Good Intentions

So I jumped on the wagon just like everyone here in blog world and made a form of cake pops and cupcake pops. Looking back on it, what the heck was I thinking?  Yes, they are cute and petite, but definitely not what I thought they would be. Let’s just say that I do not have the patience for these darn things.   Some of you who read this will not like my review, but I am entitled to my own opinion.  So be warned now that this is not a great review!

Aside from making them myself, I thought they would be something fun to send to my little sister to bake and make for Easter.  I sent her a package complete with candy coating, toppings, cupcake mold, etc.  She made them on Easter with our cousin, grandma, and my parents.  They all had a good laugh over decorating the cake pops agreeing that they did not taste very good.  I am glad that at least my gift was full of humor!

I started out with the intention of making the cake balls on the sticks, then when I realized what a pain in the rear they were, I decided to break out the candy mold and turn the remaining balls into cupcake form.   Not only do I feel like they were a waste of money, but they tasted like raw cake and were definitely not worth the effort.

Here’s the review.  I decided to make one batch by a recipe I found on the web.  Everyone knows this recipe.  The one with a boxed cake mix, baked then cooled, crumbled up and the addition of your choice flavor of frosting.  I also made a batch with homemade cake and homemade frosting.  Well once you added the cake and frosting together, the ending result tasted like raw cake batter.  Yuck!  I even made sure not to add too much frosting.  Even though the homemade version tasted better, it was still not good. (If you notice, none of these cake pops are bitten into to show the inside.  I could not bear to bite down on them again after spitting mine out.)

Creme de Menthe cupcake pops (above).

On top of the nasty cake “dough”, you dip your cake ball in the candy coating of your choice.  Yum….partially hydrogenated goodness!!!   I knew this buying the candy coating, but never realized how horrible this stuff tastes.  Seriously like wax in your mouth.  For my homemade cake balls I chose to dip them in  real dark chocolate and real white chocolate…not the candy coating junk.  They tasted better, but you still bit into what tasted like raw cake.

So aside from the ending cake pops tasting like wax coated raw batter and chocolate covered homemade raw batter, they took forever! I could have assembled, crumb coated, and decorated three wedding cakes in the time it took to make these darn things.  Overall they looked cute and put a smile on everyones face that saw them.  My mother told me straight up that they were nasty.  A good friend of mine told me that they tasted like the cardboard cake box.  Everyone else smiled and said “oh, these are good!”.  Either they were being polite or they had no idea what good dessert tasted like.  Will I ever make them again?  Absolutely not.

Warm weather + long days = late blogging

Has it really been over a month?  Kevin just asked me the other day how the blog was.  Well, let’s see…we have been super busy, so updating the blog had been moved to the back burner.   It isn’t that I haven’t been making plenty of yummy meals or desserts…I have.  The fact of the matter is that it has been SO nice outside lately and has been staying light for so much longer at night that the last thing I have wanted to do is plop in front of the computer.  If you personally know me, you know how much I love to workout!  It is like eating great food.  I like it so much and I can never get enough of those endorphins.  Could you say that I am obsessed?  So now that we have this lovely spring weather + more daylight + swimsuit season approaching = running outside!

So to fill you in on the past month or so of our lives I will post many updates including our Easter (or lack of since I went to L.A.) as well as pictures from Kevin’s surprise 30th birthday party!  Yep, I surprised him.  After 3 months of planning too!!  Enjoy the pictures and the recipes that are to come in additional posts.

Yes his eyes are closed.  You gotta love my crappy camera. I mean, it functions, but there is a lag when you hit the button so “in motion” shots just don’t happen.  I need a better camera soon

My wonderful sister- in-law Shawn and Kevin have the same birthday.  She is not 30 yet, but we will get her!  They shared this “dual” birthday cake made by Judy, who also made Shawn’s wedding cake.   Isn’t it beautiful?

I also made a couple of cheesecakes for the party.  Bailey’s Irish Cream with drizzled chocolate on the bottom and vanilla bean on the top. I was disappointed in the vanilla bean.  Oh well, that is what you get for trying a new recipe!

