Peanut Butter and Julie

Meyer Lemon and Blackberry Olive Oil Polenta Cake

20 Random Things That You Never Wanted To Know About Me

Now that I have my new Facebook page up and running (thanks to all who joined!), I thought that it would be fun to occasionally post 20 random facts about myself on my blog.  This will allow new readers to get to know me, and long-time readers to learn some more things about me (which hopefully won't scare either group off.)  If random facts don't interest you, then by all means skip down to the recipe at the bottom of the page.  These are all fairly short and, in case you didn't catch it, also quite random.

1.  I was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune when I was 17.  I won, but I've either hidden or burned all of the photographic evidence because I was wearing a hideous Laura Ashley number, which should never have been allowed on national T.V.

2.  Fast food: I've never eaten a Big Mac, and I've never been to Taco Bell.  I love Wendy's Frosties.  Oh, and that freaky Burger King mascot in their commercials gives me nightmares.

3.  When I was little, I was afraid of the windshield wipers on our car.  I also thought that the Empire State Building was called the "Vampire" State Building.  Looks like I wasn't alone:

 

4. I once got my arm stuck in a pool table.  That was embarrassing.

5. I also once locked myself in a dumpster.  That was even more embarrassing.

6. I'm really good at shooting pool (providing I don't get my arm stuck in the table, which takes my skill level down a few notches.)

7. My brother Jay is the single most interesting person I know.  You should take him out for a beer sometime.  He has some great stories to tell, my favorite of which includes the dog from There's Something About Mary and a very unfortunate chicken.

8. I can say the Pledge of Allegiance in french which, now that I think about it, makes no sense whatsoever.

9. I absolutely hate mayonnaise.  It's pretty much a mayo-phobia.  That goes for aioli too.  You chefs aren't tricking me with your fancy french terms (see #8.)

10.  I'm left-handed.  So is my husband, Eric.   We figured that there aren't very many of us in the world, so we might as well get married.

11. One of my pet peeves is when people over age 16 use terms like "preggers", "vacay", and "adorbs!" to shorten words that really weren't that long to begin with.  Scratch that -- it bugs me when anyone uses those terms.

12.  I once had a 5-minute conversation with Tom Brady at a party.  Unfortunately, I did not know who Tom Brady was at the time.  I've been kicking myself ever since.

 

13. I like to eat frozen peas.

14. I put Tabasco Chipotle sauce on almost everything (but not frozen peas.)

15.  About 10 years ago, I developed an allergy to scallops, which sucks because I really like scallops.  Why can't I be allergic to mayonnaise?

16. I love to cross-country ski.  Unfortunately, I live in the desert so my opportunities are limited.

17.  Music: I love listening to Hair Nation on Sirius, and I wish that the original members of Guns 'n Roses would get back together (although that could be a disaster.)  I think that Eminem is a brilliant lyricist, although he could afford to ease up just a hair on the profanities.  I think the Dave Matthews Band is completely overrated.  Josh Groban's "O Holy Night" always makes me cry.  I have a Justin Bieber song on my iPod.  Don't judge.  It's good for working out.

 

 

18. I have one blond eyelash and one brown eyelash.  

19. I'm a stickler for punctuality.  We are a dying breed.

20. I don't have much of a green thumb, which I partially attribute to the climate in which I reside.  That said, a few things grow beautifully here, including Meyer lemons.  I have two huge Meyer lemon trees in my backyard, which yield in excess of 500 fat yellow-orange lemons each year.  If you live in the area, let me know.  I'll give you some :)

Which leads me to today's recipe.........

 

 

 

This weekend, it became evident to me that this year's Meyer lemon supply had gotten a bit out of hand.  Branches drooped due to clusters of fat oval-shaped fruit, some of which looked more like oranges.  The ground was dotted with dozens of bruised lemons that my dogs had snatched from the tree and discarded.  It was time to bake something lemony (not using the dog discarded lemons, of course)!

Have you ever tasted an olive oil cake?  It sounds a bit weird, I know.  Most of us are used to enjoying a nice, fruity, extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over something savory, not baked into dessert.  The olive oil cake is very common in Mediterranean baking, and there are countless variations on it.  Olive oil replaces butter as the main source of fat, creating a lovely moist cake that is neither too sweet nor too heavy.  Adding polenta (or cornmeal) to the batter yields a slightly crunchy texture and a crisp crust.  I decided to load up this cake with plenty of Meyer lemon zest and a bit of fresh lemon juice.  Then, at the last minute, I tossed in some blackberries (the cake was just calling out for some fresh berries!)

