The jury is still out: pumpkin swirl brownies

I was very excited to try these Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies and made them for last week's Friday Night Football tailgate. They were good, but not fantastic; I'm still looking for some good recipes to help alleviate my pumpkin baking obsession. The tailgate crowd wasn't quite sure what to think of the brownies. Some thought they were good, some just thought they were weird. One thought they'd be better with vanilla whipped cream on top. It was evident, however, that they were not the best thing I've ever baked. That's okay, not everything can be the best thing you've ever baked!

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 can solid-pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.
- Recipe originally from Martha Stewart; I saw it on How to Eat a Cupcake

Celebrate with Champagne Cupcakes

We had a family celebration on Sunday, and I had been looking for a reason to try champagne cake. I first had champagne cake at a convention I planned and thought it was the most delicious cake I'd ever tried. Maybe it just seemed so great because I tasted it after dinner - which also happened to be the first time I sat down the entire day. Either way, I've been looking forward to making my own version ever since. When I saw this recipe on The Beantown Baker, I saved it for our Sunday celebration. These cupcakes aren't exactly how I remember the cake, but they are easy to make and very good.

Champagne Cupcakes

2/3 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt

3/4 cup champagne

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Blend the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
5. In a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter until blended, then fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended.
6. Fill the cupcakes liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan.
7. Once completely cooled, brush 1 Tbsp of champagne onto the tops of the cupcakes.
   

Champagne Frosting

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 Tbsp champagne

4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

In a large bowl beat the shortening and butter until combined. Add the champagne. Slowly add the confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
- Recipe from The Beantown Baker, originally from Crazy about Cupcakes

BB: Butternut Squash Risotto

YUM! Although it's not extremely photogenic, Ina Garten's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash is delicious! This was my first attempt at risotto, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Rachel from the blog Rachel Likes To Cook picked the first Barefoot Bloggers recipe for October - and she made a great choice! Making risotto is not for the faint of heart - it was pretty time consuming (1 1/2 to 2 hours total), but I'm definitely glad I took the time to try it! This recipe is creamy and rich, and the butternut squash provide just enough sweetness to give it a perfect sweet/savory balance. If you're thinking about leaving out the squash - don't do it! Ken even ate this . . . and we discovered that Piper loves roasted butternut squash.

Saute pancetta, shallots, and butter

Add white wine and riceSlowly add chicken stockAllow rice to absorb each additionYUM!

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes (I did not peel the squash; I could barely cut it! I peeled it after roasting). You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total (Ha! It took at least 45, maybe more). Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve. - Recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style, via The Food Network

Apple Pecan Muffins

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it can also be the most challenging. Not many people have time (okay, make time) to fix a nutritious breakfast on weekdays. Lately, my breakfast has consisted of tea and a sprouted grain English muffin with almond butter (and sometimes honey). Ken usually eats cereal (good, because it is the lesser of the evils when compared to Pop Tarts, but bad because it is high carb and not very nutrient dense).

These Apple Pecan Muffins turned out to be a perfect alternative to our normal breakfasts. I found the recipe in Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, which has "recipes for a healthy lifestyle." I made a few changes (and I have a few more I'd like to experiment with in the future). Here is my version:

Apple Pecan Muffins
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup spelt flour (substitute for all-purpose flour)
1 cup oat flour (substitute for whole-wheat pastry flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
2 large eggs (I used brown/cage free)
1 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce (2 of the individual servings)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with olive oil or cooking spray, or use paper or foil muffin liners.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen. Remove from pan and cool completely on the rack.

Note: for me, this recipe yielded 12 regular muffins, plus 5 muffins baked in mini-tart pans. You can keep these muffins in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months, in an airtight container.

Quick Dinner and Why I Almost Ate Donut Holes Instead

It was after dark when I got home this evening (commute+errands+grocery store), so I had to fix a quick dinner to keep us from eating too late. I made a bourbon-honey-mustard glazed shoulder tender steak for Ken and trimmed a little of the end of the steak off to cube up for stir fry meat for my dinner. No real recipes, but here are some rough guidelines:

Steak:
Combine equal parts bourbon, honey, chicken stock, and spicy brown mustard (I used about 2 tbsp. each); cook in a saucepan until well combined (allow to reduce if you have time). Brush over both sides of steak; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet (or grill pan) over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the steak (this was grass-fed, so I gave it a little less than 2 minutes per side). Remove steak from skillet; transfer to oven-safe baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over steak and bake in a 350 degree oven to desired doneness (I didn't check the time - maybe 10-15 minutes).

