spice cake donuts w/ chocolate hard shell

When I saw that the NYT did an article about Thomas Keller's chocolate shell ice cream topping. I knew instantly I had to use it on a donut. This magic shell coating is really intended for ice cream. But who am I to resist a little kitchen culinary experiment?

For a great little ditty and tutorial on using it for ice cream go see my friend Irvin at eat the love . Oh what fun it would be to use this on a fresh, warm, crispy donut? Right? But sadly they do not harden as fast as they do for ice cream. I'm sure it has to do with the coldness of the ice cream makes the chocolate shell harden. But if you let them set up in the fridge they do harden and taste AMAZING!
I mean who doesn't love a deep fried crispy donut with a hard chocolate shell? These were good--really good. If you don't want the hard shell, the plain donuts are good as is or with a good dusting of cinnamon-sugar or a good old fashioned glaze. Mmmm donuts! But who doesn't want a chocolate bath? Come on now.

spice cake donuts with chocolate hard shell
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2 TB shortening
2 TB unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 cup heavy cream
2 ts high quality vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 oversized ts nutmeg
1 oversized ts cinnamon
1 ts salt

In a small bowl or glass mix the heavy cream, vanilla and eggs until well beaten.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. I went ahead and sifted it too.
Cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the cream/egg mixture and mix till well combined. Next add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined—don’t overmix! Transfer this to board and cover with plastic wrap. Let it refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
When ready to make the donuts, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle or square with at least 1/2-inch thickness.
Using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter cut out the donuts. If the cutter gets stuck in dough just dip it in flour before each cut. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Fill large/tall heavy bottomed pan with about 1/3 full of vegetable oil. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 375° degrees.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
Remember to fry in small batches—don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature drops way down and the donuts will start to absorb the oil. Fry the doughnuts (and holes), turning once until they are golden brown (about 2-3 minutes each side).
Once the donuts are done place them on the paper towels to absorb some oil and cool down.

Cook Notes:
When you are ready to dip the donuts in the chocolate use this recipe (below). Keep in mind once the hard shell is on the donuts it does not harden immediately like it does for ice cream. So you will need to let the donuts harden in the fridge to set up. And only use bittersweet chocolate as it states in the recipe. I was tempted to use milk chocolate and it was way too sweet.
The donut recipe above I halved and had more than enough chocolate dipping sauce below. If you do want to make the full batch recipe of donuts you might need to double the chocolate dipping sauce ingredients. If you don’t want coat the donuts in chocolate feel free to coat them in a cinnamon-sugar mix when they are fresh out of the deep fryer. 2 TB of cinnamon for every ½ cup of white sugar.
PLEASE make sure to spray you rack with non stick spray to prevent the dipped donuts from sticking to the rack once they are hardened.

chocolate hard shell for donuts (can be used for ice cream topping)
adapted from Thomas Keller

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 TB virgin coconut oil

Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Stir in the coconut oil and heat until dissolved, about 1 minute.
Keep the liquid lukewarm until ready to pour over the ice cream.
Chocolate will harden into a shell within a few seconds when spooned over ice cream.
Yield: 3/4 cup

To assemble:
If you hate getting your hands covered in chocolate then wear a plastic/rubber glove. Dip the donuts right in the chocolate. Turn over and coat the other side. Place on a rack that has been sprayed with non stick spray. The donuts will harden and stick to the rack if not sprayed. Let them sit a bit before putting in fridge to set up. You have to place them in the fridge to set up all the way—they don’t do it on their own.
If you want sprinkles, coconut, nuts, etc.. on your donuts, make sure to put them on when the chocolate is still wet.

sweet potato burritos

On one of those rare occasions I had leftover sweet potato hash. I know weird indeed. But look here, it went to good use: a burrito. A tasty lil critter of a burrito might I add. And as I type this I am thinking "I should have deep fried it!" That would have been heavenly.

The add in possibilities to this burrito are endless. Be creative or be "clean out the fridge'ish".
One of the great things I love about the sweet potato is they easily take the place of a meat--if seasoned right. I don't like to eat a lot of meat. Once a month I love to make my infamous cheeseburgers. I do crave them at least monthly.
I hope there are a lot of sweet potato lovers out there since I seem to post them a lot on here. They are just so versatile for meals and even for sweets. Remember when I made the sweet potato cupcakes? Yes. Need to make those again.

sweet potato burritos
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sweet potato hash (recipe below)
4 Flour tortillas
Cooked rice, any kind, any flavor
Monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 – 6 strips cooked bacon, chopped
Sour cream

Other add ins:
Beans
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Leftover chicken, pork, steak, tofu crumbles
Scrambled eggs
The list is endless….