Lastly, here is the food spread for the party.  It included coleslaw, potato salad, chili cheese dip, broccoli salad, veggies, dip, buns, corn muffins, and fruit.  There is BBQ chicken drumsticks hiding under the foil to stay warm and I have pulled pork BBQ, macaroni and cheese as well as baked beans behind me on the counter.

The party was fantastic and everyone had a great time.  I think we ended up with about 50 people in attendance. Kevin was shocked that I had invited so many of his friends from high school and college.  Thanks to Nick and Jared I was able to track everyone down.  Kevin’s sister Katy even flew in from NY as a surprise.  I think this shocked him the most.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special and for all of your hard work and ability to keep it a secret for so long!

Chocolate Intensity Multiplied

This past Tuesday was my friend Jodi’s birthday.  I knew I wanted to make something special for her but wasn’t sure what to make.  Cheesecake? Cake cake? Cookies? Cupcakes?  Ah, so many choices.  When I asked Jodi to name her favorite dessert she was speechless.  I mean, if someone asked you to name your favorite dessert you would probably freeze too!  So many decisions.   Mine, however, is a toss up between hazelnut tiramisu and dark chocolate.   She did mention that she loved molten chocolate lava cakes as well as anything else that was chocolate…any kind of chocolate…and that she was not allergic to anything.  Sweet!  This left me total freedom.

I set out to search for a new recipe.  While I knew of many tried and true, delicious desserts, I was having the hardest time deciding on one.  First I was going to make a chocolate bourbon pecan cheesecake.  Then I decided that I wanted to make a layer cake and decorate it.  Ok, scratch that.  What about take mini lava cakes to her house and baking them on the spot?  Too messy.  So after reading many cookbooks and cake books, I decided upon this recipe.  Chocolate Intensity.  Yes it lives up to the name.  Here is where my problem begins.  I can’t leave a recipe alone. Nor can I ever make a recipe EXACTLY as the recipe states.  I ALWAYS change something no matter what I make.  Don’t ask me why, I just do.

This chocolate intensity cake is now multiplied because it is THAT intense.  While most chocoholics would probably say that they could eat an entire cake, I beg to differ.  I AM a chocoholic and after just a few bites of this rich cake I am satisfied.  It is rich and dense but not sickening sweet.  It is creamy and smooth almost like a chocolate cheesecake, but it is not.  Definitely add the bourbon to the ganache.  Just trust me it is that good. This cake is also best served right from the refrigerator with a glass of ice cold milk.  With the addition of toasted pecans and golden caramel in the ganache this makes for one sexy cake.

While this cake is definitely perfect to save for a special occasion, it is also too good to wait to make.  Make it as soon as you can.  This is that cake that will have people talking and asking for the recipe…or maybe just moaning with ecstasy!

Chocolate Intensity Cake

Makes one 9″ cake

Ingredients

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, preferably softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brewed coffee (I used hot water and espresso powder)
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350º F

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round and butter the parchment.

Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat combine butter, sugar and coffee until the butter has melted and the mixture is boiling. Turn off heat.  Gently pour the hot mixture over your chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute then gently stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until blended. Add in the vanilla and salt.  Stir.  Slowly temper 1/2 cup of hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the hot chocolate mixture and whisk to combine well.  Tempering gradually will prevent from scrambling your eggs.

Strain the chocolate batter through a fine wire mesh sieve then pour batter into prepared pan. Set cake pan in a large roasting pan and fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the center is shiny and set but still a bit jiggly. Transfer cake pan to a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes.

Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a cardboard round on top of the pan and invert the cake onto it. Remove pan and carefully remove the parchment paper. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before glazing with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Bourbon Ganache

makes enough to cover one 9″ cake

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp bourbon

Method

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute then gently stir until chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Gently stir in the bourbon. Transfer glaze to a small bowl and cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and let cool for 5 minutes at room temperature before using.

To glaze the cake:

Place the chilled cake, still on the cake round, on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Slowly pour the hot glaze onto the center of the cake. Smooth the glaze over the top and sides, letting the excess drip onto the baking sheet.

Refrigerate the cake before adding the topping.

