Bramble Bake

I can hardly believe I'm writing this, because I am generally very conservative (literally) about words.  I try not to change them.  In my opinion, this aids in communication, and communication is much more important to me than words - even though words are beautiful and exciting treasure-maps... I digress.

About a year ago, I discovered Baked French Toast.  That stuff is good, and it is so much easier than frying bread a few slices at a time.  It isn't French Toast.  It probably shouldn't even say "French Toast" in the name, since it isn't fried in butter, and that's an important distinction.

Then in the spring I was researching recipes for my friends' annual potluck St. Patrick's Day party, and I ran across a recipe for bread pudding that sounded a whole lot like Baked French Toast.  So I did some research.  Yep.  Same thing.  Also, if you don't use cream and you make it more savory, it's the same thing as "dressing" (or, if you put it inside a bird you're roasting, "stuffing") at Thanskgiving and Christmas.  It is even basically  identical to Monkey Bread.

If you get really broad, maybe even what we call "casseroles" could be in the same category.  A starch is chopped up, mixed with other sweet or savory fillings, soaked in a sauce, and baked.

One of my friends long ago persuaded me that "casserole" is a yucky word.  This was at the same time that I was first considering eating them.  The best alternative term we could come up with was "hot dish", that some small sections of our country use for the same thing.  But it sounds so pedantic.

Enter "bramble bake".  Today.  I saw a recipe on Pinterest for a "Blueberry Bramble Bake", which, it turned out, was a bread pudding with blueberries and cream cheese.  But the name, as the Dread Pirate Roberts and Anne of Green Gables would agree, is the important thing, and "bramble bake" rang in my ears.  I hoped that it simply already was the elusive term I'd been waiting for.  Maybe it was, except that none of the rest of the world realized.

Back in history - and history about words matters to me - it seems that it meant something baked out of the fruit of a thorny shrub, like blackberries are.  "Bramble" is a word for such a plant, and it conjures images of tangled branches, blends of depth and shadow, sprinkled with a surprise of sweetness or other sharp point here and there.  And after people grew tired of only using the phrase for actual bramble pastries, it came to be applied to things baked with other berries.

Here's where we enter the scene.  Because "bramble" is a lovely metaphor for the collection of flavors and textures jumbled together and baked, I am inviting you to join me in using "bramble bake" to describe all of the things in this blog: baked French toasts, bread puddings, dressings and stuffings, casseroles and hot dishes.

What are your favorite bramble bakes?

To God be all glory.

Chocolate Custard Cheesecake

A while back I posted a recipe for a chocolate custard cheesecake dip.  Since then, I’ve been working on modifying the recipe to be stiff enough to actually be a cheesecake, and this Thanksgiving, I think I’ve got it!

My favorite part, besides the taste, is that it is no-bake (after the crust is made), so no complicated baking regimens to prevent cake from cracking or browning.

Chocolate Custard Cheesecake

Crust*:

Cream:

1 stick of salted butter

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. brown sugar.

Mix in:

1 eggs

1 egg YOLK

Add:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking POWDER.

Stir until just combined.

Add:

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. sugar

Stir/knead until sugar and flour is incorporated.

Press dough into bottom and barely up sides of a large spring form pan (at least 9 inches in diameter).

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until crust is set, still soft, and only barely starting to turn golden (edges will be a bit darker golden brown).

*Alternatively, for an entirely no-bake cheesecake, you could use a traditional chocolate cookie crust (1 package crushed chocolate cookie pieces and 1/4 c. melted butter) pressed into a spring form pan.  Chill this in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the crust.  I haven’t tried this crust, just read it online.

Cheesecake:

In medium saucepan, whisk together and heat to a simmer on MED:

¾ c. (or 1 small can) EVAPORATED milk

¼ c. flour

Stir in until melted, and remove from heat:

½ c. chocolate chips

Separately, beat until pale:

3 egg YOLKS

⅓ c. sugar

Slowly pour warm milk mixture into eggs, whisking constantly.  (If not done carefully, there will be small pieces of cooked egg in the custard, which should then be strained out before the next step.) Return to MED-LOW heat.

Mix in:

(another) ½ c. chocolate chips

2 t. corn starch

Cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.  Keep stirring.

Separately, beat:

3 packages cream cheese (24 ounces total)

⅓ c. sugar

dash of salt

Pour chocolate custard into sweetened cream cheese and mix thoroughly.  Top crust with this custard mixture and chill at least 4 hours. 

When slicing, make sure knife goes all the way through crust; hitting chocolate chips feels like hitting the bottom of the pan sometimes.

To God be all glory.

Playing Apothecary

Sometimes I play apothecary, and make all sorts of potions from various oils that I’ve collected.  Then I use these oils for the next few months for my beauty regimen.  The internet has fueled my research and guided my decision-making on the ingredients, but except for the deodorant, I have mostly just made up the exact proportions, and even then, “exact” is an overstatement.  I include the following information for your consideration, for my own reference, and not to be followed by anyone in a precise way.  If I have been learning the past several years that measuring is not so essential in cooking, it is certainly less important still in beauty products such as these.  Give it a guess.  Mess around with things.  Substitute.  Omit.  Supplement.  Have fun.  Learn. 

Recipes:

Deodorant (makes ¾ to 1 cup)

Mix in 1-quart bowl, using a fork:

5 T. coconut oil

1 T. castor oil

10 drops rosemary oil

10 drops lemon oil

3 drops tea tree oil

4 T. corn starch

4 T. baking soda

When thoroughly mixed, transfer to a container (at least 1 c.) with a lid.  OK to store at room temperature. 

To use, apply about ¼ t. to each arm pit before dressing in the morning.  Thoroughly rub in, wiping any excess with a clean, dry rag. 

Notes from experience:

This recipe works better than Toms, which I just tried for the first time, dismayed at its impotence.  It does not work as long as Dry Idea, which is my go-to store brand especially during high-sweat situations.  Of course, this recipe is primarily a deodorant, not an antiperspirant, though it is somewhat effectual at absorbing wetness. 

