Yeasted Honey Biscotti di Miele

There's nothing better than the smell of baking bread,
Unless it's mixed with the smell of baking cookies.

I made bread on Monday and my family devoured the honey wheat loaf, so I figured it was time to make these biscotti di miele.
They're essentially honey wheat bread in cookie form, made with whole wheat flour, just a ad of honey, and then rolled in coarse raw sugar before baking.
These remind me of something I would have eaten as a little kid after one of my Dad's Saturday Domino's runs. I've always been partial to the hardly sweet Italian cookies, and these are no exception.
They're so old world tasting, it's hard to believe Nonna didn't make them for you.

If you're afraid of yeast, this is a great practice recipe for you because it has a yeast in comparison to flour (pretty much guarantees that it will rise) and the second rise is in the fridge, over night. You can even leave it for up to 24 hours, so there's no need to worry about leaving it for set times, like most bread recipes.

The Perfect Little Cookie to Snack on While Blogging

These biscotti are not overly sweet, beautifully caramelized on the outside, and have a unique texture that you are guaranteed to crave after you make these for the first time.
They're like a soft breadstick, with a a caramel-honey flavor, and a bit of yeast on your tongue after you swallow.

Biscotti di Miele
Makes about 24 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter

1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour
2.5 tbs cold butter, cut into cubes
2 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105º)
1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp set aside
pinch of salt
about 1/3 cup turbinado sugar for rolling

In a small bowl of cup, dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 tsp of honey. Let the mixture it for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the rest of the honey and mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt with a fork. Add the cubed butter and cut into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter, until the mix is crumbly.
Add all of the yeast mixture to the flour and mix until the dough starts to form a ball.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow it to sit and rise in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size.
After an hour, punch the dough down and transfer to the refrigerator, covered with plastic, to rise over night.
The next morning, roll the dough to about 1/4" thick, on a floured surface. Cut the cookies into circles, then cut the circles into 1/2 circles. You can re-roll the dough 2 times (3 times maximum)
Roll the half circles in turbinado sugar, twist into a stand and pinch the edges together to form a twisted ring.
Lay the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to rise, uncovered for 5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Twist the cookies one more time before baking for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp on the outside.
They should develop a crust that resembles a vey thin bread crust.

The Nervous Bakes

Some people get the nervous shakes. 
Or the nervous giggles.
I get the nervous bakes.
This leads me to do regrettable things, like attempt a batch of yeasted, flourless, sugarless, banana-oat bread at 1:30am.
Than a new recipe for chocolate peanut butter cookies at 2am. When I'm on a diet. 

I didn't realize I was nervous until I emptied the too-large jar of yeast, busted out the peanut butter and began mixing even though there were dirty dishes still in the sink.
I didn't realize I was nervous until I started planning a cookie spree instead of tomorrow's workout (I stopped that one dead in its tracks)
I didn't realize I was nervous until I started using Punchfork like a stress ball, scrolling farther and farther down the page with every squeeze of my heart, each clench of my stomach.
I didn't realize I was nervous until 20 different people asked me if I was nervous. I told them 
No.
I'm fine.
Excited.
Just fine.

Then I went a little nuts.
In the kitchen-with the rubber spatula and metal bowl I will have to leave behind.
With the oven knob and the tablespoon measure.
With the plastic wrap and tiny tasting spoon.

But now I know. I know I'm nervous. 
I know I screwed up. I know that tomorrow I will finally pack.
And finish that survey. And find my passport.

Oh, and I have some cupcakes to make, too.

Hug in a Mug Brownie Pudding (single serving)

A single girl molten chocolate pudding cake for when you need a chocolate hug.

I'm going to keep this post short because I know you don't need an anecdote, or bossy directions. 

Good.

You need help.

You need a hug.

You need chocolate.

You need all this things now.