Chocolate Caramel Bourbon Pecan Topping

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted

6 ounces heavy whipping cream

4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup MEC3 caramel topping, or any other caramel topping

2 ounces bourbon

Method

Combine chocolate in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In either a saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream to a boil.  Pour cream over chocolate and let stand 1 minute.  Whisk together chocolate and cream until mixture is combined.  Whisk in caramel topping and bourbon until blended.  Fold in chopped, toasted pecans.

Gently pour mixture on top of chilled cake.  Spread out topping as desired.

Refrigerate cake at least 2 hours before serving. Slice with a hot knife for “clean” edged pieces.

Cake and ganache source: The Cake Book

Chocolate Caramel Bourbon Pecan Topping Source: Original Recipe

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Happy Friday the 13th!  Today Kevin’s office is having a potluck lunch.  Every time they have ANY sort of food related function whether they are celebrating a birthday, a promotion, or a retirement, they all turn to Kevin for dessert.  No, he can’t bake…well he could if all of the ingredients and recipe were laid out in front of him, but anyway… I have been known as “Miss Mia” from day one of us dating and me sending in sweets to his office.  I don’t know why the guys in his office use “Miss Mia”, considering I acquired that name through Kevin helping out with boy scouts, but it works.  So they always turn to Kevin for dessert and ask what marvelous thing “Miss Mia” could send in.  This gets my gears turning and I try to come up with the most creative flavors or dessert I can think of at the time. While I am famous for my cheesecakes, I certainly can’t send them into the office every week.  That would get expensive!

Today, Friday, the office gets chocolate ganache cupcakes…or Hershey’s Holiday Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache and vanilla frosting…or Hershey’s Holiday Chocolate cupcakes with creme de menthe spiked chocolate ganache and Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Butter cream (well, frosting in my opinion).  Oh, and green frosting too since St. Patty’s Day is next week!

I can’t even give you one word to describe these cupcakes.  They are just that good. I had one last night at 10:30 after I finished icing them with the green frosting.  Oh my! SO scrumptious!  The cake itself is super light and fluffy.  The ganache is extremely creamy with a very nice light mint flavor and the frosting is like silk.  Normally I am not a fan of “American” butter cream or confectioner’s sugar and butter frosting, but this batch is so smooth and has the consistency of marshmallow fluff.  Delicious!

(Oh…check out the difference that lighting makes in your pictures.  The pictures above were taken with natural light this morning, while the picture right above the vanilla butter cream recipe were taken super early this morning in my kitchen lighting.  What a difference in shades of green!)

Hershey’s Holiday Chocolate Cake with creme de menthe chocolate ganache and Magnolia Bakery Butter Cream

serves 24

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup strong black coffee

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pans with liners.  Set aside.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat at medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter into cupcake liners filling 2/3 way full.

Bake 12- 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Source: Hershey’s Kitchens

Creme de menthe chocolate ganache

makes enough to top 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

6 ounces heavy whipping cream

8 ounces Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup creme de menthe

Method

Scald heavy cream in microwave or on stove top.  Pour hot cream over chocolate chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt from the heat of the cream.  Whisk mixture together until just combined.  Add creme de menthe and continue to whisk until blended and uniform in consistency.

Let ganache sit on the counter for 10 minutes before topping cooled cupcakes.

When ganache is cooled, lightly spoon a few teaspoons of ganache on top of cupcake, spreading over the entire top of the cupcake.  Let ganache set until “tacky” before icing with butter cream.

Source: Original Recipe

Vanilla Butter Cream

makes enough for one 2-layer 9 inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.  Fitted with the whip attachment on medium speed, beat until smooth and cream, about 3-5 minutes.  Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.  You may not need to add all of the sugar.  If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Use and store the icing at room temperature because the icing will set if chilled.  Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: More from Magnolia

Like my buns?

This past week has been gorgeous! The weather has been warm and sunny…perfect grilling weather. It can only be a teaser from Mother Nature since I am sure we are getting rain this weekend. Oh well, in any case, Kevin and I decided to grill out.