It may be useful to note that if this cream gets much above 75 degrees, the coconut oil will melt.  It is still useful, but you may have to stir before using.  Also, if it melts and then re-hardens, it can sometimes separate.  There was one time that the coconut oil I had was apparently already thinner than usual, and I had to add extra corn starch to give it the right consistency.  This may have added to the separation problem and made it a bit irritating to my skin. 

Facial Cleanser/Shaving Oil (makes about ¾ cup)

Mix:

¼ safflower oil

¼ c. grape seed oil

2 T. melted coconut oil

1 T. castor oil

1 t. sesame oil

10 drops rosemary oil

10 drops lemon oil

5 drops tea tree Oil

To use as cleanser, dip fingers in solution and rub on face in circular motions.  Steam face by covering with a hot wet washcloth.  Rinse washcloth and wipe face with warm water until face does not feel oily or greasy. 

This can also be used as a makeup remover if you are careful around your eyes.  Dip a tissue or cotton ball only a tiny bit into the oil, then rub gently across the makeup.  Finish by wiping clean with a wet washcloth.  

For shaving, apply a couple of teaspoons per leg.  Do not rinse.  Shave, frequently rinsing/wiping razor.  Should provide a very close shave.  Rinse.  No need to wipe off.  Oils should not leave skin very greasy once rubbed in. 

Notes from experience:

The essential oils in this mixture give a slight relaxing/tingling scent.  Before, I used peppermint, but that is unnecessary.  Struggling with acne most of my life, I like this treatment for softening my skin and reducing oiliness, but it is not the only thing I use on my face.  I also use a salicylic acid cleanser once a day, then witch hazel as an astringent, followed by a zinc oxide ointment (skin protectant and sunscreen).  In the evenings or when I shower, I use the facial oil, and do not add anything else to my face afterwards. 

Hair Conditioner (makes about 1 cup)

Mix:

6 T. olive oil

2 T. safflower oil

2 T. melted coconut oil

1 T. castor oil

1 t. sesame oil

10 drops rosemary oil

10 drops lemon oil

(optional: mix ¼ c. yogurt with 1-2 T. oil just before using)

To use, pour a couple of teaspoons at a time into the palm of your hand.  Pull through wet hair, using fingers to comb it through.  Pay extra attention to the ends of the hair, and avoid the scalp (applying to the scalp could cause it to be too oily, or make you over-rinse the rest of your hair).  When there are basically no more tangles, shape hair into a bun if long enough, and leave to soak in while you finish the rest of your shower.  After 10 minutes, release the bun and give your hair a quick rinse in cool water: literally, put head under water, then take it out again.  You may need to practice this routine a few times to get the right amount of oil on your hair and the right amount of rinsing, potentially adjusting for humidity in the weather. 

About the ingredients:

First, my understanding is that many essential oils can be dangerous if used incorrectly, especially if pregnant or nursing.  I have not had problems with these recipes, but nor have I been pregnant or nursing.  If you have reason for concern, consult a professional (like a doctor or midwife). 

Second, I am not obsessed about these things.  I usually buy the cheapest I can find, like the bottle of castor oil I found at a garage sale this weekend.  I do not subscribe to a certain brand, nor do I look for an especially high quality of any of these things.  As I understand it, the dangers of my method are that 1) some not-so-great chemicals may have been used in the processing; and 2) my concoctions may be weaker than those made with the highest quality oils (especially the essential oils).  I consider all of my recipes to be good enough  so far to make me happy.  Saving money is worth the risk, to my mind. 

Coconut oil is popular, and can easily be found at the grocery store.  It is supposed to be antibacterial.  It can be relatively inexpensive.  The high melting point gives it the advantage of being solid at most room temperatures.  The oil is supposed to help hair growth.  I have tried using it on my skin and hair by itself, and found it far too greasy.  I’ve read that it is a sunscreen. 

Baking soda is deodorizing.  It is also alkaline.  It may cause itching and drying of the skin if the proportions are too high.  I buy a big box in the cleaning section of Walmart to use for non-food recipes. 

Corn starch is cool.  It has interesting physical properties when mixed with a liquid.  It is absorbent.  If you’re worried about the safety of this ingredient, search for a brand that is non-GMO. 

Castor oil encourages circulation.  It is considered antibacterial.  It is also useful for encouraging hair growth.  Some people use it for cleansing, especially of the liver, but also of the lymph nodes.  I do not like the smell, and most sources discourage using it without other oils, so I keep it as a minor ingredient.  You’d more likely find this ingredient at a health food/natural store than at a regular grocery store or Walmart. 

Tea tree oil smells like medicine.  I basically can’t stand it.  So I use it sparingly in things that will have other smells.  It is supposed to be pretty good for skin infections.  I think this is because it is antibacterial.  So people use it for acne, cuts, and burns.  This is one oil that tends to be sold by everyone that sells oils, including grocery stores sometimes; I think I’d look in the pharmacy area. 

Rosemary oil is good for circulation and smells good.  I think it is also said to be antibacterial. 

And lemon oil smells good, clean, having a sort of fresh scent that cuts through other ones.  It is soothing and astringent.  If I didn’t have this oil, I might use lemongrass oil.  You can use regular lemon juice, but then you’d have to refrigerate your product, which hardens the oils and makes everything take longer. 

Safflower oil has Vitamin E, which I have long understood to be good for skin, and which my regular conditioner advertises as a special ingredient.  It is rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, and omega-6 fatty acids.  These things are good for fighting acne, reducing blackheads, and strengthening hair follicles.  It is a blood thinner and helps with circulation.  I found mine on clearance at the grocery store.

Grapeseed oil absorbs easily into skin, and is both astringent and antioxidant, so it helps treat things like wrinkles.  It is anti-inflammatory and helps skin retain moisture.  The linoleic acid is the likely cause of its acne-fighting properties.  It is a source of Vitamin E, which helps skin recover from scars.  It is also supposed to strengthen hair.  This oil is also found at grocery stores.  I noticed that Trader Joes has a decent price. 

