Berry Fruit Cobbler

FRUIT

7 to 8 cups frozen triple berry blend (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

⅔ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons flour 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

TOPPING

2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup melted butter

3 T. sparkling sugar for sprinkling\

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

For the fruit filling, in a large bowl, toss the berries with the sugar, flour and lemon juice. Set aside.

For the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and melted butter until small clumps of butter form.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain.

To assemble, give the berry mixture a good stir to redistribute juices and spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Dollop the cobbler batter in large spoonfuls over the top of the berries and spread into a mostly even layer. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. 

Bake for 70 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbling and the topping is golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (the filling will continue to thicken as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature.

A Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie (w/crispy edges)

• 2 and ¼ cups flour 
• ▢1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 cup melted butter 
• ▢1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ▢½ cup sugar
• ▢1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk 
• ▢1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢1 and ½ cups milk chocolate chips

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• In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. When sugar clumps disappear, whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips and stir until evenly dispersed.
  1 and ½ cups milk chocolate chips/
• Place balls of dough onto a large baking sheet. Cover the dough balls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
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Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

CAKE:

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 sticks butter (room temperature)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (room temperature)

2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)

1 cup whole milk

FROSTING:

2 sticks butter

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cups cocoa

1/2 whole milk

1 T. corn syrup

1 1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Set aside. Cream butter and sugar for at least 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, the vanilla and sour cream.  Alternate the flour mixture and milk and just barely mix. Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tested comes out clean.

A Real Brooklyn Coffee Cake

STREUSEL

3 cups flour

2 cups light brown sugar

1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. kosher salt

2 sticks plus 2 T. butter, melted and slightly cooled

CAKE

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 T. plus 3 3/4 cups flour, divided

1 T. cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and slightly cooled

3 eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 T. vanilla

1 1/3 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare 9 x 13 pan.  Mix 3 cups flour, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1 t. kosher salt and combine.  Add 2 sticks plus 2 T. butter and mix until clumps form.  Set aside.

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, 2 T. flour and 1 T. cinnamon together and set aside.

Whisk 1 1/2 sticks butter and 2 cups sugar together.  Add 3 eggs one at a time.  Add 2/3 cup sour cream and 1 T. vanilla.  Gradually pour in 1 1/3 cups milk and combine.  Sift remaining 3 3/4 cups flour, 1 T. baking powder and 1/2 t. kosher salt into bow and mix until a thick batter forms.

Put half of batter in 9 x 13 and spread an even layer.  Sprinkle reserved sugar mixture over batter.  Dollop leftover batter on top with a cookie scoop and spread an even layer carefully.  Sprinkle remaining streusel over and gently press down onto batter.

Bake 55-65 minutes.

Oatmeal Coconut Toffee Cookie

• 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• ▢3 cups (267g) old fashioned rolled oats
• ▢1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ▢1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ▢
• ▢½ tsp salt
• ▢1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 sticks
• ▢1 cup (213g) brown sugar
• ▢½ cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 1 package toffee bits
• ▢2 large eggs
• ▢1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, mix again on low. Gently add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low or by hand just until combined. Add coconut and toffee bits.
• Use a large scoop and only put 4 cookies on a baking sheet, leaving room for them to spread.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
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A New Butter Cake

1 stick butter, room temp

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

Glaze

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

2 t. vanilla

1 t. almond extract

350.  Butter 9" loaf pan.  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  

Add eggs one at a time, incorporating the first egg before ading the second one.

In bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With mixer on low, add 1 large spoonful at a time,  alternating adding the dry mixture and the buttermilk.  After it is well combined add the vanilla and almond extracts briefly.

Bake cake 25 minutes.

random Christmas and snowy Boston afternoons...

I birthed this boy 22 years ago (today) on a snowy and gray Boston afternoon. I had that "I can do anything" adrenalin high I felt after every baby . . . and it was Christmas. My shopping was done and wrapped and my tree was waiting. I went home the next morning. Bliss. We didn't have much (understatement), but it might have been our best Christmas ever. I still remember what it felt like . . . a new baby and a warm home with a Christmas fridge (thank you, Caity). He says things to me like, "How were your visits tonight, Mom?" And, "Do you have things in the car I can help bring in?" Sometimes he helps me set up tables for Relief Society things and maybe even helps put tablecloths on them. He likes nice clothes like his mother and asks me questions about things like belts and shoes and what's supposed to match what. He never cuts into a cake without asking, "Is this for us?" And even though his bathroom doesn't pass inspection (the one in my head) and he forgets to wipe his feet sometimes, I love him to death. He is a tender-hearted soul who misses his siblings and isn't afraid to say it. Sweet to me. I have none of that name remorse you hear people talk about. Naming your baby is a daunting task, don't you think? After all, it's the first thing you really give your child. My entire life I wanted a "Patrick". Loved the name then and love the name now. And even when his friends sometimes call him "Patty", well, I love that just as much. I made him the thing he loves the most. He's happy. So today on this gray Las Vegas day I am remembering back to that day and the incredible feeling I had going home with a new baby just days before Christmas. Also, just for the record . . . cutest toddler ever. Today's agenda (after birthday cake) includes making candy. More about that tomorrow. Happy birthday, Patrick. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

Chicken Tikka Masala (aka Indian Butter Chicken) with Naan

When something is this good you have to put it someplace you can always find it.  I wish I did that with that recipe for CONGO BARS, the one that's made with four (4) sticks of butter.  Sigh...

Trust.  This recipe is a keeper and can even be made ahead.  My house smells amazing.

