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Gooey Cinnamon Squares

06 Thursday Feb 2014

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Gooey Cinnamon Squares

I have never been a big Snickerdoodle person. Given the choice, I will always choose chocolate chip over a Snickerdoodle. It seems weird, since some of my favorite treats are churros, elephant ears…just about anything else with cinnamon and sugar. When I saw this recipe for gooey cinnamon squares, I knew I had to make them. And holy crap. They are like Snickerdoodles elevated to the highest level.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

These portable (yet trust me, gooey) treats are perfect just about any time of year. Make them for anyone who loves a snickerdoodle…they won’t be disappointed. Even before I put these in the oven, I could tell they were going to be prettttty awesome.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

The gooey part is key – when I made these the edges may have gotten a little crisp, so beware of that. Slightly under-baked is ok in this situation.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

Per Usual, Smitten Kitchen just kills it. I have about 12398210938120 more of her recipes archived in hopes I can get to them all one day, so get ready for more.

Recipe
Gooey Cinnamon Squares
from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
makes about 6 dozen squares

Ingredients

Soft Cookie Base

  • 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup  (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
Gooey Layer

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used nonfat)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour

Topping

  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. Make the cookie base: Stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 min. Add the egg and milk and beat until combined. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Spread dough into an even layer in the prepared pan; set aside.

3. Make the gooey layer: Whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer cream butter, 1 cup sugar and salt until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour and honey mixture alternately, mixing each time until all ingredients are incorporated. Dollop over the cookie base and spread into an even layer.

4. Mix together the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the gooey layer. Bake until edges have set and center is still gooey, about 25 minutes. The gooey layer will rise and fall in the oven but will still be a bit gooey under the cinnamon crust when the squares are done. Let cool on a rack, for at least an hour, then cut into small squares.

Candied Citrus Peels

16 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Desserts, Entertaining, Events, Holidays

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Candied Citrus Peels

Candied Citrus Peels

I saw this recipe for candied citrus peel last year in Sunset magazine and REALLY wanted to make it…but just never found the time. I guess it was one of “those” holiday seasons. This year, I find myself looking for work in a new city, cooking and baking a lot when I’ve become overloaded with job applications. Ok, it doesn’t take me that much to get overloaded with that…But I don’t have the cash for extravagant gifts this year, so instead I am going the homemade route…

Candied Citrus Peels

Candied Citrus Peel! It’s super easy to make, a little labor intensive, and definitely a process that takes time. Kind of like homemade Limoncello, but you just have to wait a day or so for your peels to be ready instead of weeks! The result here is SUPER worth it, I must say. It’s like candy you don’t even feel guilty about eating, because A.) You made it B.) We are eating citrus peels, how weird and healthy and fibrous must that be? and C.) It’s totally natural, and tastes so pure and wonderful compared to those citrus gummies you get at the store.

Candied Citrus Peels

Candied Citrus Peels

And can we talk about how they are so great by themselves, but they have so many other uses? You can dip half of the peels in chocolate if you really want to go crazy, you can put them in cocktail (like your homemade limoncello), you end up with leftover simple syrup for pancakes or cocktails…And just you wait for the cocktail I am going to show you later using all of the leftover juice from the oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits…

After marinating in some simple syrup...

After marinating in some simple syrup…

Laying out to dry...

Laying out to dry…

Save that Syrup for other uses!

Save that Syrup for other uses!

Admittedly, I was a bit nervous that these weren’t going to be worth the time and labor, but holy crap I will make these year after year they are so good. They have been a huge hit with everyone who has tried them!

