Not Mac & Cheese

Posted on July 17, 2013 by sparecake

It’s been a while since I tried anything from the Wheat Belly Cookbook, mainly because so many of the recipes call for cauliflower, but finally it was time to stop avoiding it and give a cauliflower-heavy recipe a try. I already kinda knew cauliflower doesn’t have much taste, on its own, and it turns out when you pair that with cheese…it’s gonna work out alright.

IMG_6915Ingredients:

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1 13.6 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 large head cauliflower, in bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13″ dish. (The cookbook said 2 quart, but there’s no way this would have all fit!) Put the cauliflower in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

IMG_6911Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the coconut flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.

IMG_6912Add the coconut milk, mustard, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

IMG_6913Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, then pour over the cauliflower and stir together well. Transfer to the greased dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small chunks and scatter with the parmesan and flaxseeds over the top of the dish.

IMG_6914Bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling and lightly browned.

IMG_6919My mother had apparently made it her entire life without ever eating cauliflower, so kind of picked and poked at it at first, even though she said it tasted good, but she ended up going back and adding some chicken and a few more veggies to the leftovers and voluntarily eating it the next day! Who would have ever believed.

Not Mac & Cheese

From the Wheat Belly Cookbook.

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1 13.6 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 large head cauliflower, in bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13″ dish. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the coconut flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add the coconut milk, mustard, and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, then pour over the cauliflower and stir together well.

Transfer to the greased dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small chunks and scatter with the parmesan and flaxseeds over the top of the dish. Bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling and lightly browned.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Caramelized Peaches with Strawberry Sorbet

Posted on July 15, 2013 by sparecake

The Tour de France is going on this month, and as usual in the past year or two, tons of the teams’ chefs are on twitter, facebook, and various blogs. Seeing what the riders are having for dinner is always fun for me, and I was quite excited to find out that the chef for ORICA GreenEDGE (their capitalization, not mine!) was sharing a recipe a day on facebook. This is one of his desserts.

I really liked this, and I think you could serve it at anything from a cookout to a fairly fancy dinner. Certain factions in the house don’t believe that fruit-based items can be dessert, and are giant babies about eating peaches, but still admitted that the sorbet is excellent.

The recipe as written was kind of brief and doesn’t have a lot of guidance, so I’ll be writing it up as it worked for me. Because it’s from a non-US source, this recipe’s in metric measurements and requires a scale. It really is kind of worth having a scale around for more accurate measurements, and you can get pretty cheap ones on Amazon.

IMG_6909Ingredients:

Caramelized Peaches:

  • 4 peaches
  • 100 grams sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod (I used a small amount of vanilla paste)

Strawberry Sorbet:

  • 200g frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 liter water
  • 200 grams sugar
  • 2 grams gelatin
  • 1 lemon

To prepare the peaches, rinse and dry them, then cut into medium sized chunks, removing the pits.

Place the sugar in a pan, shaking the pan to spread the sugar fairly evenly. Place over medium low heat and cook until caramelized, shaking the pan occasionally to keep any one part from over-cooking. Keep a close eye on this, as sugar quickly goes from not-quite-ready to grossly burnt. Adding the peaches a few seconds early is greatly preferable to adding them to over-cooked sugar.

Nearly all melted, a few seconds more and you want to get your peaches in there!

Nearly all melted, a few seconds more and you want to get your peaches in there!

Add the peaches and seeds from the vanilla bean, and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and let cook several minutes, stirring frequently. I found the peaches released quite a bit of liquid.

IMG_6904Remove from heat and let rest 1 hour.

To make the sorbet, combine the strawberries, water, and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very soft and most of their color has been leached out into the water. I was surprised how red the water got, and how grey-white the berries became.

These strawberries still have a bunch of color left to give!

These strawberries still have a bunch of color left to give!

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, squeezing the liquid out of the strawberries before discarding them. Add the gelatin powder into the still-hot liquid, and stir well for several minutes to ensure it dissolves. Add enough juice from the lemon, several drops at a time, that the mixture tastes bright and fresh. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

So red, so fruity!

So red, so fruity!

Freeze the liquid in your ice cream maker until firm.

IMG_6905Serve on top of the caramelized peaches, and drizzle with some of the excess liquid in the peaches, if desired.