For the sweet potato hash:
2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
EV olive oil
A few TB’s of butter
salt & pepper
¼ - ½ cup caramelized onions
Worcestershire sauce
1 – 3 chopped adobo chile peppers in sauce, minced (these are hot so use caution)

Caramelize some onions (about 1 giant sweet yellow onion) after it's done caramelizing add a few drops of the Worcestershire sauce, set aside.
Heat up same skillet (don’t clean it) with some EVOO and fry up the sweet potatoes until nice & crispy, season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking add a few tablespoons of butter to the skillet to melt into the hash. Then add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, mix until combined. Then add in the chopped/minced adobo. Stir.

To assemble:
Warm up the tortillas, Fill with the sweet potato hash, bacon, rice, cheese and sour cream. Serve.

blueberry-almond double crust pie

Why wait for summer to have blueberry pie? And why have boring pie? Let's add something in there this time. What goes with blueberry? Well on a recent research quest to find the perfect croissant on cape cod (and it's hard let me tell you). I had a fairly decent almond croissant and though wow, there should be blueberries in here. That almond, crunchy, sugary paste is so good and a tart blueberry would pair nicely with it. So, I'm sure this has been done before, somewhere....

It's really easy to do, I just used a double crust and filled the two layers of the crust with that wonderful almond paste by King Arthur (or you can make your own or use whatever brand you like). If you do decide to make this, please read recipe instruction beforehand. It's worth the effort...it really is. The subtle flavor of the almond paste is heavenly.

I want to make almond croissants. I just have such a craving for them. My quest to find croissants around here are sad. Therefore I must make my own. Anyone had success with making almond croissants? Would love to hear about it.

Fill with a 1/4 cup or so of fresh almond paste. Then cover with another layer of pie crust. I've used pre-made pie crusts here--they work wonderful! Or you can use homemade pie crust; I've included a link in the recipe. 

Fill with blueberries, cover with pie crust, egg wash. Bake. Done!

Blueberry-Almond Pie
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cook notes: I do not like to make my blueberry pies too sweet in general. I only added in 1/4 cup of sugar. If you like your pies sweet you might want to add more sugar in. Also, with my crust, sometimes I like to tuck the crust under and not out with edges. Feel free to do it how you want. Sometimes I just like to tuck them under to have a neat, round pie--just for fun. You don't have to add a double crust on the top like I did. I'm just a crust-junkie so that's why I did it. But you might like it. If you like your blueberry filling a little more runny and juicy then only add in 1 TB cornstarch.

Crust:
2 - One double crust (so we need 4 layers of pie crust or you could use 3: 2 on bottom and 1 on top. I used 2 on bottom, 2 on top. Do what you want, but we need 2 for bottom in order to fill the pie crusts w/ almond filling).
If you need a good pie crust and want to know what I always use, it's Martha Stewart's recipe. Martha's basic pie dough never fails me. But you use what you like or use pre-made pie crusts. Keep in mind the pre-made one's might cook differently than homemade; just keep an eye on them when baking. In this recipe I used the pre-made pie crusts; they work wonderful!

Filling ingredients:
2 ½ pints of blueberries
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar

About ¼ cup of almond paste

Pie egg wash:
1 egg
2 TB heavy cream

In a glass combine the pie egg wash and mix/beat very well
In a bowl combine blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray your 9 inch pie pan with non stick spray. Place a layer of pie crust down. Fill & spread the almond paste. Cover with another layer of crust. Seal up the edges to close. Fill with blueberries. Take your egg wash and brush the edges of the pie. Place top layer of pie and seal all edges. Do it how you like but I like to tuck mine underneath. Feel free to do it however you like, just make sure they are sealed good.
Brush the rim of the crust with the egg wash and the entire pie. Poke a few slits on the top of pie before baking to let steam escape.
Place pie on a sheet lined with parchment paper.
At this point some of you might like to chill your pie. Please go ahead if you want too. I do not like to chill mine. I’ve never ever noticed a difference when I chilled it (unless it's summer or a hot kitchen). But do what works for you when handling pie doughs.
When ready to bake place pie in preheated 425 degree over and bake for about 15 minutes. Then turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 40 minutes. Mine was done at 30 minute mark; please check at the 30 minute mark.
To know when it’s done? Look for browned edges, bubbly insides.
Let cool before serving. Should serve 6-8.

crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa maple syrup

When I go to diners I love to see what people are eating. Curious to see if they are like me: do they love their bacon or sausage dripping in maple syrup? Do they love cheesy grits with maple syrup? Do they have to take a bite of pancake with a bite of maple dripping bacon? And you know its great when I see there are others out there like me who think of breakfast as the absolute best time for the ultimate creations in sweet with savory. Sure desserts are another way of indulging in the whole sweet and savory family, but I truly think breakfast takes the crown. So many variations, creations can come of sweet and savory for breakfast and brunch.