I had wanted to make my own burger buns for so long since I was sick of reading the long list of ingredients on bun labels at the store. This is the same reason I don’t buy bread anymore. I am sick of reading labels!

These buns were so delicious and definitely worth the extra step. They were easy and required very minimal effort. Even if you are afraid of yeast you CAN make these buns! Oh, and don’t let anyone tell you that it is better to buy your buns rather than make them. Yes, for 50 people I would probably buy the buns, but if it is just for your family, why not truly “WOW” them?

Beautiful Burger Buns

Makes 8 large buns

Ingredients

6 to 8 ounces lukewarm water

2 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

3 ½ cups (14 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar, I used 2 tablespoons honey + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

Method

Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to make soft, smooth dough.

Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 1″ thick (more or less); flatten to about 3″ across. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.

Brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds or onion flakes.

Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 18 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.

Source: King Arthur Flour

Venison Burgers

This past Christmas, my parents sent Kevin & I home with a grocery bag full of venison burger and bison sausage. We gobbled up the bison sausage very quickly and are now on to the venison. I have been trying to think of what to make, whether it be chili, pizza, meatballs, etc. Considering the warm temperatures here lately, I decided on burgers.

These venison burgers tasted fantastic on the homemade buns! For those of you that don’t know much about venison, it is a very lean meat that is lower in fat and cholesterol when compared to beef or pork. Since venison is so lean, when formed into a burger, it requires the addition of some sort of fat to hold it together, which is why there is an egg in this recipe.

I can’t say much about this burger, except that it was absolutely delish and that I savored every bite!

Venison Burger Meat

Makes 6 patties

Ingredients

20 oz. ground venison

½ c. panko bread crumbs

1/3 c. onion, minced

1 large egg

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoon, ketchup

1 tablespoon yellow mustard, prepared

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon paprika

Method

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix together with hands until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed.

Pat meat into the bottom of the bowl. Score into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a ball then pat into patties about 1/2” thick since they will shrink up a bit once they are cooked.

Refrigerate patties until ready to grill.

Cook patties on a hot grill until desired doneness. Serve on a homemade bun with desired toppings.

Source: Original Recipe

Lemon Curd

Spring is getting so close and it makes me long for light and easy desserts.  The first ingredient that comes to mind is lemons.  They are so fresh and brighten any dish you make, especially this divine lemon curd. Oh so divine!  It is tart, sweet, and super simple.  Why do people spend $4 on a jar when this makes twice as much for that price?  It only takes about 15 minutes and you can use any kind of citrus whether it be lemons, limes, or oranges.

Earth Fare had beautiful Meyer lemons on sale this week.  I wish I would have taken a picture to show you how lovely they were. I definitely could not pass them up knowing that lemon curd would pair perfectly with my angel food cake.  Lemon curd is also great addition to many pastries and cakes as well.  Make sure you use fresh citrus whatever you pick.  Not only does it taste better but it does not contain preservatives or other additives that is in bottled juice.

Lemon Curd

makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/4 c. Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed

5 egg yolks

1 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, unsalted, cut into small chunks

Method

In a saucepan over medium high heat, bring sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a boil.  Remove from heat and gradually temper one third of your hot sugar mixture into your egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Once tempered add egg yolk mixture back to hot mixture on the stove, whisking constantly.  Continue to whisk constantly over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes until mixture has thickened.  It will feel like lemon pudding.

At this point, add in the cubed butter in batches, about a tablespoon at a time.  Blend well after each addition.  Remove mixture from heat and pour through a fine wire mesh strainer into a bowl.  Place plastic wrap directly on the warm lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill until cold, approximately 2-4 hours.

Angel Food Cake

Every week I have been asking my amazing husband, Kevin, to give me some sort of cooking or baking challenge.  He normally just starts naming off any food he has ever.  This week he named one of his all time favorite desserts, angel food cake.  Surprisingly I have never made an angel food cake…ever!  It was just always so easy to buy one instead.  Now, after making one for the first time, I won’t ever buy another one again.  Evidently his mom used to make strawberry shortcakes using angel food cake when he was little.  He told me that he wanted the “soft and light kind” like his moms.

