How to Make Snickerdoodles (with a substitution)

I've been doing some fun experimenting in the kitchen lately, but need to get everything written up to share here, so I'm just linking quickly to a cookie recipe that I'm adding to my files.

I wanted to make an easy dessert, and my husband/son are both obsessed with anything cinnamon-flavored! I started searching for Snickerdoodle recipes, and this one from Food.com seemed like a no-brainer with all the positive reviews!

This recipe doesn't use a lot of ingredients, but I still had to run to the store for butter. Thankfully my 3 yr old was cooperative!

*IF YOU DON'T HAVE CREAM OF TARTAR*

I was debating making the recipe since I didn't have cream of tartar, but thankfully the very first comment was someone else living abroad who was in the same situation and said to replace BOTH the cream of tartar AND baking soda with the equivalent amount of baking POWDER. I found a few other discussions online that verified this.

Cookies make me nervous sometimes because the doneness can be so hard to judge. I timed these JUST RIGHT and was satisfied with the texture. My husband and son loved them, too.

Snickerdoodles: http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-snickerdoodle-cookies-97496

P.S. I like making a batch of cookie dough and then baking it in smaller batches. But sticking a piece of bread into the cookie tin actually keeps the cookies soft if you are baking in advance!

How to Make Rhubarb Crumb Cake

I'm so bummed I didn't get this post up while it was still summer! This was such a great way to use rhubarb, and I probably made it 3-4 times over a short period. If you have some frozen rhubarb, you could give it a try!

SO DELICIOUS!

What I needed: A rhubarb recipe that didn't need a pastry crust, that used regular baking ingredients but sour cream instead of milk, and that was generally YUM.


What I found: The recipe is from the blog Smitten Kitchen, and she apparently had altered a New York Times recipe. I'd heard of Smitten Kitchen before, but her blog doesn't have a clear ratings system, and I was wary of trying anything without a lot of feedback first. But this cake definitely passed the test! Here's the link:

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/02/big-crumb-coffee-cake/


I followed the recipe to a T, though I probably halved it as I tend to do for our small family. The only place where I got tripped up was the crumb topping. And Smitten Kitchen had raved over the topping, so I felt bad changing that up, but I actually didn't have any brown sugar, so I looked for an alternate version, and came across the one in this muffin recipe:

http://breakfast.food.com/recipe/delicious-blueberry-muffins-with-crumb-topping-98985


It was perfect! Like I said, I made this recipe several times within a matter of weeks!

How to Achieve Chewy Brownies

I have a go-to brownie recipe, but it'd been a really long time since a brownie had wowed me. So I decided to take a quick look to see if any Internet recipes were getting rave reviews...

And found this one.

In case you can't tell, it's chewy and gooey, and has that "from a box" taste if you're into that. Delicious! Definitely going to use this recipe the next time I make brownies.

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brookes-Best-Bombshell-Brownies

P.S. Avoiding overcooking really helps! If I weren't trying to cut down on sweets, I would definitely experiment with both recipes above to figure out the ideal add-ins, pan size, etc. I think they are both keepers!

How to Make a German Apple Pancake (Dutch Baby)

I remember always getting so excited when my mom would make this for "brinner" for us to eat when she and my dad were going on a date.

Not quite sweet enough to be dessert, but more special than just a pancake.

A cast-iron pan works best!

It tastes pretty eggy and filling, and is obviously great in the fall, during apple season! I think I made this back in September or October, that's how long it took me to post. :)


Ingredients:
-1/2 c butter, divided
-1 lb. apple, peeled and sliced thinly
-1/4 c sugar
-cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

for the pancake:
-3 large eggs
-3/4 c milk
-3/4 c flour
-1/2 t salt

-powdered sugar


Directions:

(Preheat oven to 450 F)
1) Saute apples in 1/4 c butter. Add sugar and spices; this is your filling.
2) Beat together the remaining ingredients to make a batter.
3) Melt about 1 1/2 T butter into 1 large or 2 small oven-proof skillets. Pour batter in when skillet is hot.
4) Put batter in oven and bake for 15 min., then lower temperature to 350 F.
5) Bake about 10 more minutes.
6) Remove from oven, put filling in, fold over, and spread on 2 T butter and powdered sugar.