To share a secret passion of mine: I have wanted for some time now to do a little bit of research on when and where or even who started the whole sweet & savory thing. I mean possibly it might not be just one person, could be a country or culture that had it in it's existence and it gradually made it over here to the US. It would be fascinating to see and learn--don't you think? As a kid I don't remember the whole sweet and savory thing being too popular, but I really wasn't reading cookbooks as a child, just watching Julia Child and Sesame Street. Julia did have one episode of cheese stuffed crepes with some sort of jam or cherry reduction. I remember this because she flambéed it. Best part.

What's your favorite "diner special"? And what's the best diner you've ever been to?

Mine would be corned beef hash, poached eggs, bacon all smothered in a perfect hollandaise sauce. Best diner? Man, that's hard a lot of good ones in NYC and New Jersey.

Crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa-maple syrup
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Use your favorite waffle or buttermilk waffle recipe (that would serve 2-4 people)
Add to the batter ½ - ¾ cup of mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Cook as normal.

For the kielbasa-maple syrup:
Chopped kielbasa, small chunks (about ¾ - 1 cup)
1 cup or more of maple syrup

Fry up the kielbasa until nice and crispy. Degrease a little of the oil out of pan, then pour in the maple syrup, turn heat to low, and let heat up until waffles are done. Don't let it boil! Just warmed through. When waffles are done pour the hot kielbasa syrup over them.

If you don’t have a waffle recipe here is one from Cook's Illustrated:

Buttermilk Waffles
Makes about eight 7-inch round waffles.

While the waffles can be eaten as soon as they are removed from the waffle iron, they will have a crispier exterior if rested in a warm oven for 10 minutes. (This method also makes it possible to serve everyone at the same time.) Buttermilk powder is available in most supermarkets and is generally located near the dried-milk products or in the baking aisle. Leftover buttermilk powder, which can be used in a number of baking applications, can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a year. Seltzer or club soda gives these waffles a light texture that would otherwise be provided by whipped egg whites. (Avoid sparkling water such as Perrier—it’s not bubbly enough.) Use a freshly opened container for maximum lift. Serve waffles with butter and warmed maple syrup.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dried buttermilk powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups unflavored seltzer water

Instructions
1.1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and baking soda in large bowl to combine. Whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir seltzer into wet ingredients. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. Batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

2.2. Heat waffle iron and bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about 1/3 cup for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.

Technique
For Crispier Texture, Ban the Butter
For crispier results, we swapped the melted butter in our batter for oil. Unlike butter, oil contributes no moisture to the waffle. The exterior of the waffle can thus reach a higher temperature faster, giving the crust more time to form. Plus, oil helps keep the waffle cripe after it comes off the heat: As pure as fat, it is better able to repel water, keeping interior moisture from migrating to the waffle's dry, browned surface and turning it limp.

quarter pound double chocolate-mint stuffed cookies

Yep another 1/4 lb cookie. I'm on a mission people. A mission to make as many varieties of quarter pound cookies as I can. Yes, I am Levain Bakery obsessed. One of my close friends Esi says I need an intervention. Is there a rehab place for those obsessed with Levain Bakery cookies? In Malibu or something? As I type this up I am eating one and having a very hard time concentrating.
You know I made the double chocolate Levain Bakery clones here, and have always wanted to factor in a mint element somewhere in there. I don't want a lot of mint because the chocolate in these cookies is high quality and strong--so I don't want that to get lost with a mint extract. Next best thing I thought are those York peppermint patties. They aren't too minty and will offer a small little package of something something in the middle of the giant HOCKEY PUCK sized cookies.

Can you guess what the next quarter pound cookie creation will be?





quarter pound double chocolate mint stuffed cookies
recipe by & from vanillasugarblog.com
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2 and ¾ sticks unsalted butter, grated & cold
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 TB half & half (or cream)
1 ½ ts pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
½ cup + 2 TB cocoa powder (not dutch process)
1 TB cinnamon (if you have Vietnamese cinnamon use it)
Oversized ¾ ts sea salt
1 and ½ ts baking powder
½ ts baking soda
2 cups 60 % or higher cocoa dark & milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (a combo of dark & milk)
10 candy mint patties (like York peppermint patties)

Grate your butter into a bowl; keep in freezer until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, or by hand beat butter and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and half & half and beat just until incorporated.
In another bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Keep in mind this dough is very hard to mix, sticky and thick. I just get in there and use my hands to mix, cover bowl, and get back in the fridge as soon as possible. Recipe by dawn Finicane of vanillasugarblog.com We want to keep this dough nice and cold. Chill dough at least an hour before baking.
Divide dough into 10 – 12 lemon size balls. Don’t shape as a lemon though, just shape as a nice round ball. Spilt ball in half, insert a peppermint patty, cover with other half and seal all edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet—keeping them 3-4 inches apart. Now back into the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Depending on your oven, these should need anywhere from 12- 15 minutes to cook. It’s hard to tell when they are done, but look for:
- slightly crisp edges
- soft in the middle
- cracks in dough ok
- all around semi firm