Here it is, a Hug in a Mug:

Better with Warm PB Sauce

Hug in a Mug:
Serves 1

5 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 cup of sugar
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 1/3 Tbs all purpose flour
2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Because some colorful sprinkles will make you smile

Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease 1 ramekin or oven safe mug.
Beat the egg and 1/4 cup sugar until very thick and pale yellow in color (5-10 minutes)
In a pan, bring 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbs water to a boil. Cook, not stirring until dark caramel in color. Remove from the heat and add 2 tbs butter and heavy cream, whisking well to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and salt and reserve 1-2 tbs caramel.
Whisk together the flour and cocoa powder until there are absolutely no lumps. Slowly add the butter and flour mixture to the eggs, folding together with a rubber spatula, fold in the caramel still in the pan.
Pour into a greased ramekin and bake  for about 20 minutes (the top should be cracked but the inside should be fairly liquid)
Cool for 5-10 minutes before eating, while still very hot, topped with the reserved caramel.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I know, it's strange how much bread I've been baking in August.
Bread is my de-stresser, my therapy, my physical outlet (I firmly believe of the throwing of dough on the counter)

I made 2 different types of bread this morning-to-afternoon.
Whole wheat pita, and cranberry walnut bread, both are to be gifted away.
There's something very grandmotherly about giving somebody a loaf (or stack) of bread for a gift. Unlike brownies or cookies, nobody can assume it was made from a mix or prepackaged dough, it has a certain heft that makes me feel like it actually counts as a gift.

Now that I'm finished singing the praises of loaves of bread, let's sing about flatbread, specifically the pita.
Boy, oh, boy, the pita! Firm, bubbled, pocketed vessel of hummus.
Baked into chips, used to clean out the bowl of spicy soups, simple to make, and so fun to shape from little balls into rounds.

These hold flavors beautifully, garlic, herbs, even a little parmesan cheese can be added to the top or middle of the rounds for a more flavorful bread, but that'll be another post. For now, we'll focus on plain pita, hummus' favorite friend.

Whole Wheat Pita
Makes 16 (2 oz) pitas

3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water (105-110ºF)
1 tbs dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil, divided

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the water, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture proof for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, repeat this step with new yeast.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and 1 Tbs of olive oil to the flour.
Mix with a fork until thoroughly combines (about 3 minutes)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and continue kneading for about 6 more minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a ball and coat with the remaining oil. Place back in the mixing bowl, and allow to sit, covered with a warm kitchen towel, for about an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.

Once risen, preheat the oven to 500ºF and turn the dough out onto a clean work surface.
Divide the dough into quarters, careful not to press the air out of the dough.
Flatten each quarter into a square, about 1 inch thick, and cut the square into quarters.
Roll the 16 pieces of dough into balls. Cover the balls with a kitchen towel and allow to rise again until slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
After the second rising, roll the dough into 6 inch rounds on a floured surface and place on a heated pizza stone or bottom of an overturned baking sheet.
Cook the pitas for about 2 minutes, or until puffed.
Eat with hummus, bake into chips, use to soak up soup; enjoy them in whatever way you please!

Beet and Clementine Salad

Sometimes you've just got to eat dirt. Whether it's a mushroom, a beet, or almost any other root veggie, the foods that taste like dirt are oddly appealing to me.

The beet has been especially crave worthy lately, and I've been eating them like crazy.

I like that they're healthy

I really like their deep red color

I'm a fan of their versatility

Heck, I love that they taste like dirt.

I really love they they're good for you, and have been eating them like crazy for the past week or so.

Roasted, boiled, and raw beets with balsamic vinegar are great for a while, but eventually, they need something else. That's when you make a beet salad.

This is one of my favorites, with sweet citrus, creamy avocado, earthy beets, peppery arugula, and nutty sunflower seeds, this salad is almost overwhelming in that it hits every last tastebud.

It may be complex in flavor, but it's one of the easiest salads to make--perfect for a brown paper lunch bag, a summer picnic, or a more formal dinner.