Original source: "The Vegetarian Epicure"

Two-Ingredient Chocolate Croissants

Catching up on some posting here. This is hardly a recipe and more of a tip, but definitely a yummy idea I want to keep around!

Quick, tasty treat

For a time I couldn't keep many baking ingredients on hand because of trying to control kitchen pests (sorry). So I took the opportunity to experiment with store-bought pastry dough. It definitely has its advantages!

In the photo above, I had cut a sheet of pastry dough into triangles, put some milk chocolate chunks inside, and then drizzled more chocolate over it when done baking. Once I had a good chocolate-to-pastry ratio, it was delicious, and hard to eat just one!

A website I referenced to make sure I was on the right track: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/20300/sinfully-easy-chocolate-croissant-recipe/

Non-Stick Baking Options

I just wanted to share how I've been making cookies, cakes and muffins lately and getting them out of the pan with no damage.


I have a few cake pans that will work for reheating leftovers but have lost their non-stick capabilities. I can't afford to make a cake only to have half of it stay in the pan...especially if it's for a special event! So recently I decided to try lining the pan with parchment paper. This particular kind contains silicone, so it works well, but is heat resistant only up to a certain temperature.

Trimmed a bit for the round pan...

What a relief to have the cake pop right out in one piece!*

*(that little crack is from flipping it to another plate...oops)

Continue reading...

Challah 2 Ways

This is too late for Rosh Hashanah, but I was frustrated to find that my blog's "search" feature refused to yield results when I went back to look for my Challah recipe from a few years ago. The labels are much more reliable, but they require ME to be very thorough...I wish the tools would work as promised. :/

No worries though; the recipe turned up. The original post and photo are here! 4 years ago...how life has changed.

And my second recipe variation is my mom's delicious Challah recipe that she fine-tuned herself, YUM!


Sweet Challah Comfort Bread

Ingredients:

8 C Hot water
1 C Sugar
2 Tbsp Salt
¼ C Oil
3 C Flour
3 T Yeast
8 Eggs
Flour
Poppy seeds


Directions

1. Combine water, sugar, salt, oil, and flour
2. Add yeast and beat together with fork
3. Add eggs
4. Gradually mix in flour until dough is ready to knead, then knead
5. Let dough rise
6. Cut into 6-8 pieces, form into rectangles
7. Cut into thirds and braid
8. Brush with water and sprinkle with poppy seeds
9. Place on greased cookie sheets to let rise
10. Bake at 350° (ack, for how long??). Beware of burning.

Yield
6-8 Loaves

How to Make Garlic Squash Roll-ups

What do you do when you have summer produce but it's still cold and rainy outside (and the heat is off)? Baked concoctions out of said produce are an excellent choice!

Squash wrapped around a
tomato garlic filling

The following is a recipe of my own concocting. I just can't get enough of that creamy tomato/garlic/dill combination! I've included a few variations to accommodate your specific diet/grocery limitations.

There is some assembly required, but you can multi-task and get your other dishes together in the meantime.

Though it makes an elegant appetizer, I'm not sure if I would call this finger-food or not. Maybe if you were really careful about rolling them up neatly. :)


Ingredients:

-2 medium squash of the zucchini/summer squash variety (or the light green kind we have here), OR eggplant
-1 large (2 medium) tomatoes
-1 c mayonnaise
-2 cloves of garlic
-fresh herbs
-1/4 cup cheese of your choice (for melting factor)


Directions:

1) Slice the squash horizontally so you have long, thin pieces that you will be able to wrap around a filling.

2) Pre-cook the squash until tender: Either saute on the stovetop or cook uncovered in the microwave for 5 minutes. I used the microwave so I could use that time for other tasks, plus it's less greasy that way.