If you have a convection oven you might need to bake these at 365 for about 12 – 14 minutes.
Don’t overbake or they will turn into scones.
Once baked don’t try and move the cookies off the pan, they will break apart, let them rest at least an hour before moving them.
Makes 10-12 giant cookies. (mine made 10—I just wanted them huge this time round)

quarter pound oatmeal-raisin cookies

Remember my obsession with Levain Bakery cookies? How I made the chocolate chip cookies and the double chocolate cookies? Both quarter pound cookies? Well, I made an oatmeal-raisin version.
I know this is isn't very valentine's day'ish. But I didn't make anything for VD. Shame shame. But I know there are a lot of you out there that love Levain Cookies as much as I do so this is just like a present--in a baker sort of way. No?

quarter pound oatmeal-raisin cookies
(loosely based on the levain bakery cc cookies)
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8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted Irish butter, cold & grated (you can use whatever butter you like)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ts vanilla
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ¾ cup rolled oats
3/4 ts sea salt
1 and ¼ ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins

If using dough right away, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (It’s best to chill, though; I chilled overnight)
(keep in mind this is a very dry dough, and will be hard to mix once you put the raisins & nuts in; I used my hands). See also notes on cooking times below.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add in the oats and mix. Then add the dry to the wet batters. When thoroughly mixed, stir in raisins and walnuts.
Divide dough into 12 big 4 oz lumps. Mold into golfballs; do not press flat! Keep them as balls on the cookie sheets. Bake on ungreased cookies sheets (one sheet at a time). (I chilled my dough balls BEFORE baking)
Bake times (how I’ve done it the past few times; pick one if you dare):
Put the cookies in a 375 degree oven and set timer for 8 minutes. When timer rings, without opening oven or removing cookies, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cookies appear set.
OR I did mine at 375 degrees for about 21 - 23 minutes or until done. (Mine were done in 21 minutes).
Also if you have a convection your cooking time will go down a couple minutes.
Makes 12 (mine made 13)

almond joy bites w/ cookie crust

So you've heard this story before....love those almond joys BUT they need to be 'kicked up'. Me and my endless task(s) of making candies, cookies, cakes, muffins, etc... better is a never ending journey people. But have no fear I will prevail and continue on--just for you. :-)
This was on the 'to create' list for some time now: "kick up the infamous almond joy". I can now cross that off the list. Need I say these are just fabulous? They are. They are also very very rich. And I must warn you a little hard to handle; the crumbles fall apart in this shape. So if you were to make these, consider doing so in a tart pan instead. It'll work a lot easier for handling.

**Side note: a lot of you have asked why the copyright stamp on all the photos? It ruins the photos to see wording on there. I agree! But I have so much photo theft that I have to put it on there. I wish people would make their own photos and stop using mine, but that doesn't happen. So sadly I have to put these watermarks on there. I hate it too, trust me.
A wonderful friend of mine Deb from tasteandtellblog.com did a fun little interview on me and my blog. Come check it out here.

almond joy bites with cookie crust
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Filling:
9-10 ounces sweetened coconut
14 ounces of condensed milk

Cookie crust:
10 ounce pack of Lorna Doone cookies (or any other thick butter shortbread cookie is fine), crushed fine
1 stick of butter, melted
Pinch of salt

Coating:
High quality dark chocolate

Garnish:
Smokey/salty almonds

Combine coconut with condensed milk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set in fridge.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and in a bowl combine it with the crushed cookies and salt. Mix well and pour into greased muffin cups or tart pan (with removable bottom).
Bake the crust for about 10 – 15 minutes or until set. Don’t let it brown! Let cool completely.
When cooled fill cups with a nice size scoop of the coconut mixture; making sure to NOT let the mixture touch the sides of the pan. We want the chocolate to drip down the sides (see photo). Cover muffin pan with parchment paper and let set up in fridge for at least a couple hours.
Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Remove coconut bites from muffin pan, and set on wire rack to pour chocolate over. Or you could leave them in the cups and pour chocolate into cups. They should release out fine (I don’t know as I used the wire racks to cover in chocolate). Top with smokey almonds. Let set before devouring.

Notes: you could use a tart pan instead of muffin cups. Make sure to grease your pans well. I don’t know if milk chocolate would work in this. And remember the cookie crust is delicate, so use the coconut as your base when ready to drizzle with chocolate.

2011 superbowl munchies!

