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Bringing Home the Bakin'

“bake my cake and eat it, too”

Monthly Archives: June 2012

04/06/12 A Camping We Will Go

I can’t think of another treat that epitomizes summer (or summer camp) more than the traditional s’more.  So, as I prepare for my ten weeks at summer camp (working, of course!), I thought I’d share a recipe that exudes all of the summer flavors and memories of a s’more, but that can be enjoyed year-round.

Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Cookies – Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for working
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 9 large marshmallows, halved
  • 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light, 4 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.
  2. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls, 3 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. With the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour, flatten cookies to 2 inches in diameter. Bake until dry and set, about 7 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a marshmallow half. Bake until marshmallows are soft, 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula, gently flatten each marshmallow. Let cookies cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
  4. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted, 2 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. Place one cookie at a time on tines of a fork, submerge in chocolate, then tap fork on edge of bowl to remove excess. Place on wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let cookies set in refrigerator, about 10 minutes.

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03/06/12 Silver Lining

A few years ago, I received a speeding ticket.  It was my first (and only) infraction, but because I was a new driver, I had to go to a traffic class.  I can’t say I learned anything valuable from the class, but what I did learn that day was the deliciousness that is Cantoro’s Italian Market (which is conveniently located next to the church where the traffic class was held).  A recent trip to the market inspired this meal.  The meatballs were moist and flavorful — anything you would want from a meatball.  The sauce was kind of improvised (no recipe there, sorry!), but any type of good marinara-type sauce would pair well with the meatballs.  Definitely, definitely, definitely make these meatballs!

Classic Beef Meatballs – The Meatball Shop

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (purchased fresh from Cantoro’s)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried (I left this out)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.

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01/06/12 Summertime

This meal was everything a summertime meal should be: easy to prepare, somewhat healthy and incredibly delicious. The flavor of the endive and snap pea salad provided a nice contrast to the spicy, slightly-sweet grilled chicken breast. Everyone truly enjoyed the chicken (“finger licking good”) and I’m sure this rub would be equally as delectable on either beef or pork.

Endive and Snap Pea Salad with Parmesan Dressing – Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (10 ounces) sugar snap peas, stemmed, stringed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
  • 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
  • 1/4 cup sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 red Belgian endive or small Treviso radicchio spears
  • 8 yellow Belgian endive spears
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chervil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
Directions:
  • Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain peas; transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain; thinly slice on a sharp diagonal.
  • Purée 1/4 cup Parmesan, vinegar, lime juice, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. With machine running, gradually add both oils and blend until emulsified and well incorporated.
  • Place 1 red endive spear and 1 yellow spear on each plate. Fill leaves with some of the snap peas. Top with 2 more endive spears (arrange perpendicularly to the bottom leaves) and fill with remaining snap peas. Drizzle some of dressing over. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and herbs over, then drizzle with more dressing. Season with pepper.
Rub (from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home‘s Rubbed and Glazed Pork Spareribs) used on Chicken
Ingredients:
For the rub:
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sweet pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 chicken breasts, quartered
Directions:
  1. Combine ingredients for rub.
  2. Apply rub liberally to chicken.
  3. Grill chicken until cooked — internal temperature should read 165-170 degrees (fahrenheit) on meat thermometer

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