Sesame oil has a nutty scent, and it is a light, absorbent oil.  I had some extra, so I put a tiny bit in.  The dark color can transfer to hair, but there is not a significant amount in my recipe, so it probably won’t make a difference that way.  Zinc in this oil is good for the skin and immune system.  And the copper in it helps the body’s blood production and blood flow.  I am not sure where I got my sesame oil, if it was in the Asian section of my grocery store or if I went to an Asian market to pick it up.  Either way, it is probably way cheaper at the Asian market. 

Olive oil is my hair’s favorite.  If it didn’t leave my hair smelling like salad dressing, I’d use just it.  It has anti-oxidants, Vitamin E, and is anti-inflammatory.  However, this oil tends to clog my pores, so I do not use it on my skin much. 

Some other popular oils are jojoba, argan, and almond.  All of these are more expensive, which is the only reason I haven’t used them. 

To God be all glory. 

Jasmine Boba Milk Tea Recipe

serves 4

Boil a pot full of water.

Add, stirring gently:

1 c. WuFuYuan black tapioca boba (“ready in 5 minutes”) pearls

Wait until the pearls float. Cover. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit another 6 minutes. Strain. Submerge for 20 seconds in cold water. Strain again. Pour into a medium mixing bowl.

Squirt onto pearls:

1/4 c. honey

Separately, heat until sugars dissolve:

1 c. water

2/3 c. sugar*

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

Pour 1/2 c. of this over the honey/boba mixture and let sit for 1.5 hours.

Meanwhile, boil:

4 c. water

Remove from heat, and let sit for 1 minute.

Add:

1/2 c. dried jasmine (or 1/4 c. green jasmine loose leaf tea).

Cover and steep 15 minutes (ONLY 8 for tea!!). Strain infusion into a pitcher. Add the remainder of the sugar water.

Add:

1.5 c. half and half.

Refrigerate.

When ready to serve, mix:

1/4 c. boba

2 T. of the accompanying syrup

1.5 c. milk tea from the pitcher

some ice cubes (to complete the cooling).

Drink with a straw wide enough for the pearls.

*I used Moreno cane sugar, which is coarser.  Some bloggers making their own bubble (boba) tea said they use raw sugar, which has more flavor – not just sweet. 

I purchased my tapioca pearls at a nearby Asian market after doing some quick research on Amazon.  The brand I got usually had more the 4 stars online, so I felt confident in giving it a try.  It seems like every brand of the tapioca boba pearls is different, and they have instructions on the packages usually, but I extended the cooking time for mine past what the package said, as a compromise between the package and the recipes I was seeing (and also convenience, since I wasn’t organized enough to strain them when the package instructions said).

The dried jasmine was hard to find, but one of the Asian markets in the Denver metro area does carry it.  A good quality jasmine-infused green tea will work fine.  

Some recipes call for sweetened condensed milk instead of half and half. I might try it if I want the tea as a dessert instead of a with-(curry)-dinner drink.

What I've read says that the boba doesn't keep very well in the refrigerator after it’s been cooked (not more than a day), so you may want to cut the recipe down if you're only making one or two servings.

To God be all glory.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Custard Recipe

I am not very good at baking cheesecakes.  The first ones I ever made were no-bake, involving whipped topping and no eggs.  But I am avoiding whipped topping, so I've been trying my hand at baking.  But it is a lot of work, and the cake tends to crack or brown on the top edges.  

So I had an idea, for a stiff cream-cheese flavored chocolate dessert/dip.  I did online searches for recipes for anything like it, and couldn't find any; apparently people don't usually add cream cheese to their custards.  I was on my own inventing this dish, then.  With this recipe, you're getting the eggs (like traditional cheesecake) to add flavor and stiffness, but cooking them on the stovetop (in milk or cream like custard) instead of in the oven.  I think it turned out great!  

In medium saucepan, heat to a simmer:

1 1/2 c. evaporated milk (or a large can)

Stir in until melted, and remove from heat:

½ c. dark chocolate chips

Beat until pale:

3 egg yolks

⅓ c. sugar

Slowly pour warm milk mixture into eggs, whisking constantly.  Return to MED-LOW heat. 

Mix in:

(another) ½ c. dark chocolate chips

2 t. corn starch

Simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes. 

Separately, beat:

2 package cream cheese (16 ounces total)

⅓ c. sugar

dash of salt

Pour custard into sweetened cream cheese and mix well.  Chill at least 4 hours. 

Eat plain or dip graham crackers, strawberries, pretzels, or chocolate chip cookies. 

May also be frozen like ice cream.  

To God be all glory.

Chocolate Chip Nut Butter Bites

This is a recipe describing the way I have been experimentally baking these days.  Recipes are not the boss of us; they are tools and guides, and the more we understand about what makes a good dish, the less we have to follow exact measurements and specific ingredients.

I just can't call these cookies.  Because if I call them cookies, people expecting cookies will frown at me, and think I'm a bad baker.  These are healthy(er) things shaped like cookies, with chocolate chips like cookies, but not really cookies.  They are a dessert.  

 

I told my friend's kids, who sampled these, that I would send their mom the recipe.  I don't particularly expect her to make them, and I don't especially expect any of you to make them either.  As her husband pointed out, they're pretty expensive cookies.  One advantage of them, though, is that they are gluten and dairy free, and with growing numbers of people attempting such dietary restrictions, I thought I'd try them out. 

 

Process in a food processor for 5-10 minutes, scraping sides occasionally, until it makes a "butter":

3-5 hands-full of almonds and/or cashews and/or peanuts (peanuts will have a stronger flavor) (substitute 1/2 cup total nut butter from a jar if you want... keep extra on hand in case the dough is too soupy)

 

Add:

1 can drained garbanzo beans/chickpeas (Watch for good deals on these, places like Big Lots or HMart or Trader Joes, or get your friends to give you the about-to-expire ones off their pantry shelves...)

1 egg (or egg yolk, particularly if you're short of nut butter, as the whites will make the dough runnier) (The egg is optional, but I think it greatly improves the texture.)