Super green (and yellow) (and brown) stir fry:
I cooked the small cubes of beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) in the grill pan with the steak (above), then set the meat aside. In another skillet, sauté asparagus and bell pepper (chopped pieces of both; I used a yellow pepper) in olive oil. Meanwhile, steam green beans (using your favorite steaming method). When tender, add equal parts soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and spinach, green onions, fresh basil, cooked beef, and steamed green beans. Add toasted sesame ginger seasoning to taste (1-2 tsp.). Cook until sauce and seasoning have coated vegetables (about 1 minute). Serve immediately.

I got the inspiration for adding fresh herbs to my stir fry from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking (she also has a good healthy cooking blog - 101 Cookbooks). It was so good, it almost made me think I could eat low-carb! However, I used a little too much sesame seasoning and by the time I got to the last couple of bites, I was wishing for rice!

Stir Fry

Honey-Bourbon-Mustard Shoulder Tender Steak

About the donut holes . . . I went to a decent-sized grocery store in Hannibal to shop for ingredients for my recipes for the rest of the week and weekend (normally I like to go to Quincy for groceries, but I had to run errands in Hannibal, so I thought it would be more efficient to get groceries there) . . . since it has been rainy and cloudy, I wanted to make a quick Mediterranean soup. However, [this particular grocery store] didn't have HALF of the ingredients I needed - and they weren't all that exotic! I was also unable to find a couple crucial items for the risotto I'm making this week . . . and to top it all off, the liquor dept. didn't even have champagne, which I need for cupcakes this weekend! By the time I made it to the checkout, I felt pretty defeated and really wanted to pick up the strategically-placed sugared donut holes for dinner . . . sometimes it is hard to attempt to eat well in the rural Midwest! However, I did get gas for less than $3/gallon, so that made me feel a little better about living in a place with no eggplant, shallots, or champagne.

This Week

Sorry, nothing exciting and new to post today. I made two things over the weekend - and neither were blog-worthy (cheesy hashbrown potato casserole for a bonfire/Mizzou football watch party on Saturday night and "oven fried" chicken tenders Sunday night).

However, I am looking forward to cooking some good stuff this week:
Saffron risotto with butternut squash (Barefoot Bloggers)
Pumpkin frozen custard
Green-packed stir fry
Shoulder tender steak

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I'm going to be working on "harvest food" - portable things Ken can eat in the combine during the evening (or quick-fix things I can make when he gets home late).

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Now that October is here, I feel like I MUST bake some pumpkin-flavored treats. I have got to move this up on my priority list so I can stop obsessing over thinking about pumpkin treats!

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Speaking of pumpkin treats, I saw Pumpkin Spice Kiss Chocolate Brownies on Annie's Eats recently, but I cannot find Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses around here! Fortunately, I do have all the ingredients for Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies, as seen on How to Eat a Cupcake.

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Although I didn't do much cooking this weekend, I did pick up the October issues of Southern Living and Cook's Country, and got Williams Sonoma's Cake (thanks, Mom!) as well as Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson. I can't wait to try some of Heidi's healthful, delicious-looking recipes. Now, online to order mesquite flour.

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Zingerman's Guide to Good Eatingcame in the mail today. Thank goodness for Amazon.com and Half.com! I like Amazon - a huge selection and fast shipping . . . but I can get a lot of good books, cookbooks, and audiobooks from Half.com for under $2 each (not including shipping).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Finally, I'm working on a package for Blogging by Mail!

My kind of history

History wasn't one of my favorite subjects in school; I think it is one of those things you develop a greater appreciation for as you get older (although I'm still not into watching The History Channel). Food history, however, is really interesting to me. As much as I like trying new recipes, I'm also interested in learning about the history of food and meals. Some historical foods suit me better than others (for example, I love heirloom tomatoes but I can't get very excited about eating liver).

In addition to heirloom tomatoes, another thing I love is cookbooks. This summer, just before our anniversary, Ken and I went to an estate sale near our home. I think he was interested in a pressure washer, but I was drawn to the boxes of old cookbooks. I started looking through some of them while they were selling items I wasn't interested in . . . and found a few I thought were really cool. However, it was a really hot day and I had a lot of things on my weekend to-do list . . . so Ken took me home (empty handed) and he returned to the sale. He stayed there for quite a while, so I thought he would buy the pressure washer - but instead, he came home with 2 boxes of old cookbooks! He waited around for them to sell long after the pressure washer had sold. In the hot, humid August weather. Isn't he nice?