Candied Citrus Peels

Candied Citrus Peels

Recipe
Candied Citrus Peel
adapted from Sunset Magazine
makes about 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 grapefruits
  • 3 limes
  • 3 lemons
  • 3 oranges (we actually used mandarins because it was what we had on hand)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar, plus extra for rolling/dusting

Directions

  1. Score grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes through peel from top to bottom in sections (don’t cut into fruit.) Pull off strips of peel with your fingers. Slide a small, sharp knife along inside of peels to remove excess membrane so peels are about 1/4 in. thick. Cut peels lengthwise into strips about 1/2 in. wide in center and tapered on ends.
  2. Put peels in a pot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat twice more. Don’t skip this step, it helps remove the bitterness from your peels.
  3. Refill pan with 4 cups water and 4 cups sugar; bring to a boil, making sure that sugar dissolves. Add peels and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until peels turn translucent and syrup begins to form bigger bubbles, about 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Drain peels, saving syrup for other uses (such as topping for pancakes or simple syrup for cocktails) if you like. Spread peels on a nonreactive cooling rack set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let peels dry overnight.
  5. Put about 1 cup sugar in a bowl and toss peels in sugar by the handful, shaking off excess. Put peels on a clean baking sheet and let them dry 1 more day.

Make ahead: Up to 3 months, chilled airtight.

Thirsty Throwback Thursday | Homemade Limoncello

21 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in Boozy, Entertaining, Events, Holidays, Thirsty Thursday

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_MG_1253 _MG_1250 Lauren&JordanRehearsal_08 Lauren&JordanRehearsal_07

Here’s a #throwbackthursday for you: Homemade Limoncello! We made Limoncello as a favor for our guests at our Italian-Inspired Rehearsal Dinner in August. All photos above are from the wonderful and talented Jesse Amorratanasuchad, who did our Wedding Videography and Rehearsal Dinner Photography. You can find his website over here.

Below are a few shots I took from the Limoncello making process. Making Limoncello is not for the impatient!Limoncello

I never really saw myself making any sort of homemade booze. Ever. Drinking it, YES! Making it, waiting for it to be ready, taking care of it…No.

Bottles

At this point, I have no memory of whose idea it was to make homemade Limoncello for our rehearsal dinner favors. I mean, are you even supposed to have favors at your rehearsal dinner?!? I guess it was different, perhaps we got a little too into the whole “We both studied abroad in Italy, our rehearsal dinner MUST BE AUTHENTIC ITALIAN” theme…But hey, homemade Limoncello is an experience. The excessive amount of lemons, small bottles, and love that went into the production of these boozy little gifts was something to be proud of.

IMG_0555

IMG_0554

Notes: We bought our bottles from Wholesale Glass Bottles and Jordan designed the little print-at-home stickers that went on the bottles. We still have a few bottles left…and the Limoncello is still good to go even though we made it many months ago. If you are looking for a fun and boozy project, Limoncello is a great gift for people around the holidays!

I think we tripled the recipe below, but we had about 75 people at our rehearsal dinner! (lots of out of town family…) At some point, the math got lost on me and I made Jordan figure out all conversions…So either stick with the recipe below, or I will hope you are good at math!

Recipe
Homemade Limoncello
adapted from the Cooking Channel
Makes about 1.75 liters or 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 7 ripe lemons, thoroughly washed and dried
  • 4 1/4 cups 100 PROOF Vodka (high proof vodka is a must, if you are brave, use everclear)
  • 4 1/4 cups water
  • 1 pound sugar

Directions

Shave off the yellow part of the lemon rinds using a potato peeler. Put the lemon rinds in a sterilized large glass bottle and add the alcohol. Cover the bottle with plastic wrap to prevent the alcohol from evaporating, and let stand for 12 days at room temperature. We put ours in a dark closet.

Boil the water. Remove from heat and add the sugar. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, and let cool. 

Drain the 12-day old alcohol and discard the lemon rinds. Add the alcohol to the sugared water. Set aside for an additional 10 days in a sterilized sealed glass bottle. 