Did mine pass the test, you ask?  While we were eating I asked, “Is it good?  Is it better than your mothers?”  Before he even had the chance to answer I told him “It better be or I’m not making it again!” .   We both laughed.  (Linda, if you are reading this, you know that yours will always be his favorite! )

Angel food cake is a delicious, elegant, low calorie dessert.  It also tastes great with any fruits and whipped cream.  We enjoyed ours with lemon curd, strawberries and hand whipped vanilla cream.  Making an angel food cake is very simple.  How hard is it to whip egg whites?  I will warn you, though, that you will definitely need your 6 quart Kitchen Aid or a very large bowl and your hand mixer.  My egg whites whipped so high that they just about came out of the mixer by the time I stopped it.  I could easily take an off set spatula and level off my mixer bowl.  It was that full!!  I actually had to transfer my whipped egg white mixture to a very large stainless steel bowl in order to fold in my sifted flour/ sugar mixture.

I bought an angel food cake pan specifically for this recipe.  I do own a bundt cake pan and after making my first angel food cake I now realize that I probably could have used this pan or any cake pan for that matter.  I think they would even be cute as little cupcakes with a lemon buttercream and strawberry on top.  No stealing my ideas, now.  I plan to make these for an upcoming birthday!

Angel Food Cake

serves 12

Cake

1  cup  sifted cake flour

1 1/2  cups  sugar, divided

12  large egg whites

1  teaspoon  cream of tartar

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract

1 1/2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice

1/2  teaspoon  almond extract (I omitted this and added extra vanilla extract instead.)

Method

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract (if using).

Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon the batter into an un-greased a10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.

Source: Cooking Light, April 2003

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

This past week I was leafing through recipes and stumbled upon David Lebovitz’s chocolate biscotti.  The pictures looked so amazing, I was practically drooling.  I loved this recipe because it did not require butter and therefore cut out a lot of calories.  Flavor was not sacrificed by doing this either.  Because of the addition of roasted almonds with almond and vanilla extract these little biscottis were bursting with flavor.  Dip them in dark chocolate for an extra treat.  They definitely satisfy the cookie and chocolate craving.

I enjoyed a few biscotti slices that were not baked twice while I cut the second log.  They were so delicious and had a nice crunch like a harder cookie but not as hard as a biscotti.  Yum!  The batch I made also yielded a different amount than in the original recipe.  It could be the way that I cut them or shaped them.  Whatever reason, they were still yummy. I also made my biscotti in the food processor.  I thought that this was MUCH easier than having to use the mixer, but that is personal preference.

Biscotti Dough

makes: 40-50

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup almonds, toasted and very coarsely-chopped (I used roasted almonds)
3/4 cups chocolate chips

Glaze

1 large egg
2 tablespoons coarse or crystal sugar

2 c. dark chocolate, if desired for dipping or drizzling

Method

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment add in 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla & almond extracts.  Mix until smooth.

Gradually pulse in the dry ingredients, then flip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips by hand until the dough holds together.  Take care not to fold in any extra flour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into logs the length of the baking sheet. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

Gently flatten the tops of the logs. Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the logs liberally with the egg. Sprinkle the tops with the coarse sugar and bake for 25 minutes, until the dough feels firm to the touch.  I started checking my dough logs after 20 minutes and removed them when the tops began to crack and the dough was firm.

Remove the cookie dough from the oven and cool 15 minutes. On a cutting board, use a serrated bread knife to diagonally cut the cookies into 1/2-inches slices. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.

Once baked, cool the cookies completely then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Dip or drizzle in dark chocolate if desired.

Source: David Lebovitz

Potato Soup in Bread Bowls

Kevin and I rarely eat out.  If we do go out to eat we normally hit up our favorite sushi place or grab some good barbecue.  Back when we first met, we would frequent places like Panera Bread or Atlanta Bread Company for lunch or a quick dinner.  Kevin loved their soup in bread bowls.  I loved their soups.  The thought of eating a bread bowl on top of a bowl of soup widened my hips even more.   After discovering how much hidden sodium is in soup and bread I stopped eating out at these places.  What I thought was a healthy meal was laden with salt.  Now don’t get me wrong, once in a while it is okay to have these things like when we are traveling or in a pinch, but definitely not all of the time like we used to do.