(pre-heat the oven to 400 fahrenheit)

3) Get the filling ready while the squash is cooling enough to handle. Slice the tomatoes into discs (halve them if too wide) and make a mixture out of the mayo, garlic (crushed), herbs, cheese, and salt and pepper.

4) Grease or line a cookie sheet. Take the squash slices one at a time, place a tomato at one end, then a dollop of the filling on top, and wrap the other end of the squash around it. If you have any odd bits of squash left, you can cut and paste a bit, just remember which ones are less stable when you go to pick them up. :) Brush the tops lightly with olive oil for a browning effect, if you used the microwave method.

5) Place in the oven for about 15 minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt and the roll-ups to brown slightly.

6) Serve hot or chill and serve later.


Variations:

-omit the mayonnaise and use sour cream, cream cheese, feta, mozzarella, etc.
-use dried garlic/herbs or your favorite spice mix for flavoring

How to Make "Italian" Breadsticks

I wanted to make a savory treat for Bible study and I thought making breadsticks brushed with garlic butter would be a good choice. You know, the kind you get at Olive Garden or with an order of pizza. It's been really cold lately, so heating up the kitchen was a goal, too!

I was pleasantly surprised by the recipe I found via food.com. No test run or anything and they turned out excellent!

Managed to snap a photo before they disappeared!

Minimal ingredients and effort. The recipe is here and you can read the comment section for more ideas.

Here are my modifications:

-all-purpose flour (still totally fine and a good texture, but probably even BETTER with cake flour); or try whole wheat for a healthier version

-seasoning mix included butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, "Italian" seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.) and a little grated cheese...easy to mix up while they're in the oven

-proofing the yeast in the warm water before adding the flour (doesn't say in the directions but I did it just in case)

Really, really easy and I'm excited to add it to my snack repertoire. It would be fun to try with dipping sauces, too!

How to Make Folares for Easter

Another recipe from our family cookbook is this famous folares recipe from my childhood. This is the first time I had made it myself! Not bad, though I think I could have pulled them out of the oven a TINY bit sooner.

A reminder of the cross and the RISEN Savior!

The idea here is that you take a boiled Easter egg (they really should be dyed to get the visual effect, but you could use onion skins or another natural source of color if you're nervous about chemicals), place it in the middle of the dough, and form a dough cross on top. As they bake, they rise.

Folares-going into the oven

To make for breakfast, you can have them rising in the fridge the night before. To serve, you can have butter out and either eat them as a sweet treat with jam or make a little sandwich out of them with the peeled eggs as filling, whatever you'd like.

Recipe is after the jump:

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

The following is a recipe I found on the Pioneer Woman site and just tried recently....

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls- Fresh out of the oven!

Lately I've been trying about one new baking recipe a week. Cruel, right? :) In general I stick to banana bread, brownies, and yellow cupcakes (and more recently chocolate chip cookies), so I'm trying to branch out a little.

I've certainly made cinnamon rolls before, but not with the pumpkin twist. These are definitely nice and moist.

I don't think Pioneer Woman is original in this combination of flavors, but her recipe worked well! The dough is pretty low maintenance and easy to work with. I did a half batch as usual with new recipes, and it fit perfectly in the round baking pan you see pictured. The icing in her version looks darker because she adds maple syrup, but that's a rare commodity around here! I was excited to just find a good cream cheese brand.

Squished layers but you get the idea

This post is making me want to experience cinnamon rolls again ASAP. But I'm hoping to do something Passover or Easter-related this week. So we'll see.

Oh! I almost forgot-here's the recipe link. :)

How to Make Apple Cake

I was shocked to peruse my archives and find that I'd never posted this recipe! I guess because I never end up taking a photo! I finally did this time...although it looks weird because I threw a peach in there to use up stale fruit for that extra something special. 

Yummy Apple Cake..in my dear glass baking dish that met its demise recently...sob!