Beet and Clementine Salad

Serves 4

16 cups (one large bunch) arugula, rinsed and dried

8 steamed baby beets, quartered (you can find prepared beets at Trader Joe's)

2-4 clementines, peeled and segmented

1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Dressing

Makes 1.25 cups

1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded

2/3 cup of water, divided

1 tsp lime zest

3 Tbs lime juice

2 chopped green onions

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste) 

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large boll, toss the greens, beets, and clementines.

In a blender, puree the avocado, 1/2 cup of water, lime juice and zest, onions and garlic until smooth. Add more water if the mixture is too thick. 

Taste and add salt, pepper, and cayenne until seasoned to your taste (I used about 1/2 tsp of each)

Divide the salad onto 4-6 plates, top each with 1-3 Tbs of dressing and a tablespoon of sunflower seeds.

Enjoy!

Soft Earl Grey Shortbread Biscuits

I don't think of myself as an elegant person. I have yet to master any sort of glide, I don't own a hair dryer, and I have been known to wear yoga pants for more than 24 hours in a row.
I have my elegant moments, though.  I'm a bit of a mascara pro, I don't cry in public, and I firmly believe that you must wear heels to work.

Oh so Elegant

These cookies are a bit like me. I identify with these cookies. I know that sounds super strange and possibly creepy, but I already know I have an abnormal relationship with food, so say what you please.
These cookies sound refines and elegant, but are super easy to make, and taste a bit like the crust of a PopTart (Thanks, Sis, for that observation)

They are complex in that the taste and texture are familiar, but also new, as the pepperiness of the tea sits in contrast with the simplicity of the white sugar and flour.
They're hard to explain, easy to make, and amazing to eat. They sound fancy, impress guests, but are also right at home clutched in a toddler's fist.
They're like people, they have many different moods, and sides, and they always have a place on the cookie platter.

Soft Earl Grey Shortbread
Makes about 24 cookies

4 oz cold butter, cut into cubes
6 oz flour
2 oz + 2 Tbs white sugar
2 Tbs Earl Grey Tea (from a tea bag is fine)
1/3 cup skim milk

Preheat your oven to 375ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugar and flour until they form a dough with a texture similar to pie crust. Don't worry if your butter gets too small, it doesn't make too much of a difference in this recipe.
Pour your milk and 1/2 Tbs of the tea into a small microwave safe dish and heat on high for a minute to a minute and a half, or until the milk is just about to boil.
Allow the tea to sit and steep in the milk for just about 2 minutes before adding to the food processor in a slow stream, while pulsing.
As soon as the milk is incorporated into the dough, fold in the remaining tea leaves (you may have to transfer your dough to a larger bowl and crumble it up a bit for more even distribution.)
Chill the dough on the counter overnight.
Flour a board and roll your dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter (or the size  of your choice) to cut the dough into your desired shapes, continually rolling out any dough scraps.
Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are just getting a pale golden cast around the edges.
Enjoy!

Sweet Garlic Rasted Zucchini

As you may have notices, it's the time of year I like to refer to as Zuccinipocalypse. Zucchini is literally taking over the world. And I love it.
Zucchini is my absolute favorite vegetable, and when I can get it perfectly sweet and in season, I get very very excited. I know, I'm a lame.
When I say it's my favorite veggie, I don't mean I enjoy the oily grilled vegetable medley that's served at my grandparents' favorite restaurant. I actually hold this dish responsible for turning so many people against my little green friend.
No, no, no, I like my zucchini grilled until the inside is just warm but still crisp, sautéed with lemon and lots of black pepper, raw with nothing on it. Yep, I know, I'm a lame.
I'm not even going to start talking about cakes, breads, or brownies. That would just be too much.
But my favorite way of eating this favorite veggie (essentially one of my favorite vegetable dishes) is Sweet Garlic Roasted Zucchini.

