For as long as I can remember, my mom has raved to me about my paternal grandmother’s Mohn (Poppy Seed) Cookies.  I had never tasted her cookies, myself, but I was told by many reliable sources that my cookies were nearly identical. I should probably tell you all, readers of BHTB, that it wasn’t an easy road to perfection… it took hours of looking through cookbooks trying to find the perfect recipe, and spending even more time trying to look for another “perfect recipe,” when the first batch turned out to be inedible.  Luckily I had a lot of time on my hands, because the results (of the second batch) were fantastic! The cookies are thin, crispy, and not too sweet, with a homey, comforting flavor.

Poppy Seed Cookies – Marcy Goldman

¾ c.  vegetable oil
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 c. poppy seeds (*I soaked mine in vanilla extract)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, briskly whisk together the oil and sugar.

Vigorously whisk in the eggs, and then the vanilla, mixing until well blended. Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.

Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Working with a third of the dough at a time, on a very well-floured board, roll it out as thin as possible, between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (1.5 and 3.5 mm) thick. Make sure your rolling pin is well dusted with flour — a heavy pin covered with a rolling-pin stocking is ideal. Rolling between 2 sheets of parchment, the bottom sheet lightly floured, makes this easier.

Cut into 2-inch (5-cm) rounds, transfer to the baking sheets, and bake until the tops are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Like many others, I’m sure, I am ringing in the New Year with a slew of resolutions.  One, of many, is to lead a healthier lifestyle.  As an avid baker, it has always been important for me to bake with fresh, high quality ingredients, but this year, in keeping with my resolutions, I want to begin incorporating new, healthier alternatives to the traditional staples. Of the new items that I have been trying, one in particular has gained a permanent spot in my pantry: coconut sugar.  Coconut sugar (also referred to as palm sugar) is a vitamin-rich, unrefined sugar made from the sap of cut coconut flower buds.  With a low glycemic-index, and sugar substitute ratio of 1-1, it is the perfect way to add a few health benefits to your baked goods (and just in time for New Year’s resolutions!).  I highly recommend this product.

Some things are better than dessert; this happens to be one of those things.  The lemon peel is  such a unique twist, and makes a truly delicious challah.

Challah and/or Rolls (Bulgarian) – Doris Priver, Fiddler in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 package + 1 tablespoon yeast

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

6 cups + 2 tablespoons flour (I ended up using more, until the dough came together)

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine

5 eggs, divided

1 tablespoon lemon peel

1 teaspoon water

Directions:

Mix yeast, 1/4 cup cold milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; let rise.  Heat 1 1/4 cups milk plus 1 teaspoon salt until lukewarm.  Add margarine/butter and 1/2 cup sugar, melt, and cool.  Add 4 beaten eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon peel, and yeast mix.  Place 6 cups flour in mixing bowl.  Add liquid mix and knead by hand or on #2 speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.  Add more flour (1/2 cup or more) only if necessary and knead dough.  Should not be sticky. Place dough in greased glass bowl.  Cover with plastic. Let rise 1-1 1/2 hours.  Punch down and let rise again until doubled in size.  Divide into four 12-inch loaves (Note: I made two larger loaves, instead).  For twisted challah, cut three long strips and braid.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Fold ends under.  Brush with beaten egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water.  Let rise about 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Bake 40 minutes or less.  May be placed in refrigerator overnight before second rising.  Yield: 4 small loaves, or 2 larger loaves.

For more information on braiding, I recommend watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7D8PSBsy1M

When I was a little girl, I used to list “treasure-hunting” as one of my favorite hobbies.  You might  be thinking that I was a very imaginative child, one who pretended she was a pirate searching for gold; if this is what you would think, then you would be wrong. In my youth, treasure hunting was so much more than a make-believe game, in fact, it was not a game at all.  Treasure hunting was going to my grandma’s house, which appeared both beautiful and orderly (but like many things, appearances can be deceiving), and looking for “treasures” amongst 50 years worth of clutter.  What once started as an opportunity for me to collect more “things,” looking through various drawers and boxes to find little knick knacks and odds and ends (or my mom’s senior prom pictures that she refuses to let me bring into the house), turned into an opportunity for me to collect real, hidden treasures — the stories my grandma would tell me about all of the objects I found.  Some of my greatest finds, a beautiful beaded wallet, launched stories about a babysitter my mom and her siblings once had, and a t shirt from france (which I wore until there were holes in about every place imaginable), became the springboard for stories about my grandparents’ travels.

Surprisingly enough, in the three years that I have been writing this blog, I have neglected to share one of my family’s hidden culinary treasures: Mema’s Mandel Bread recipe.  Though it might seem simple to an outsider,  like the “treasures” I used to seek in my grandma’s basement, to me, it truly is one of the most special cookies I have ever tasted.

