got icing?

Just a little peek at the icing I made last night. One of the things I love about royal icing is that is can be made ahead of time. I've heard a week or more, but I never plan that well. This icing is for cookies I'm making today and tomorrow.

Once the icing is made and tinted, I press a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the icing, then cover and refrigerate. When I'm ready to use it, I just bring it to room temperature.
....and here's my helper sneaking into a picture of goodies from a trip to the bakery supply store. I am so happy to have a stash of my beloved Ateco meringue powder! I hate that Sur La Table quit carrying it! Ooooo...and I was really excited to find black non-pareils! :)

Healthy? No WAY! Okay, maybe a little but I had to run with a little melted Valrhona white chocolate and some mini Hershey m & m's for fun color. Alright, who am I kidding? I seriously needed a chocolate fix! I have to tell you this is the second batch of these yummy cookies I have made in the last week. The first batch I even added dried tart cherries. . .delish! and this batch I just wanted some kind of chocolate. I already am a huge fan of granola and usually have some homemade granola on hand. My homemade granola mixed with vanilla yogurt is my lunch for work. I have no idea why I feel addicted to the stuff but I am.

These cookies, mine were particularly big because I used a 1/4 cup for a cookie dough scoop, are so filling. I had one in the morning with a cup of tea and I didn't feel like nibbling on anything till after lunch. Absolutely fantastic for taking to lunch.

Thank you Michelle of Bad Girl Baking! You know, there will be brilliant minds attacking this recipe from many artistic sides so click on the TWD and go see the end results! The recipe is called Granola Grabbers; found on page 82 of Dorie Greenspan's cookbook: Baking, From my home to yours. The combinations that can be mixed and matched seem endless. Next time, I want to try pecans and peanuts. Maybe after that it will be macadamia nuts and pecans along with miniature chocolate chips. Cinnamon chips maybe?

This time, I just had to play in some melted chocolate. I am so much braver with chocolate because of the baking events we participate in.

I got into a cookie before the white chocolate had even set on top. I just couldn't help myself. These cookies are just soooo cool! =D

Original American Food. . .How Many Can You Think Of?

My Kitchen, My World did a brain teaser on us for this week. I know we can pick a food that represents a favorite athlete in the Olympics, opening the horizons for any country really, but I would have to say that Michael Phelps is my favorite in the Olympics. Again, American. Well you go ahead and see just how many foods originated in the United States and what did you end up with? I figured the sandwich and the hamburger. I made BOTH in one night! Hubby was so stuffed he couldn't even squeak!

I further investigated and found that the hamburger was invented in the early 1800's by a man in America selling meatballs and instead of placing the meatballs on a plate, he squashed them flat and served them between slices of bread. Hence, the hamburger.

The sandwich was actually invented by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. The Englishman was a gambling man and after gambling for 24 hours, he instructed his cook to make him food that would not interfere with his playing. The cook is the one that actually invented the sandwich but no one in history seemed to have recorded the cook's name and actually gave credit to the cook's employer, John Montagu. When sandwiches were introduced in America, they use to by very elaborate. Nothing simple like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Even though the hamburger seems original, you are getting both recipes. To see what the rest of our talented group came up with for this week, click on this link: My Kitchen, My World.

Before I let you go to the recipes, I just have to share my new toy that will hopefully be the end-all of mixers! I love letting my KA Artisan mixer knead small amounts of bread dough for me but the other day I got carried away and did a larger batch. My KA motor hated me! The machine actually started to give off a smell that made be worry enough to take the dough out and finish kneading by hand. Macy's had a sale on the PRO KA 600 model and shipping was free. I did it! and now I have my beautiful mixer. I haven't used the mixer yet, just petting it allot right now. . .in disbelief. It was hubby's idea, honest! Wink, wink! =D

Cheddar Burgers with Balsamic Onions and Jalapeno ketchup

Ingredients:

ONIONS:

1 pound red onions, or use Vidalia Sweet Onions like I did, cut crosswise into 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick rounds (thicker slices do not fall between the grill rack as easily)

Olive Oil

3/4 t. coarse kosher salt

1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper

2 T. Balsamic Vinegar

JALAPENO Ketchup:

1 c. ketchup

1 jalapeno, finely diced

2 t. chiptole hot sauce

BURGERS:

6 Thick slices sharp cheddar cheese

6 large Hamburger Buns, split, cut sides grilled

6 Tomato slices (optional)

2 c. fresh spinach leaves, I used my home grown lettuce leaves

For onions:Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat): Arrange onion rounds on baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt and pepper. Transfer onion rounds (still intact) to grill rack; close cover. Cook until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat or move onions to cooler part of grill. Close cover; cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Toss with vinegar. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill.