The boxes were filled with lots of community cookbooks (from churches, daycares, 4-H clubs, flower societies, etc.), plus a few hardcover books. Here are two of my favorites - the Culinary Arts Institute's Encyclopedic Cookbook and the White House Cookbook.


The White House Cookbook is a reprint of the original 1887 Edition - the recipes are in a different format than recipes we see today. They don't list the ingredients; ingredients are incorporated into the directions instead. Both cookbooks also have monthly menu plans (you can tell I intended to post this in September!):

(Culinary Arts Cookbok's September Dinner Menus)

(The White House Cookbook's September menus)

Healthy Chocolate Cake?

Would you believe me if I told you this cake was good for you? Well, believe it - it is GOOD for you. Not just a little better than your average chocolate cake - actually good for you (and after the sugar-high inducing Sweet 100 in the last post, good-for-you is much needed around here)!

First, let me give you the background on this cake. It is made from a mix from Wellness Bakeries (as is the "ganache"). It was a sample my boss got at work; I was tasked with baking it and bringing it in for a taste test.

Per serving, this cake has:

• Fewer grams of sugar than a quarter of an apple
• More protein than a scrambled egg
• More antioxidant power than 6 cups of blueberries
• More fiber than a bowl of bran flakes
• Fewer calories than a serving of yogurt

Sounds healthy, right? Now to the really important part - how did it taste? I'll start by saying - it's really good! But it does make a difference at which point you find out it is a "healthy" chocolate cake. If you tasted it before finding out, you'd probably think it was okay - maybe not the richest or most flavorful chocolate cake ever, but not too bad. If you knew it was healthy before you tasted it, you would be amazed how good it tastes, especially considering the nutritional benefits.

So why am I bragging about this healthy cake? I'm not sure - I guess it just surprises me that a piece of cake that is better for me than yogurt, bran flakes, an egg, an apple, and blueberries actually tastes good! I'm not an affiliate of Wellness Bakeries. In fact, I've never met or talked to the Wellness Bakeries people; I'm definitely not getting any credit for telling you about this cake. It's just interesting. Somewhere on the Wellness Bakeries website, I read that they are developing more mixes, including gluten free.

I hope we will start carrying it at work (healthy chocolate cake would be a great finish to a grass-fed steak dinner, no?).

The Sweet 100

You may have seen "The Omnivore's 100" on food blogs recently - providing people the opportunity to share whether or not they have tried anything from a Big Mac to heirloom tomatoes to snake . . . interesting, but not really my cup of tea.
However, I saw "The Sweet 100" on fellow Barefoot Blogger Audrey's food from books, and I thought maybe it would be fun . . . like Audrey, I'm a fan of lists. So here goes:

Items I have tried are in bold
Items I would not try have been crossed out

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar (the first pie I ever made was apple and sharp cheddar!)
5. Beignet (at Jazz in Columbia; does it count if it's not in New Orleans?)
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (aka Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars) (coconut=no)
9. Fried Fruit pie
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut (Krispy Kreme, yum!)
12. Scone with clotted cream (scone, yes . . . clotted cream, no)
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca "pearls") (tried this at a tea place on Broadway in Columbia . . . it was weird, and the place is no longer in business)
18. Dixie Cup (I have probably eaten a dessert out of a Dixie Cup, but nothing called a Dixie Cup!)
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores (sounds good)
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mint is my favorite flavor)
24. Moon cake ($10 to $50 for a cake with a "slightly oily" filling made from salted duck eggs?)
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska (perhaps I'll make this when Sarah Palin becomes the first female VP)
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar (according to wikipedia, a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light custard or vanilla butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares . . . why have I not heard of this before???)
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova (courtesy of the Egg Council)
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie
37. Panna Cotta (on the Very Berry Wine Trail in Hermann)
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits (I'd try them if made without coconut)
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolaches (these are on my to-make list)
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas (Portuguese yeast dough, fried and coated in sugar)
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake (Should I blame my St Louis friends or Paula Deen?)
52. Rusks ("hard, dry biscuit or twice-baked bread" - no thanks!)
53. Daifuku (sounds strange)
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop (Best from the Cupcakery in St Louis)
56. Crème brûlée (Mom and I learned to make crème brûlée at Main Street Kitchen)
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake) (A fried twinkie at the NWSS in Denver and fried oreos at last year's Taste of Palmyra)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An "upside down" dessert (such as Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake (Oh yeah - I had forgotten - this was the groom's cake at Nick and Kaci's wedding in Texas; I should have done a whole post about their wedding - among other good things, they had Dublin Dr. Pepper)
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie) (why bother?)
67. Kulfi (an Indian milk-based frozen dessert)
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House (Dad and I used to make Gingerbread houses for Christmas)
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli (At D'Agostino's . . . another Columbia place that bit the dust)
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci (what?)
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake (thank you, Cracker Barrel)
92. Gateau Basque
93. S'mores
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables
98. Millionaire's Shortbread (this recipe looks good!)
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