Who is having a superbowl party? Tell me your address so I can show up and eat. I will bring whatever you want. I want to watch football this year. No I don't do I? I'm just there for the food man. It's all about the food. I just want to eat, and Superbowl day is a darn good excuse to pig out silly. Get your stretchy pants on and eat baby.
Well, if you still need some ideas on what to make AND want some easy recipes, I think I can help you. I've put together a few of the good munchies that are easy to create. If I had to choose: artichoke bread with hummus, pimento cheeseburgers, cheesy tater tots (those were gone in minutes so make a ton), and those fudge puddles. Seriously.

clockwise: meatloaf bread, artichoke bread, cheesy tater tots, and sweet potato quesadillas with fig reduction & corn relish.

left to right: espresso cream cheese brownies with salty shortbread crumbs, peanut butter fudge puddles, coconut cream cheese cookies.

clockwise: cheesy reuben calzone, reuben dip, frito salad, buffalo chicken chili with blue cheese drizzle.

left to right: devils food cupcakes with salty mascarpone frosting, pumpkin spice cookie bark, peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookies

left to right: pimento cheeseburger with tomato-balsamic reduction, ham and cheese sliders

browned butter soda bread

I like soda bread, I do, but not as much as the average person might? I find it a little bland, I know it's supposed to be bland by nature; a perfect vehicle rather for warm salty butter, jam or even ham. I just kicked up this soda bread up by adding in a bit of sugar and some browned butter to the top of it halfway thru baking. One could easily argue that I took the classic white soda bread paired it with the Irish version minus the caraway seeds and raisins, AND also a mixing of the browned butter soda bread minus the rosemary. Finding a happy middle in there somewhere. If you'd like a little history on the various types of soda breads and how they came about click here at epicurious. It's quite a good read and it tells you why you need to score a cross on the top of the bread before baking. What's your favorite soda bread(s)?





browned butter soda bread
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3 cups white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TB of baking soda
1 ts baking powder
1 ts cream of tartar
¼ cup of superfine sugar*
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 and ½ cups buttermilk, room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease up a regular loaf pan with olive oil.
Sift all of the dry ingredients, (not the oatmeal), into a large mixing bowl. Next add in the oatmeal and mix. Add in (slowly) the buttermilk. Mix with your hands until you have a very loose dough. I gave it about 4-6 turns. You do not want to overmix as you will start the gluten process and this will give you a dense loaf. No kneading! Recipe from dawn finicane of vanillasugarblog.com Put dough into greased loaf pan. Push batter down gently into the corners. Then score a cross on the top. You’re going to cook this loaf for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester in middle comes out clean. But halfway thru baking you pour on the browned butter.

browned butter:
6 TB unsalted butter cut into TB chunks. Place in med-heat saucepan. Watch until butter is browned, has brown specks on bottom all the while whisking while it’s browning away. Just when it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma – it’s done. Take off heat. Let cool a bit then pour on load halfway thru cooking. Ok to poke a few small tiny tiny holes in bread to let butter slide in there nice and happy.
*Note: if you don’t have superfine sugar, just run regular white sugar thru a food processer until fine.

chocolate-peanut butter bars w/ bbq pretzels

Girl have you lost your mind?
No I haven't lost my mind...yet.
Yes, I have cabin fever; a bad case of it actually. And yes, these taste friggin amazing.
Does it sound gross? Of course it does! If it didn't then why on earth would I make it?
I used those Snyder-that-can-crack-your-teeth-pretzels. Hubby asked me to buy them for him, I did, they sat there for a couple days. Afraid I would eat them in one sitting during one of our many thousand snowstorms we've had already, I went ahead and used them so I wouldn't eat them, but then ate them anyways because they are in another form now. Makes sense right?

This recipe sounds gross and all, but in all honesty its not. You don't taste the bbq.
What you taste is the twang of the pretzels that pairs very well with the pb and chocolate. I think you could use any pretzel you like, but I doubt ranch flavored would work well.
I did NOT write this recipe down, but I think I remembered everything as I happily went along.
With that said, PLEASE taste-test as you go along just in case I did forget something.

chocolate-pb bars w/ bbq pretzels
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¼ cup light brown sugar {packed}
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 and ¾ cups creamy peanut butter
A pinch of salt
A handful of salted cocktail peanuts to add into batter, optional
10 ounces high quality milk chocolate chips PLUS ¼ cup, divided
8 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate chips
About 2 – 3 TB of butter for melting chocolates

For pretzels:
About 2 - 3 cups crushed Snyders BBQ pretzels, loosely crushed we want semi-big chunks (I cannot remember if it was 2 or 3 cups, sorry)
About ½ stick or ¼ cup of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease up an 8 by 8 inch brownie pan (I used non stick spray). Melt the other half stick of butter for the pretzels in a pan. In a bowl mix the melted butter and pretzels. Press them evenly into the prepared brownie pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until set. Do NOT let this brown!
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle on the ¼ cup of milk chocolates; let them melt on their own then take a spatula and spread as evenly as you can without moving the pretzels. Let cool and harden.
Combine the brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 room temp butter, peanut butter, and pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Blend until smooth. If you want to add in cocktail peanuts, this would be the time.
Dump the mixture out into the cooled pan & press it down, making it an even as possible.
Melt the chocolates & 2 TB of butter in a double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally to combine and get nice and glossy.
Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter base & smooth out the surface. I like to let my pan sit at room temp for about an hour, then put in fridge to finish hardening. Once chocolate is set. Simply run a slim/skinny knife around edges to loosen. Invert the pan onto large plate/platter. You can either serve this pretzel side up or down.
You will need a very sharp knife to cut through the hard chocolate. Be careful.

