beef & cheddar hand pies

Sorry I've been m.i.a. My old faithful laptop died and I am in the process of converting over to a Mac.
A whole new world to learn really.
Change is hard, but good in this case. I'm learning....
Ever have a trusty old something that you hate to lose?

Making beef and cheddar hand pies is easy, easy since I used the same crust that I used for my raspberry-cheddar hand pies.



King Arthur really nailed it with this cheddar cheese crust. It's so versatile. The next use will be an apple pie or apple hand pies. And since I get asked all the time "does it freeze well?" I can finally say yes, this cheddar crust does freeze very well.









I found a small bowl makes the best outlines for cutting out circles.



The beef filling can be anything you want really. Ground cooked beef with any type of veggie and/or sauce. I'm a pepper jelly junkie--love it on everything.







beef & cheddar hand pies
print recipe
cheddar crust from King Arthur

cheddar crust
3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Hi-maize Fiber (or substitute all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup Vermont cheese powder (or substitute ¼ cup fine-grind Parmesan cheese)
3/4 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce, optional
1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into pats (I grated mine, kept them frozen)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup ice water

filling
¾ - 1 pound of cooked ground beef
any veggie you want: I used chopped sweet onions
¾ - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
pepper jelly, but use whatever type sauce/condiment you like

Cook notes: I made this without the hi-maize fiber using flour instead, and used Parmesan instead of cheese powder. BUT I highly recommend using/finding the sharp cheese powder because I’m so sure that adds a nice flavor and the parmesan makes it a little more greasy. I separated this dough into 5 mounds and only used one mound for the fruit pies, and freezing the rest. Does it freeze well? Yes. For the square-like hand pies, I rolled my hand pies into long squares, but use any shape you want—keep in mind that the dough should be as thin as possible since it does rise a bit when baking. Always keep the dough cold when working with it and always work the dough as little as possible as we want a nice crispy crust. The more you work the crust the chewier and less tender it will be.
In terms of cutting out dough squares for perfect sized hand pies? -- I’m horrid at this, so I just cut them into long strips and filled one half and folded over the other half OR I used a bowl and cut out circles (as seen in the photos). It’s rustic, but it works for me. If you have a better way, then please go ahead.
You should get about 4 batches of dough, and each batch of dough should give you about 4-6 hand pies depending on how thick/thin you rolled the dough and how you cut out each square/circle.

To make the crust: Combine the dry ingredients. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.

Add the cheddar cheese and water, mixing until the dough is cohesive; add extra water, if necessary, to make it come together. It will be crumbly, that’s ok, just mold them into mounds and cover with plastic—it will come together when it sits/sets up in the fridge. If you are using dough right away chill at least 30 minutes or more. If you are not using all of them right away then freeze the rest.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove a disk of dough from the fridge. Roll it into as big a square/rectangle, as you can. Using a sharp knife, slice out little squares (whatever size you want).
Fill the middles with about 1-2 TB of cooked beef, add on your veggies if using, then top off with shredded cheese and pepper jelly if using.
Make sure not to fill the centers too full or you’ll have a hard time closing/sealing up pie edges.
Once your filling is done, take another square or circle of dough and place over the top of the filling, gently seal up the edges with a fork by pressing down or pinching if necessary. It was not necessary to wet the edges before sealing; they stuck together just fine. I brushed the whole tops with the beaten egg before baking. Making a vent hole is NOT necessary.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while making the other hand pies; you always want to keep the dough as cold as possible.

Bake the pies for 18 to 23 minutes, until golden.
Let cool a bit before serving as the filling is HOT.
Each disk of dough should yield about 4-6 hand pies.
They are great alone or served with a dipped sauce.

friday links

A short friday fun stuff this week as my laptop is crashing every three hours; obviously on its last leg. Or is it on it's last CPU? No more PC, patiently waiting for tax refund to finally get a MAC. Yep a MAC. Can't wait.

Did everyone see this amazing story of the disabled war veteran Arthur Boorman? His remarkable transformation using a powerhouse yoga regimen over the course of a year? Have you seen what he looks like now? He looks great, but what I really noticed was how happy he looked. Watch the video--it inspired me to give this type of a yoga a try. I have a bad back at times and a bad knee. I keep my back strong with weights, but my knee NEEDS flexibility. I'm definitely ordering the DDPYOGA. If you don't know about DDPYOGA, watch the above video. Or watch the original video on YouTube

Rest in peace Maurice Sendak. Your motto: "live your life, live your life, live your life..." Is on my wall in my office. Those words keep me grounded.




