michelle and soon to be brother in law Stephen. What a beautiful couple! They are getting married on November 6, 2010 and they are incorporating all of the beautiful fall colors into their theme!! 

Thank you Cutie Pies Custom Creations!!! So Sweet Stationery can customize your photo cards too :)

Politics: The Tea Party Is Outside Your House

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Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
Moneybox The Tea Party Is Outside Your House Can canvassers from David Koch's Tea Party group beat Democrats on the ground? By David Weigel Posted Monday, Sep 24, 2012, at 11:14 PM ET LEESBURG, Va.—The new Americans for Prosperity field office is a short walk from downtown, in an unusually stately office park. (Most things in Leesburg are unusually stately.) Today, National Prosperity Action Day, the red brick office is decorated with yellow balloons and loaded with trays of Famous Dave's pork and brisket. Sixty-odd AFP activists mill inside and outside, getting to know each other before the big schlep. For one day, the Leesburg office is AFP central. Tim Phillips, the Tea Party group's affable president, is here to host a live-stream rev-up-the-troops documentary. He and a two-man crew walk through the office's dozen rooms, and a camera-laptop contraption captures the Tea Partiers as they make calls. Each room has at least eight no-frills Samsung cellphones—"freedom phones," cheaper than land lines—bowls of candy, and simple scripts. Phillips gathers the faithful in the parking lot, and boils the script down to a few sentences. "We have a very simple message to the folks we're reaching," he says. "Do you know what that message is?" YES! "It's about the disastrous impact that Barack Obama's policies are having on our families, our businesses, and our nation. And we're going to change it, right?" YES! Democrats are feeling better about the 2012 election. Every time Mitt Romney stumbles through a news cycle, every time a swing-state poll comes out, Barack Obama is doing better than he has any right to do. A year ago, no electoral ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Mitt Romney's Lame New Housing Policy Is This the Future of Country Music? Harry Potter and the "Miraculously Unguarded Vagina"	Advertisement
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Dear Prudence: Help! My Neighbors Say Our Halloween Decorations Are Too Scary For Their Daughter

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Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
Dear Prudence Witch Hunt In a live chat, Prudie offers advice about neighbors who say Halloween decorations are "too scary" for their daughter. By Emily Yoffe Posted Tuesday, Sep 25, 2012, at 09:45 AM ET Emily Yoffe, aka Dear Prudence, is on Washingtonpost.com weekly to chat live with readers. An edited transcript of the chat is below. (Sign up here to get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week. Read Prudie's Slate columns here. Send questions to Prudence at prudence@slate.com.) Q. Haunted House or No Ghosts Allowed: Last year one of our neighbors was really ticked off about our Halloween decorations being too scary. We really do go for the more ghoulish decorating and have a lot of fun with it! What's Halloween without the fog machines, scary music (not loud), ghosts, and gruesome decor? The neighbors on either side of us have joined the fun and put up quite a display themselves. None of the decorations are over-the-top blood and guts, but the standard Halloween fare. The angry neighbors across the street have a 5-year-old daughter. They said she wouldn't sleep with the light off for a month after our "horrifying" decorations "scared the daylights" out of their little girl. They also said they hoped that we would refrain from the frightening decorations since we now knew they upset their daughter. They still will barely speak to any of us who decorated using anything "scary" to a 5-year-old. Prudie, the kids on our street are a wide variety of ages, with the vast majority of the kids being 8 or older. I have three boys ages 8, 10, and 12 who have a great time with the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Mitt Romney's Lame New Housing Policy Is This the Future of Country Music? Harry Potter and the "Miraculously Unguarded Vagina"	Advertisement
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		Tech Science Entertainment Wall Street Markets Strategy Sports Lifestyle Politics Law International Video Latest Retail Tuesday, September 25, 2012 Now Omnicom Is Getting Sued For Discrimination — Today's Ad Brief Advertisement Omnicom is getting sued for discrimination and wrongful termination by Ray Katz, a veteran sports media exec. Katz is seeking a minimum of $3 million plus lawyer fees and says he was discriminated against based on the fact that he was Jewish, single, and 50. Interpublic recently faced two federal lawsuits based on racial discrimination. Pizza Hut Middle East has truly outdone itself. It is selling a pizza that has a crust made out of mini pizza cones. Former Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Disney engineers and creatives launched Quantasy, a new LA-based creative brand services agency. Oreo (along with DraftFCB, Weber Shandwick, and Dentsu's 360i) is setting up shop in the middle of Time Square for its latest campaign. The cookie maker is reaching out to everyday consumers to come up with an idea for its final "Daily Twist" ad. The Atlantic is experimenting with native ads. Crisp Media, a mobile ad tech shop, launched a new product that will help advertisers, agencies, and publishers to "quickly develop and deploy powerful mobile ad units" and measure their campaigns' successes. Rokkan was selected to create a new digital presence for SOHO China, one of the country's biggest real estate developers. R/GA San Francisco made three new hires: Michael Jefferson, Ari Nave, and Matt Nelson. The three will work as a creative director, group planning director, and director, mobile & social platforms, respectively. PREVIOUSLY ON BUSINESS INSIDER ADVERTISING: Meet The 30 Biggest Advertisers On Facebook Is Victoria's Secret's 'Sexy Little Geisha' Get-Up Racist? Here's What LinkedIn's Marketing Execs Think Is Wrong With Facebook This Ad Agency Will Physically Abuse Its Intern On A Live Video Stream   Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook. Share this: Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon LinkedIn The email address for your subscription is: dwyld.kwu.6t2wm89o0gw1@blogger.com Change Your Email Address | Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Subscribe to the Advertising RSS Feed Business Insider. 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010 Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

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