Author: Amy

Apple Crisp

 

 

 

 

 

Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim!  Or, for those who don’t speak Hebrew, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!

Today is Erev Rosh Hashannah, or Rosh Hashannah Eve, the night before the start of the Jewish New Year.  Rosh Hashannah kicks off the Days of Awe, which many people know as the High Holidays or High Holy days, culminating in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  While Yom Kippur requires a fast, Rosh Hoshannah focuses on celebration; sweet foods, including apples dipped in honey, are eaten in the hope of a sweet New Year—and apple crisp seemed an appropriate dessert for tonight’s dinner.

My apple pie features both Granny Smith and Rome apples, and I wanted to combine two different flavors in this crisp as well.  As Romes are not yet in season, I chose a Paula Red, which is similar to a Rome, to pair with the tart Granny Smith.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 4 medium apples, sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease an 8×8 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter; mix well, using your hands if necessary to distribute the butter.

Place sliced apples in baking dish and cover with flour mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and apples are tender.

Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Janes were among my favorite penny candy, along with Bit O’ Honey and Tootsie Rolls.  The corner store in my neighborhood, which closed in my early teens, had shelves of penny candy and small paper bags that eager children could fill to their heart’s delight.

These cookies are modeled on the Mary Jane, featuring peanut butter, molasses, and dark brown sugar.  While you could certainly use light brown sugar, dark brown sugar has a higher quantity of molasses in it and will yield a richer flavor; you could also use crunchy, rather than smooth, peanut butter for another dimension of texture.

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 2/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 2 eggs
  • About 1 cup unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together dark brown sugar, butter, shortening, peanut butter, and molasses until very well combined and fluffy, about two minutes.

Add eggs and beat well, about two minutes.

Add one-half of the flour mixture and beat until combined.

Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until combined.

Cover and chill dough at least one hour or until firm and easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with foil and spray very lightly with cooking spray. (Note: I do not re-spray sheets after they have baked, as I find that there is enough residual spray left on the sheets so the cookies do not stick.)

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop very generous portions of dough and roll into balls; dip one-half of each ball in chopped peanuts, pressing lightly to embed the nuts in the dough.

Place on the baking sheet about two inches apart and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven; cool cookies on the baking sheet on a wire rack for two to three minutes, then remove cookies and cool completely on another rack.

Biscuits

 

 

 

 

 

My love of carbohydrates cannot possibly be dimmed no matter how many articles I read about the evils of white flour.  I understand that whole grains are better for the body, and I eat them often.  I’ve spent my life having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on wheat bread.   But now and then, you simply have to have a grilled cheese on white, a crusty dinner roll, or a biscuit.

On many a Sunday during my childhood, after 9 o’clock mass, my mother would make biscuits for my brother Andy and me.  Usually she made “drop” biscuits, which didn’t require any rolling or cutting, and we slathered them with butter and jelly or butter and honey (my toppings of choice) while she drizzled hers with syrup.  At diners, Mike has ordered many a biscuit covered in sausage gravy, a food which I have never actually eaten but he tells me is quite good.  Whatever you wish to put on these, I hope you enjoy them.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well.

Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles very coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center; add milk and mix with a fork until combined.

Turn mixture out onto a lightly dusted counter top and knead very gently, 10 to 12 times, until the dough is smooth. Do not over-knead your dough or the biscuits will be tough.

Pat down or lightly roll to 1/2 inch thickness.

Cut dough with a biscuit cutter (or round cookie cutter or a glass) and place about two inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, until tops are golden brown.

Serve warm.

Snickerdoodles

 

 

 

 

 

Snickerdoodle is an awesome word.  No one can say for certain from where it came; some food historians believe that these cinnamon-sugar treats originated in Germany and are derived from the word schneckennudeln, which is a cinnamon sweet roll, while others maintain that they came from New England, where some enterprising baker made up the word because it sounded fun.

Regardless of their origin, snickerdoodles are easy to make.  Essentially a soft sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon and sugar before baking, these bakery staples will fill your kitchen with the warm, comforting aroma of cinnamon.  As I prefer soft cookies, I recommend baking these for 10-11 minutes only, until they are just golden brown at the edges; any longer and you’ll have more of a crunchy, snap-like cookie.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour

For the cinnamon-sugar coating:

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

Add flour and beat well, until a soft dough forms.