Love this article from Gawker on ice cream. 5 Things That Need To Be Put into Mainstream Ice Cream.



There's a new chip in town. I tried them, they are OK. They need more coating and they are a LOT harder than the normal cape cod chip--tooth breaking hard.



Coffee flavored coconut water. Hmm. Maybe as a cocktail, but not as a sports drink.



Saw this in Pinterest and had to share it with you all. Walking heals everything doesn't it?

Plants that help you get a good nights sleep?

I've heard so many good things about repelling flies with a hanging bag of water. Well, here's more proof, and something a little more attractive and easier than just a plastic bag of water. An eco friendly, safe way to repel flies.

Gutter gardening. No yard, no problem, gutter gardens.

Edible bingo.

The 2012 James Beard winners!

Thai shrimp cakes with sweet chili sauce. Already bookmarked!

And Thai shortbread! Fascinating.

A recap from the 2012 Sweet & Snack show in Chicago.

Avocado Fries. Easy recipe.

Video: Christina Tosi before she was famous.

How to make salsa from scratch.

Happy Mother's Day!! Have a great weekend!

pineapple-cream cheese blondies and my stint as an electrician

5am Thursday morning a smoke detector in my house goes off. Which one? Who knows--once one goes off they all have to chime in and sing out loud. Three minutes later they all stop. I look at the ones in the house that I can see, look for any warning blinking lights--nothing (of course). Two remaining smoke detectors in the house are not easily visible as one is in a small loft space in master bedroom (accessible by small, frail, DECORATIVE wooden ladder used for hanging clothes by lazy me), and the other is in the living room on our 30 foot ceiling. Fabulous! No 24 foot ladder in sight, nor would I want one because this body is not meant for climbing 24 foot ladders, it's meant for baking. Friday rolls around, I forget it all, nothing making noise, must have been a fluke, let's carry on.
4am Saturday morning, all smoke detectors are blaring. No smell of smoke, they aren't turning off even with reset buttons being pushed repeatedly. In a panic I go to open a window and all alarms stop. My mind races to CO poisoning in house as I remember all our smoke detectors pick up carbon monoxide as well as fire smoke. I close window and all alarms start blaring again. Hubby and I both agree to call fire dept to have them come out to check. As soon as I pick up phone to dial, all alarms stop. What the....? My mind says call them anyway, you never know.
So of course when the fire department shows up, there are no alarms going off AND all smoke detectors are showing no signs of distress with different colored/blinking lights. Fabulous! Two fireman race around the house with little devices that measure for any CO leakage while the nice Lieutenant checks all smoke detectors and changes all their batteries. No CO leakage to be found in house! Whew! What a sigh of relief. Lieutenant thinks it could be the batteries all needed changing, a good dusting out of dust/cobwebs or it might have been that all our smoke detectors are over 5 years old and should be replaced. The one smoke detector in the attic did have a red light, which meant it possibly could be showing a fault; this is the one that the Lieutenant says might have set them all off. Replace smoke detectors every 5 years? Who knew?
Thankful to have had the firemen be so nice and explain everything to us three or four times, as well as being generous at 5am to change all batteries as well as dust out each and every detector. Firemen leave in their big giant red truck which of course catches the eye of all our neighbors now standing outside our home (fabulous!). Hubby and I both breathe a sigh of relief and make mental note to call electrician on monday to replace all smoke detectors. Easy right? Not so fast.

