strawberries 'n cream cookies

Strawberry season.
I long for it in the middle of winter and then in the middle of summer I long for pumpkin bread.
Go figure.
Those giant strawberries from Driscolls are the best in the world. The really big ones are so sweet, just like candy
I've always wanted to make a cookie with strawberries.
Fresh strawberries, not dried or frozen, but fresh to see if it would make the cookie too soggy.
It didn't!
The key is to really chop the strawberries small, and then pat them dry (two times) with paper towels.
Get as much liquid as you can out of the berries.

These are good. Light tasting, soft cookie, with some chewiness.
The next batch I want to work on making them crispy.
I also highly suggest adding white chocolate chips to these--I know this would be a great addition.



Important step! Don't want soggy cookies.

Cover and chill in fridge at least 3 hours or longer (overnight might be too long).



Blueberries might work too! I bet pineapple would taste amazing.

strawberries & cream cookies

print recipe

2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ ts baking soda

¾ ts salt

12 TB unsalted butter, room temp

8 oz. cream cheese softened

¾ cup light brown sugar, not packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ts vanilla extract

¾ cup of chopped (small) strawberries (that have been patted dry)

Make sure to take the chopped strawberries and pat them dry (2 times) with paper towels to get as much moisture out of strawberries as possible. Set aside.

Whisk all dry ingredients together; set aside.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer until smooth. Add in both sugars and beat until thoroughly combined, add in the vanilla extract, mix again.

Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, and by hand add in the strawberries.

Cover dough well with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 3 -6 hours.

When ready to bake cookies preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a medium or small cookie (or ice cream scoop), drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 12-16 minutes or until edges are set and bottoms are golden brown.

Mine were done at the 15-minute mark.

The cookies will be soft and hard to move, please let them set up on baking sheet.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

I got about 18-20 cookies using a medium ice cream scoop;

You might get more cookies if you use a smaller ice cream scoop.

banana-sour cream ice cream (no cook)

Happy recipe accidents. (or should it be successful recipe accidents?)
That's what I'd like to call this one.
I had originally set out to create a banana sour cream ice cream recipe like the title says, but
halfway through the ingredient lineup I saw I did not have any bananas.
No sweat I thought, I'll just swap out for another fruit.
No other fruit found but blueberries.
Not truly in the mood for a blueberry- sour cream.
But as I kept searching for other recipe swap outs I saw a whole pack of banana pudding.
Ripped one open, tasted it and knew it would work.
Those puddings have a lot of flavor in them and a lot of sugar, so I minused a few tablespoons of sugar out of the custard base.
I don't like ice cream too sweet and didn't want to drown out the flavor of the sour cream.
Did I say this was no cook custard?
And no egg?

So for those times when you want ice cream fast because it's 90+ degrees with high humidity, keep this recipe bookmarked.
Another great part is that you can try and use any pudding flavor you like.
There are so many puddings out there.
If I was to give this another go I would try that double chocolate mint pudding.
What flavor would you try?

I used the swiss miss banana pudding (4 of those packs or 16 ounces worth)



I just love how easy this was to throw together.
If you don't want to use pudding you don't have to.
You can sauté a couple bananas up with a couple dashes of lemon juice, puree them with the sour cream and add into the custard mix.

banana-sour cream ice cream

print recipe

1/2 cup sugar minus 3 TB

¾ cup sour cream, room temp.

1 ½ cup half & half

14oz. sweetened condensed milk

4 packs of banana pudding packs (about 13-16 ounces)

½ cup of chopped & toasted walnuts or pecans, optional

In a large bowl, mix everything together (not the nuts).  Make sure the sour cream is nice and dissolved, if not use a hand mixer to thoroughly mix.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufactures churning directions.

Right before you remove the ice cream, add in the chopped nuts, if using.

Then continue mixing for about 30 seconds.

Makes about quart and a half.

friday links

Happy Friday!

Here on cape cod we're in for a long stretch of cloudy, rainy days sadly.
Sun is hard to come by here.
If you're planning a trip to cape cod for July 4th, it will be overcast--for a while.

closing up for the day at craigville beach

Cute right?

