Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

What comes to mind when you think of peanut butter cookies? My thoughts drift towards a big cookie jar sitting on a grandmother’s kitchen counter, with the lid sightly ajar to allow the fresh-from-the oven cookies to finish cooling. Although I was blessed enough to know two of my great-grandmothers and my grandmother, I do not recall ever such a picturesque cookie jar scenario.

Of course, it is entirely possible they did in fact make peanut butter cookies, but other peanut butter obsessed family members may have gobbled them all up before my little hands had a chance to reach into the cookie jar. I have two culprits in mind, who just happen to be sister and brother - my sweet mother and loving uncle.

Most recently, they have begun battling over who receives the most peanut butter baked goods from me. You may remember this battle last year; it was neither mature or pleasant to witness. This gets a bit worrisome on this day each year, my uncle’s birthday. This year, unsatisfied with just about every old-fashioned peanut butter cookie recipe I have tried, I decided to develop my very own recipe of peanut butter cookies - a recipe exhibiting the perfect combination of soft and crunchy. I mailed the results to my uncle for a sweet birthday surprise, which I think he will enjoy.  I am fully prepared to endure the wrath of my mother, deprived of peanut butter cookies, as soon as she reads this post or she receives a call from my uncle, bragging about his birthday gift.

Happy Birthday Uncle David!

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Writing a food blog keeps me honest, but not in the sense of being truthful (which I am) or not providing faulty recipes (which I don’t). By honest, I simply mean I am forced to try an array of different recipes, no matter how much I may just want homemade graham crackers with a cold glass of milk everyday for the rest of my life.

The big downfall to this honesty is that after pursing our inspiration in the kitchen, meticulously recording ingredients and methods, writing a thoughtful post, and photographing the finished product, bloggers - including myself - tend to wipe our hands clean of improving upon the published recipe. Despite the notes I make on what to try differently or how to improve the recipe the next time, I rarely consult these notes in attempts to devise an even better version.

A few weeks ago, a certain someone looked over at me longingly and whimpered, “What does a boy have to do to get some mint chocolate chip ice cream around here?” To remedy the situation, I consulted the recipe I developed and posted last summer. But just as I was poised to shatter the first egg’s delicate shell, my notes flashed through my mind. I gently set the undisturbed egg back in its crate and consulted lots of different recipes for this ice cream, comparing the ratios of each, in attempts to achieve the changes I desired. The result was the best mint chocolate chip ice cream I have ever tasted. This, I promise you, will be the version I will keep and make each time someone bats his baby blues my way.

Parmesan-Paprika Triangles

After a day exploring the beautiful city of Barcelona, Mike and I rested and refueled over lunch at Gresca. We placed our order, clinked our wine glasses together, and relaxed a bit further back into our chairs. Before the first appetizer arrived, our waitress returned with two perfectly crisp crackers - standing upright in a crystal clear glass. They were an unexpected treat to begin what would be one of our favorite meals in the city.

It has been almost three months since we returned from our European vacation and I find myself longing to return to those sunny days together in Barcelona. While my bank account may not support hopping the next plain across the Atlantic, I can certainly attempt to recreate some of our favorite dishes from those relaxing days. This recipe is quite close to the parmesan-paprika triangles we shared over lunch; I imagine the missing ‘extra something’ is only found over a table for two, with a bottle of wine, free from the responsibilities and stresses of everyday life.

Bourbon Ice Cream

Sometimes I wonder if I am the type of girl who people think would enjoy bourbon. Ladies are supposed to enjoy sipping champagne, big glasses of wine, and sugary cocktails. And while I do rather enjoy my wine, some moments in life require a glass of Maker’s. Neat, please.

Around the holidays, I started seeing recipes for bourbon eggnog, which you think may have peaked my interest. But drinking warm milk and eggs, even with a boost of bourbon, just is not my type of thing. However - frozen milk and eggs with bourbon? That combination seemed heaven-sent. I had no idea if this brilliant idea would actually work, facing the little technicality that alcohol does not actually freeze. More specifically, a certain ratio must exist between the components, to ensure the ice cream will still freeze, even with the added alcohol.