sweet potato hash w/ adobo and fried tomatoes

It's really hard to do a post after those fabulous chocolate ganache donuts with salty pistachios. I mean how can you compete with that? Well, let me see if I can try.
Sweet potato hash I know I've made before for you, but had to share another version that I enjoyed so much so that I know you'll love it too. I actually make sweet potato hash a lot, in various ways: stuffed in a burrito with cheese and rice, under eggs, over french toast, in soup, oh the list is endless because it is so versatile and tasty.
If you're a heat-junkie like me then you will love this hash. I adore adobo's--it was the perfect pairing to put them in a "sweet" potato hash.
How have you made hash before? Any favorites?

sweet potato hash with adobo
print recipe
2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
EV olive oil
A few TB’s of butter
salt & pepper
¼ - ½ cup caramelized onions
Worcestershire sauce
1 – 3 chopped adobo chile peppers in sauce, minced (these are hot so use caution)

Caramelize some onions (about 1 giant sweet yellow onion) after it's done caramelizing add a few drops of the Worcestershire sauce, set aside.
Heat up same skillet (don’t clean it) with some EVOO and fry up the sweet potatoes until nice & crispy, season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking add a few tablespoons of butter to the skillet to melt into the hash. Then add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, mix until combined. Then add in the chopped/minced adobo. Stir, then serve with eggs and fried tomatoes.

fried tomatoes

2 – 3 med size tomatoes, sliced thick, set on paper towels to dry up moisture
1/4 - 1/2 cup Flour
2-3 TB cornstarch
few dashes Old bay seasoning
2 - 3 TB cornmeal
Salt & pepper
EVOO and butter for frying up tomatoes

In a flat bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Heat up same skillet you used for the sweet potatoes (no need to clean it as it has great seasoning still left in it). Melt up some butter and EVOO. Dredge the tomatoes in the dry mixture and fry them up until brown & crispy on both sides.

chocolate donuts w/ ganache and pistachios

There's really no point in writing a lengthy post...no one's going to read it--the photos are way too distracting. The photo gods were with me on the day I made these incredibly delicious donuts. Enjoy. We did. I HIGHLY recommended making them (duh). I lend inspiration for these from the infamous doughnut plant in nyc; a place where I should be working and creating (check out the pb & jelly donuts: good sweet charlotte!).

chocolate donuts w/ ganache & salty pistachios
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1 ½ cups cake flour
½ cup dutch process cocoa
¾ cup sugar
2 ts baking powder
1 ts sea salt
¾ cup buttermilk, room temp
2 eggs
2 TB butter, melted
1 ts vanilla
(I added about ½ cup of chopped semi-sweet chocolate)

Preheat oven to 425. Spray donut pan lightly w/ non stick spray.
In a small bowl beat the eggs and vanilla.
In a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add in the buttermilk, stir a bit, then add in the melted butter, and finally add egg mixture. Mix till just combined; no need to overmix. Fill each donut mold about 2/3 full (I overfilled, who cares, it was fine). Bake about 7 – 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. It’s best to place parchment paper underneath cooling racks to make it easier to drizzle the donuts with Ganache. Recipe from dawn finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com

Milk chocolate ganache w/ salty pistachios.

1 cup of high quality milk chocolate chips
2 –3 TB heavy cream

½ to ¾ cup of roasted & salted pistachios, roughly chopped
(if you don’t like pistachios then use whatever chopped nut or sprinkles you desire)

When donuts are cooled time to make the ganache. Melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream, keep stirring till you get a nice glossy and consistency. Pour chocolate over donuts and/or dip donuts in chocolate—whichever is easiest for you. Top with chopped pistachios. Let chocolate harden/set before devouring. Should make 12 - 15

spicy peanut brittle

Ok so peanut brittle, where are the photos of that? What is this brownie crap? I know. There are none. These are all I have. And normally I would NOT want to share this recipe with you because of the lack of photos, BUT (are you listening?) BUT I had to because the spicy peanut brittle was so good, so very good. The sweet & spicy melded perfectly AND the fact that the vultures in my house ate it all in 5 hours. And these 2 -3 little pieces you see here are all that I had left when I finally realized "oh no! I forgot to take the photos before the vultures set in and ate all the brittle!". So while a photo of 3 pieces of spicy peanut brittle all alone on a plate would look like crap no matter how perfectly I positioned them; I decided to dress it up a bit with fresh whipped cream and brownies.
Peanut brittle is really a great way to dress up any dessert. So keep that in mind when you want to add a little "something something" to your next dessert. You feeling me? :-)

spicy peanut brittle
print recipe

room temp butter for greasing up the silpat & spatula (or nonstick spray)
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup water
Pinch of salt
¾ cup dry roasted salted peanuts
Pinch or 2 cayenne pepper (depending on your preference), optional