A sprinkle to 1/2 tsp. of baking soda

A sprinkle to 1/2 tsp. of baking powder

A sprinkle to 1/2 tsp. of salt (on the lesser end if the canned beans were salted, or if you are using a nut butter from a jar, which happens to have salt as the ingredient, or if your nuts were salted)

1-2 hands-full brown sugar

A quick pour of vanilla

A drizzle of maple syrup or honey (optional) (I want to try molasses.  Molasses is amazing.  But it will also overtake the other flavors.)

 

Process these with the nut butter until smooth.  If dough is so soupy that it won't stay in a blob on a cookie sheet, but rather will puddle before it even starts to cook, you need more nut butter.  Another option is to sprinkle some oats in there.  (Apparently there is some debate that I don't understand about oats having gluten or not.  Choose according to your level of intolerance and hype-acceptance.)

 

Add:

2-4 hands-full chocolate chips (Guittard Real Semisweet or some other allergy-friendly brand if you care about dairy free or soy free)

Stir this in by hand.  

Chill dough.  Like, make these before a meal, chill during the meal, and pull it out after you've rinsed the dishes and the table, to bake some up for dessert.

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Drop small spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Cookies will start at about 1.5 to 2 inches and spread to about 2.5 inches as they bake.  They bake for 15 minutes.  (Other recipes I read said 20-25, but it doesn't improve the texture and it does give the bottoms a kind of weird burned bean taste...)  Nut Butter Bites won't remove from the pan as easily as cookies, because they don't have the same kind of greasy fats as butter or Crisco.  I didn't have much trouble, just know that there will be a little bit of cake-like residue on the pan, like the inside of a used muffin cup liner. 

 

I think they're best warm.  They're better if 1) you're not expecting a cookie, and 2) you don't think about them being basically hummus with chocolate chips. 

 

These nut butter bites are good for you, though.  There is protein from the beans and nuts.  Nuts and beans have minerals in them, and vitamins, that we US Americans need and don't get enough of.  And the nuts (not so much peanuts, keep in mind) have those useful kinds of fats that we don't get enough of either. 

 

Cashews are high in: protein, fiber, B vitamins, Vitamin E, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.  They have anti-oxidants and monounsaturated-fatty acids (good for your cholesterol). 

Almonds boast about the same list of beneficial nutrients, with less selenium and more calcium. 

Peanuts have a little less health benefits, but they're still present, including protein, iron, B vitamins, and zinc.

 

Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) boast protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium.  They are mild phytoestrogens, so they serve to naturally balance estrogen levels in our bodies (against synthetic estrogens from meat and dairy and pharmaceuticals.) 

 

Maple syrup has zinc.  It's nothing compared to molasses, though, which offers calcium, iron, magnesium, and selenium. 

 

A lot of these ingredients are good for your digestion, liver and hormones, energy and strength, bone health, skin health, heart health.  But they still have sugar, so don't go too crazy with them! 

To God be all glory.  

 

 

Full-Flavor Chocolate Chip Cookies, A Simple Recipe

Cream together in a stand mixer: 

2 sticks of butter

1 t. vanilla

1 c. brown sugar

Add: 

1 egg YOLK

2 eggs

Beat well.

Mix in until just combined:

3 c. all purpose flour (I live near Denver, CO.  If you live at a lower altitude, reduce flour by 1/4 to 1/2 c.)

1 t. salt

1 t. baking POWDER

Pour in:

1 1/2 to 2 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1/2 c. white sugar

Stir/knead until sugar and flour are incorporated.

Refrigerate dough. 

After at least a few hours (until the dough is thoroughly chilled) scoop out 3-T. sized cookies. Shape into balls, then flatten to about 1/4 inch tall and about 2 1/2 inches diameter. 

Bake at 350 for about 14 minutes (ovens vary, adjust bake time accordingly). Sprinkle a little extra salt if desired, immediately upon removing from oven. Remove from pan and let cool briefly on a rack before gobbling up every gooey bite.

I don't know about you, but it drives me crazy when I find a recipe on a blog and I have to scroll through pages of prep photos and stories about husbands, children, and grocery stores before I get to the need-to-know information to make the food!  So I put my recipe at the top.  But I do want to let my regular readers know that I have been researching and testing chocolate chip cookie recipes for about a year now, and I'm very happy with these results.  There is a more complicated recipe that I like slightly better, but this version is one of the best I've *ever* tasted!  

My sister makes amazing cookies.  I think that three things make them amazing: her laziness (using a stand mixer and taking frequent, sometimes day-long breaks), the huge size of the cookies, and using margarine.  I want big, soft, not-too-cake-like cookies myself, but faster and with butter instead of margarine.  These cookies are not crumbly.  They are not crunchy like store-bought cookies.  They are not flat.  

I like the flavor of butter in my cookies.  These have it. 

I like my cookies to have extra dimension in their flavor: sweet, chocolate, butter, salt, and a touch of caramel.  These accomplish that.

I like my cookies to be just a tiny bit gooey in the center, and not dark brown on the edges.  Here they are.  

A long time ago I read a suggestion of adding extra fat without too much extra liquid, by adding an egg yolk.  I've tried with and without the extra yolk, and I think it makes a difference in helping the cookie to stand up and stay gooey.  

Baking powder makes the cookies fluffier/taller than baking soda.  

Adding the white sugar at the end causes the outsides to caramelize during cooking, for an ever-so-slight crispiness encasing the soft cookie.  Using a little more brown sugar than white also contributes to the deeper flavor.

I'm liking Guittard's Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, all GMO free, yummy flavor, and excellent melting.  They're sold at my local Safeway and Sprouts stores. 

To God be all glory. 

Studies in Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes I crave different aspects of chocolate chip cookies, resulting in a situation where there is no *perfect* recipe for me.  But I want to know which things to change in order to get what I want. So I've been experimenting.

~ I live in Colorado, not in the mountains, but considerably higher altitude than sea level.  If your altitude is lower, you might want to reduce the amount of flour you use.

~ Parkay margarine makes Stephannie cookies.  She's my sister, and around our friend circles, they are famous.  But I don't like margarine.  I want my cookies to have butter.  This brings up problems.  Because butter makes cookies flat.  In any case, Parkay is saltier than unsalted butter.  Use salted butter and/or add extra salt.