1 T. Oil in Crueset over medium heat

Add:

1      T. peanut oil
1       Shallot, finely chopped
1       White onion, chopped

Saute until soft and translucent and then stir in:
            2 T. Butter
            2 t. lemon juice
            1 t. minced garlic
            1 t. garam masala
            1 t. chili powder
            1 t. ground cumin
            1 bay leaf
             grated ginger root (the more the better)

Stir for a minute and add:

1          cup tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add:

1/4        Cup Greek yogurt
1           Cup half and half

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper and remove from heat and set aside.

Chop one pound of chicken breasts into bite size pieces.  Heat 1 T. oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until lightly browned.  Reduce heat and season with 1 t. garam masala and 1 pinch cayenne pepper.  Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce and simmer until liquid has reduced.  Stir cooked chicken into sauce.  Serve with rice and naan.

I made this a day ahead and served it with homemade naan - so good.  It's in the rotation.  Enjoy.

Chocolate Frosting

I know, right?  A post on chocolate frosting?  I just need to memorialize this one because it's that good.  The consistency is the same a day later as when you frosted the cake.  Silk.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup cocoa
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
4 cups confectioners sugar

In a large mixing bowl cream butter.  Sift the confectioners sugar and cocoa (I believe in this step) and add it to the butter mixture.  Add vanilla.  Add milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Garlic and Sapphires and Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Saturday morning I decided to bake a cake I first read about in one of Ina's cookbooks, Beatty's Chocolate Cake.  The recipe seemed a little um, maybe contrived?  I have a pet peeve with recipes calling for 1 cup of flour AND 1/4 teaspoon, for example.  Yes, baking is a science and all, but that seems a little overboard.  So instead of following the recipe step by step, I made the cake the way I pretty much make every cake.  Cream the butter and sugar, add the dry ingredients . . . you know the drill.  I did not sift all the dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients to that bowl.  No.  I did it my way.  The cake baked and smelled heavenly.  Five minutes before it was due to come out of the oven I had a deja vu . . . this looked like a cake I made many years ago.  A sort of "wet" chocolate cake.  Not fudgy and more than moist.  It looked and smelled familiar.  The 8" pans came out of the oven and were placed on racks.  In five minutes the middle of both cakes fell.  A big hollow pit in the middle of each.  No worries.  Frosting will save the day.  I used my regular buttercream (because why stretch myself?) and added some cocoa and some melted milk chocolate.  Except in my haste I added too much milk.  Nothing was right.  But you can always salvage a chocolate cake, right?  So I began to frost the beast.  The more I worked on this little project of mine the more frustrated I became.  I tossed it.  The entire frosted cake went in the trash and I picked up my book and walked away.

Except I couldn't let it go.

Four hours later I started again.  This time sifting the flour and sugar and cocoa and baking powder and baking soda and then adding the wet ingredients to the bowl.  Precise and with precision.  And yes, the cake worked. The frosting was different than anything I've made before . . . lots of butter but little confectioners sugar.  It was light and lovely and stayed that consistency overnight.I still love this recipe, but Ina's is incredibly moist and lovely.  A completely different crumb.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake (Serves 8)

Butter for greasing the pans
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
¾ cups good cocoa powder
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
½ cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

I think I learned a real lesson yesterday.  This is now my "go to" chocolate cake.

The book I left because I wasn't willing to let that recipe win?  Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.  What a fun read.  She walks you through her tenure at the New York Times as their food critic, documenting each disguise and persona she adopted before visiting various establishments.  Then you read her actual review of those restaurants.  Sometimes she visited a restaurant five times before settling on the number of stars.  And sometimes readers were more than unhappy with her assessment of a New York institution.  But it's a decadent read and completely enjoyable.  Her career is the the most enviable there is . . . as much as I dreamed of cracking this recipe (and but good) I dream of her life as a food critic.  That's the job that got away...

Pumpkin Pound Cake

How pretty is the shape of this cake?  Purchased simply to generate the extra crunch on a pound cake that my biggest fan enjoys so much, the pan can be found here.  Highly recommend.

This is a pumpkin pound cake . . . see how it morphed into something snowy and wonderful?

Eventually the middle was filled with a cream cheese frosting spiked with a little rum flavoring instead of vanilla.

Pound Cake Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
6 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk

Glaze Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
4-6 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add pumpkin; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk, until well mixed.

Spoon batter into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt® pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Glaze cooled cake OR dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe previously posted three years ago...

Sugar Cookies

                                   
I first saw this recipe on Or So She Says and knew I would give them a try.  I'm a sucker for any cookie recipe calling for 4 sticks of butter and a sugar cookie recipe that doesn't require rolling and cookie cutters.  I decreased the flour amount a little to suit the Nevada desert ... this recipe is a keeper.

1     pound butter
3     cups sugar
2     eggs
2     t. vanilla
5     cups flour
2     t. baking soda
1     t. baking powder
6     T. buttermilk
       sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and sugar m you and then beat in eggs and vanilla.  In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients and mix well.  Add buttermilk to make the dough soft, not wet.  I used an ice cream sized scoop (we like large cookies) and placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, sprinkling them generously with sanding sugar after flattening them with a sugared glass bottom.  Bake until slightly brown around the edges, barely showing  a golden color.

A quick note about sanding sugar.  Williams Sonoma will always have pretty sanding sugar, but it's pricey.  I like the King Arthur sanding sugar and it's less money, especially if you wait for a 'free shipping' promotion.