The zucchini is marinated in salt and lots of grated garlic, the roasted in 2 rounds. Once without any oil, at a lower temperature, then once with just a sheen of the good stuff at a higher temperature, so it get's golden and crisp.

The salt draws out any bitterness in the zucchini, allows the garlic to cook slowly in the oven, preventing any possibility of burned bitter garlic, and makes the dish super sweet.
The second roasting makes the sweet veg golden and crisp. Yum.

Try this dish with your non-zucchini loving friends to turn them on to a lifetime of zucchini love. I promise, it will work.

Oh, and this also works wonderfully with yellow summer squash, or a combination of both if you want to get really fancy with it.

Sweet Garlic Roasted Zucchini
Serves 4

4 medium zucchini (or 30 baby zucchini)
4 cloves of garlic, grated
2 tsp sea salt, faked or ground

1 Tbs olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Chop the zucchini into bite sized pieces, or cut baby zucchini length wise, so you have 2 long halves.
Toss zucchini in a bowl with grated garlic and salt. Allow the mixture to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Spread the zucchini evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes, stirring half way through.
After 10 minutes, or when the zucchini are just beginning to feel tender, remove from the oven and toss with 1 Tbs olive oil, making sure any and all garlic bits are also tossed with the oil.
Heat oven to 400º and return the zucchini to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp on the cut side, turning half way through.
Serve alongside Pollo in Pomodoro, atop risotto, or tossed with spaghetti alla carbonara.
Enjoy!

Pollo in Pomodoro

I was planning on making grilled chicken with fennel for dinner. For me, this dish is just summer on a plate, so I figured it would be perfect for early August.

Today, it was 65º and rainy. Today was fall all the way, without a bit of summer in the air. Tonight's dinner called for something tender, cooked for at least an hour, preferably stewed in a spicy tomato gravy.

Tonight was a pollo in pomodoro night.

I spend my falls and winters making soups, and stews, and curries. This is my favorite late summer version, as it takes advantage of all the fresh summer tomatoes, is filling on cold nights, but is still light and super healthy, filled with fresh veggies, low fat white meat, and herbs.

Pollo in Pomodoro

Serves 4

olive oil

4 chicken drumsticks (skinned)

4 chicken thighs (skinned)

salt and pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

red pepper flakes to taste (1/2-1 tsp)

2 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped fine

1 tbs chopped basil

salt and pepper

Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, when hot, add olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and add them to the hot pot. Brown the chicken on both sides, 6-7 minutes each.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to sweat, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until you can smell the garlic, about 3 minutes more.

Add the crushed tomato, and stock to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed

Add the chicken, basil, and rosemary to the sauce and add enough water or chicken stock to almost cover the chicken. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes to a half hour, until the sauce comes half way up the chicken.

Serve with polenta or roasted sweet garlic roasted zucchini.

Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato and Peach Jam

Ketchup has to be one of my favorite things. Not just one of my favorite foods, but one of my favorite things.
It's right up there with sweaters, lipstick, and puppies.
I put it on everything from fried potatoes, to baked potatoes, to mashed potatoes, to freezer waffles.
Bet you weren't expecting that last one.

I've made berry ketchup, I've made berry jam.
And now, I've made tomato peach jam. It's essentially a way grown up version of ketchup and is amazing on everything from toast to meatloaf.
It's sweet and tart and as spicy as you want it to be.
Its healthy, with only herbs, tomatoes, peaches, vinegar, salt, pepper, chilie flakes, and 2 tbs of honey. Yep, "ketchup" with only 2 tbs of sweetener. That's what the peaches are for, kids.
This jam literally tastes like summer: ripe peaches, garden fresh tomatoes, it doesn't get any better.
It's the perfect way to use up all the weird looking tomatoes from the garden, or the ones that split in the summer heat,  because it cooks for about an hour.