After 10 days, the limoncello is ready. These are the ways we suggested to serve it to our guests:
Homemade Limoncello

Baked | Oatmeal M&M Cookies

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Easy, Holidays

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Oatmeal M&M CookiesI have always been a sucker for M&M cookies…but I’ve never actually baked any on my own…Until we had tons of M&M’s leftover from the candy bar at our Wedding. Add this to the fact Jordan loves Oatmeal cookies…and these babies were born. They are chewy, crunchy, and addicting…Good thing I still have about 2 pounds of M&M’s left! The next few batches are going to be given to all of the guests from our Wedding who didn’t take enough candy in the first place…Consider yourself warned.Oatmeal M&M CookiesOh and yes…our Wedding colors were shades of Rose and Gold…so these totally look like Valentine Cookies. Don’t you dare judge.Oatmeal M&M CookiesWe ordered personalized M&M’s and I’m not even sure if anyone noticed the messaging…One thing is for sure, you definitely can’t appreciate the messaging when the M&M’s are buried into delicious cookies. Fun Fact: The term is “Anchors Aweigh” not “Anchors Away.” I might be the only person in the universe who didn’t know this until I ordered the M&M’s…Another Fun Fact: We were married on a ferry, so we weren’t just putting random phrases on our Wedding candy…I swear.Wedding M&Ms

Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Recipe
Oatmeal M&M Cookies
adapted from food.com
makes about 3 dozen cookies
Note: Feel free to half the recipe for a smaller batch. Like I said, I had a lot of M&M’s to use.

Ingredients:

    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 and 2/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
    • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
    • 1 1/2 cup M&Ms

Directions:

In a large bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, cream the softened butter and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Slowly stir in the baking soda,, oats, and 2 cups of flour. Mix together until just combined. Do not overmix. Toss the M&M’s in 1/4 cup flour, then add to the cookie dough. We don’t want our M&M’s sliding around the dough!

Chill the dough for at least one hour in the fridge. Cookies just aren’t as good if you don’t refrigerate the dough before baking. I usually leave them in overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Roll and drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet or silpat. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool on baking sheet for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies may appear undone, but if they are brown around the edges they are most definitely done!Oatmeal M&M Cookies

On cooking for friends, crappy food photos, and being a super unprofessional blogger

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, Entertaining, Holidays, Main Dish, Uncategorized

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We had guests over Easter weekend, and while most of the time we were ordering pizza and out at select bars, I wanted to make breakfast one morning and contribute to Easter dinner at my aunt’s house.

The Traditional Easter Brunch Sweater, and a throwback to college days with Andre

The Traditional Easter Brunch Sweater, and a throwback to college days with Andre

The problem with blogging and actually cooking for people is you don’t exactly have the time to get the greatest photos. I don’t want to be like, “WAIT!!! STOP EVERYTHING SO I CAN TAKE THIS PERFECT PHOTO BEFORE YOU EAT THIS.” That’s just rude, and really weird to 95% of the population.

Key Lime Bundt

So, what does one do when they don’t have time to test out new recipes and photograph them in a lovely makeshift food photo studio? Continue reading →

Cranberry Sauce, 2 Ways

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in Entertaining, Events, Holidays, Sauces, Thanksgiving

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Bourbon Cranberry Sauce and Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce.

Cranberry Sauce, 2 Ways

Recipe

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

From Epicurious

yield: Makes about 3 cups

ingredients

  • 1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup bourbon

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Recipe

from Lulu, yields about 2 cups

  • 2 12 oz. bags fresh cranberries
  • 16 oz. pomegranate juice
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Mixture will thicken as it cooks, and will thicken more as it cools. Once off the stove, add the onion and red pepper flakes.

Cranberry Shrub Cocktails

11 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Events, Holidays

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Cranberry Shrub Cocktail. Photo from: Jeffery Cross, Sunset Magazine

Cranberry juice and booze. Not my favorite combination in the universe. I think I ordered a cosmo once when I was 21. I have a friend who uttered the phrase, “I’ll have a vodka cran” for the span of about 3 years. She sticks with vodka sodas now. Let’s face it: The days of Cosmos and Sex and the City are looong gone.

waiting for the cranberries to burst!