Want your own Sweet 100? All you have to do is:
1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you've eaten!
3) Cross out any of them that you'd never ever eat.
4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To Do" List.

Shortbread Sugar Cookies

My contribution to the Friday Night Football tailgate this week was shortbread sugar cookies. The recipe comes from The Pastry Queen cookbook by Rebecca Rather. In the cookbook, the recipe is actually Pretty-in-Pink Shortbread Pigs, and the cookies are cutout pigs with pink icing. I turned the dough into squares decorated with orange and white instead (to save time and because orange is the color of the Palmyra Panthers).

The first thing I need to tell you about this recipe is that it is EASY. Much easier than any other sugar cookies I have made before. The hardest part is remembering to leave the butter out long enough to reach room temperature. The results were much better as well; the cookies are tender, sweet, and buttery. I'm contemplating the addition of a pinch of salt next time I make this recipe, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.

Shortbread Sugar Cookies
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Powdered Sugar Icing
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture, beating on low speed. Stop beating as soon as the flour is incorporated (overbeating will make cookies tough).
2. Form the dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I was in a hurry and only refrigerated for 15-20 minutes and it was fine) before rolling it out. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. On a flat, smooth, floured surface, roll chilled dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the cookies with desired cookie cutter (or cut them into squares/rectangles - I used a pizza wheel for this). Use a spatula to transfer to prepared baking sheets, placing 1/2 inch apart. Combine dough scraps and reroll to cut more cookies (reroll only once, otherwise cookies will be tough due to overhandling). Any subsequent scraps can be formed into a log, wrapped with plastic wrap, and frozen . . . cut 1/4 inch thick slices off the log to make round cookies.
4. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, or until light brown around the edges. Cool cookies 10 minutes on the baking sheet; remove with a spatula and transfer to cooling racks.
5. When cookies have cooled, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and food coloring to make icing. Either dip cookies in icing or spoon icing onto cookies and smooth with back of spoon.

Note (1): Cookies can be stored (when icing is completely dry) in an airtight container for up to a week or tightly wrapped in the freezer for 1 month. Prior to baking, prepared dough can be kept in ghe refrigerator 1 week or freezer 1 month.
Note(2): If you are going to bake all the cookies at once, I recommend doubling the icing recipe.
- Recipe from the Pastry Queen/Rebecca Rather

Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker chose Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup for this week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe. I was excited about this recipe, because I like mushrooms and I like homemade soup. It didn't disappoint. It was kind of time consuming, and there are a few things I would do differently next time . . . but overall, it is a very good recipe.

My friends Amy and Amanda came over to watch the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy (the show, unlike the soup, was kind of disappointing). They both liked this soup . . . and although they are both very polite, I think they would also be honest with me if they didn't like something I made. Amy and Amanda even helped me do dishes after Grey's was over, which I really appreciated (especially since I needed to start a batch of cookies for Friday night football - post coming soon!).

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten, via foodnetwork.com

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms (I used "baby bella," as I couldn't find cremini or porcini)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow white onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided (no fresh thyme available here; I used dried)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half (I used fat free half-and-half)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. (The recipe says "Don't wash them!" but I didn't have time to wipe each one, so I washed them!) Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. (Oops, skipped the straining step) You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

After a few tastes, we decided some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano might be a nice addition - and it was! Next time I make this, I would like to:
1. Use chicken stock in place of [at least part of] the water
2. Puree some of the soup to achieve a thicker texture

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

Tonight was the first time I have cooked quinoa. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I have always thought it sounded good (particularly this recipe), so I gave it a try. The verdict? It was easy to cook and very tasty! I had only one complaint about this recipe - I did not like the cilantro cooked into the dish. It added a nice flavor, but the texture of cooked cilantro didn't really mesh with the other textures. Next time, I'll just use the fresh cilantro after cooking. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit; the original recipe can be found at epicurious.com.