Tomato and Peach Jam
Makes 1 quart of jam

1 Pound tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large peaches, chopped slightly smaller than the tomatoes
2 Tbs honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs chopped basil
1/2-1 tsp chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop your peaches and tomatoes and toss in a medium, high sided pot. Add the vinegar, honey, and a small pinch each of salt and fresh ground pepper.
Heat the mixture on medium, stirring, until it comes to a boil.
Cover and turn down to a simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure all the fruit is breaking down evenly.
After 25 minutes, mix in half of the basil and chili flakes. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has dissolved by half, and the fruit is broken down. Stir the mixture every 4 minutes.
Mix in the rest of the basil, cover the pot, and remove from the heat.
Allow the jam to come down to room temperature before pouring into an air tight container or jar.
The mixture will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
Enjoy!

15 Questions to Know You Better

Hey all!
So, I know that I've been writing here for a couple of months and that I have an About Me page, but that just tells you the formal stuff.
I wanted to get to know you all a little better, so here's Elle Fowler's 15 Question Tag!

Questions:

1. What do you think you can do but can't? Make Posters.
2. What's a difficult word for you to pronounce? Sixth
3. What's your favorite childhood TV show? Arthur!
4. What are your virtues an vices? An addictive personality--for both
5. What's most important to you, Love, Fame, Power or Money? Love, hopefully it's yours too
6. If you could live in any era, what would it be? 1920-Present
7. If you had to redo your wardrobe with 2 stores, what would they be? Asos and American Eagle for jeans
8. What were you doing a year ago today? Same as today--Coming home from Lolla and a voice lesson.
9. Do you have reoccurring dreams? If so, explain. Nope, they're different every night
10. What's your horoscope? Pisces
11. What does your dream bedroom look like? A comfortable bed, light and airy decor
12. What Position do you sleep in? Very specific, sort of on my side, I guess.
13. Who is your favorite vampire? The Little Vampire
14. What are you currently wearing on your feet? Blowfish heeled sandals
15. Do you have neat handwriting? Sow us!

Strawberry Rhubarb-Rhubarb Galette

Galettes are the pie world's cookie. They're free form, they're relaxing, they're whatever you want them to be.
I find galettes liberating.
Really, I do.
My mom's the kind of person who needs some liberation. A lawyer, a mom, a high stress individual who prefers birthday pie to birthday cake. Her favorite pie is strawberry rhubarb. Unfortunately, she was born in late July (the 2nd to last day) and by now, rhubarb is long out of season.
This high stress individual has an obsessive daughter. The kind of daughter who bought all the rhubarb she could get her hands on, flash cooked, and froze it in anticipation of July 30th. This daughter needs a galette.

Strawberry rhubarb pie is a taste of my childhood. Some people have memories of chocolat chip cookies and meat load, I have memories os rhubarb and spaghetti alla puttanesca. My sister, Dad, and I would hunt one down every July, always literally leaping for joy when we found one at Peterson's (the best pie in town) Now Peterson's is closed and we always get one in June from Eileen's Pies and Otherwise (If you go to Martha's Vineyard, find her, buy her warm pies, and spend the rest of your days in pastry-induced bliss)

Getting ready for a Dinner Picnic

I love the way the rhubarb cuts through the sickly sweet childhood taste of cooked strawberries,  love the way the cinnamon lends a much needed depth, and the way the honey plants the desser firmly on the ground. The nuttiness of whole wheat flour and slight tartness of Greek yogurt in the dough doesn't hut either.
This recipe works just as well with fresh rhubarb as frozen, though I don't recommend prepackaged frozen fruit because strawberry-rhubarb combinations tend to be pretty runny, and the frozen stuff gives off juice like you wouldn't believe. I know most of you will have to wait close to another year to make this exact recipe, but subbing 1 cup of rasberries, 1 cup of strawberries, and 1 cup of peaches will work just as well!

