blueberry buckle

this is a recipe i stole from christanne, but it's so yummy, i had to! it's perfect for summer when blueberries are in season and cheap, cuz this takes 5 cups of them!

blueberry buckle:
1/2 cup butter, room temp
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
5 cups blueberries

strudel topping
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbl butter, room temp.
add all ingredients in a bowl and cut together with 2 knives or a pastry knife until all pieces are about the size of peas.

1 10" round or 2 6"rounds
preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour springform pan.
sift flour, baking powder and salt.
cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes on medium. turn to low and add egg & vanilla, mix until fully combined.
add reserved flour mixture, alternating with a little milk each time, starting and ending with flour. gently fold in berries. pour into pan. sprinkle with strudel topping.
bake 60 - 70 minutes, till tester comes out clean.
cool on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan, cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

posted by aimzog

Strawberry Hand Pies

after making jam yesterday, i was left with a lot of extra berries, so i made these little yummies!
posted by spyderette

Filling:
1 ½ cups strawberries, diced
2 T sugar
1 T cornstarch

Stir togther and set aside.

Pastry:
1 ¼ cups flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled & cut into small pieces)
1/8 – ¼ cup ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, cutting in until it resembles coarse meal. Add water a little at a time, mixing until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. To test, squeeze a small amount together – if crumbly, add water 1 tsp at a time. Flatten to a disk and chill 1 hour. Roll dough into large rectangle 1/8” thick.

Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheet with parchment paper*. Cut 6 5” circles and transfer to baking sheet. Place 2 heaping TBSPs of strawberry mix on half of each round. Brush edges with a lightly beaten egg. Fold and seal edges and brush tops with egg. Slash tops and sprinkle with sanding or raw sugar.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool before serving. (Makes 6)

*definitely use the parchment...i used foil and that was just a bad idea! maybe if you sprayed the foil with baking spray with flour....i still have a bunch of these, too bad no one ever comes to visit...

Father's Day Breakfast

Candy Cane Quiche and Lemon Pecan Scones

~posted by Special K

Candy Cane Quiche

This dish gets its name because the recipe is Candace's and we all know just how much she LOVES to be called Candy!
Quick (Candy Cane) Quiche

1 single deep-dish pie crust, frozen
3 eggs
Scant 1 cup milk
1 T flour
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup cheese (I used fontina)
1-2 cups meat and/or veggies of choice (I used blanched asparagus and turkey sausage)
Salt and pepper to taste


Beat eggs and whisk in milk and flour. Add green onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese meat and veggies, and any other seasonings as desired. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. This is great served with fresh fruit and re-heats well.

recipe by spyderette~posted by Special K

Lemon Pecan Scones

This started as a Lemon Blueberry scone recipe and has evolved in my kitchen over the past two years to yield this yummy breakfasty goodness.Lemon Pecan Scones
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of one lemon
1/2- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the lemon zest and pecans. In a measuring cup, stir together heavy cream and lemon extract. Stir into dry ingredients until dough holds together in a rough mass. Do not overmix. The dough will be quite sticky. Use an ice cream scoop and drop onto an ungreased baking sheet (I use my silpat), allowing about an inch between pieces. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Mix powdered sugar with lemon juice until desired consistency and drizzle over warm scones.

**Note-for lower fat scones you can substitute 8 oz. of lemon yogurt for the heavy cream and lemon extract.

posted by Special K

I promise this is the last veggie & pasta combo....

it's just that it tastes so fresh and summery right now. this one is quick and simple. just boil pasta and chop some stuff up!

Tortellini with Cherry Tomatoes and Corn

1 9 oz package cheese tortellini, uncooked

1 16 oz package frozen sweet corn
1 clove garlic, halved
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp olive oil
pepper to taste

Cook tortellini in boiling water for 3 minutes, omitting salt and fat. Add corn, and cook 3-5 minutes more. Drain well. In the meantime, rub the inside of a large serving bowl with the garlic halves and discard garlic. Into bowl, place tomatoes and green onions. Add hot tortellini on top of tomatoes. Add basil, cheese, olive oil, and pepper. Toss to combine.

This is great hot but also really yummy at room temperature or cold the next day.