For jalapeno ketchup: Mix ketchup, finely diced jalapeno, and 2 teaspoons chiptole hot sauce in small bowl. Season with salt and more hot sauce, if desired. Do ahead. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

For burgers: Shape beef into six 1/2-inch thick patties. Sprinkle patties on both sides with coarse salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place burgers on grill. Close cover; cook burgers until bottoms start to darken and juices rise to surface, about 3 minutes. Turn burgers; cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Top with onions and cheese. Close cover; cook until cheese melts. Place bun bottoms on plates; spread with ketchup. Top with burgers, tomatoes, if desired, spinach, and bun tops. Serve, passing remaining ketchup separately.

For the Sandwich:

Ingredients:

1/3 to 1/2 c. mayonnaise, I use Best Foods

3 to 4 T. crumbled, mild blue cheese

2 T. chopped Fresh Basil

1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

1 (8-inch) loaf of focaccia, halved horizontally is preferred. I could only find my other favorite:

Garlic French Bread but this may be a little to much bread for some =)

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1/4 sweet onion, sliced

1/2 c. baby spinach

1/2 c. arugula or additional spinach. . .I like the leaf and taste contrast

8 ounces thinly sliced deli roast beef

1/4 c. sliced Kalamata Olives

Combine mayonnaise, cheese, basil and pepper in a small bowl; spread on cut sides of bread.

Arrange tomatoes over bottom half of bread; sprinkle with salt. Top with all remaining ingredients. Cover with top half of bread; cut into wedges. You should get 4 sandwiches.

Does this garlic French Bread not look delicious? The bakery just baked it several hours earlier.

Layering your choices of filling is half of the fun! I think the challenge should be how to properly

make a Dagwood sandwich where the more you can get on the bread the better!

I think we did pretty good here. I was going for a half-pound of Italian Roast Beef and succeeded! I love Kalamata olives and couldn't resist.

Hubby's piece after he ate the burger. He swears he will never eat again! =D

Little Sweet Pea

Our neighbors just had a baby girl, so we brought them a batch of sweet pea...or pea in the pod...cookies.
I guessed a blond-haired baby. The mom is blond and so is big sister, but when we delivered the cookies, we saw the baby is an adorable little redhead! Well, after the cookies are eaten, there won't be any evidence that I picked the wrong hair color. :)

I used AmeriColor Gourmet Writer food coloring pens to make the eyes and mouths on the cookies.

Our Tribute to the Entertaining Guru. . .From. . .The Barefoot Bloggers

I never have heard the work Panzanella until Melissa of Melissa's Kitchen chose it out of all of Ina's recipes. What a great word. I just love saying it, Panzanella. The flavors coming to gether to create the masterpiece makes this a meal worth enjoying all by itself, which is what we did. My hubby couldn't get enough of the salad. . .and the toasted Tuscan bread cubes not only totally made this dish BUT hubby is a nut for anything that resembles a crouton. =). He liked the salad so much that he took the last of what was left over for lunch. Actually, I fried a few pinto bean and cornmeal cakes in 2 T. of butter, set the two cakes in a Tupperware dish; added leftover broiled Sockeye Salmon, shredded up; then I topped everything with the leftover salad and the little bit of vinaigrette at the bottom of the salad bowl. He wants me to make more. . .so do I.

I really enjoy food that has different textures and a little crunch along with a pretty visual display. I bought the colors of bell pepper that Ina specified in her recipe because I wanted to see the reds, yellows, greens, creamy whites, and toasty browns mixed together offering a true Italian flavor. I have had champagne vinegar for a while BUT I had to remove the wrapper off the cork on top to use it. An unused bottle of anything in my kitchen is always a shocker to me. Toasting cubed Tuscan bread in extra-virgin olive oil can make a person start to smack his and her lips together in anticipation. Hubby kept sneaking toasted bread cubes when he figured I wasn't looking. I thought this was kind of cute but I wasn't going to tell him this or half the bread would have been gone. Many of us Barefoot Bloggers put our own small personal touches to the recipe. Checking each other's ideas out is half of the fun for me. The first part is the waiting to find out what new recipes will be selected for the month, making the recipe and figuring out how I want to present the end result for pictures, then getting to see everyone else's ideas. I wouldn't join a group that I couldn't see myself having a LOT of fun with.

The recipe is posted on the Food Network site.

I'm not usually a big Basil person but this salad would not be a huge success without it, as far as my family was concerned. I am going to confess that I halved the amount of basil. I got scared, what can I say. 20 basil leaves is a LOT when the leaves were as big as the ones I had.