Since it has been colder here than usual I decided to make potato soup.  Potatoes were on sale a few weeks ago so I stocked up and it was time to use them before they went bad.  I also had a few leeks in my refrigerator, that were on sale this week at the grocery, so I decided to add them as well.  Knowing that Kevin loves bread bowls, I decided that it would be an unexpected surprise that he would enjoy.  Once he found out, he looked like a kid in a candy store!

We like our soups on the thicker side with more of a heavy stew consistency.  This soup was thick and chunky, even though you could puree the entire thing if desired.  It was smooth and creamy without the additional fat from cream and butter.  It was nice and toasty from the bacon, which you could omit if desired.  The bread bowls were nice and fluffy too.  They also had a great nutty sweetness from the addition of flax seed and honey.  This is a great meal whether you have time to make the bread bowls or just the soup.  I hope it puts a smile on your face.

Potato Leek Soup

makes 5 servings

Ingredients

3 slices of thick cut bacon, diced.  I used Smith-field.

1/2 medium sweet onion, finely diced

2 medium/large leek, washed, trimmed, and chopped

1 rib celery, diced

1 lb. 12 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

1 1/2 c. low fat buttermilk

2 3/4 c. milk, I used skim

1/2 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Garnish

scallions, chopped

sharp white cheddar, grated

plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

bacon, reserved from frying

Method

In a large pot add chunks of potatoes and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and keep warm.

While potatoes are boiling, in a small saucepan over low heat warm the milk and buttermilk.  Keep warm until ready to use.

Combine the drained, cooked potatoes with the warm milk.  Keep warm over low heat.  At this stage you can choose to mash this mixture for a chunkier soup, leave the mixture alone and keep chunky potatoes, or puree the mixture for a pureed potato soup.

In a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat add diced bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon from pot and reserve for garnish.  Turn down heat to medium low heat and add in onion, celery, and leek.  Cook until tender.

Add the potato/ milk mixture to the onion/celery/ leek mixture and stir to combine.  Continue to cook over medium low heat until the soup is thoroughly heated.  In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Ladle soup into bread bowls.  Garnish with sour cream/ Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, reserved bacon pieces, and green onion.

Nutritional Information (approximately per serving without bread): 263 calories, 4 g fat, 43 carbs, 14 g protein

Whole Wheat Bread Bowls

makes 4 bread bowls

Ingredients

1 c. warm water (110 degrees)

1/2 c. warm milk

2 Tablespoons honey

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/3 c. flax seed, ground

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

2 c. bread flour, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg white, beaten

Sea salt, for sprinkling

Method

In a medium bowl combine warm water, honey, and yeast.  Let sit until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.  Stir in warm milk.

While yeast mixture is starting to foam: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all flours, salt, and flax seed, except for 1 cup of the bread flour.  You will need this later while the dough is kneading.  You will use some of it, but you may not need all of it depending upon the stickiness of the dough and the humidity.  Briefly stir flours together and put bowl on mixer fitted with dough hook.

Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and turn the mixer on low (or level 2 on Kitchen Aid  brands).  Allow the mixer to combine the wet and dry ingredients.   You may need to scrape the bowl down in the beginning to help the mixture along.  Once your mixture has formed a nice dough, begin sprinkling in the reserved flour a little at a time.  As I stated before, you want your dough to be soft but not too sticky.  Once your dough is soft and has formed a ball in the mixer, let the dough knead for 10 minutes on speed 2.

After the dough has kneaded for ten minutes, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.   Cover the bowl loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down dough.  Let rest for 5 minutes. Equally divide the dough into 4 pieces and knead each piece into a ball.  Place the small “bowls”  of dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm place for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush risen dough balls with egg white and sprinkle with sea salt if desired.  Bake in a 375 degree oven until bread bowls are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Let cool on sheet pan for 5 minutes.  Cut out top of bread bowl, scoop out insides, and fill with desired soup.  Serve.