Saturday night rolls around and of course I am all alone, and the one smoke detector in the little attic only accessible by the little, unsecured wooden ladder goes off!
And it keeps going off. I waited for that little *&#$ bugger to stop, but it wasn't happening. I knew I had to do the impossible: either run across street to nice neighbor man, wake him up at 10pm to come over, go up the ladder and disassemble detectors OR face my fears and make this non-climbing-ladder body go up the ladder and disconnect smoke detector. Maybe I should take a shot of whiskey before going up? No, don't do that, because if you fall and die the coroners report will say woman was drunk and attempted to climb ladder in drunk fit. Oh no, that would not be good. Just do it, Focus, you can do this. I get to the top relatively easy; HUGE sigh of relief there as I thought it would be a lot worse. Go into attic and try to unscrew smoke detector. Flashback to when my hubby showed me the smoke detector downstairs and how he disabled it: a SIMPLE un-click of a tab thingee from the wires and you're done. This flashback does not help me now as this smoke detector is nothing like the one downstairs; its completely different with no "easy-to-unclick-tab-thingee" How fabulous is that? Let's just panic shall we? And of course the detector is blaring away, at full speed, numbing my ears as I stand under it thinking I should have had that shot of whiskey! My brain comes back, and tell me to unscrew the bottom half and look inside. I do this and see three wires with plastic caps on them and think to go ahead and unscrew the caps, pull apart the wires as this will release the detector from it's base. Why did I think this? Who the hell knows, but to make a long story short (and about 15 minutes later) the noise stopped, the base was apart and the detector was DEAD. Amen.

Did I mention that I got zapped? I didn't? Oh yeah, I got zapped trying to pull out the last wire, that was nice and snug up there and refusing to come down. Sticking my finger up there to pull it down I got zapped. Did it make me cry like a baby? Yes it did. But I ventured on. See when said baker meets said annoying smoke detector that won't stop ringing, said baker triumphs and wins. OK now, stop crying, you need to go down the ladder. Oh wonderful, I had completely forgotten about the climbing down part. I promised myself that when I got down I would have two shots of whiskey. Rewards make people do better--that's my philosophy.

Here's where the really tricky part comes in: going down the ladder was hard because I stupidly stood at the top and looked down. Not good. This is a bad visual to have. So I laid down on the floor and inched my way to the first rung of the ladder, foot down, firmly on ladder. Now the creaking of ladder starts. Fabulous!! Really fabulous! My mind says hurry the hell up and get down before this f****er breaks! Of course halfway thru I pause with fear and hear more creaking. I think just jump down! Only 5 more steps to go. I made it down. Nightmare over.

As I write this post, the electrician comes tomorrow and the whiskey shots, btw, were amazing, and I am not a drinker, but was that night I became one. The pineapple-cream cheese blondies are for me. Two of my comforts: pineapple and cream cheese together. This is when the word fabulous is truly fabulous.



pineapple cream cheese blondies
print recipe

blondies:
10 TB unsalted butter, room temp
Extra butter for pan
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ts baking powder
3/4 ts salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ ts pure vanilla extract

Pineapple-cream cheese:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
¼ - ½ cup diced (and well-drained pineapple chunks)
1 egg yolk
1-2 ts sugar (a lot of sugar is not needed here as the pineapple chunks are very sweet)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the pineapple-cream cheese mixture:
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, pineapple chunks, egg yolk and sugar until well combined; set aside.
For the blondie mixture:
Line a buttered or non-stick spray a 8-inch square baking pan. If your pan needs to have parchment paper to avoid sticking go ahead and do so. In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

In a glass or cup, mix the eggs and vanilla extract until combined.
In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Then add in eggs and vanilla mixing well; add flour mixture and mix until just combined. No need to overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pan; spread with a rubber spatula or wet hands.
Take the pineapple-cream cheese mixture and gently, using a spoon or pastry bag, place lines down the pan. No need to cover the entire top with cream cheese mixture; we want lines instead as the blondie batter will puff up when baked.

Bake in oven for about 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into blondies comes out “almost” clean; okay to have a few bits of crumb on the cake tester. Cooking times vary depending on oven, so please check at 25 minute mark.
Let cool before cutting into squares. If you are having a hard time slicing squares, you can either use a wet, sharp knife or I’ve found putting blondies in fridge for a while helps to harden them up.

friday links

Here in the new england we've had a lot of rain and cloudy days. Starts to take it toll on one's sanity. On the horizon though summer is right around the corner--which I hope means more sunny days. Other signs of spring here on cape cod mean the swans have had their babies. I was lucky enough to get these photos as both the mommy and daddy are fiercely protective. Even coming within 20 feet of them they start to hiss and charge. So with my handy little iphone I was able to snap these photos.
And if you look closely at first photo (left swan) there is a baby on the back, hidden under the feathers; the head is sticking out. I watched the baby climb up onto the wing, the swan (the mom I think) then lifted the baby up to her back and the baby swan snuggled in. It was one of the most touching moments I'd seen in a while.