The vinaigrette was so tasty! I love the cheerful yellow color, although after pouring the vinaigrette over the salad, you know longer get to see the color =). Silly me.

We have the Blues. . .The Blueberry Blueesss ~ TWD Style

I can not believe it. I have been looking for a non-rock salt, ice, and ice water ice cream maker. What a pain! I finally went to Macy's and the sales lady talked me into getting an ice cream bowl attachment for my KitchenAide mixer. I have never heard of such a thing! She compared the Cuisinart (sp?) ice cream maker with the KitchenAide one and the KitchenAide ice cream maker held 1/2 Quart more. Both stay in the freezer for about 15 hours before use. So I bought it last week. Problem? I have been looking at boocoo recipes lately and seemed to have misplaced my directions for how to put the contraption together. That is how my Tuesday with Dorie Ice Cream Event started. Will it work? What if it doesn't? I'll have to start over. I know! I'll do what hubby does. I'll throw the whole thing together like I know exactly what I am doing and if it "doesn't" work, I'll go back to looking for the directions. Well, sometimes those methods really do work. . .Amazing!

I also doubled the recipe because someone else said that Dorie's recipe only made a little bit and I want to make cream puffs later and fill them with this blueberry ice cream; drizzle a little Dove Milk Chocolate over the top; and there will be dessert. What do you think?

Doubling the recipe when I have a new mixer scared the beegeebees out of me because I had NO idea what to expect. For all I knew, I would end up with ice cream all over the outside of the mixer. Well, come to find out, that did almost happen. As the ice cream started to harden, it also started coming over the top as it expanded. Pacing and calling for family reinforcements to all agree on the point that the ice cream was truly oozing over the top was in order. Yep! Everyone agreed the ice cream may overflow.

Phone rings. I am trying to buy half a cow and the person I am buying it from is on the phone. We are now doing the happy beef dance. This cow is actually his cow and will be in my freezer by the middle of next month. I am totally sidetracked.

Twenty minutes later, I am off the phone thinking happy beef thoughts when I remember the

ice cream. Dashing into the kitchen (not really a long dash, more like a short fast walk), I come to

a screeching halt to see that the ice cream did NOT overflow and is ready to be taken out of the ice cream bowl.

WoW! The texture feels like velvet. I'm serious. My rock salt and ice, ice cream maker never

made ice cream with texture like this! Hollering down to hubby to feel the spectacular blueberry ice cream. Hear rather loud groan, and movement. Inform him that hurrying is in order because melting is going on and I need pictures. Another groan. Hubby appears, touches ice cream as instructed and then tastes. Luckily he

likes sour cream. He is impressed over the texture but loves the flavor more. When I say luckily he likes sour cream, I mean that I doubled the recipe and I can definitely "taste" the sour cream in the ice cream. Others I read said that the sour cream wasn't really noticeable. Well, it is when you double it! I like it, but I am not in LOVE with it. I did try chocolate sauce over the ice cream and that really brought out the blueberry flavor. I was impressed with the chocolate idea.

Dolores with Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity (say that 5 times fast =)) chose the blueberry ice cream recipe for our Tuesdays with Dorie group. Thank you for the switch in desserts. Very fun! In fact, to look at everyone else's wonderful creativity, just click on the group name. Dorie Greenspan has this recipe on page 434 of her "Baking from my home to yours" cookbook. Everytime I check out the rest of the group's blogs, it just amazes me how differently we all look at things. The ideas you can get from others is wonderful and by sharing with each other, we make the world just a little bit smaller and a lot more interesting.

A New Chocolate Fix ~ Macadamia Fudge Squares

Happy DAY! Happy Day! Baking in the Kitchen and it is RAINING outside. No watering flowers when I can be baking.
Fluffy wants to know where her chocolate fix is and is feeling totally gipped! Especially since she decided to come upstairs and talk to us again after rudely being whisked off to the vets this morning. Can you believe Fluffy's doctor said she should think about a kitty diet? I mean, there is a lot to be accounted for in the fluff department. Fur fluff, I mean. =D Yep, she is not suppose to graze with unlimited kitty food anymore but feeding her a minuscule amount of 1 cup of kitty food a day sounds more like starvation. She doesn't like people food nor does she like soft kitty food. Okay, she likes vanilla ice cream but that is a once a week treat.


Me, on the otherhand? I found this recipe for Macadamia Fudge Squares in a cookbook called Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins, and More. Oh what happy dancing and joy, joy! My sister, Rachel, and myself both LOVE Macadamia nuts and I just found out so does hubby. Oh, Darn! More sharing. . .