~ Use enough salt.

~ Adding flour does not fix flat cookie recipes.  I mean, if you add enough, they're not flat anymore.  But they're barely cookies anymore.

~ I read in some awesome cookbook at a friend's house one time, and it has changed my baking forever, that it is very useful to add other forms of fat than butter.  Go figure.  My first attempt has been to add an extra egg *yolk* (I think the recipe book suggested this).  I've tried a bit of coconut oil, which is supposedly a dough conditioner anyway.  I can't tell a difference.  I'm starting to wonder if I use a higher-quality butter if it would yield better (fluffier, but still tender) results.

~ If you brown at least some of the butter before using it, it adds a nutty and/or caramel dimension to the flavor.

~ Play with adding just a hint of spice, like cinnamon or nutmeg.  Add some flavor and warmth.  Everyone I know experiments with vanilla amounts, too - that is, they splash it instead of measuring.  Some brands of vanilla extract have a funny flavor; use a vanilla that you like.

~ Use a good kind of chocolate.  Dark, semi-sweet, and bittersweet, are by definition basically the same thing; different companies apply the terms to distinguish their products, but they don't have a definite meaning.  Different companies use varieties of ingredients.  I don't know what you like.  If you're a normal American, you might just want to go with Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips for the comfort of familiarity.  I read recently that Guittard melts very smoothly.  70% bitter is not sweet enough, I know from my most recent experiment - especially when you're experimenting with reducing the sugar.

~ Don't reduce the sugar.  1 1/2 c. sugar (brown and white mixed, in different proportions), 3 c. flour, 2 sticks butter.  Those are the basics.  Don't skimp.

~ Use enough chocolate.  Chocolate helps the cookie to have structure.  Don't let your dough be too warm when you mix the chocolate, or it will melt.

~ Other firmer ingredients can also help the structure of the cookie, like other kinds of chips - toffee, for instance.  Or you can add dried fruit.  I also like some recipes that have uncooked oatmeal mixed in.

~ I'm curious, based on an article I just read whether the darkness of the brown sugar affects raising.  Does darkness describe levels of acidity?  If you added just a touch of a different sweetener, could that help?  Particularly, I'm thinking about a tablespoon or less of molasses.

~ Leavening: the Toll House recipe calls for baking soda.  My favorite oatmeal cookie recipe has baking powder.  My most recent attempt had both.  The jury's out, but I suspect baking powder gives a better rise, especially if you're letting the dough rest in the refrigerator for a while.

~ You must refrigerate your dough.  It enhances the flavor mixtures.  But the main reason is that it keeps the cookies from spreading too quickly.  Flat cookies mean all sorts of unpleasant things like crispiness, only one layer of chocolate chunks, or not fitting as many on a pan without them running into one another.

~ I've learned that baking powder, at least, responds quicker in a slightly hotter oven.  I'm considering starting hotter (425??) for a minute or two, then reducing the heat (350).  It's all about helping the rise.

~ The pan you use matters.  I think the metal, the shape, the color all contribute to how your cookies bake.  I don't know your oven or your pans, but if something works for you, take note and keep using that!

~ Do *not* over-bake.  Take your cookies out when the centers aren't jiggling, and the edges are beginning to brown.  Do not wait until the tops of your cookies are brown if you want a soft gooey cookie.  You can let the cookies rest for a bit on the pan before removing to cool.  Another thing you can try is to squish the edges of your cookies towards their centers after removing from the oven, to keep them from setting so flat.

~ If all else fails (and sometimes just because), supplement your cookies with cheesecake dip, ice cream, salt, milk, hot drinks - to complement the tastes.

~ Also if the cookies get stale for some crazy reason, carefully re-hydrate using steam (or butter?).

~ Try freezing extra cookies, and remove about 15 minutes before eating, for a cold chewy treat.  You can freeze the dough, too, but I have very little experimentation with that.

~ To reheat in a microwave, make sure you use power settings below 5 to prevent crunchy burnt spots.  I find that about 30 seconds on power 3 works best in my microwave.

To God be all glory.

Apple Garlic "Pizza"

You want this.  Trust me.  You want to try it.  A little bit of sweet, a bit of kick, some savory.  Simple.  Reminiscent of pizza (can we say comfort food)?  Healthy with apples (keep the doctor away) and garlic (a known natural antibiotic) and olive oil (cardio-vascular health), but not too heavy (it’s pretty low-fat), I run to it on days that I want to boost my immune system. 

As a first step, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Then pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into a bowl.  Pull out your garlic press.  If you don’t have a garlic press, add one to your wish list now!  Use the press to squeeze two cloves of garlic into the oil.  (Dice two cloves of garlic instead, if your wish hasn’t come true yet – you’ll see why I suggest a press!) Sprinkle in some rosemary.  Set aside. 

Take two slices of bread.  Today I used some homemade “Amish White Bread” off Allrecipes.com.  I've also used hamburger buns.  You could use French bread or whichever kind of bread you have on hand, including flat breads (bake for less time if using a very thin bread).  Put the bread on a baking sheet.  No need to grease.  Spread the olive oil mixture across the tops of both pieces. 

Next add your favorite shredded cheese.  I have always used mozzarella.  Just sprinkle a thin layer across the tops of the bread. 

It is optional to add a little bit of fresh spinach leaf at this time. 

Thinly slice enough apple to cover both pieces of bread with a single layer.  Add just a bit more cheese on top of the apples. 

Place in the oven, uncovered, for ten minutes. 

Eat like an open-face sandwich (or pizza) or cut with knife and eat with a fork. 

Development credits to Amie, Christa, and Janna. 

To God be all glory.

Soda Pop

Where to begin?

Ever since I was little, I've enjoyed pop.  My favorite (probably because that's what my parents let me have) was Caffeine Free Pepsi.  When I got older, and started eating combos at fast food places, I began to enjoy the extra bite of regular Pepsi.  Coke doesn't compare.  Caffeine Free Coke is even worse.  Cherry Coke is tolerable as a substitute.  Dr. Pepper is my second favorite.  I don't touch Mountain Dew.  And Sprite is for treating illness or spicing punch.