This is chatham, mass, down by the chatham fish pier market. Boats are beginning to resurface.



A clammer heading over to Tern Island to dig up some steamers.



Cape Cod National Seashore is just breathtaking when the sun finally does shine on cape cod.





One lone surfer going to a surf just before sunset at Nauset Lighthouse Beach.



Another clammer digging away at Corporation Beach in Dennis.



Ice cream season has begun! And I'm already indulging, a little too much lately. We have a new ice cream joint in Sandwich, The Shipwreck in Sandwich, MA, down by the sandwich marina. Prices and ice cream aren't too bad. This size, in the photo is a small! On sunny days the lines are long, but that comes with the territory of good ice cream. The Shipwreck Ice Cream (no website) 2 Freezer Road, Sandwich, MA down just before the entrance to the sandwich marina.



Found a new love for energy bars. This one is by Bonk Breakers. Really good, and does not taste like a chemically energy bar. All wholesome ingredients too. The best one was the almond butter-honey. Tried contacting them for a product review and giveaway, no response yet. Fingers crossed!



Next Organics new chocolate covered ginger are ok. Really sweet in the middle. I think if they did not use as much sugar in the middle with the ginger it would taste good.



My latest Trader Joe obsession are the vegetable pakoras smothered in tzatziki.



Heard really good reviews about the new Stonewall Kitchen coconut curry sauce. Anyone tried it yet?



Recipe fail. I tried using nutella inside a berry pie. It came out horrid tasting. The nutella when baked with the fruit had a taste of burnt nutella. Not good.



Need to recreate these little gems. Oh these are good. From Lark Fine Foods.



From around the web:

Found a wonderful recipe for homemade vegan ice cream bars from veggie-wedgie.com. Wait till you see the photo!

Lays potato chips now has BLT flavored chips? That sounds so good. I love anything bacon flavored. Anyone tried them?

Cornflake crumbles from Serious Eats. Like little crunchy type muffins. Don't these look good?

Son-in-law eggs -- Thai style.

The classic Coca-Cola cake. I never tire looking at it.

Summer cocktail season will soon be here. Here is a rhubarb-ginger drink that's already bookmarked. (isn't that color fabulous?)

Waffle furniture (edible). Love this.

Small scale remodeling to help you plan out your next remodel. Yay or nay? Not sure.

Garden hose storage that's easy to do for non-DIY'ers like me.

And this is my favorite, when I first showed this to my friends on facebook, they all screamed in horror. I love this idea for a bathroom. You?

There are times when I get asked to review a cookbook and I simply cannot wait.
This would be one of those times.
Received this little gem in the mail and fell in love with it because it's all about quick and easy baking with a huge dose of creativity, as well as the option to be make it healthy. I mean the ideas are endless on what one can do with a muffin pan.
Muffin Tin Chef is a very creative look at making meals, snacks, and even desserts using a muffin pan! I highly recommend this book--very creative and not full of fat.





You can make everything from peach stuffed french toast, lasagna rolls, taco cups, and no-bake mini cheesecakes! All with a muffin tin! With summer heat just around the corner, this little kitchen staple cookbook will be a lifesaver for fast and easy meals that aren't boring. And the best part, is that most of the recipes are semi-healthy, not a lot of fat or junk is used. The author Matt Kadey is a registered dietitian who has done a few articles for Mens Health, Womens Health, Shape, Prevention, Eating Well, etc... So you know he took the time to develop good recipes with a healthy edge. His mission was to make you see that muffin tins are not just for cupcakes and muffins.



Have a great weekend! Don't forget to watch the supermoon this saturday night (may 5, 2012). It's going to be a beauty.

double chocolate-butterscotch muffins

Everyone raved about these double chocolate-butterscotch muffins when they first came out on thekitchn.com. And now a couple years later I'm finally trying them.
They are good, a tiny bit dry on the inside. I think it was the baking times that made them dry though. My gut tells me to have taken them out sooner (amazing how the baking gut always knows right?). But the overall flavor is really good. The butterscotch takes it right over to a good flavor edge. I'm certain that on the next batch I need to lessen the cooking time and that should make them less dry on the inside. So if you do make these, really watch the baking time; says to bake them 17-20 minutes, but I'd check them at the 14 minute mark.
Best part? Very quick and easy to whip up! Plus we all know, almost every baker has leftover butterscotch chips in the cupboard waiting to be used up--this is it.