I had to leave the cooked peaches sitting around for way longer than recommended, they were probably more vibrant looking earlier in the day... Still fantastic!

I had to leave the cooked peaches sitting around for way longer than recommended, they were probably more vibrant looking earlier in the day… Still fantastic!

Like I said, I thought this was great, and it’s gotta be way healthier than a lot of the stuff I normally eat for dessert!

Caramelized Peaches

From OGE’s Taste of the Tour facebook album.

Caramelized Peaches:

  • 4 peaches
  • 100 grams sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod

Strawberry Sorbet:

  • 200g frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 liter water
  • 200 grams sugar
  • 2 grams gelatin
  • 1 lemon

To prepare the peaches, rinse and dry them, then cut into medium sized chunks, removing the pits.

Place the sugar in a pan, shaking the pan to spread the sugar fairly evenly. Place over medium low heat and cook until caramelized, shaking the pan occasionally to keep any one part from over-cooking.

Add the peaches and seeds from the vanilla bean, and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and let cook several minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let rest 1 hour.

To make the sorbet, combine the strawberries, water, and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very soft and most of their color has been leached out into the water.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, squeezing the liquid out of the strawberries before discarding them. Add the gelatin powder into the still-hot liquid, and stir well for several minutes to ensure it dissolves. Add enough juice from the lemon, several drops at a time, that the mixture tastes bright and fresh. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Freeze the liquid in your ice cream maker until firm.

Serve sorbet on top of the caramelized peaches, and drizzle with some of the excess liquid in the peaches, if desired.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on July 12, 2013 by sparecake

These cupcakes use a baking soda and vinegar reaction to get rise that makes a really stinky batter, but creates a perfectly textured cupcake. (Oh, and the stink goes away, too.) I’d be quite pleased with this texture in a non-gf baked good! My mother wasn’t even sure if she liked red velvet before this, but the answer turns out to be a resounding Yes!

IMG_6881Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s)
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten (I used regular large eggs with no problem)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • red gel food coloring to desired color
  • scant 1 cup milk, not skim, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a muffin tin with papers.

Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar.

IMG_6875Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and a bit of food coloring. Because I was doing this by hand, not with a mixer, I cut the butter up quite small before I added the rest of the things to make sure it was getting mixed pretty well. It’s fine if the batter is still a bit lumpy.

Just getting started.

Just getting started.

Stir in the milk, then add more food coloring until you reach a shade you like.

IMG_6877Divide evenly in the muffin tin, then bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

IMG_6880Carefully pry the cupcakes out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

You’re kind of on your own for frosting, but most frostings I can think of are gluten free, and the internet has tons of frosting recipes! I made a cream cheese frosting but didn’t do any measuring as I worked, just threw the extra 2 tablespoons of butter (from the stick I got the 6 tablespoons in the batter from), some vanilla, and a big blob of cream cheese (6 ounces? No idea, I got it out of two different containers.) in the mixer and started beating in (1 1/2? 2?) cups of powdered sugar until I got a consistency I liked. Scientific!

IMG_6882

Delightfully fluffy!

Delightfully fluffy!

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

From Gluten-Free on a Shoestring.

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • red gel food coloring to desired color
  • scant 1 cup milk, not skim, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a muffin tin with papers.

Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and a bit of food coloring. The batter will be a bit lumpy. Stir in the milk, then add more food coloring until you reach a shade you like.

Divide evenly in the muffin tin, then bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wheat Gift Bread

Posted on July 10, 2013 by sparecake

I was looking for a bread with a sourdough flavor and a shape-able dough the other day. I saw this bread, which was actually kind of clear from the ingredient list that it’d be more wheat-y than sour, but I tried it out. I didn’t get the sourdough flavor at all, but it also didn’t have the unpleasant bitterness you sometimes get with whole wheat flour. Just a generally pleasant soft wheat bread that I enjoyed, and would eat again.

I am pretty terrible at tying bows, turns out.

I am pretty terrible at tying bows, turns out.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons dry yeast, divided
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (or another cup of bread flour)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • about 1/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
  • about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
  • enough water to make a soft, but firm dough

The night before, create a sponge by stirring together the rye flour, cup of water, and 1/4 teaspoon yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight.

spongeThe next day, mix the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast, the bread and whole wheat flours, the salt, sugar, and oil into the sponge.