Actually sharing is a great idea since this recipe makes a WHOLE jellyroll pan amount of brownies. I want a chocolate fix. . .and sharing keeps me from being a piggy and trying to eat WAYYY more then my chocolate fix calls for. The brownies melt in your mouth, even with the large chunks of macadamia nuts. The chocolate icing was more of a combination of chocolates I had left over from other desserts. You know, .5 ounces of Valhrona milk chocolate, 1 ounce of Hershey's milk chocolate, 2 ounces of Callebaut semi-sweet chocolate chips. . .am I at 5 ounces yet? Nope! Digging, digging, oh here's somemore. . .Callebaut milk chocolate. All little bits here and there that are in separate sandwich size Ziploc bags. Yay! We get to throw away excess baggies. Chocolate amounts not large enough for any one dessert are now being used up for a great cause!


I get all the ingredients prepped and we are ready to bake. Chopping the Macadamia nuts has been a trial because I just HAD to taste test. We can't have poor quality nuts in our brownies, right? Yep, that one tasted great. . .maybe we had better try another one. It could have been a fluke. Yep, the next three were all up to par. Okay, back away from the nuts. . .

The rest of the ingredients make it into the brownies without anymore hand-to-mouth incidents. Now that is self-control. I did say this was a chocolate fix and we DO have small amounts of chocolate all over the place here.

Oh, the aroma drifting from the oven the last 10 minutes of baking. I am sliding the kitchen window open so that the aroma can mingle outside with the scent from my huge, white lilies and beautiful red honeysuckle flowers. Now, combine those three aromas and what a flower that would be!

Here is the recipe so where ever you live, you can enjoy just how tasty these brownies truly are:

Macadamia Fudge Squares
(adapted from Great coffee cakes, stickey buns, muffins, and more)
Makes 4 dozen 2-inch squares
AT A GLANCE
Pan: 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan
Pan Prep: Line with foil/butter
Oven Temp: 375°F
Baking Time: 13 to 15 minutes
Difficulty: *

This pretty bar cookie is another play on a brownie. Dark brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon are perfect partners for the robust flavor of the chocolate. The top is generously sprinkled with macadamia nuts and has a chocolate webbed finish that’s guaranteed to catch your eye.

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (lightly packed) very fresh dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped, salted macadamia nuts
1 small recipe Midnight Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)



1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and butter the foil.

2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, slowly melt the butter and the chocolate. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and, using a whisk, blend the brown sugar into the mixture, stirring until melted. Gradually mix in the granulated sugar. Stir in the eggs and the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Do not over mix.

4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing it with the back of a tablespoon. Sprinkle the surface with the macadamia nuts and press them gently into the batter.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the top is set and the bar begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake. The squares should remain slightly moist on the inside. (Note: If the batter rises in the pan during baking, prick the bubbles gently with a fork to release the air.) Remove from the oven and let stand until almost cool.

5. While the bar is cooling, make the glaze. To web the bar, dip a small whisk into the glaze and squiggle it across the pan. If the glaze becomes too thick, thin it with a little very hot water. Let stand until the glaze is set.

6. Carefully lift the bar from the pan by grasping the foil on both sides and place it on a large cutting board. Pull down the sides of the foil and cut into 2-inch squares using a thin-bladed, sharp knife.

Storage: Store in an airtight container, layered between strips of wax paper, for up to 5 days. These cookies may be frozen.


Midnight Chocolate Glaze

Makes enough for one 10-inch Bundt cake or 9 x 13 x 2-inch coffee cake, or 16 to 18 muffins. Here is a glaze that has a beautiful, glossy shine and wonderful, rich chocolate flavor. While I think the best results are achieved if the glaze is applied when it is made, it can be made ahead and either refrigerated or frozen. The glaze will keep its sheen for up to eight hours, depending on your room temperature and weather conditions. When I tested the recipe, it was impossible not to lick my fingers when scraping the pot clean.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, finely chopped
1/4 cup strained powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, soft

1. Place the water in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the granulated sugar and corn syrup, but do not stir. Cover and bring to a slow boil on medium-low heat. After 1 minute, check to see if any sugar crystals remain. If so, gently stir the mixture. Continue to cook the syrup uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes. (Large bubbles will form on the surface.)

2. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the syrup. Push the chocolate gently into the syrup, but do not stir. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate is melted, then stir gently with a small whisk.

3. When smooth, stir in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then blend in the vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Stir gently with the whisk until smooth, then blend in the butter. If the glaze is not pourable, add 3 or 4 teaspoons of very hot water until the desired consistency is reached.

Note: This glaze is best used immediately.Storage: Leftover glaze can be refrigerated for several weeks. This glaze may be frozen. To use, reheat, adding very hot water to thin the glaze as needed.