For the recipe, head over to thekitchn.com.

cookie butter swirl cheesecake

First off, congrats to the winners of the Baked cookbook and brownie giveaway: #42 Beth and #76 Pam. Please email me your shipping address!

Did anyone try my cookie butter cookies? Weren't they good?
Since I was so thrilled at how many uses one can use for baking with cookie butter, I made a cheesecake with it. The possibilities of this cookie butter are endless.
What have you made with it?
So far, all I've tried is the cookie butter from Trader Joe's. I know there is a biscoff spread too? Have yet to find it. Does it taste just like the one at Trader Joe's? Are there different types of cookie butter out there? I would imagine so. Where is the Oreo cookie butter? :-)




You'll need two packs of cookies. Or use one pack mixed with a combo of another hard cookie. Be as creative as you want.





Gently plop down 2-3 giant globs of cookie butter, spaced apart. Then use a chopstick to gently swirl the cookie butter around. Easy peasy.



cookie butter swirl cheesecake
print recipe

crust
2 cups of crushed Trader Joe’s Bistro Biscuits (or any type of hard-cinnamon cookie)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Generous pinch of sea salt

cheesecake filling
4 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks

Cookie butter swirl
½ - ¾ cup of cookie butter

½ cup of warm caramel, for garnish, optional but wonderful

cook notes: This makes a nice thick crust. If you don’t like a thick crust then use less cookies crumbs (maybe 1 & ½ cups?).

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a measuring cup, crack open the eggs and egg yolks, set aside until ready to use.
Spray a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with non stick spray. In a food processor grind up the cookies into a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine the cookies, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter. Mix, then press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a flat bottomed glass to press it in evenly). Recipe by vanillasugarblog.com
Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is just lightly brown around the edges, set aside and let cool. Reduce the oven heat to 300°F.
In a food processor or mixer, mix the cream cheese, with the eggs, eggs yolks, sugar and heavy cream. Mix until you have a nice custard-like consistency and no lumps are visible.
Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust pan. Take your cookie butter, and GENTLY place down three or four glops/piles, spaced evenly, around the batter. Using a chopstick (or other small, pointed stick) gently swirl the cookie butter around until you have a nice array of swirls.

baking:
Most people like to do a water bath for their cheesecake. I never do, I find all too annoying. But if you want to do this feel free; it’s best to bake your cheesecake how ever you feel most comfortable.
I baked this cheesecake at 300°F for 50-55 minutes; turned off oven and left it alone for a couple hours. You know the cheesecake is done when there is no jiggle in the middle and the middle batter has set up.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, and then you need to cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When cheesecake is baking try not to open the oven door a lot, if at all.
You might need a wet knife to slice cheesecake.
When ready to serve, slice with a wet knife and drizzle slices with caramel sauce (optional).

cookie butter-peanut butter cookies

Something like months (and more months) before I finally broke down and bought a jar of cookie butter? I was way behind. Had no clue with the heck this stuff was. Honestly? I thought it was like an applesauce type butter--all gooey and overly sweet with not much to do with it.
Then one day, while at Trader Joe's, they had these chocolate bars stuffed with the cookie butter. That filling was so good! It was nothing like I thought it would be. It was like someone had grinded up peanut butter with a bunch of cinnamon cookies, and added a hint of salt. Super tasty and cheers to the person (or company) that started this craze. The uses for this butter are endless.....trust me I have more recipes coming.

So with these cookies I used the base recipe, my 'go-to' recipe for the 'almost flourless' peanut butter cookies and used peanut flour instead. If you can't find peanut flour, you can use regular flour, just not as much.
I went ahead and drizzled some melted chocolate on the cookies, but in all honesty, they didn't need them--they were so good on their own. Tasty little creatures.





cookie butter-peanut butter
print recipe

1 cup all-natural chunky or all natural smooth peanut butter (oily is OK)
¾ cup cookie butter
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 ts baking soda
3 TB peanut flour if no peanut flour then use 2 ½ TB of flour
1 ts sea salt

semisweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling over cookie tops (optional)

Cook notes:
This recipe makes a small batch (about 12-15), if you want more, just double all the ingredients. I used semisweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Milk chocolate was just too sweet.
The cookies have to sit in fridge for at least an hour to come together; don’t let them sit in fridge overnight as they become very dry. Since this is a dry cookie it will be a tiny bit hard to roll in balls. Also they are delicate and tend to break apart if you make them too big. So try not to make the dough balls bigger than a tablespoon size.