IMG_6843Knead together, adding additional water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. I didn’t need any to get a nice soft dough. Knead in the nuts and seeds if using.

Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, rotating to grease all over. Cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

first risePunch down the dough and divide into two equal parts. Shape each into a ball, and then flatten into a rounded square.

IMG_6847Fold four strips of tin foil into strips the width of your ribbon. I folded a straight edge on one side, and then would fold the other side up to fit into the ribbon spool to get the right size. Grease the foil, and then fold it over the dough in an X.

IMG_6848Grease some plastic wrap and cover the bread and let rise, about an hour. I only shaped one half of the dough, but you can see that it rose around the foil some.

IMG_6851Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, sprinkle the surface of the bread with water, and bake about 25 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

IMG_6852Remove the foil and let cool completely on a wire rack.

IMG_6853Once cool, tie a bow! Put the middle of the ribbon on the top of the bread, then twist underneath to come up on the other sides.

IMG_6854I think it looks fun and festive!

Wheat Gift Bread

Recipe from BreadMan Talking, shaping technique from Bread Experience.

  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons dry yeast, divided
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (or another cup of bread flour)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • about 1/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
  • about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
  • enough water to make a soft, but firm dough

The night before, create a sponge by stirring together the rye flour, cup of water, and 1/4 teaspoon yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight.

The next day, mix the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast, the bread and whole wheat flours, the salt, sugar, and oil into the sponge. Knead together, adding additional water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Knead in the nuts and seeds if using. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, rotating to grease all over. Cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide into two equal parts. Shape each into a ball, and then flatten into a rounded square. Fold four strips of tin foil into strips the width of your ribbon. Grease the foil, and then fold it over the dough in an X. Grease some plastic wrap and cover the bread and let rise, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, sprinkle the surface of the dough with water, and bake about 25 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Remove the foil and let cool loaves completely on a wire rack before tying a bow around each loaf.

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Reese’s Fudge Pie

Posted on July 8, 2013 by sparecake

This pie is a really rich combination of graham cracker crust, fudge layer, and fluffy peanut butter top. As you’d imagine, those go really well together, and will leave everyone happily comatose. I made it with my friend Ted, who may not have been on the blog since January 2012, when we made Salted Caramel Butter Bars (oooh man!).

IMG_6872Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 9 graham crackers, crushed
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Fudge:

  • 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 7 ounce bag Reese’s Minis

Peanut Butter Mousse:

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 ounce room temp cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed
  • optional 1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzle

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If you haven’t already, crush your graham crackers.

Yep, Ted is punching graham crackers.

Yep, Ted is punching graham crackers.

Mix together the grahams cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar, and press into the bottom of a springform or pie pan. A springform pan will be a bit bigger, and give you a slightly wider, thinner pie. We were working with a limited kitchen, so random pie tin from something else won.

IMG_6858

Yep, Ted is punching graham crackers.

IMG_6859

If you’re worried about overflow, it’s easy enough to put the pie on a pan to catch any extra.

Bake 8 minutes, then set aside. You’re done with the oven at this point, and can turn that off.

To make the fudge layer, combine all the ingredients except for the Reese’s in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth.

IMG_6860Pour into the pie crust, then press the Reese’s into the top of the fudge layer.

IMG_6861If you want the Reese’s to remain super well defined, let the fudge cool a bit first, so the fudge doesn’t start melting the Reese’s. It could be a bit challenging to jam them in by the time it’s cool enough not to melt the Reese’s, though, so we just stuck ’em in right away. With the smaller surface area in a pie tin, they cover the top pretty tightly.

IMG_6862To make the mousse, mix the peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a large bowl until smooth. This would be easier with a mixer, but Ted did an impressive job at getting it real smooth by hand. (Like I said, limited kitchen.) Fold in the Cool Whip.

IMG_6863Spread on top of the fudge layer.

IMG_6866IMG_6867Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if desired.

    IMG_6868Refrigerate before serving. We only chilled 20-30 minutes at first, and it was easier to slice then, but it does actually hold together way better if you chill at least an hour.