Fast forward to the November 2012 issue of Sunset magazine – a recipe for a Cranberry Shrub, a “curiously refreshing fruity vinegar syrup, originally used to preserve in-season fruit.” I was immediately intrigued. There were so many different suggestions for what to mix with the shrub syrup, and hello, Thanksgiving is upon us. I had to try it. Cranberry and booze, welcome back to my life. This easy recipe makes a world of a difference from scary store bought cranberry juice cocktail.
Recipe
Cranberry Shrub
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Bring all ingredients to a simmer with 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes until most cranberries have burst.
  2. Spoon out a few whole cranberries and set aside for garnishing drinks if you like.*
  3. Strain mixture, pressing liquid out of pulp using the back of a spoon. Discard pulp. Chill at least 1 hour. Store for up to 3 months.
  4. *Roll the berries in sugar, skewer on toothpicks, and set across tops of drinks. Use that day.

Ways to Shake up a Shrub!

  • Pour over ice and top with club soda…and vodka if you’re feeling frisky.
  • Make a Shrub mimosa with Champagne.
  • Muddle with an orange slice and ice. Add bourbon and top with club soda.
  • Fill a tall glass with ice, layer in a splash of shrub, then add equal parts orange juice and tequila…If you are me, add vodka.
  • Shake with ice and equal parts shrub, gin and sweet vermouth. Strain into a glass.

Blackberry Pie Bars.

14 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Baking, Bloggerific, Breakfast, Desserts, Entertaining, Events

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Wild Blackberry season…I have so many memories associated with you. Sometimes it seems like Summer hasn’t officially started until the Blackberries are ripe…that is how you know it has finally gotten warm enough in the Northwest. At the same time, you get the feeling that summer will soon come to an end, as usually the blackberries don’t get juicy and ripe until mid-August.  But then again, summer usually begins in July and ends in August ’round these parts…

Luckily, I found one of the best possible ways to use freshly picked blackberries – these insanely good Blackberry Pie Bars. I made these last Friday night at about 9PM, exhausted from the work week, half asleep…but I was determined to bring them to a party the next day. Thank God I soldiered on.

These are easy enough to make while half asleep, but they taste like something out of a homey bakery you randomly found on the side of the road. I can’t wait to make these again and again…Or at least every summer when Blackberry season rolls around.

I will always have a feeling associated with blackberry picking, an emotion you can’t quite put your finger on, maybe because it’s a mix of many things. Many stories, childhood memories, brambly bushes…but these bars will implant a very clear feeling: deliciousness.

Blackberry picking, 2010.

Recipe
Blackberry Pie Bars
From Joy the Baker

Crust and Topping

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • zest of two lemons

Blackberry Filling

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 2  (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained

(You can also use 6 cups of fresh blackberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries and 3 cups of fresh blackberries)

To make the crust and topping-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside.  Zest two lemons.  Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface.  Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon.  Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping.  Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling-

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt.  Gently fold in the blackberries.  Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust.  You may have to distribute the blackberries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned.  Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid.  Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight.  They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!

Tangerine Chess Pie

14 Wednesday Mar 2012

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Don't make fun of my less than stellar looking crust...it's a skill I'm working on!

Pie is my nemesis. Or maybe I should say pie crust is my nemesis. I know it isn’t hard to make it from scratch, but for me, it is just hard to work with. I can barely deal with the store bought kind. BUT, I went for it, just because I was so curious about this Tangerine Chess Pie from Southern Living, and also because it is 3/14…Pi Day!

The store bought crust is pretty standard, but the dreamy filling is anything but. Served chilled it is fresh and delicious, and reminded me of a lemon bar. I am tempted to adapt this recipe in the future…taking out the pie crust component, since it is, after all…my nemesis.

Recipe

Tangerine Chess Pie

from Southern Living

ingredients

  • 1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plain yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons tangerine or orange zest
  • 1/3 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, tangerine slices

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork. Bake 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
  2. 2. Whisk together sugar and next 8 ingredients until blended. Pour into prepared piecrust.
  3. 3. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set, shielding edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool 1 hour.