I am happy to tell you that the below recipe holds the perfect ratio of milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and Maker’s. Each scoop of ice cream emerges effortlessly and unimaginably smooth from the container. The usual ‘burn’ of the bourbon is chilled, only revealing the oak-y, vanilla flavor behind the alcohol.

Chocolate-Coffee Joconde Cakes

I did not expect to fall hopelessly in love with the cute boy who wandered into my life five years ago today. I never imagined I would move 500 miles away from my family to be with him; I certainly never envisioned we would become our own little family of two. Five years ago, Mike and I were just two college students sitting on a futon, passing a Friday evening with an easy, comfortable conversation, oblivious to all other people packed in around us.

As you might imagine, a lot has changed over these past five years. There have been fights and moments I wasn’t sure we would make it. We have both grown into the adult version of ourselves, a tough transition that somehow only brought us closer together. But through everything, the fights, the smiles, the tears, the kisses, a deep love and respect for each other has always prevailed. Tonight we will celebrate the past years that have laid the foundation for the fun, easy relationship we are now so fortunate to share.

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

While this is not the easiest dessert to create, the process is shockingly similar to making any relationship last: with time, patience, and care even the most difficult moments lead to a beautiful end result. This result just happens to be the perfect dessert to share, snuggled up close with your special someone.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Every year, about three weeks into the month of January, I start dreaming of beaches, sand, bikinis, warm sunshine, and margaritas. I shut my eyes tightly and plead to be transported somewhere, anywhere, warmer than here. These next three months, the long weeks between the bustle of the holidays and fluttering down the sidewalk in a cute sundress, toughen up us New Yorkers. Or at least it toughens up those of us who have migrated from warmer climates.

Mother nature has thrown us an especially harsh winter this year - an endless stream of storms coupled with unyielding frigid temperatures. This type of cold seeps deeply into your bones, only melting away by tucking yourself tightly under a down comforter and cupping a steaming cup of homemade hot chocolate. As each sip passes my lips, it warms me from head to toe, and I am one sip closer to the warmer days ahead.

Kale Chips

I know what you are thinking. I can hear the tone of disgust in your thoughts. Kale chips? Really?!

I know, I know. For two years, I adamantly refused to create these chips, knowing there was no way they could replace the love I felt for a perfectly crisp kettle-cooked potato chip. But not too far into the new year, I grew tired of the bland, boring dinner salad and started hankering crunchy, salty chips to accompany our sandwiches. Knowing I would have zero self-control once the bag was opened, I unwillingly opted to pick-up a bunch of kale and give this recipe an honest try.

But that was far from the biggest hurdle I would need to clear. Mike returned home from work just as I was placing the green leaves, glistening with olive oil, into our small oven. Upon being informed of what these leaves would become and, yes he would be expected to at least try one, he started sulking and glaring at the oven.

Nut Brown Ale Bread

Last Christmas I presented my craft beer-loving boyfriend with a home-brewing starter kit, a new hobby he approached with the thoughtful research and the detailed nature I expected. What I did not imagine is how much space home-brewing would require of our 700-square foot apartment, how the kitchen would periodically be taken over for hours at a time, or how pleased our neighbors would be with the pungent aromas of all-grain brewing.

Within a month, bottles of his first home-brewed beer, a nut brown ale, were ready for consumption. Since then there have been many other brewing days, lots more bottles, and tons of wonderful brews. But soon there was an over abundance of the nut brown ale, temporarily forgotten in favor of the newer beers. While I usually have to fight to use a bottle of perfectly good beer for cooking or baking purposes, a few weeks ago Mike declared these bottles up for grabs.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

When people start making ice cream at home, an infatuation usually begins and interesting flavors quickly start emerging from counter-top ice cream machines. After mastering the simple process of making an ice cream custard, flavor possibilities suddenly seem endless and the thought of willingly returning to plain-Jane vanilla ice cream seems an unimaginable waste of creativity.