    IMG_6869IMG_6871Super delicious! And yay for friends!

    Reese’s Fudge Pie

    From Cookies & Cups.

    Crust:

    • 9 graham crackers, crushed
    • 1/3 cup melted butter
    • 1/3 cup sugar

    Fudge:

    • 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
    • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
    • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 7 ounce bag Reese’s Minis

    Peanut Butter Mousse:

    • 1 cup peanut butter
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 8 ounce room temp cream cheese
    • 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed
    • optional 1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzle

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Mix together the grahams cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar, and press into the bottom of a springform or pie pan. Bake 8 minutes, then set aside.

    To make the fudge layer, combine all the ingredients except for the Reese’s in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Pour into the pie crust, then press the Reese’s into the top of the fudge layer.

    To make the mousse, mix the peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip, then spread on top of the fudge layer.

    Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if desired.

    Refrigerate before serving.

    Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

    Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

    Posted on July 3, 2013 by sparecake

    Sort of similar to the orange almond cake of a few weeks ago, this cake involves a food processor, a lot of eggs, and almonds. A very different result, though, although both have good flavors and textures.

    IMG_6829Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups whole marcona almonds, toasted
    • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey, divided
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

    The almonds I used all said they were already toasted, and, being lazy, I went with that. If your almonds don’t come toasted, toast the whole ones on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, stirring once in the middle; toast the sliced almonds in an ungreased skillet over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes, until fragrant.

    Also, the original recipe called for regular almonds, but using the slightly sweeter, more moist marcona almonds worked quite nicely.

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a springform with parchment, then grease.

    Process the whole almonds in a food processor until finely ground. I found that it went chunky>gritty>gritty>gritty>almond butter, with that last change happening super fast. Having it basically be almond butter is better, texturewise, for the finished cake than having big almond grit.

    Tiny food processor, did it in two batches.

    Tiny food processor, did it in two batches.

    In a large bowl, eat the egg yolks, 1/2 cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat until combined.

    IMG_6822In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until very foamy, white, and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold even soft peaks.

    IMG_6823Gently fold the egg whites into the almond mixture, stirring gently until evenly combined. Spread into the prepared pan.

    IMG_6824Bake until golden brown and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan.

    IMG_6828Let cool completely, then drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of honey and top with the sliced almonds.

    IMG_6830This cake is quite sweet, but I feel like somehow it’s sweet in a way that won’t annoy people that can’t handle sweets? I didn’t eat much, as I don’t really care for nuts, but even I can admit it was a pretty good cake. My mom recommends toasting a slice in the toaster oven for some nice crispness!

    Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

    From Eating Well.

    • 1 1/2 cups whole marcona almonds, toasted
    • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey, divided
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

    Toast whole almonds on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, stirring once in the middle; toast the sliced almonds in an ungreased skillet over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes, until fragrant.

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a springform with parchment, then grease.

    Process the whole almonds in a food processor until finely ground.

    In a large bowl, eat the egg yolks, 1/2 cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat until combined.

    In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until very foamy, white, and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold even soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the almond mixture, stirring gently until evenly combined. Spread into the prepared pan.

    Bake until golden brown and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan.

    Let cool completely, then drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of honey and top with the sliced almonds.

    Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    BBQ Bacon Meatloaf

    Posted on July 1, 2013 by sparecake

    An easy, very flavorful dinner without too many ingredients.

    IMG_6819

    • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
    • 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, divided – use one with a brown sugar flavor
    • 1 package of bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped into small bits
    • 1/2-3/4 cup cheddar cheese
    • 1/2 cup crushed potato chips

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the beef, 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce, and bacon in a medium bowl and stir until well mixed.

    IMG_6814Spread half the beef mixture evenly over the bottom of an 8X8″ pan, then top with the cheese. Spread the remaining half of the beef mixture evenly over the cheese.

    IMG_6815Bake 35 minutes and pour off the excess grease.

    IMG_6816Top with the remaining BBQ sauce, then the crushed chips. Bake a further 5 minutes, and serve.

    IMG_6817

    Between the bacon and the beef, it might be a good time now to remind everyone that you should not be pouring animal fats down the sink! Once they cool down, they’ll solidify and clog your pipes, and what a giant hassle that’ll be to deal with.