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
Serves 6-8

2 c rhubarb, sliced thin
1 c strawberries, sliced thin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 c corn starch
2/3 c turbinado or other raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c skim Greek yogurt
3-4 Tbs ice water
2 Tbs milk

For Crust: 
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse salt and flour until light. Add the yogurt 1/4c at a time until just combined. Add water slowly, until the dough just begins to form a rough mass. Form into a ball and chill while making filling.
For Filling:
Combine Lemon, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add fruit and sugar and toss to thoroughly combine, making sure the fruit is evenly spread, and that the flour is not clumping.
Construction:
Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll out to a 10x15 rectangle and move to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Spoon the drained fruit filling into the middle, leaving about 2 inches around the sides.
Fold in the shorter edges, then the longer sides to overlap.
Pinch the corners closed. Brush with milk, sprinkle with the extra sugar and bake, at 350ºF for 45 minutes, cover with foil if the crust gets too golden and the fruit is not yet finished.
Cool for 20 minutes, cut and enjoy!

Honey Almond Cookies with No Refined Sugar

Sometimes you want  need a cookie. A lot of times, it's too hot, or too fancy an occasion, or you've just already eaten too much to grab for your favorite chocolate chip or peanut butter buddy

(yes, cookies are friends, not food.) 

These cookies bridge the gap between satisfaction and grace perfectly. They're nutty, spongy, and so subtle sweet, they'll make you swoon like a real lady. And, you can have more than one and still feel like gliding, not thumping (or rolling)

Honey Almond Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups almond meal
3/4 cup wildflower (or your favorite type) honey
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp powdered ginger (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350ºF, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and move the rack to the bottom of the oven.
In a bowl, mix almond meal, honey, and ginger until well combined
In another very clean glass bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until the eggs form stiff, shiny peaks, usually about 5 minutes, but it depends on your eggs, bowl and kitchen.
Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the almond mixture until just combined. Add the rest of the eggs and fold gently. Spoon with a real table spoon (the kind you use for eating) onto the lined baking sheets and pop them in the oven.
After 2 minutes, lower the temperature to 300ºF and continue cooking for 8-12 minutes or until golden and fragrant.
Enjoy!

July Beauty Favorites

Hey all! I hope you had a wonderful July and are getting pumped for an even better August. Here are my 7 favorite beauty products for the month of July.

Get ready for my non-beauty favorites. There are far more than 7 and I'll give you a hint, one has to do with swimming pools, rings, and a whole lot of gold.

Talk to you all soon!

Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Grapefruit-Orange Curd

I'm really not much of a cake eater.
I prefer cookies. And Brownies. And pies. And anything with the words browned and butter living happily next door to each other.
I even prefer the savory salty things to cake. Yep, it's true.

 

However, I fond a cake that I'm really really really liking. This may be a problem
It may be a problem because now when I bring cake to events, I'll scarf it. That's why I tend to bring cupcakes to events I'm staying at and cookies as gifts. You can't scarf a gift--that's just plain rude.

 

This cake is different, though because it's a little bit dense, not at all grainy, and has a little bit of tart to counteract the sweet. Oh, and all the equipment you need to make this is a bowl, a spoon, and something to bake it in. So don't worry about making cupcakes and a curd. You won't have to do nearly as many dishes as you thought.
Another reason I don't do cake is because I'm not a frosting girl. I know, weird again. I've never frosted this cake, though, and I've never wanted to. It's really already that good. I've tried a couple of variations on it that have been absolutely spectacular, so watch out for those. They'll probably all pop up in December because I have an unusual knack for befriending people born in the fall and winter. 
So here it is in all it's simple glory.


Yogurt Cupcakes with Grapefruit-Orange Curd
Makes 24 Normal Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (you can use all AP f you don't have cake flour lying around)
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, mix the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. 
In another bowl, mix the eggs, milk, yogurt, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until combined and lump free.
Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the Cupcakes and make the curd.