This is my go-to apple dessert recipe. Apple Pie is yummy and all, but I can't be bothered with making crust. So I like how all the ingredients are mixed together in this dish. It also makes it sort of a finger food, just pick up a square and take with you. The cake part is all brown-sugary and even chewy, like a cookie.

I came across the apple cake recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens "New Cookbook." The cookbook includes tons of classic recipes jammed into one little volume (I have the paperback version). It includes lots of basics like how to make hardboiled eggs. Nice and unpretentious.

Recipe after the jump!

How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I am so excited for baking season! I actually started back when zucchini was plentiful, but then I made myself finish up the summer series.

So here is the first baking recipe of the season. These were so moist and delicious.

I think these qualify as dessert

I've been using silicone baking cups a lot lately. They're pretty easy to wash, and I just broke my rectangular glass baking dish...sob. But also, Andrei likes the shape.

Get the recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread here. 

How To Make Pumpkin Muffins

A yummy pumpkin muffin!

I used to think of pumpkin puree as sort of a precious commodity here (aside from buying a pumpkin and making your own) until I was feeding the baby some jarred (gasp!) baby food and realized...wait a minute, this IS pumpkin puree! I don't think I've run across pumpkin baked goods here, and there doesn't seem to be a pumpkin season where everybody is making pumpkin-everything, BUT...sometimes it's just a matter of checking the baby food aisle. :)

On to my next question: What is the difference between MUFFINS and CUPCAKES? I guess the general rule is that muffins are often less sweet and therefore bland not as tasty healthier? And you can eat a muffin for breakfast, but cupcakes are dessert, right?

If you are in Russia, however, the lines seem to blur, and other distinctions must be made. For example, TEA vs. NOT TEA. What is the difference? You can't just drink tea without also eating something, but you also can't drink tea with your meal. Instead of DESSERTS VS. MEALS, it's MEALS VS. TEA. You can have something non-sweet with your tea, like a sandwich. A sandwich isn't a meal. If you ask someone if he/she would like to have lunch or whatever, he/she might say "I'm not hungry, just tea is fine." However, "just tea" might include a spread of various sandwiches, baked goods, and candy. Adults love candy; it isn't just for kids.

Which brings me back to muffins and cupcakes. Either may be eaten with tea, as a separate course following the meal, or instead of breakfast.

These pumpkin muffins are definitely muffin-ish as opposed to cupcake-y. But if you add a dusting of powdered sugar like I did, they start inching towards the dessert category. And I think a dollop of frosting would push them over the edge entirely.

Give them a try! Recipe here.

Meals we had, April 29-May 5

Once again we had mainly chicken and pork dishes. I've been noticing a lack of vegetables, so I'll work on adding some in this week. Andrei doesn't like cooked vegetables that much, so sometimes it's just a matter of steaming or sauteeing some frozen vegetables and having them on the side. We also had pelmeni twice, but at least we had substantial lunches those days.

The details on what we ate last week:

-Monday dinner: Pork roast, rice with mushrooms
-Tuesday dinner: Chicken in mushroom cream sauce with angel hair pasta
-Wednesday dinner: Boiled buckwheat stir-fried with pork, bell peppers, and fresh herbs
-Thursday dinner: Pelmeni (we had a chicken lunch with my in-laws and were at a meeting in the evening)
-Friday dinner: Pork roast under a shredded potato/cheese crust
-Saturday dinner: Pork Roast Mexico City (family recipe)
-Sunday dinner: Boiled pelmeni, with Brussels sprouts on the side (again we had a chicken lunch)

Baked desserts/snacks: Pumpkin muffins, Cheesecake brownies, Cheddar drop biscuits, Cheesecake jam tarts

How to Make Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Cheddar Drop Biscuits (with green onion)

I love having homemade rolls and things available, but I hate the process of making them. Yeast dough has a way of getting all over everything, and it's hard when you're interrupted mid-kneading by a small child (let him cry for a minute or pick him up with sticky hands?). Not to mention the clean-up.