    IMG_6820

    BBQ Bacon Meatloaf

    Adapted from Hunts.com.

    • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
    • 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, divided – use one with a brown sugar flavor
    • 1 package of bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped into small bits
    • 1/2-3/4 cup cheddar cheese
    • 1/2 cup crushed potato chips

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the beef, 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce, and bacon in a medium bowl and stir until well mixed.

    Spread half the beef mixture evenly over the bottom of an 8X8″ pan, then top with the cheese. Spread the remaining half of the beef mixture evenly over the cheese.

    Bake 35 minutes and pour off the excess grease. Top with the remaining BBQ sauce, then the crushed chips. Bake a further 5 minutes, and serve.

    Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    Crack Pie

    Posted on June 28, 2013 by sparecake

    I’ve been kind of slacking on Daring Bakers‘ posts the last 2 or 3 months, because they challenges were things my family can’t (or I won’t) eat, but I’m back! Rachael from pizzarossa was our lovely June 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she had us whipping up delicious pies in our kitchens! Cream pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, even crack pies!

    IMG_6473I went with version of Momufuku Milk Bar’s crack pie, as it was the easiest to make gluten-free, and it was super delicious!

    Ingredients:

    Oat cookie crust:

    • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
    • 5 1/2 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar, divided
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
    • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used gluten-free)
    • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
    • generous 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
    • 6 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Powdered sugar for dusting

    Before making the crust, you have to make an oat cookie. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13″ metal pan with parchment paper and grease.

    Beat together 6 tablespoons of the butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl.

    IMG_6445Add the egg and beat until pale and fluffy.

    IMG_6446Add the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat together. Spread the mixture into the lined pan, spreading evenly. Bake until golden, 17-18 minutes, then transfer pan to a rack and cool completely.

    IMG_6447Crumble the cookie completely into a large bowl.

    IMG_6448Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar. Rub together until the mixture sticks together. Press evenly into a 9″ glass pie pan.

    IMG_6451Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside while you prepare the filling. Bring the oven back to 350 degrees.

    Whisk together the sugars, milk powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

    IMG_6452Add the melted butter and whisk together.

    IMG_6453Add the cream, yolks, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour into the crust.

    IMG_6455Bake 30 minutes.

    IMG_6456Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake until filling is brown in spots, set around the edges, but still moves slightly when jiggled, about 20 minutes.

    IMG_6457Cool pie for two hours in the pie dish on a wire rack, then refrigerate uncovered overnight. I started mine first thing in the morning, so just refrigerated all afternoon and that was fine.

    IMG_6472Sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.

    IMG_6475Delicious!

    Crack Pie

    Recipe from Bon Appetite, via Daring Bakers.

    Oat cookie crust:

    • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
    • 5 1/2 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar, divided
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
    • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
    • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
    • generous 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
    • 6 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Powdered sugar for dusting

    Before making the crust, you have to make an oat cookie. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13″ metal pan with parchment paper and grease.

    Beat together 6 tablespoons of the butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat together. Spread the mixture into the lined pan, spreading evenly. Bake until golden, 17-18 minutes, then transfer pan to a rack and cool completely.

    Crumble the cookie completely into a large bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar. Rub together until the mixture sticks together. Press evenly into a 9″ glass pie pan.

    Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside while you prepare the filling. Bring the oven back to 350 degrees.

    Whisk together the sugars, milk powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk together, then the cream, yolks, and vanilla. Pour into the crust and bake 30 minutes.

    Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake until filling is brown in spots, set around the edges, but still moves slightly when jiggled, about 20 minutes.

    Cool pie for two hours in the pie dish on a wire rack, then refrigerate uncovered overnight. Sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.

    Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

    New Potatoes with Garlic Scapes

    Posted on June 26, 2013 by sparecake

    My mother got some scapes at the farmers market last week, I looked up a recipe to use them in, and have somehow been calling them ramps since then. So many green things I’m not familiar with, so little time!

    IMG_6813Ingredients:

    • 2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
    • water
    • salt
    • 3 cups scapes, roughly chopped
    • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    These things are just silly!

    These things are just silly!

    Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Add salt. Martha Stewart said to add enough that it ‘tastes like the ocean,’ but I just added a bunch (a tablespoon, maybe?) and didn’t bother tasting the water. Because yuck.

    Bring the water to a boil, then add the scapes, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. You want to be able to easily stab one with a fork. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

    IMG_6808Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over high heat. While it warms, cut the potatoes in half. Cook the potatoes, cut-side down, until browned, a minute or two. Cook in multiple batches if necessary to ensure they all cook cut-side down, adding more oil for later batches if needed.

    IMG_6810

    On the side while others get cooked.

    On the side while others get cooked.

    Lower the heat to medium and add all the potatoes back to the pan. Add the butter and the scapes and cook until the potatoes are golden and crisp, 7-8 minutes.

    IMG_6812Martha didn’t put the scapes back in, after the straining, but I quite enjoyed the flavor of the cooked scapes with the potatoes, and really, seems like kind of a waste of a bunch of greenery to just use it to flavor water!

    New Potatoes with Garlic Scapes

    Lightly adapted from Martha Stewart.

    • 2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
    • water
    • salt
    • 3 cups scapes, roughly chopped
    • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter

    Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Add salt. Bring the water to a boil, then add the scapes, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

    Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over high heat. While it warms, cut the potatoes in half. Cook the potatoes, cut-side down, until browned, a minute or two. Cook in multiple batches if necessary to ensure they all cook cut-side down, adding more oil for later batches if needed.

    Lower the heat to medium and add all the potatoes back to the pan. Add the butter and the scapes and cook until the potatoes are golden and crisp, 7-8 minutes.

    Posted in Dinner | Tagged , | 2 Comments

    Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramelized Sugar

    Posted on June 24, 2013 by sparecake

    I thought this one sounded interesting, with its several types of sugar. I didn’t find the flavor of the caramelized sugar super strong/noticeable, but you can tell they’re not just straight sugar or brown sugar cookies, and it’s a good, different flavor! I’ll be trying the caramelized sugar in some other recipes in the future, and will let you know how it works out!
    
    Ingredients:
    2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup caramelized sugar*
    1/2 cup powdered sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
    2 cups chocolate chips
    *To make the caramelized sugar, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread a cup of granulated sugar over the pan, and bake until caramelized, watching closely. The recipe I was reading said 1-2 minutes, but mine didn’t start melting for probably more like 15 minutes! Just keep baking until it’s mostly melted. I didn’t want to wait for the last bits to melt, as I was afraid the darker bits were getting close to burnt, and burnt sugar tastes TERRIBLE.
    
    Let the melted sugar cool until hard, several minutes.
    

    
    Break into a few pieces to fit in the bowl of a food processor, and process until ground small. This will make more than is needed for the recipe, so you can use the rest in new recipes.
    
    Reheat the oven to 375, if necessary, and line two baking sheets with parchment.
    Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
    Put the 1/2 cup caramelized sugar, and the other sugars, in the food processor and process briefly to combine.
    Combine the sugars and butter in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
    
    Add the vanilla and beat briefly, then the eggs one at a time, beating after each.
    
    Gradually mix the bowl of dry goods into the sugar mixture, then add the chocolate chips. Scoop into balls on the lined sheets.
    
    Bake 9-11 minutes. I think my dough balls were a bit on the big side, so they needed 11 minutes.
    
    Like many cookies, they come out puffy and then flatten out a bit.
    Let cool several minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    
    Well worth trying out!
    Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramelized Sugar
    From Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.
    2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup caramelized sugar*
    1/2 cup powdered sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
    2 cups chocolate chips
    *To make the caramelized sugar, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread a cup of granulated sugar over the pan, and bake until caramelized, watching closely. Let the melted sugar cool until hard, several minutes. Break into a few pieces to fit in the bowl of a food processor, and process until ground small.
    Reheat the oven to 375, if necessary, and line two baking sheets with parchment.
    Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
    Put the 1/2 cup caramelized sugar, and the other sugars, in the food processor and process briefly to combine. Combine the sugars and butter in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat briefly, then the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Gradually mix the bowl of dry goods into the sugar mixture, then add the chocolate chips.
    Scoop into balls on the lined sheets, and bake 9-11 minutes. Let cool several minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , | 2 Comments