In a small bowl add the peanut flour, baking soda, and salt; mix, set aside.
In a small bowl crack egg open and beat.
In a mixer or by hand, combine peanut butter, cookie butter and dark brown sugar until well combined.
Add egg to the cookie mixture, mix well.
Add in the flour mixture, by sprinkling it over the cookie dough, not just depositing it in one large dump. Mix till just combined.
Cover bowl and let it sit in fridge for about an hour. Do not let this sit overnight as the dough becomes very dry!
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll into tablespoon (or smaller) sized balls and place on non-stick cookie sheets or greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. These cook up very fast, so I really wouldn’t go past the 10-12 minute mark. Cool on a baking sheet for a while. The cookies are very fragile and tend to break if you take them off the cookie sheet too early.
When cookies are completely cooled and harden, temper some semisweet chocolate and drizzle over cookies—optional of course.
Should make about 12-15 cookies (small batch). If you want more, just double all the ingredients.

guest post: matt lewis of BAKED NYC (plus giveaway!)

Have I been excited for weeks on end when I heard Matt Lewis co-owner of the infamous Baked NYC bakery in Brooklyn, NY AND cookbook co-author of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking AND Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented said YES to a guest post for moi?
Ohhhh you betcha.
I've known and adored him for years. He thinks I'm super creative (blush) and I think he's god-like creative! I've lost count on how many times I asked him to marry me (but I think he's kept count, sadly).
You have to be living under rock or hanging in Tibet, not to have seen the creative duo that is matt lewis and renato poliafito: aka modern day bakers with ingenious twist on modern day baking. Have you seen them on The Cooking Channel Unique Sweets? Oh they are so cute--talking heads. OK, I know they're guys, but they are just so fun to watch; I mean they are so at ease, chill kind of guys with a huge passion for baked goods. Who doesn't love a man with a huge passion for all things cake, cookies, pies, etc...?
And book 3? There is a book 3? Yes. Thank goodness! Book 3 is almost done, I've asked him about it in the interview (below). These guys never stop to rest. Where their energy comes from I haven't a clue; they must have a fountain of creative youth stashed away in the Baked Laboratories, somewhere in Brooklyn....I am heading to NYC this summer and I will report back on where that fountain of youth is. Promise.
Matt was kind enough to answer some really good, inquisitive questions I had and a couple from the fans. Shall we? (and there is a giveaway too...read on thru to find out about it!)


click me will ya?

Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito left their day jobs in advertising seven years ago to open their bakery, Baked, in Brooklyn, NY, to immediate praise from fans across the country. The authors have been featured on Oprah, the Today show, the Food Network, and Martha Stewart. Their first book, Baked, was an IACP award nominee.
And recently they’ve teamed up with Williams Sonoma to sell their infamous baked brownies, brookies, sour cream coffee cakes, and red velvet whoopie pies—all in ready, simple, luxurious ready to make mixes.

How do you sum up their style/twist on baking? Classic American desserts reinvented with a modern/kicked up twist.
I love that they think of themselves “dessert experts” as stated on their “about us” page at bakednyc.com. Stating they “…are blessed with a highly (almost holy) developed sense of taste and smell….”
A little history of Matt and Renato:
“….. Matt, a producer, spent his days hidden away in a cubicle stuffed with spreadsheets, post-its, and relentless voice mails, while Renato spent his time in the more rarefied field of graphic design (i.e. making things look beautiful so people would buy them). Their thoughts were never too far from cake and coffee. Coincidentally, Matt and Renato met at a glitzy, high-profile ad agency, and slowly (even unbeknownst to them) the idea for Baked was born.
Matt wanted to open a bakery that celebrated American desserts beyond the cupcake, and Renato had always been hankering to open a neighborhood cafe, so together they scoured New York City for the perfect location. They found a small, storefront church in the largely industrialized section of Brooklyn, and together with Rafi Avramovitz, set about building their inspiration. Finally, after many long delays, they opened Baked in 2005 on the shores of Red Hook, Brooklyn with just a few ovens, some mixers, and an espresso machine…”


click on us too!