Spray a silpat sheet as well as the spatula. Place the silpat into jellyroll pan, set aside.
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, water and salt.
Cook for 3 minutes without stirring.
Once sugar has begun to melt and turn light golden color (maybe 4- 6 minutes). At this point let is cook but now stir with spatula every once in a while. Do this for another 8 – 10 minutes or if you go by color then when you know its done is by its golden amber color, not dark but golden. Golden amber is the color we want. Take off heat, stir in the peanuts then add in your pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
Now you have to work very fast. Pour this immediately over the greased silpat, and using your spatula spread out the brittle, not too thin, not too thick. Now leave it alone for at least an hour if not more to let it harden.

Notes: almonds, walnut, pecans, pistachios would work great too

giveaway time - two cookbooks!

****Contest Closed**** :-(
You know what? I have cabin fever and I'm cranky because we have WAY too many snowstorms already and it's only the beginning of January people. Of course to make myself feel even worse I read the Farmers Almanac and it said we are going to get a ton of storms. Yay! Wonderful. Isn't that great?
So to cheer myself up, I want to make you happy by having a giveaway. See if you're happy then I get happy.
I want to give away a couple fabulous cookbooks. If you are a cake lover; a kicked up cake lover that is, like me, then these are the books for you. The winner will receive BOTH of these cookbooks by Warren Brown. The cake god himself. I adore Warren Brown. He is the owner of Cake Love Bakery. Remember when he had the show Sugar Rush on the Food Network? That was such a good, relaxing show; I miss that. That and Gale Gands Sweet Dreams. I wish Warren would come back to TV, but I hear he's a busy man. If you go check out his website, he has a free cake app. How cool is that? And the best part, I hear he's super sweet--definitely a chill person with mad decorating skills; definitely a super nice person you want to bake and create with. Check out his blog too!


All you have to do is leave ONE comment with your name and email address about your all time favorite cake. And you could win BOTH of these cookbooks. Yep both.
Let's do the drawing on 1/23/2011.
Please no anynomous entries. Have a valid NAME and EMAIL address.
It might help you win if you become a fan on FB & Twitter.
Hahaha, kidding. I kid, I tease.

bourbon-vanilla bean pork roast w/ spicy pecan gravy

MmmHmm, this dish has layers of flavors. This is a sunday kind of roast dinner dish. Seriously good. The kind of dish where hubby pops in the kitchen every two hours asking "is it ready yet?". Yep, one of those kinds of dinners, where you can smell it all through the house and even outside. Remember those as a kid? Playing outside all day in the crisp fall air, coming inside for the first time and smelling your mom's roast and veggies that had been cooking for hours. Remember that smell? Remember that warmth of the kitchen? Good stuff.
This dish is worth all the prep, the marinating, etc.. Speaking of marinating I did leave this roast soaking in the marinade for 6 days. It was kind of like the Seinfeld episode (the one where they wanted to see how long they could drive the car that was almost on E? And the drive literally kept going and going and going?) Really anything soaked in booze is better right? I think I could have gone 8 days.... What would Kramer have done?





bourbon-vanilla soaked pork roast w/ spicy pecan gravy
loosely based from Emeril Lagasse
print recipe

Cook notes: I soaked my pork roast for 6 days and it was fine. The longer a meat soaks in booze the better. Make sure you pat the roast dry before roasting it. Always roast your meats on a rack, this helps with even cooking. The gravy is very thick; I like mine very thick. If you do not, then just add in more chicken stock. The gravy is not that spicy, but a gentle heat; add in more or less as you desire. And it really does help to use a high quality bourbon—makes all the difference in taste (less alcohol taste).

1 vanilla beans, split and scraped
1 ts Madagascar vanilla extract
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup plus 1 TB apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
A couple dashes of cinnamon
¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup of good bourbon
1 pork loin, tied (about 4-6 pounds)

In a small saucepan, combine: vanilla beans, vanilla extract, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, orange juice, and bay leaves. Cook over medium heat until sugar is melted and the mixture is at a gentle boil, about 15- 20 mins. Take off the heat and add in the bourbon. Let cool.
Place pork in a glass or ceramic pan. Once marinade is cool pour on pork roast. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours. PLEASE turn the roast over every 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Transfer marinade to a saucepan and reduce volume by at least 1/3. (throw away the bay leaves). We are going to use some of the reduced marinade in the gravy. Recipe from dawn finicane of http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com Place pork on a rack on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a thermometer reads 155 degrees F. Always let the meat rest before slicing into it; at least 5 – 10 minutes.

spicy pecan gravy:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
¼ cup chopped red onion
1/2 TB chopped garlic
1/8 ts cayenne pepper (I used ½ ts)
2 TB flour, sifted
1 cup pork reduction liquid
1 cup chicken stock