Do you watch that show River Monsters?
I do and I cannot believe how daring jeremy wade is!

We kicked off the summer to a good start with Five Guys Burgers

My current reading from CakeLove Warren Brown.
CakeLove: how to bake cakes from scratch
CakeLove: in the morning
CakeLove: united cakes of america
I'l be doing an interview with him...have nay questions for him?

Around the web:
no-knead dinner dolls from averie cooks
8 foods you should always buy from mind body green
no-bake chocolate-peanut butter cookies from amateur gourmet
double chocolate-banana muffins from american heritage cooking
biotin: why you need it, what it does from worlds healthiest foods
iced oatmeal raisin cookie pie from serious eats
almond butter chocolate fudge from reboot with joe
homemade twinkies - the healthy version from chocolate covered katie
dark chocolate-peanut butter ice cream from keeping it kind
sausage burgers w/ sriracha-honey mustard sauce from girl carnivore
turn your blog into a book (info) from writers digest
how to transform stress into relaxation from positively positive
chromium: what does it do? from worlds healthiest foods
blueberry-lime cream cheese pound cake from the novice chef
frozen coconut macadamia bars from marks daily apple
how shirley jackson write "The Lottery" from slate
giveaway: enter to win a case of KIND bars from blisstree
what if GMO's were banned in the USA from organic authority
how to treat bacme from you beauty
duct tape surfing (get your kleenex out, this one is a tear-jerker in a good way)
iced coffee concentrate from cooking a la mel
chocolate peanut butter cup cheesecake squares from chocolate moosey
chocolate as sunscreen? from science daily
various types of oatmeal nutritionally the same? from worlds healthiest foods
how positivity reduces pain & inflammation from positively positive

As you know Google Reader is shutting down July 1.
My alternative is to use Feedly.
It's really easy to switch over to Feedly--they practically do it for you!
Or you can follow me on Facebook Page or on Twitter.

Have a wonderful weekend!

brookie bars

Have you heard of the brookie?
A brownie layer, a cookie layer all rolled into one cookie?
There are a couples variations of it, I wanted to try my own spin on it.
After having found the best chocolate chip cookie ever--the jacques torres cookies; I wanted to use those as a base and then the top layer I figure why not try jacques torres famous brownie recipe.
The brookie does the brownie on the bottom and the cookie on the top and molds them into cookies.
I didn't have those molds so I used a pan.
I put the cookie on the bottom because it can hold the heat better and the brownies on top since they are a bit more delicate.
If you like fudgy brownies then this recipe is for you.
This is a really good brownie recipe all on its own, fudgy middle and crisp top--perfect combo!



Fairly easy to make.  Just make the cookie base and refrigerate (as per instructions) for a couple days.
When ready to bake, just make the brownie batter.


A few thoughts: I did not add nuts to the brownie batter, and after tasting it, it really did need that "texture".  And of course feel free to use your own brownie recipe too.  Just make sure you have enough batter for a 9x13 pan--this is what the cookie dough batter needs.  Also, there was a bit of extra brownie batter left over; I used a mini loaf pan and baked off the rest.

Brookie bars

both recipes from Jacques Torres

print recipe

Cook notes:  In the brownie recipe, there is no place where it says to add in the flour mixture to the mixer, so I added it in below. Very strange.  But I think I nailed it.

I did not add nuts to the brownie batter, and after tasting it; it really did need that "texture".  And of course feel free to use your own brownie recipe too.  Just make sure you have enough batter for a 9x13 pan--this is what the cookie dough batter needs.  Also, there was a bit of extra brownie batter left over; I used a mini loaf pan and baked off the rest (about  20-30 minutes baking time for a mini loaf pan)

For the brookies:

mix up the chocolate chip cookie recipe (below), cover, and chill in fridge for a day or a couple days.

When ready to make brookies bars, make the brownie batter (below).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9x13 baking pan with non stick spray.

Layer down the cookie dough batter, making sure to get in all the corners.

Then place the brownie batter on top, smooth it out. 

Bake for about 45-55 minutes. 