Grapefruit-Orange Curd
Makes 1 1/2 cups


1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 Tbs honey (or 1/4 c granulated sugar)
4 Tbs butter, room temp
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp grapefruit zest
Pinch of salt


In a small sauce pan, bring the grapefruit juice to a boil and reduce by half. Remove from the heat and add the orange juice, zest and salt, cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and honey until fluffy and light. Add the yolks and eggs--alternating--one at a time, until they are totally combined. 
Gradually add the mixed juices.
Put the bowl on top of a double boiler (the pot from earlier is perfect) and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
The curd is done when it coats the back of your spoon. If your heat is gentle enough, you shouldn't have any curdling and the mixture should be thickened after about 10 minutes of cooking. 
Pour the mixture into another, cool bow and chill to room temperature.


To Fill:
Using a piping tip, knife, or apple corer (my favorite) make a 1" deep hole in the center of each cupcake.
Using a baggie or piping bag with a plain tip, pipe the curd into the center of the cupcake, coming just above the top lip, so the curd pokes out and takes the place of frosting.
Filled cupcakes will keep well over night and into the next day, but will get soggy if left uneaten for more than 2 days, so feel free to divide the cake recipe and keep the extra curd in the fridge. It's great on top of toast or more Greek yogurt.
Enjoy!

July Favorites and Other Things that Made me Happy in July

Hey all! Here are my Non-beauty July favorites and then just a few things listed below that weren't favorites, but made me happy anyways!

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Strawberries: They taste like my childhood. They’re not my favorite thing in the world, but a slightly over ripe strawberry in July makes me very, very happy. They also make fantastic galettes, popsicles, and are especially fantastic in award-winning strawberry ginger jam, which will come around very soon.

Slippery Slope Shea Butter Lotion: I went on vacation. I got super tan. I can back and resumed working in a sunless office with an over active air conditioning unit. My skin is dry as heck. That’s where this little tub of love is coming in hugely handy. It smells like earth, it saves the world, and it stops me from turning into the lizard man from Spider Man, which brings me to…

The Amazing Spider Man: Andrew Garfield was fantastic in Boy A, he was perfectly creepy/sweet in The Imaginarium of Dr. Pernassus, he underestimated Tommy’s character in Never Let Me Go, he was the best and most brilliant Peter Parker ever. And I’m a harsh critic because Spidey’s my favorite super hero.

Greek Yogurt: I’ve been using it in everything from pie dough, to salad dressing, t cheesecake, to regular cake, to big bowls of peaches. It worked wonderfully in all of the above.

Grapes: Roast them. With rosemary. Eat it. Smile.

Pound cake: I’m not a cake person, but I’ll eat a little of this. Just a little. I love making them, though. There’s something rustic about them. If my grandma cooked, she’d make pound cakes. I’m making a whole bunch of these guys because they freeze well, and that’s going to be increasingly important in the next two weeks of cooking. We’ll get to the reason why in 3…2…1…

Post-Its: I keep an Idea Book at all times. It’s a Moleskin where I write down the things that are taking up a lot of space in my brain. I have a lot of clutter up there right now. I’m going to college in the fall, buying new clothes (no dress code!) and trying to squeeze all the summer things I planned into a 2 ½ week period. PostIts are cheaper than Moleskins, and they stop me from filling up something I keep for fun with stressful deadline lists. You can also stick them to the counter and edit recipes as you go.

 

Some Clarifications

I think my last blog may have caused a little bit of confusion and I need to clear some things up.

I do not need to diet because I eat unhealthy food.

I am not going to be doing anything fad-ish

The recipes I am going to be posting for the next couple weeks are not different from the way I like to cook.

My diet is simply this: No sweets for 30 days. It’s the way some people live their lives every day. It’s just a little break because I’ve been a little over excited by honey recently.

 

Now onto using whole, natural foods:

I think eating whole and natural foods is hugely important. In every recipe on this blog, I use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry. I use turbinado or another form of raw sugar unless I specify white or powdered.