Make sure to toast your pecans! Then in a saucepan cook red onions in butter for about 5 – 8 minutes. Then add in the pecans, cook and stir for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Add flour (add in the flour via a sifter so you get no lumps), cook for 2 minutes, then add marinating liquid and chicken stock.
Continue to cook until sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

brown sugar-cream cheese mashed sweet potatoes:

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3 TB butter, room temp
1/4 cup plus 2 TB dark brown sugar
A dash or three of pure maple syrup

Roast cut sweet potatoes in 400 degree oven till done; about 20 – 30 minutes.
Mash potatoes or use a food mill or ricer. Using a large plastic spatula, fold in butter, cream cheese, dark brown sugar, and maple syrup. Taste test, and add in salt & pepper if needed.
Serve immediately.

best of the best

Never been one to have a long list of new year's resolutions since they become hard to keep because the list is too long thus overwhelming. This year, like last, my list will be small, but powerful.
Want to work on: my recipe creations (do more, make more), my health and getting back to california. My baking has grown, orders are coming in; so I hope to keep focused and grow that even more. Health is always top priority as I get older and being a baker/chef/recipe creator the weight is very easy to put on since food is everywhere, and everything gets tasted, retasted, devoured--and fast. Sugar is a hard lil guy to keep at a minimum isn't he?
Happy New Year everyone. And thank you for being here, in my lil corner of the world. Oh how I love it when you come for a sit and chat. Enjoy a few collages of years past of my favorite creations AND some of my favorites things in life. Oh there are movies, beach maps, and some shiny things. Nifty stuff, kind of long but worth the ride. Come on!

My other 'job' is critter care. Wouldn't give that up for the world. Here are a few of the lil critters I care for & love. Clockwise: Denny & Leo 'almost human' maine coons. My tater tot Tiki. Neighbors crazy badass rooster (how I love that fascinating creature, if you want to see a video of him busting a move click here). Dexter & dixie who make sure I get enough exercise. Anderson the cutest puppy that ever lived. Tomo the gentle giant Akita. Penny (rest in peace baby). Banshee the cat who loves to pose for the camera each & every time (rest in peace lil man). And my tiki is quite possibly the worlds cutest napper.

Some of the food finds that I dig. Clockwise: crazy dragon roll at sushi joy in plymouth, ma. Giant cupcakes perfectly decorated by the talented/fabulous people in the bakery at Whole Foods in Hingham, MA. Infamous Kelly's Roast Beef, Revere, MA--if you ever come to Boston please make sure you go here, you will remember the food, forever I promise. Cupcake Charlies on Cape Cod, MA: I am thankful they are on cape cod, hostess with the mostess cupcake is top winner. More cupcake charlies. My local Starbuck's who always remember who I am. Dim Sum at Golden Dragon at Foxwoods Casino, CT. Whoopie pies the size of your head at Dennis Market, Dennis, MA. Fried shrimp at Lindsey's Restaurant, Cape Cod, MA, family owned for decades and the recipes and portion sizes never ever change, thank goodness for that.

Betsey Johnson is a place where I spend way too much money and time. That bench is just fabulous--must have that.

Some of my favorite creations. Clockwise: general 'dawn' tso's chicken. Dark & white chocolate pb cups. Greek nachos (you must make these at least once in your life). Devils food cake w/ cream cheese peanut butter filling & ganache.

These are what my blog stats say you like best. Left to right: Creamsicle cheesecake. Devils food cupcakes with salty mascarpone frosting. Pumpkin and white Oreo ice cream.

More fan fav's: left to right: Pumpkin pop tarts with buttermilk glaze. Asian beef shortribs with warm balsamic potato salad. And the infamous levain bakery clone-like cookies--the most famous recipe of ALL time here on vanilla sugar.

More of my favorite creations. left to right: Espresso bars with cinnamon glaze. Pimento cheeseburger with tomato-balsamic reduction. Banana shortbread. Pumpkin cheesecake w/ nutella ganache.

Winter on cape cod. Clockwise: East sandwich marshlands at high tide. East dennis ghost town: Chapin Beach area. Ice on the ocean, it was that cold to freeze the ocean waters. Sandy Neck Beach in east sandwich where I love to walk. But during the winter its hard to walk there as the wind is so strong, so cold it literally slaps your face.

Summer is coming! I can't wait. Clockwise: Dennis beach, a "secret" lil area on the map in between corporation and howe st. My pool/my toes--I miss chilling in the hot sun. My hydrangeas which I did not kill. Here is a lil movie I did on cape cod traffic. Dig it!

More summer fun, hard to be patient for summer when it's 20 degrees outside and snowing.

I totally got published in this wild, fun, addictive ebook by a bunch of some the great top bloggers. I have two chapters, yep, two. Neat huh? It's a great read. It has recipes, photos and the best part stories from the chefs on how and why their recipes came to be. Click here if you want to buy one. And if you did buy one already. THANK you. I mean that :-)