There's this boycott out about Pepsi, and I've reluctantly joined.  At first I figured I'd just ignore it, but Pepsico was so blatantly not sorry, so flaunting of its research endeavors, that I just had to write them and tell them that, sad as I am, I'm not buying their products anymore.  I even wrote my three favorite grocery stores to tell them about why I'm not buying Pepsi from them anymore.  And before you try to gently reassure me that drinking Pepsi is ok, Pepsi is lying to people who write to them.  There are legal documents establishing Pepsi's connection with Senomyx, and what techniques that company uses to test its flavors.  Also, I know that Pepsi owns almost everything, and that I'm very unlikely to be boycotting all of Pepsi.  I'm focusing on not buying or consuming Pepsi drinks.

A few years ago I drastically cut back on my soda intake.  Late last year I fasted from it altogether for a few weeks.  I can do it.  When I get to craving pop, I know that I can substitute something else with lots of flavor - or preemptively drink so much water that I'm not even thirsty.

Soda is not so good for you, though it does have its tummy-settling uses, and it is a yummy way to consume caffeine (to treat headaches or heavy eyelids).  With government-run healthcare coming soon to a doctor’s office near you, I am starting to lean more towards a healthy lifestyle, avoiding the need for a doctor as much as possible.  So I have been trying to slowly cut back on my intake of things like high fructose corn syrup and other highly processed foods, eating fruits and vegetables and grains instead. 

I went on a search for some inexpensive “natural” soda, for those days when I decide to do the less healthy thing and splurge.  Safeway’s Refreshe brand has a natural soda.  But it only comes in four flavors: Cola, Lemon Lime, Root Beer, and Strawberry Kiwi.  The Cola flavor is ok, but not wonderful. 

So I have a plan.  I’m going to make Cherry Cola.  Natural.  I found bottled Black Cherry juice concentrate (not frozen) from Knudsen at Sprout’s this week.  And I bought some.  I figure a teaspoon or less per glass should sufficiently flavor my soda, but I’m going to start experimenting soon. 

To God be all glory. 

Irony Soup (Made with Celeriac)

I first heard of celeriac because Harriet Smith mentions it in Gwyneth Paltrow’s film version of Emma.  To be honest I only looked up the vegetable because the scene was running in my head like a parallel to my feelings.  You can’t really find it in grocery stores, and even the farmer’s market, sell grains in bulk, entire sections devoted to vitamins and organic produce stores didn’t have it.  But when I happened to be at Whole Foods with a friend this week, I checked and sure enough, there was the knobby root with the cropped remnant of celery stalks on the top.  “Knobby” is actually an understatement.  Celery root (celeriac) looks like dirty brains.  Anyway, I chose one – a smaller one that was still heavy; denser is better. 

After showing off my find to everyone in the house – my 81 year old grandmother has never even seen one – I sat down to find a recipe for what I’m impudently renaming “Irony Soup.”  Every recipe I could find had onions and leeks.  I don’t have either on hand.  Onions I usually leave out anyway.  Leeks I have never used and for that reason I was hesitant, besides knowing they’re in the onion family.  Ginger I had – for the first time I was going to try grating my own straight from the root, into some recipe or other.  So at the last minute, before heading to the grocery store to pick up leeks, I did a Google search for a soup with celeriac and ginger.  What I found, here: http://straightfromthefarm.net/2009/03/07/celeriac-and-ginger-soup/ is Irony Soup. 

No onions even to be crossed off of the recipe.  An entire head of garlic.  Carrots and cream and potato and herbs, some of my favorite soup ingredients (you know – for the two or three soups I’ve ever made or eaten). 

Chopping the vegetables and peeling the garlic took way longer than I expected, but this is just what one would expect from Irony Soup.  I chopped away.  I forgot the salt when I first started simmering the mixture, so maybe that’s why the vegetables took so long to soften.  I also improvised on measurements a bit and added celery just to enhance that edge of the flavor.  Making it up as you go following general guidelines is also apropos for Irony Soup. 

The celeriac and ginger smells wafted through the house while the soup simmered.  Because I started late and the softening process took longer than expected, I had to interrupt the soup and go to a party.  I resumed this afternoon. 

I paired my serving with buttered wheat toast, because you want to make sure you have something you like at your side when you’re trying something new.  The soup came out ideally creamy and thicker than most soups I’ve had. 

And just like irony whose poignancy lingers, the ginger is strong, with a bite still felt after you swallow.  It’s full of healthy things, low in calories, so it won’t boost your energy all that much, and low in fat so you won’t end up regretting the experience. 

In this house, where we like to share things, the batch will probably serve more than four. 

To God be all glory.

Gingersnap Chicken Fingers Recipe

Gingersnap Chicken Fingers

16 gingersnaps, finely chopped

½ c. panko breadcrumbs

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste (no more than ½ tsp. each)

1 egg, beaten

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips (3 per breast)

Heat oven to 425 F.  Coat strips with egg.  Press into breading mixture, turn over and press again.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Cook 15 minutes.  Turn.  Cook 5-10 minutes more depending on thickness. 

Serve plain or with honey mustard sauce.  Makes 12 strips (4 servings).  

To God be all glory.  

Gingerbread Pear Muffins with Chocolate!

Based on a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, but modified to my taste!

Wash, peel, and chop 2 pears into pea-sized pieces.  Set aside.  Melt 1/4 cup of butter and set aside.  Start water boiling.  Line muffin pans with paper muffin cups.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Get out two bowls.

In the first bowl mix 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ginger, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Whisk together 1 egg, 2/3 cup of molasses (I use a little less depending on what I have), 1/4 cup of melted butter, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the second bowl.  Then pour into the first bowl and stir thoroughly.  Add 1/2 cup of boiling water.  Once that is mixed evenly, pour in the chopped pears and about 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.