But when it comes to ice cream, there is often nothing better than a good scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. This basic flavor is one of the few which pairs seamlessly with desserts of all seasons: a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream alongside a fresh berry tart in the summertime is equally as delicious as the same scoop slowly melting over warm apple pie in the winter.

Meyer Lemon-Olive Oil Cake

Come January, my body does not crave sweets in the same manner as the other months of the year. Perhaps I require a period of reprive after spending countless hours baking during the holiday season. Or maybe it is my overconsumption of Christmas cookies and goodies. Whatever the reason, I naturally transition into wanting hearty, healthy eats.

For most chilly January days my diminished sweet tooth presents no issue - Mike must usually be coerced into eating anything other than chocolate chip cookies, so the lack of dessert is no cause for concern. But his mother and aunt joined us for lunch last weekend and not serving dessert was an unimaginable option.

Per their request, we decided to order lunch from our favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. Flipping through my recipe file, I stumbled upon a recipe for a lemon olive oil cake. It may not be a traditional Italian dessert, but I figured it would pair beautifully with the thin crust, wood-fired pizza and rich, creamy penne vodka.

At the store, a basket of Meyer lemons beckoned me like a ray of sunshine and I immediately decided to utilize these yolk-colored beauties for their traditional relative. As a cross between a mandarian orange and a lemon, Meyer lemons provide a distinguishable sweetness, with far less acidity than a regular lemon.

Homemade Muesli

At the beginning of a new year, I ponder just how many people resolve to lose weight. Start exercising! Exercise more! Eat less! Eat healthier!

After college, I lost weight consumed by mug fulls of beer at the local bar and for two glorious years, I did not resolve to lose one pound. I loved running, rarely missed a day at the gym, and packed healthy meals for work each day. The pounds slipped off and stayed off.

The problem arose when I left the comfort and schedule of my office job. Suddenly, food surrounded me all the time, every cookie promising to comfort my stress and worries. Ten pounds later, the stress remained alongside the jeans I could no longer fit into.

So I imagine I joined the majority of Americans this year in vowing to readjust my diet and exercise routines. However, I must also be realistic - in my chosen career path, food will always be readily available and stress will always be plentiful. My indulgences are wine and dessert and I adamantly refuse to give these up.

Since I am already approaching shedding of these stubborn pounds with a resistant attitude, I know I am going to have to make adjustments elsewhere.

Christmas Stollen

Christmas morning. Presents unwrapped and revealed, empty stockings rehung, and the decorated tree breathing a deep sigh of relief. Breakfast in my family is a secondary thought to the excitement of the morning and the turkey in the oven.

But this year, the morning before Mike and I fought the tourists and traffic to escape the city for a quaint Christmas in southwestern Virginia, I kneaded the silky, spicy stollen dough between my fingers and incorporated the dried fruit smelling of fresh orange juice and comforting bourbon.

Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Recently, the gym I frequent installed several new pieces of equipment whose televisions broadcast an extended number of channels. I cannot tell you how many times I wished for the Food Network to be offered, convincing myself I would positively work-out more often if it were available.

So while trying one of the new machines, I was ecstatic to flip to the Food Network and find one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Giada, whipping up an array of food to eat after an afternoon of ice skating.

Suddenly there were images of oatmeal cookies, chock full of dried cranberries and chocolate chunks, flashing across my screen. And just like that, my motivation to lose those stubborn five pounds was wiped away as quickly as the towel dabbing beads of sweat from my forehead.

Chocolate-Peppermint Cream Whoopie Pies

What is it about the month of December that makes me crave the combination of deep chocolate and creamy peppermint? During any other month in the year, a dessert boasting these flavors would not tempt me in the least.

But, with the first whiff of woodsy pine trees and the first glimmer of twinkle lights I instantaneously want the chill of peppermint on my tongue.

A mere one day after Christmas, when the presents have been unwrapped and the tree is looking somehow barren, peppermint does not cross my mind. So with only a span of 25 days each year, I think it is important to feed this craving.