The brownies are fudgy-like so it will be a little loose still after about 45 minutes of baking.  How to know they are done when the jiggle in the middle of the batter should be gone.  Please check at the 45-minute mark.

These need to cool completely before slicing.  To help them set up, I placed in the fridge for about an hour. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Jacques Torres

2 cups minus 2 TB (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 ts baking soda

1 1/2 ts baking powder

1 1/2 ts coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 TB (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 ts natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks at least 60 percent cacao content

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.

Jacques Torres’s brownies

12 ounces 72-percent chocolate, chopped

¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ cups (three sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

10½ ounces 60-percent chocolate, chopped

2⅔ cups walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 15½×10½×1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, or lightly spray it with nonstick vegetable spray.

Place the 72-percent chocolate in the top half of a double boiler and stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from the heat and beat in the cocoa powder until well blended. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on low until softened.

Raise the speed to medium and beat for about three minutes, until creamy.

Add the sugar and continue beating for about four minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated.

Add the chocolate mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Then add in the flour mixture and mix till just combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the 60-percent chocolate and the nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, lightly smoothing the top with the spatula.

coconut cream truffles

I was shocked at how fast my coconut truffles got very popular around the web and food blogging world.
It all started with a post on Pinterest and "boom" did that take off.
Those coconut truffles alone got over 1 million hits!
I love that I have a lot of coconut fans.
I've always wanted to try and do a coconut cream like truffle.
But I wanted a thick cream not a liquid filled truffle--I don't like many liquid filled truffles UNLESS
it's Champagne or rum.

You know how some liquid truffles are just either too sweet or taste like Nyquil?
Yeah, I hate that.
What is the best truffle you had?
My favorite truffles are the kind that have the highest levels of cocoa in there so that when you bite into your chocolate craving is satisfied for a month. (Oh, and a little bit of texture is good too--always have to have texture in a truffle).




Or top with crushed almonds!


Speaking of truffle fillings---why not try adding a touch of rum to the filling?

coconut cream truffles

print recipe

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

14 ounces of toasted coconut (you don’t have to toast it, but it does taste much better)

8 ounces white chocolate chips

hefty pinch of sea salt

large crushed toasted almonds (about ¼ to ½ cup, depending on how nutty you want it), optional

10-14 ounces of semisweet chocolate for dipping truffles

(you can use whatever chocolate you like for dipping, but milk chocolate was just too sweet)

*save some of the toasted coconut for decorations (about ¼ or less cup), optional

Cook notes:  I did not crush my almonds I wanted them whole.  But feel free to do as you wish or no nuts at all.  You can also coat these truffles in white chocolate. I tried using milk chocolate, but for me it was too sweet so I stuck with semisweet.  Feel free to use what chocolate you prefer.

I don’t have a mixer, so I mixed this by hand, but if you have a mixer, then mix the cream cheese until creamy; set aside.

Melt the white chocolate chips and the cream cheese over a double-boiler.  You’ll need to stir this a lot as it’s heating up.  Once it’s all combined add in almost all the toasted coconut, the hefty pinch of salt, the almonds, and mix well. 

(Remember; do not add in all the toasted coconut if you want to decorate the tops of the truffles: save less than a ¼ of a cup or an 1/8 of cup?)

Spread into an 8x8 or 9x9 glass or ceramic dish. 

Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

(I left mine in fridge for two nights and it was fine).

When ready to mold the truffles, take dish out, let it come to almost room temp or you can try rolling out at any time; it might need about 20 minutes to be workable.

Scoop chocolate out with a spoon, melon ball size scoop (this is what I used, in photos).

Roll chocolate mixture into balls, place in bowl/plate and chill for a few minutes while you get your dipping station set up.

I highly suggest using semi-sweet and white chocolate for dipping.

Milk chocolate was just too sweet.

If you want to coat the tops of the truffles with toasted coconut, make sure to do so when the truffles are still wet.

If your kitchen is warm, then place truffles in fridge to set up a bit.

Depending on how big or small you make them, you should get between 20- 30 truffles.

Keep them in an air-tight container for a few days.