Spoon into 12 muffin cups.  Bake for about 18 minutes until toothpick inserted in center (not through a chocolate chip) comes out clean.

I like them best slightly warm, but cool enough to be firm.  Watch out!  They're addicting!

To God be all glory.

Peaches and Oreos

One of my friends has a family tradition of Oreos and peaches.  She shared it with us the other day, step by step. 

First you buy canned peaches.  Then you buy Double-Stuf Oreos (because who buys any other kind?).  Take them home.

Open the can of peaches.  Drain.  Divide into bowls, each with its own spoon.  Hand one bowl to each person.  Give them a napkin.

Set the Oreos in the center of the table.  Open package.  (Name brand containers have instructions for peeling open the top instead of tearing or cutting open the ends like the old days.)  Have each person select two or three cookies and set them on the napkin, because Oreos must be on napkins. 

Begin eating:  first a bite of peach; then a bite of Oreo.  Disregard normal procedures for consuming the chocolate wafer and cream.  Don’t worry about putting fruit on cookies or cookies on fruit.  Alternating bites works just fine.

Ration as you go, balancing the percentage left of peaches with that of the cookies.  As you near the end, you will have to make a choice whether you want to end on peaches or on Oreos.  There is no rule for this, and you can decide when you come to it, based on your mood and taste that day. 

To God be all glory. 

I Made Soup!

A year and a half ago I tasted the first soup I've ever liked. It was Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi. I decided to try making it someday. I looked up recipes. Discovered I would need to buy all sorts of things I don't usually have around my house (spinach, celery, garlic, chicken stock). But I didn't. Not until this week.

On Tuesday there was a snowstorm in Denver. Actually, when I got off work at 5, there was only rain and the sun was still up. So I went to the Sprouts "Farmer's Market" grocery store across the street, spent a half hour, and found my car covered in snow. But I couldn't bring myself to purchase the high-priced chicken at Sprouts, so I would have to wait to make the soup, however good soup sounded during a blizzard.

After a breakfast-for-dinner during the snowfall, my dad who loves to drive decided to joyride through the snow. We had fun. And at the end of it he let me run in to King Soopers where I procured the needed chicken. So I would make the soup Wednesday while snowed-in.

To my dismay, when I came upstairs at about 11:30 on Wednesday morning, the sun was shining and the roads were melted. I was just about to cook chicken when my family asked if I wanted to go to Chick-fil-a with them for lunch. Scrap the idea of a 2 PM lunch, and head for Chick-fil-a!

I prepared the chicken, celery, spinach, garlic, and carrots Wednesday afternoon, but didn't put the soup together. I waited for that until Thursday afternoon. With almost all of the ingredients pre-sliced, the pouring and boiling and simmering only took about a half hour. It looked like this:



And then I served myself a bowl of soup beside some fresh blueberry muffins (Betty Crocker with modifications: in the old days, she had us put water in the mix instead of milk, and though the instructions say milk now, I still just put in water; it tastes better!). Pour out some grape juice and some water, light a candle, and Voila!




It was good. I had some more several hours later. My brother tried it. He thinks it needs more chicken. He is a chicken fiend.

The changes I made to the Chicken & Gnocchi recipe I found were: I left out the onion and the cornstarch. I used heavy cream instead of half and half. And because I don't know what I'm doing, I used several cloves of garlic instead of just one, but I like garlic, so I don't mind. The recipe doesn't specify how much salt should be added, and I didn't put enough in at first. Next time I will pre-cook the chicken less; I grilled chicken breasts, which can still work if I watch more closely. Also the celery needed to be cooked longer before I added the chicken and chicken stock. Someday I may also try making my own gnocchi.

I made soup!

To God be all glory.

Alfredo

It so happens that one of the new tastes I have acquired is pasta alfredo. I didn't even know what it was when I tried it. Turns out, my parmesan fondue is quite similar. Here is what I do:

I go to the grocery store and buy the cheapest penne pasta, one pound. Then I find the cheapest jar of garlic alfredo sauce (I will use about half). And chicken breasts are good with the pasta. In case I am up for being healthy I add peas (which, to my surprise, are SWEET!) and asparagus.

If I have an apron close by, I put it on, especially if it matches my outfit.

Then I boil a pot of water and add the pasta. Boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, 'cause I like it a little soft. Add peas for the last few minutes. Meanwhile grill some chicken breast on our George Foreman machine. Also trim bottom ends off of asparagus and roast on a cookie sheet in a single layer in the oven with butter. Cook at 400 degrees until bright green and mostly tender.

Drain the pasta & peas. Slice chicken into 1" strips. Cut the asparagus into fourths. Heat alfredo sauce in a saucepan or the microwave (one serving in my microwave for 40 seconds power level 6). One serving is about 4 Tablespoons. Put this amount in a single-serve bowl. Add the pasta, one chicken breast, and the equivalent of 6 asparagus spears. Sprinkle with garlic and herb seasoning. Eat with fork. It's good. Then praise God for the provision of good food.

Ideally you would hug the bowl and curl up on a couch while listening to some good music, like Josh Groban. And you would be wearing a cozy turtleneck. Making and eating alfredo with friends is also very fun. I tried it with sparkling apple juice, and that was good.

If I were smart I would have taken a picture to show you. Maybe next time.

To God be all glory.

Chocolate Cheesecake Dippers Recipe

I love chocolate. For being such a chocoholic, I don’t talk about it much. So today I’m blogging about my favorite chocolate cheesecake.

The original recipe is from Nestle. But I’ve modified it just a bit, because while I could eat a quarter of a cake, most people like smaller portions than are easily sliced. There are also some cheaper substitutions I’ve made.

The first thing you want to do is to set out your cream cheese. I put mine on the stove while it is preheating for the cookies to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need two 8-ounce packages, and it’s ok if this is off brand, because you’re going to mix it with chocolate and with sugar! (Walmart usually has the cheapest. You can also stock up when cream cheese is on sale during the holidays, because cream cheese has a long refrigerator life.)

Next, you’re going to make the cookies. You can use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe or this one, which is a family classic.