Serves 4-6. posted by spyderette

Father's Day Skele-Pie!

sorry ladies, this is one recipe i don't share...can't be famous for it if everyone makes it! BUT i wanted to show off my dad's-day-worthy skeleton love pie. eat it and weep. :)

posted by spyderette

Artichoke Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes over Israeli Couscous

this is quick (under 30 minutes) and yummy!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup flour
4 T olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 scallions, thinly sliced -- white and green parts separated
12-16 sun-dried tomatoes, slivered
1 can artichoke hearts in brine, drained and halved
1 cup water, reserved from cooking couscous
salt and pepper to taste

israeli couscous
1 cup chicken broth

pour 2 T olive oil over sun-dried tomatoes and marinate at least 30 minutes.
halve chicken breasts and seal in a ziploc bag. pound to 1/2" thickness. seasond with salt and pepper and coat in flour. fry in 2 T olive oil until cooked through and golden. (3-4 minutes per side) set aside.

meanwhile, cook couscous according to directions, replacing 1 cup of water with chicken broth. drain and reserve 1 cup liquid. toss couscous with green parts of scallions. arrange chicken on top.

add garlic and white part of scallions to pan chicken was cooked in. saute' 1-2 minutes, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. add: 1 cup liquid from couscous, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes in oil. saute' until artichokes are warmed through and the liquid has reduced slightly. salt and pepper to taste and serve over the chicken and couscous. (serves 4)
posted by spyderette

gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce

while the gnocchis were fun to make, i have to say they weren't all i had hoped they would be. i have this multi-sensory memory of this dish my friend and i always got at a restaurant called de medici in san diego, and quite honestly, eating their gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce is a religious experience. maybe i just shouldn't even try because nothing i've made or had has even come close to that most delicious plate of soft potato noodles and cheesey blue sauce. i'm sure this recipe is very respectable and tasty, it just didn't cut it for me. so i'll save you the details and when i find that perfect gnocchi recipe, i'll post it.

orzo with roasted vegetables

i made this on saturday, it's similar to candace's and hopefully just as delish! it's from my good friend ina garten.









1 small eggplant, peeled, 3/4 inch dice
(mark doesn't like eggplant so i used asparagus instead.)
1 red bell pepper, 1 inch dice
1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch dice
1 red onion, peeled, 1 inch dice
- add any vegetables you have on hand, i threw in some grape tomatoes at the end
2 cloves garlic, minced (i think i ended up using about 4 or 5, cuz i love garlic)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh gound black pepper
1/2 lb orzo pasta

dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

to assemble:
4 scallions, minced
1/4 cup toasted pignolis
3/4 lb feta, coarsley crumbled
15 fresh basil leaves, julienned

preheat oven to 425 degrees. toss all veges (except scallions) with oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a roasting pan. roast about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are translucent and beginning to carmelize. remove from oven and let cool in the pan. cook pasta according to package directions. drain and run under cold water to stop them cooking. drain well, put orzo in a large salad bowl and add vegetables along with the oil they cooked in. mix dressing ingredients in a bowl and pour over pasta. toss in the remaining ingredients. eat it up and rub your tummy.

Wannabe TJ's Cookies

When you eat one bite of a cookie and then dream about it for three nights in a row its time to take action!
So, while this is not quite up to the level of the DREAMY TRADER JOE'S COOKIE, it almost fills the void.

Kristin's Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, well beaten (like naughty children)
1 T. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 T. cinnamon
3 cups oats, not instant
1 cup dried cranberries (I like to soften the cranberries in warm water for 10-15 minutes, then drain)

Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Add cranberries. Add oats last.

Use cookie scoop or rounded tablespoonfulls of to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. If you want to bake 2 sheets at a time, bake for 13 minutes and rotate sheets halfway through baking. Cool completely on wire rack. (no, not your own rack, you might get burned)

Sorry, no picture yet...I'll post one later this week.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins
MAKES 12 REGULAR SIZE MUFFINS or about a million mini muffins!

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries, preferably wild (I love Wyman's--they are small and very tasty.)



1. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk egg for 20 seconds and add granulated sugar. Continue whisking sugar and eggs until the mixture becomes light yellow and uniform in texture--about 30 more seconds to a minute. Add melted butter in 2-3 additions, whisking well after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisk lightly until just combined.
3. Add the blueberries to the dry ingredients and toss to coat with the flour mixture.
4. Carefully fold the wet ingredients into the flour and blueberries. Don't overmix. The batter will be very, very thick and some flour streaks may remain.
5. Using an ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, fill lined or well-greased muffin cups with the
batter. The cups will be very full--almost to the top.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, rotating the muffin tin halfway through the baking time. The muffins will be ready when golden on top and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. As soon as muffins come out of the oven, place them on a wire rack to cool.

we be jammin

what do you get when you add 15 pounds of strawberries, 15 pounds of sugar, and about 5 hours of your life? 48 jars of beautiful, sweet, delicious strawberry jam.
thanks to kristin for doing 99% of the work - i know i was there the whole time but am not quite sure what i did to help...

who's up for raspberry jam?

Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables

4 summer squash (zucchini or yellow or a combination) - sliced 1 inch thick, halved if large
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4" slices
2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
2-4 TBSP olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

8 oz short pasta, such as fusilli or ziti
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
torn fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450. Spread all veggies on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast without tossing until tender and starting to brown, 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and place in serving bowl. Add olive oil, parmesan cheese, roasted vegetables, and basil. Toss gently to combine. (serves 4). posted by spydertte. :)

A theme?

Is anyone else noticing a dessert theme happening here? Maybe I'll go ahead and cook some real food sometime soon!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

3 cups fresh chopped rhubarb
3 cups strawberries, halved
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 T. butter

To make crumb topping: Mix flour & brown sugar together. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Roll out pie crust or use premade frozen crust. Mix fruit, sugar and flour in bowl. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Cover edge of crust with foil. Bake 25 minutes at 375*. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until topping is brown and filling is bubbly.

mmmm... brownies

look what came today! i immediately made some brownies, and while they may look pretty, they didn't taste great. i used a recipe that came with the pan, they are too cakey for me- i like em chewey and chocolatey. so next time i'll bust out the duncan hines fudge mix and really get something to inhale. who's up for an edge piece????

Chocolate Cake with Blackout Filling

I found this recipe on another blog and thought it sounded delish! It might be a little ambitious, we'll have to see if I ever get around to making it!

Chocolate Cake with Blackout Filling
INGREDIENTS

Filling:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:
13 Tbsp. (1 stick plus 5 Tbsp.) butter
6 ounces semisweet (60 percent) chocolate
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
5 large eggs

Cake:
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot water

To make filling: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Remove boiling cocoa mixture from heat; whisk in cornstarch mixture.

Return saucepan to heat, and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil about 1 minute, until cornstarch is cooked and mixture is very thick.

Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into a shallow, heat-resistant bowl; immediately cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent film from forming. Cool completely, and refrigerate until firm, or overnight.

To make frosting: In a large glass bowl, combine butter and chocolates; heat in microwave (or on stovetop in a double boiler) until melted. Stir until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar and salt. In a medium saucepan, thoroughly whisk eggs; whisk in sugar mixture, combining thoroughly. Whisk in a scant 1/2 cup water, combining thoroughly; place over medium heat and bring to 160° on a candy thermometer, whisking constantly to prevent sticking, but creating as little foam as possible.

Strain mixture through fine sieve into heat-resistant container. Whisk into chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Cool completely, then refrigerate until stiff enough to spread, or overnight.

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with butter; line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and vanilla; add to brown sugar mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat 1 minute on high speed.

Sift together cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; add to brown sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Sift flour. Add 1 cup to batter and beat on low speed until just combined. Add 3/4 cup sour cream to batter; beat on low speed until just combined. Alternate adding flour and sour cream to batter until there's none left. With mixer still running on low, slowly add hot water, beating until just combined.

Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat batter on low speed about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl thoroughly once more, then divide batter evenly among the three pans, about 3 cups per pan. Bake 30 to 33 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from oven. Cool layers in pans about 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to one night before assembling.

To assemble, level cake layers by slicing off their tops. Place bottom layer on a serving platter cut side up. Spread 1/2 cup filling on top. Place middle layer cut side down on top of bottom layer. Spread remaining filling on top. Place top layer cut side down on top of middle layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting.

let's eat!

hey ladies - here is our brilliant blog for all things tasty! i can't wait to start seeing delicious recipes and pics of your creations!