Mema’s Mandel Bread – Ann Benderoff

Ingredients:

-3 eggs (at room temperature)

-1 scant cup of sugar

-1 cup mazola oil

-3 cups flour (Gold Medal, pre-sifted)

-2 tsp pure vanilla extract

-cinnamon sugar mixture, to sprinkle at the end

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat eggs.

3. Add sugar and mix.

4. Add oil and vanilla and mix.

5. Add flour and mix.

6. Oil hands and mold dough into 2 long logs.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.

8. Slice the logs and put the individual cookies on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and return cookies to the oven to bake again until firm and crisp (watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn).

note: This is a basic recipe — many people choose to add chocolate chips, dried fruits, or nuts, but our family likes it plain.

This post is slightly belated, but the stretch from Thanksgiving to winter break was filled with long nights in the library, and early morning final exams.  This year, other than my staple pies (pumpkin and key lime), I made two delicious desserts.  The first dessert that I made was Dorie Greenspan’s Tourtley Apple Tart, a delicious combination of apple and almond, paired with a crumbly shortbread-esque crust.  This tart could definitely replace a more traditional apple pie. The second dessert I made was a chocolate pie with a chocolate and pretzel crust.  It, too, was delicious,  but had a much more mellow chocolate flavor than I had expected.

Tourtely Apple Tart – Dorie Greenspan,  for the recipe visit: http://thewhimsicalcupcake.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/a-tourtely-apple-tart-twd/

Chocolate Pie with Chocolate Pretzel Crust – Food Network

Chocolate Pie 
MAKES: one 9-inch pie
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Heat the milk in a large saucepan until hot but not boiling. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks, coffee and vanilla. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, then gradually whisk the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly, stirring a few times to prevent a skin from forming.

Pour the filling into the crust; press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill until set, at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

For the Crust:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ground chocolate cookies
• 1 cup finely chopped pretzels
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

How wonderful it is to be at school with my very own kitchen…  Last night, my roommates and I prepared a housewarming dinner and invited the boys living below us to help enjoy it.  We started off easy with salad, green beans, pasta, and chicken but the flavors did not disappoint.  BHTB is in for a great year!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been M.I.A. from my blog lately.  Immediately upon my return from two months in the woods of Wisconsin, I began baking but had little time to write about it.  Instead, I had to pack and prepare for the rapidly approaching
new school year. Now that I’ve settled into my apartment and classes are underway, I’ve finally found some time to blog.  I recently made Ellie Krieger’s Double-Chocolate Brownies and I can’t wait to make them a staple in my baking repertoire.  Not only are the brownies moist and fudgy, but also they are -gasp- healthy (for a brownie)!  Krieger incorporates much less butter, but keeps the consistency the same with the addition of plain yogurt, so you can enjoy these 160-calorie brownies free of guilt.

Double-Chocolate Brownies – Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

BHTB is off to camp!  I’ll be in the woods for the next 8 weeks, but stay tuned — I’m sure I’ll find some culinary inspiration while I’m there.

Koci’s Favorite Granola Bars – La Kocinera

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (I substituted pecans)
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I substituted apricots)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions:

In my opinion, lemon bars are nothing to get excited about.  Fortunately, this lemon bar is not your average lemon bar.  To start, there’s no chalky, tasteless crust; even better, there’s no filling that is simultaneously lip-puckeringly tart and cloyingly sweet; my favorite part, they’re not drenched in powdered sugar. Instead, the crust is perfectly buttery and crumbly, its warmth only enhanced by the presence of the toasted coconut, and the lemon filling is smooth and delicate.  These bars were not what I was expecting, but let me assure you, I was pleasantly surprised.

Lemon-Coconut Bars – Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, cooled
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

FILLING:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Butter foil. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add coconut and butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden at edges, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling:
Combine 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, flour, baking powder, and salt in processor. Blend filling until smooth.

Remove crust from oven. Pour filling evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling begins to brown at edges and is just set and springy to touch in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool lemon bars completely.

Using foil as aid, transfer lemon bars to work surface. Flatten foil edges. Cut into 16 bars. Sift powdered sugar over. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight in single layer in refrigerator.)

I knew I had the recipe for these cupcakes tucked away and when my dad came home with a flat (12 pints) of strawberries one evening, I figured it was the perfect time to resurrect it.  As evidenced by the photos, the cupcakes were SO pretty, and yeah, they were just as good as they look.  The strawberry flavor isn’t super strong, but it is a nice undertone… it’s more like a vanilla cupcake infused with fresh strawberries, as opposed to a completely strawberry cake.

Strawberry Cupcakes - Sprinkles Cupcakes