Interview Questions:

So I hear Book 3 is done, passed in and soon will be in print? Is this true?

Well, almost done. Unfortunately, we like to tinker right up to the last moment (and it drives our editors crazy) but for all practical purposes it is finished and it will be out in September or October.

Tell us a little about Book 3, and how can you ever top your first two books? I mean those were just amazing—one can only imagine what book 3 will be like?

Book 3 is a slight departure for us in terms of design, styling, etc...It is still very much a "Baked" book, but it centers more on our favorite ingredients as opposed to bakery best-sellers. And yes, there is a chapter devoted to boozy sweets.

You know I’ve been dying to know for a while now, what was the feeling you had when Oprah dubbed your brownies as one of her favorite things? It must have felt amazing.

I guess, in the food world, being included in Oprah's fave things is like winning an Academy Award. It still makes us giddy.

And you’ve been on the Martha Stewart show a few times; do you get nervous, still?

I could barely speak the first time we met (dry mouth, shaky hands)- I wanted to work for Martha right after I moved to the city, so in a sense it was like meeting an idol. Honestly, Martha is kinder and funnier and smarter than one can imagine. She really knows the ins and outs of baking...like REALLY KNOWS...and she has a wicked sense of humor.

The new talking/reporting gig you have on The Cooking Channel’s “Unique Sweets” has got to be fun? What’s not to love: travel, eat and report.

It was so much fun to be part of, though I really had a craving to go on a juice cleanse post-wrap taping.

I know you’re going to roll your eyes with this one, since I ask you all the time when we talk, but how do you stay so thin with all the baked goods that you sample, and all the recipes you try?

We get asked that a lot. Honestly, I have learned to sample and disburse. I take one bite, Nato takes one bite, then we wrap what is left and give it away to customers, neighbors, friends and if it is bad...enemies :). I still gain about 15lbs during book testing, but work hard to shed the weight as soon as I am done.

Coming up with new recipes: do they just come to you, or do you do a little research to get some inspiration going?

We get most of our inspiration from fever dreams, old magazines and books, travel, and grandmas. Grandmas in the mid-west happen to have the best recipes in the world IMHO. At the moment, all I can think of is something called a Kermit Cake. Not sure what it is going to be yet, but that is the perfect idea of a recipe we start riffing on when all we have is just a name.

Where do you think your love of creating good food stems from?

I have always had a rabid sweet tooth...heavily skewed towards chocolate desserts. Blame my mom.

Did you grow up in a “foodie family”? Were your parents foodies? Or in your case “sweet tooth aficionados’?

My family was not a foodie family. My mom's mom is an amazing Italian cook, but my mom never really took after her. We ate out a lot... Much later in life, my dad become really interested in food, but growing up it was all about "where we going to eat tonight"?

If you were stranded on a desert island with fresh water, and only had a choice of one of your favorite comfort foods, what would it be?

A jar of peanut butter and good bread.

If you could go to any country just for their food which one would you choose?

I love Paris, but I think Rome is hands down a better food destination. It’s an overused stereotype but true - You can't get a bad meal in Rome. And anyone that says otherwise, is a snob.

If you could invite any three people to dinner (living or dead) who would they be and what would you make?

I know I should invite a bunch of interesting, artistic and impressionable historical masterminds, but part of me just wants to invite Ryan Gosling, Carol Burnett, and Charles Dickens.

In your downtime, when you’re not researching and testing new recipes what do you do to relax?

I love the beach.

I gotta admit, what drew me to you and Renato was your devotion to ALWAYS use quality ingredients and to never ever cut/trim your creations for the sake of saving money. I can’t tell you how many bakeries do this over time, to save a buck, and then wonder why they went out of business. I imagine this was a dual-promise you and Renato had from the beginning: quality ingredients, equals quality products. Right?

Absolutely. We figured our bakery was all about quality ingredients. The best cocoa powder, the best chocolate...If we couldn't use what we wanted, our vision just didn't make sense.

Any tips or advice for people that want to open their own bakery? I know location is key, having a good product is utmost as well, anything else?

Hire great people. Be aware that you won't make as much money as your friends at Facebook or Apple or etc..- EVER! And treat your customers with respect.

See what I mean? They are just fabulous people. I love them. Thank you so much Matt and Renato! You both are a huge inspiration not only to me, but to many others out there, starting out in the baking/bakery industry.