Cover and chill dough for one hour; remove dough while oven is pre-heating to soften just slightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon for coating.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mix.

Place on cookie sheet about two inches apart; bake for 10-11 minutes until edges are just golden brown.

Cool for 2-3 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Peach Cobbler

 

 

 

 

 

A few weeks back, I whipped up a peach cobbler from the peck of peaches Mike brought home from his new job as a jack of all trades at a local family farm and orchard.  I meant to post this at the time, then things got super-busy for us, as I also accepted a new job, which I am starting tomorrow.  In any case, both peaches and cobbler make me think of the South, so this recipe presented a good opportunity for me to talk about where Mike grew up, in St. Mary’s County, Maryland…or as I like to say, “oh way down south in Dixie.”

About 40 minutes south of Washington, DC, as far south as you can go on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, St. Mary’s County is beautiful, mostly flat with the gentlest of rolling hills, surrounded by water from the Bay to its east and the wide, graceful Potomac River to the west.  Most people don’t think of Maryland as the South, but St. Mary’s County is very Southern, in manners, in cuisine, and in culture.  Everyone says hello.  Stuffed ham, barbecue, and pie are gastronomic requirements.  Farms abound, growing soybeans and corn and politically incorrect tobacco.

During the Civil War, when Maryland reluctantly sided with the Union, the residents of St. Mary’s County were disinclined to acquiesce, pledging allegiance to the Confederacy and earning the nickname “Little Dixie.”  The Union was not amused.  Intent on giving the rowdy locals their comeuppance, Union troops commandeered Point Lookout, at the southernmost tip of the county, to serve as a camp for Confederate prisoners of war.  Those under arrest could gaze across the Potomac at Virginia; many died trying to swim back home.

I imagine that wives on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line made desserts not unlike this one, and suspect that the bakers of St. Mary’s County would enjoy it as much as Mike did – they may even add a bit of vanilla ice cream on the side of a warm cobbler.

Ingredients

For the peaches:

  • 3 1/2 cups sliced peaches
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the batter:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the peach topping by combining sliced peaches, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl; mix well and set aside.

In another medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk and egg and mix well.

Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.

Pour batter evenly over top of the melted butter – do not mix together.

Spoon peaches evenly over top of the batter – do not mix together.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Serve warm or cool.

Fudge-Frosted Brownies

 

 

 

 

 

Brownies invite creativity.  They can be cake-like or fudgy, with or without nuts, blended with cream cheese or peanut butter, sprinkled with marshmallows or candy bits, or my personal favorite, topped with vanilla ice cream and served warm.

This recipe produces a cake-like brownie ideal for frosting; it utilizes a cooking method for preparation, in which sugar, cocoa powder, and butter are melted together and then combined with other ingredients.  To facilitate the mixing process, I recommend measuring out all of your ingredients and placing them next to your stove, like a television chef, so that you can have easy access to everything as you mix.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13x2 baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Measure out milk; set aside.

Crack eggs into a bowl; set aside.

Measure out vanilla; set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and cocoa powder.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and mixture becomes incorporated.

Remove from heat; add eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively in three batches, mixing well after each.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely in pan; invert onto a cutting board or platter and frost with Fudge Frosting (see below).

Cut as desired; store in an airtight container.

Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/6 cup boiling water (just under 2 oz. in a glass measuring cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Add butter, boiling water, and vanilla.

Beat on low speed until ingredients are just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.

S’mores Thumbprint Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

Happy National S’more Day!  When I think of s’mores, I think of camping.  And though I’ve never been camping (because I’m a woman who appreciates electricity, plumbing, and a barrier between myself and bugs) I certainly enjoy campfires, because campfires provide the perfect opportunity to make s’mores.

The first printed recipe for s’mores can be found in a Girl Scout publication from the 1920s.  I consider the forward-thinking individual who thought to combine graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and chocolate to be a genius on par with the likes of H.B. Reese, pioneer of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and Milton Hershey, creator of the iconic Hershey’s chocolate bar.

Just a few tips for preparation here: you’ll need about 8 full sheets of graham crackers to make one cup of crumbs.  I processed mine in a food processor, but you could easily produce crumbs by placing the crackers in a large zip-top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or mallet.  The dough is very stiff, so you’ll want to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl several times to make sure all of the crumbs are incorporated.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • About 1 1/4 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 3 to 4 full-size Hershey’s bars, broken into individual rectangles

Preparation  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, salt, and flour; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.

Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

Add flour mixture and beat until a stiff dough forms.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls.  Place about two inches apart on cookie sheets and press a thumbprint in the center of each.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and place two or three miniature marshmallows in each indentation.

Return to the oven and bake two more minutes; remove from oven and immediately press one Hershey’s rectangle on top.

Allow chocolate to sit for a few minutes, then spread chocolate with the tip of a knife.

Allow to cool completely and for chocolate to harden before storing.

Banana Pecan Chocolate Chip Bread

 

 

 

 

 

Some recipes are easy to embellish, and this recipe is one of those.  Take basic banana bread, add some nuts and chocolate chips, and you have a whole new treat.  I used pecans and milk chocolate chips, but you could certainly use walnuts and semi-sweet if you like.

I think one of the things that draws me to baking-other than the predictability of the outcome-is the possibility of creativity, and how there are endless ways to make a recipe more interesting.  Add flavoring to cake batter, and you change the cake.  Add nuts to brownie batter, and you change the brownie.  There’s something oddly liberating in that, in imagining the possibilities.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • generous 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8x4x2 loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center and set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine egg, mashed bananas, sugar, and vegetable oil.

Pour into flour mixture and stir until combined.

Add pecans and chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan or serve warm.

Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake

 

 

 

 

 

Long before fondant dominated the Food Network and entire shows were dedicated to bakeries who could fashion cakes into realistic reproductions of Hogwarts Castle, there was the sheet cake.  The sheet cake is, for those who prefer not to spend more on a cake than they’d spend on a car payment, the go-to dessert for family or professional gatherings, celebrating birthdays, baby showers, graduations, and office farewells.

As far as I can tell, the world is divided into two groups of people: those who want the corner piece, and those who do not (much like those who want raisins in their oatmeal cookies, and those who do not).  We corner-piece folks cannot imagine why others prefer the cake to the frosting, for it is precisely the ample portion of frosting—on all three sides—that draws us to the corner piece in the first place.

This recipe is also known as a Texas Sheet Cake and employs an interesting technique of cooking cocoa powder and butter for both the batter and the frosting, and by pouring the frosting over the cake while it is still warm.  The recipe can be baked in a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan for 25 minutes, but as I don’t have one of those (yet) I employed my 13x9x2 and it worked just fine.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Grease and flour a 13x9x2 sheet cake pan; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, and water.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and combine with dry ingredients, beating on medium speed until well-combined.

Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute.  Batter will be very thin.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Just after the cake has come out of the oven, prepare the frosting so that it can be spread on the cake while the cake is still warm.

Buttermilk Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk.

Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and vigorously stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Pour over warm cake and spread with a spatula.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

 

 

 

 

 

In one of my favorite movies, Sense & Sensibility, Margaret Dashwood asks Colonel Brandon what it’s like in the East Indies.  He replies, as if imparting a great secret, “The air is full of spices.”

Whenever someone asks what that wonderful flavor is in a dish, it’s usually a spice.  Spices can be subtle, enhancing the flavors of other ingredients—the way pepper does, for example.  They can also be the main component, around which other ingredients are based, like in a cinnamon roll.

Cinnamon is a delightful aromatic spice that has been cultivated around the world for centuries.  I use Vietnamese cinnamon, which has a more complex flavor than your average grocery store-bought variety, but you can certainly bake with any kind.

From the moment this cake went into the oven, my kitchen was filled with the aromatic scent of cinnamon, and it lingered for hours after the cake was done.  The honey glaze is a surprising addition, offering a smooth, sweet flavor that complements the warm, spicy cinnamon cake.

For the streusel:

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.

Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles small peas.

Place in the freezer until cake batter is ready.

For the cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup sour cream

Spray a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Add vanilla and sour cream, beating until just combined.

With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Remove streusel mix from the freezer.

Spoon half the batter into the tube pan and spread evenly with a spatula; sprinkle 3/4 of the streusel mix over the top.

Spoon the remaining batter into the pan, spreading evenly with a spatula; sprinkle the remaining streusel mix on the top.

Bake for 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack to cool before drizzling with glaze.

For the honey glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons water

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, honey, and water together and stir until smooth.

If the glaze is too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it slightly; if the glaze is too thin, add a small amount of powdered sugar to thicken it.

Drizzle over cake.