 

I will be updating the posts this week to specify these details (even though any recipe calling for just flour will work very well with plain unbleached all-purpose flour)

I am very sorry that I did not go into these details earlier on (2 months’ notice may have been nice, I know)but I think this is all part of the balanced approach to life that Sunday Sweeties promoted. Occasional indulgence, making pastries and gooey treats is healthy. It prevents you from feeling deprived and going crazy, it’s creative and artistic, and fun. You can make it healthier if you use whole grains, more natural sweeteners, and fats whose origins are easy to understand (where the heck does shortening come from?)

I hope everything’s been clarified for you, I hope you’re not too confused about recipe formulation, and will revisit the edited recipes.

Have a fun, healthy weekend, and I will see you on Sunday!

Healthy Things? and Andrea's Banana Quinoa Muffins

Today is August 1, 2012.
Today, I am beginning a diet.
Today I decided to lose 10 pounds in a month--challenge.
Today I looked up how many calories I have to burn each day to do this--scary.
Yesterday, I went all out at a friend's birthday party because I knew today was Diet Day 1. (A ton of tiramisu tastes good. A ton of tiramisu feels sick)
Yesterday I realized that I could not leave you all stranded without any baked goods for a month.
Today I made healthy muffins that taste fantastic.
Tomorrow I will have one for breakfast.

This whole diet deal is forcing me to create good recipes that are conservative. I love messing around and making rules for myself. I have to say, I've pieced together some good vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free concoctions, but for the first healthy recipe, I decided an old stand by would be best. While it's a very rare thing for me to make a carb/fat/calorie-loaded savory dish (I just don't eat that way) I tend to get a little excited when exposed to butter, sugar, and an oven. I've been working with different fats and sweeteners recently, and started replacing most of my flour with whole grain varieties, but fat really does seem to be fat and sugar really does seem to be sugar. Oh, and I can't do carob. I refuse. Don't even talk to me about it.
They're not great for you.
That makes me exceptionally sad.

But, these muffins are not carob. They're the twin's favorite, super easy, protein filled, and adaptable beyond belief. I added sunflower seeds to these ones just because I had a bunch lying around for scones I never really got around to makeing, but you can throw in whatever you want or nothing at all. Plain happens to be my favorite with these.
The nuttiness of the quinoa blends really well with the coconut oil, so you get a nutty bite without actually biting into any chunks, or having to grind almond meal. There's not much more I can say, other than Bananas, quinoa, honey, and coconut is a great combination, and these make a great, filling breakfast that leaves you satisfied, even if you're a habitual lunch-skipper, like me.

If you're feeling reckless, feel free to add an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and use browned butter instead of coconut oil. Because when formerly white foods turn brown, everything is right with the world. Am I right?

Oh, and don't get me wrong, I'm still going to be baking treats for you (every day for the next 20 days, actually) but they're going to be kicked out of the house as quickly as possible. Grandma, coworkers, friends, and anybody else who crosses my path in the next 3 weeks will be presented with food.

Banana Quinoa Muffins
Makes 18 Muffins
Some of my muffins look a little wonky. They're just free form. I had enough batter for 6 more muffins but didn't feel like taking out another muffin tin, so they were just dumped into the liners and arranged on a baking sheet. They cook in the same time and are even more fun to eat.
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 large eggs
2 large, ripe mashed bananas
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (AP works too)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or your favorite add-ins
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk mixed with 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
(or 1 cup of buttermilk)

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil and honey until smooth. Add your mashed bananas and vanilla, stirring well.
In a larger bowl, combine the flour, seeds, salt, spices, baking powder and quinoa with a whisk.
Make a well in the center and add your wet ingredients, mix until they are about half way combined.
Add your yogurt-milk and whisk until combined but still slightly. A slightly lumpy batter makes puffier muffins.
Fill your muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden on top and  a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Enjoy!