While it's fun to indulge in homemade pizza dough and such once in a while, I usually try to keep baking to something simpler. Drop biscuits bake up REALLY quickly. I usually make just one batch or even a half-batch-we eat them fresh, and then they're gone. No leftovers to enjoy, but not too much clean-up to do.

These are great if you're on a Red Lobster copycat search. Especially if you brush them with melted garlic butter when you take them out of the oven.

My go-to recipe is another one from 300 Best Comfort Food Recipes by Johanna Burkhard. Great cookbook!

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup coarsely shredded aged Cheddar cheese*
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives**
1 cup milk

Additional chopped chives

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two knives to make coarse crumbs. Add cheddar cheese and chives, if using.

2) Stir in milk to make a soft, sticky dough. Drop twelve heaping tablespoonfuls (15 mL) onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with chopped chives.

3) Bake on middle rack in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer biscuits to a rack to cool.


* I tend to use whatever mix of cheeses I have on hand
** I use green onions

Meals we had, April 22-28

New series! I don’t always have time to edit and post recipes, but I’m going to do a little retroactive menu “planning” and just type up what we ate all week, to use for meal ideas in the future.

Note: My in-laws generally deliver groceries and some cooked meals to us regularly. I organize the week’s meals around those ingredients, along with using up leftovers. If we are having a repeat combination then I try to change the presentation. If I want to use a particular recipe then I start with something we already have and buy the rest of the needed ingredients. But I try not to buy a lot of additional groceries if we already have something in the refrigerator that needs to be used.

Breakfasts: Eggs
Lunches: Homemade soups with sour cream and fresh herbs; bread with cheese or a slice of meat

-Monday dinner: Fried potatoes (Russian-style) with sliced pork and steamed broccoli
-Tuesday dinner: Scalloped potatoes with cubes of pork
-Wednesday dinner: Boiled pelmeni with sauteed green beans
-Thursday dinner: Eggless meatballs (we ran out of eggs) and boiled potatoes
-Friday dinner: Homemade popcorn chicken with angel hair pasta (we just make plain and garnish with cheese/butter)
-Saturday dinner: Pizza made with this crust and using leftover meatballs/popcorn chicken as toppings
-Sunday dinner: Chicken-bacon-cheese bake with boiled buckwheat and sauteed bell pepper

Looks like we need to add more veggies to the menu. Got any recipes to recommend?

How to Make Thin-Crust Pizza

So I tried a new pizza crust recipe recently. I'm not sure what I did right or wrong, but I was able to roll it out nice and thin and it yielded a near-perfect crispy crust.

I'll have to try it a few more times just to make sure. :) The crust doesn't really draw attention to itself. It's not the main feature. But it is a great vehicle for toppings, and is ready in under an hour due to not needing a lot of rising time. Note: mine was cooked through in 10 minutes or less, instead of 25 as per the recipe. Hence the need to experiment a bit more, but it was probably due to having my oven nice and HOT.

Check it out: http://thisweekfordinner.com/2007/01/31/uncle-tonys-pizza-crust/

How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread

This is a family favorite that was originally a James Beard concoction.

The sour-sweet combination is just right and the bread goes great as a dessert or meal accompaniment, in loaf or muffin-form.

How to Make "Melting Moments" Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Also known as "yo-yo" cookies, these are popular in Australia and New Zealand, but I managed to find a recipe with American measurements.

I get a craving for these every once in a while, and I'm never sure they're going to turn out. The cookie itself is pretty simple, and I decided to do a very basic icing instead of a more elaborate filling like some of them out there.

I had my doubts, but when they came together, it was the exact flavor and texture combination I was looking for! If you do an image search for these cookies, you can find lots of appetizing combinations. Appearance doesn't seem to be my winning feature in cooking, but I can guarantee the flavor!

The cookie recipe I used is this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/melting-moments/detail.aspx

And for the icing I used this: http://www.food.com/recipe/vanilla-buttercream-frosting-from-sprinkles-cupcakes-222188