Gingersnap Ice Cream

I love the boldness of flavors in a gingersnap cookie - the spicy ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom exquisitely balanced by the sweetness of the molasses - exploding on my tongue with the first nibble.

Not every person favors this flavor profile, in fact most people either love or hate this ginger-infused dessert. Fair warning: if you are not smitten with gingersnaps, you will probably want to skip this recipe.

Unlike many gingersnap ice creams, crushed gingersnaps are not mixed into a milder tasting ice cream base. Instead, this recipe infuses the custard with all the spices and sweetness you find in the cookie. The flavors are not shy, which is exactly why I love it so much.

If you are like me and crave complex, comforting flavors of a gingersnap whenever the temperature dips below freezing, you should spin a batch of this ice cream immediately.

Do not allow the cold weather deter you from enjoying a generous scoop of this frozen deliciousness. The spiciness will take the chill off any winter day.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Balls

These little confections always have a place among my family's Christmas festivities.  The silky, rich chocolate coats the slightly crunchy peanut butter ball, epitomizing a classic flavor combination. 

Not only are these treats delicious, albeit quite addictive, but they are incredibly simple to whip up.  

The simplicity of the recipe allows children and grown-ups to enjoy reaching into the mixing bowl together, which is exactly how my sister and I learned this recipe.  Some children will enjoy the messy job of working the peanut butter into the dry ingredients (my sister) and other children will enjoy shaping each peanut butter ball to uniform sizes (me).

With a couple of these chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls, a steaming cup of hot cocoa, and a toasty fire, you will be ready to snuggle in for a long winter's night.

Sugar Cookie Dough

Decorating sugar cookies during the holiday season is a simple pleasure for both children and parents. I still remember the decorating station my mother would set-up for my sister and me, icing, sprinkles, and cookies galore.  Armed with a mug of hot cocoa, we were entertained for hours.

But sometimes, the hectic pace of the season can make mixing up sugar cookie dough seem more like a task than an enjoyable tradition.

After I started decorating sugar cookies and subsequently receiving not-so-subtle requests from my friends, I learned to always keep at least one batch of this recipe on hand. While sugar cookie dough only keeps for a few days in the refrigerator, it can, gloriously, be frozen for up to three months.

Apple-Cranberry Tart

When it comes to leftovers, the savory components of Thanksgiving dinner receive all the love. Turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pies, turkey soups, turkey paninis. Potato pancakes. Cranberry sauce by the spoonful.

Mike and I were absolutely sick of turkey by day three of trying to create something incredible from our leftovers.

While there was not a crumb of Thanksgiving pie to be found, I was left with three lovely machintosh apples from the farmer's market and one bag of fresh, ruby cranberries.

So, technically, this is Thanksgiving leftovers, dessert-style. Served alongside a perfect quenelle of homemade vanilla ice cream, these flavors provide a beautiful transition to the holiday season.

And with a presentation this beautiful, who would ever guess these are leftovers?

Cheesy Onion Bread

You simply must make this recipe.

If these could be my only words for this post, it would summarize my feelings completely.

Like so many of the recipes I eagerly tear from the crisp binding of magazines, this recipe found itself placed in a folder, forgotten in the back of a bookshelf.

And there it remained, until a few days ago while I hunted for a completely different recipe.

And then my fingers ran across the glossy page.

A few hours later, this cheesy, salty, flaky loaf emerged from the oven, ready to accompany Mike's spicy chicken chili for dinner that evening.

Pecan-Orange Frangipane Crostata with Candied Cranberries

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

We were given a specific recipe for pasta frolla, but we were otherwise allowed to chose our flavors and fillings.

Inspired by the season, I decided to add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough to provide a slight spiciness to counter the filling.  I wanted the filling to be a beautiful, sweet frangipane, created with toasted pecans and a bit of orange zest.

Then, to add another layer of flavor to the dessert, I candied cranberries.  The taste of this extra component was wonderful and the beautiful red liquid added an extraordinary contrast on the plate.