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped white onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional; I used feta)

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro (I will omit this next time); cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired. 4 to 6 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Analysis is based on using 1 ounce crumbled Cotija cheese per serving. Calories 391; Fat (g) 13.16; Cholesterol (mg) 25.23; Carbohydrates (g) 53.04; Fiber (g) 10.24; Total Sugars (g) 5.56; Protein (g) 16.20.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I made these peanut butter cup brownies to take to the football game last Friday night. There is a tradition of tailgating for high school football games in our small town. The weather - and the team's performance - left a lot to be desired, but at least we had some good food!

This is a "no recipe" post. Simply prepare your favorite brownies (either from a recipe or a mix), bake them in muffin pans, and insert a peanut butter cup during the last 5 minutes of baking. Yum!

Post script: Be creative with this! Use other bite-sized candies . . . or bake the brownies in a regular pan and "tile" the top with squares of Ghirardelli chocolate (the peanut butter-filled squares are good for this!) . . . oh, and if you must use a brownie mix, use either the Barefoot Contessa brownie mix or a Ghirardelli brownie mix (widely available in grocery stores, even here in rural Missouri).

Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

If you're thinking about putting away your ice cream maker because summer is over - don't do it! Burnt Sugar Ice Cream is the perfect way to transition your ice cream maker into fall. I made this for my friends Adam and Becky, as a post-birthday celebration for Becky and a pre-wedding celebration for both of them. It was really inspired by Adam, however, because I remembered him mentioning (more than once) that a burnt caramel cake made by his grandmother was one of his all-time favorite treats.

This ice cream is wonderful - rich and creamy, perfectly sweet, and surprisingly complex, given the simple ingredients.Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. water
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
optional: 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Stir together sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and boil, without stirring, until the syrup turns a deep amber color. From time to time, brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirl the pan (but do not stir!). Depending on your saucepan, this should take about 8 minutes.
2. Lower heat and carefully add cream and milk. Don't be concerned when everything bubbles and seethes and the caramel hardens - it will calm down and smooth out as you heat and stir. Continue to heat and stir until mixture is smooth; remove from heat.
3. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks and salt until blended and slightly thickened. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in 1/3 of the hot liquid (this will temper, or warm, the yolks - it is important to do this slowly so you don't cook the eggs). Continue to whisk and gradually add the remaining liquid. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium (medium-low) heat until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour into a clean heatproof bowl. Stir in vanilla, if using.
4. Refrigerate custard until well-chilled; freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Pack ice cream into a freezer proof container and freeze at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop (I recommend 4-6 hours, minimum). Enjoy!

Storage: Frozen and packed tightly in a covered container (I also put a layer of Press-n-Seal directly on the surface of the ice cream), it will keep for up to two weeks.
- Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home to Yours

Barefoot Bloggers: Grown Up Mac and Cheese

This installment of Barefoot Bloggers was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl.

I was excited to try this recipe. It reminded me a lot of my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe (from the Stonewall Kitchen Favorites) cookbook. However, this recipe disappointed me just a little bit. It was good, but just not as great as the Stonewall Kitchen recipe, which is a little cheesier and more flavorful. For some reason, my final product seemed to need a little bit more cheese and seasoning. I also like the thyme in the Stonewall Kitchen recipe better than the basil in this one (which I'm actually surprised about, because I love basil). Overall, I liked this recipe - but I think when I feel like splurging on mac & cheese, I'll stick with the Stonewall Kitchen version.

Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac & Cheese

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cooked 2 oz. pancetta
Vegetable oil omitted
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled 2 ounces Fontina
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed toasted
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook macaroni in salted water, according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, Fontina, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
- Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, via the Food Network

Note: The original recipe says this serves two . . . those "two" would have to be incredibly hungry! I filled up the small corningware dish above, the next larger size corningware dish, and two individual-sized aluminum pie pans (the latter three I froze for later). I initially thought about halving the recipe, but decided not to . . . and I'm glad I didn't, because I did get many, many dishes dirty in the process of making this - so I'm glad we'll get more than one meal out of it!

P.S. Today is Patriot Day, so please take time to think about the families who lost loved ones on 9/11, as well as the troops fighting for our freedom. Little things we take for granted, like home cooked meals, are just one tiny part of the huge sacrifice soldiers make while protecting our nation.