I also wanted to mention, if you've been following along with my blog lately, I've been taking the Baked Brownie mix and creating new recipes with them.



You can find this brownie mix, along with their infamous "Brookster" mix, red velvet whoopie pie mix, and the sour cream coffee cake mix--all at Williams Sonoma.

So far with the Baked brownie mix (which btw is VERY versatile to create "kicked up" brownies) I made:

Peanut butter cookie crusted brownie

Peanut butter & Fluff swirl fudgy brownies with salty cookie crust

Brownie bundt with coconut-cream cheese filling (Yes, you can bake a brownie in a bundt pan!)

And lastly, my personal favorite, is a mocha-almond ice cream with brownie chunks. I've waited for the right time to try and recreate a childhood favorite of mine: Brighams Mocha Almond ice cream. Always wanted to do it with a twist. And this was my lucky chance.







You have to know, I did have all intentions of freezing little brownie chunks for this ice cream, I truly had no idea how well they tasted when frozen. Never ever had brownies taste so good frozen. Most were always too hard or too gummy like. Not these. Perfect little frozen treats, even if you don't make the ice cream, just make the brownies and freeze them into little chunks for snacking.

mocha-almond ice cream w/ Baked brownie chunks
print recipe

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
Just under 3/4 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
A tiny pinch of salt
½ TB of double dutch cocoa powder
1 Starbuck Via (Columbia or other “mild” flavor) Can use espresso powder, maybe ¾-1 TB
1 – 1 ½ cups of frozen Baked brownie chunks (cut in ½ inch cubes/squares)
½ - 1 cup of salty, roasted almonds, rough chop (use as little or as much as you desire)

Cook notes: if you don’t have a starbuck via, you can easily use espresso powder, maybe ¾ - 1 TB? Do ¾ TB first then taste test, see if it needs more. Remember that using double dutch cocoa powder is strong, so you only need a little bit ( ½ TB) if you feel it needs more then by all means go ahead.

Make up a batch of the Baked Brownies. When they are cooled take about half of the brownies, ut into little chunks of ½ or so, and freeze them. Of better yet, freeze them all, these brownies are amazing frozen!
In a medium size saucepan, over medium heat, heat up the milk, sugar, and salt; stirring occasionally. You want this hot, but not boiling.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until well combined. Slowly add (a couple tablespoons at a time) of the hot mixture to the egg yolk mixture, all the while stirring/whisking constantly. Keep doing this until all the egg yolk mixture is well combined with the hot milk. (you’ll use about half the hot milk mixture).
Then pour the warmed up yolks into the saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat; constantly stirring until the mixture thickens up a bit. Add in the dutch cocoa powder and the Starbuck Via. (taste test, and see if you need more of anything, might need a pinch more salt, but when we ad the salty, roasted almonds to the mixture the salt from the almonds will fix that).
You know the ice cream custard is done when the custard thickens, and easily coats a spatula.
Might take about 15-20 minutes to get to this point; make sure to keep stirring!
Take off heat and pour into a bowl, cover tightly and chill at least a few hours (or overnight) before churning.
When ready to churn, use your ice cream manufacturer’s directions to churn. At the last 5 minutes of churning add in the brownie and almond chunks.
Remove ice cream from churner and place into glass or ceramic bowl, cover tightly and into the freezer to continue setting up.
Makes about 1 & ½ quarts.

The giveaway! The Baked Boys are very generous. And thank you guys for this!

They are giving away TWO SETS of:

Cookbook 1: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
Cookbook 2: Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
2 boxes of Baked Deep Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix

Seriously! I kid you not. All you have to do to enter is:

o leave ONE comment telling us if you think the Baked Boys should venture on to a cookbook #4 AND what baked treats would you like to see new or old or kicked up?
Be creative here kids!!

o please have a valid email in your signature or comment.
o No anonymous comments please.
o It would be nice to LIKE Baked NYC on Facebook, to stay in top of the arrival of Book 3 and other events. They might have more giveaways when Book 3 arrives!

We'll do the drawing on Friday April 27, 2012! Good luck!
And lastly, congrats to the winners of the Nick Evans cookbook "Cornerstone Cooking" drawing: #16 JRoberts and #43 WinterSundays. Please email me your shipping address!