Mix 1 cup (2 sticks) of margarine with ¾ cup of sugar and ¾ cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cream. Add 2 eggs. Stir thoroughly, until the batter forms pea-sized chunks in the liquid of the whites. Now mix in the dry ingredients: 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt. When batter is the stiff consistency of cookie dough, add 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. While the first pan is cooking, refrigerate your dough if possible. Remove cookies from pan to wire rack to cool. When all your cookies are done baking, you can start the filling.

Begin with the two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese. Add 1 cup of sugar, 12 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 4 tablespoons of Crisco (solid vegetable shortening). Stir for a really long time until: 1) your hand feels like it will fall off, 2) the bowl gets a hole in it, 3) the spoon breaks, 4) you can get a friend or family member to take over. You will need the mixture to look thoroughly chocolate brown with no white showing.

Then you are ready to add two 8-ounce tubs of whipped topping. This will initially turn all of that lovely chocolate brown to fluffy white. Stir, and you will begin to see signs of the brown reemerging. Then stir some more, and your mixture may turn a lighter brown. Stir, cream, press, beat until the whole thing is an even medium-brown color with a smooth texture. Don’t use a mixer at any time, because the whole thing is pointless: the beaters get stalled in the thickness of the cream cheese, and you spend more time scraping than mixing.

When this is accomplished you’re pretty much done. Spoon the cheesecake filling into a pretty glass bowl, and line the sides with cookies or cookie halves. You may want to provide spoons or knives with which to spread the dip over the cookies. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least for a couple hours before serving.

The image at the beginning is half a batch. I almost forgot the sugar on that one, and we got a Marine to do the beating, so my mom’s plastic mixing bowl broke. Oops! But oh, this is so yummy, and really popular. Plus, except for it being really important not to forget the sugar, you can adjust almost any of the rest of the ingredients. Use the low-fat or low-calorie versions of the whipped topping and the cream cheese. Or use less whipped topping. You can do less cream cheese. And if when you’re counting you miss a tablespoon or two of cocoa, I dare you to notice the difference. This recipe is very forgiving, and tastes great. I’ve stored it in the refrigerator for over a week, still good. The original recipe is actually a cake, where the cookie dough is the crust in the spring-form pan. I’ve also thought about doing this parfait style in glass cups. In the comment section of Nestle’s website, a few women mentioned making them in muffin cups and swirling the cheesecake filling like you would frosting. Finally, I hear the filling is great frozen, almost like ice cream.

To God be all glory.

S'mores

One practical thing I learned at Camp is how to make s'mores without a fire. Since I got home I've tried it twice, mastered the recipe, and decided to share it with you.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Tear off strips of aluminum foil about twice as wide as a graham cracker square.
3. Put two graham cracker squares side by side on each strip.
4. Add enough milk chocolate (Hershey's bars) to mostly cover one graham cracker square.
5. Put a large marshmallow on top of the chocolate.
6. Finish the sandwich by placing the other graham cracker square on top of the marshmallow.
7. Fold over the foil and roll the edges together so the s'more is completely enclosed.
8. Place a bunch on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until marshmallow is soft enough to squish.
9. Remove from oven and off of pan. Open to cool for a few minutes before eating.
10. Enjoy.
    
    

To God be all glory.

Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

On a chilly day in late autumn or winter, a lazy day when you “get around to” lunch at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, on a grey day when no sunlight dares cheer your kitchen, what you need is the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, and the homescent exercise of preparing one.

What is a perfect grilled cheese sandwich? There are three ingredients to a perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Bread is the first ingredient. When the sandwich is done, the bread is crisp, light brown, and buttery on the outside while remaining mostly soft on the inside, moving toward cheesiness nearer the center of the sandwich. Cheese is of course the second ingredient. At eating the cheese should be liquid in the middle, with the soft rubbery texture of cooled cheese on the edges. Finally the crowning ingredient to a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is the margarine that coats, for full effect, the surface that will touch your tongue. After grilling, the margarine should be fully melted and resting in the crevices of the toasted bread.

How to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich using my stove.* Turn on one of the burners to medium high and immediately place a pan on top. Let it preheat while you prepare the sandwich. Take two relatively thick (3/4 inch) pieces of wheat sandwich bread and spread a thin layer of margarine over ONE side of each slice. Place butter-sides together. On top of this pre-sandwich, place one slice of Velveeta cheese (pre-sliced or self-sliced). Check temperature of pan by flicking room temperature water into the pan. If the drops bounce and sizzle quickly away, the pan is preheated. Lift the pan and use a non-stick cooking spray to coat it. Replace on stove.

All together take the top slice of bread and the cheese on top of it. Lift straight off the second slice of bread and set gently in the pan. Add the top slice of bread in the same way, ensuring that the buttered side is on top. Have ready a spatula for turning the sandwich. After about two minutes, flip the entire sandwich. At this point the cheese is not melted to the bread, so your sandwich will fall apart if you do not flip it quickly. Align pieces of bread, and ensure that no cheese is protruding over the new bottom slice of bread. If new top is now golden-brown, that side is done. Turn down stove to just above medium. Continue to cook for about two minutes. If both sides are golden brown, use spatula to remove from pan. If either is not golden brown, place that side down in the pan and cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.

At this point your sandwich should match the description at the top. I would not recommend slicing the sandwich, as it compresses the bread you intentionally left soft in the middle. My favorite serving suggestion is to add slices of grilled chicken such as you would put in a chicken salad, only warm, buttered**, and spiced (at least with pepper). Have oranges for the side and drink grape juice, preferably in a glass cup.

Lady with Electric Stove, Retro
*If you are not using my stove, temperatures and times may vary. The idea is that you cook the outside quickly enough to make it crisp and golden brown without drying the inside of the bread. One difficulty in this is that at the same time you must be melting the cheese, so you must find a balance. Heating the sandwich in the microwave because the cheese was insufficiently melted is very unsatisfactory, as it turns the crisp outside edges of the sandwich soft.

**A health conscious person may decline butter in this instance and rather increase the herbs and spices to taste. For this I recommend one’s favorite blend of Mrs. Dash.