Overall, I was quite happy with the results.  The cake sunk in the middle a little bit, which I sneakily hid with some extra blackberries, but I know that the sinking was due to my frequent checking for doneness (thus the fluctuation of the oven temperature.)  Try to avoid doing this, tempting as it may be.  See the notes below for a few variations that I will try next time.

 

 

Here are a few additional tips and twists for this citrusy snack cake:

• As you can tell from the photo, some of the blackberries sunk to the bottom of the pan during the baking process.  This is fine, but the next time that I prepare this, I might just sprinkle the top of the batter with the blackberries and allow the cake to bake up around them.  If you try it this way, please let me know what happens!
• The lemon flavor in this cake is definitely evident, but it is by no means strong or overly tart.  If you would like something like that, I would suggest drizzling the cake with a lemony sugar syrup while it is still warm and/or a lemony glaze after it has cooled.  Instructions for both can be found in my Mini Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Pound Cakes recipe.
• This recipe will keep well for 3-4 days in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped.

 

 

Meyer Lemon and Blackberry Olive Oil Polenta Cake

Printable Version

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup instant polenta or yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

Zest from 3 large Meyer lemons (or 4 large regular lemons)

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 ounces fresh blackberries

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Spray an 10-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray  - or - spray a 10-inch round baking pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar and the eggs on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow and tripled in volume.   Mix in the lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the lemon juice.  Add this to the egg mixture, alternating with the flour mixture, in two additions each, mixing after each addition until the ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold the blackberries into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly touched, and a cake tested inserted into the center emerges clean, 30-35 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then release the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool completely.

Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and garnish with additional fresh blackberries (optional) before serving.

 

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

 

Well, it only took about four years, but I've finally created a Facebook page for Peanut Butter and Julie.  Hey--I've never claimed to be an early adopter.  I wanted to wait around and see if this whole Facebook gimmick has any longevity.  One billionaire, one pending IPO, and 800 million users later, I've concluded that it does (although my husband, Eric "I'm not on Facebook" Hession, is still resistant to join.)

So I'm starting this post out with a shameless plug for my new Facebook digs along with an even more shameless attempt at bribing you to give me a "like."  This attempt comes in the form of (what else?) A GIVEAWAY. 

Required blogging disclaimer: This particular giveaway is completely of my own doing.  I wasn't approached by a sponsor, and one of the prizes is my own product. 

In order to be entered for the drawing, all that you need to do is give me a "thumbs-up" or a "like" on my Peanut Butter and Julie FB page.  As of right now, your chances of winning are absolutely stellar.  Since my mom isn't on Facebook either, I have a fan count of 1.  And yes, that 1 fan is yours truly.  It's kind of lonely over there.  Come on over and say hi.

 

Now, for the delicious deets:  In December, I won second place in a Lindt chocolate recipe contest.  My prize package included a gift card to the Lindt on-line store, with which I purchased a few copies of their cookbook, Lindt Chocolate Passion.  One for me, and one for you!  From Stracciatella Mousse to Orange Crepe Souffle with Chocolate Sauce, this book is a chocoholic's dream, and it would be perfect inspiration for your Valentine's Day dessert.  It also contains some helpful tutorials on tempering, ganache, and types of chocolate.  I think that I gained a few pounds just looking at the photos.  One lucky PB&J Facebook fan will win a copy of this cookbook. 

A second fortunate fan will win not one, but TWO bags of my Julie Anne's all-natural Decadent Raspberry Truffle Granola, which also served as the inspiration for today's recipe below.  I call this granola my "Cocoa Krispies for adults", with its dark cocoa, toasted almonds, intensely flavored dried raspberries and a sprinkling off bittersweet chocolate.  It's a great way to get your chocolate fix first thing in the morning (or in the afternoon, or in the evening.)

The official drawing will take place on Wednesday, January 25, which will give me plenty of time to get the prizes to you well ahead of Valentine's Day.  Good luck, and thanks!

 

 

 

Speaking of ways to get an early morning chocolate fix......how about a way to get an early morning DOUBLE chocolate fix?  I thought that might catch your attention.

As I mentioned above, these muffins were inspired by my Decadent Raspberry Truffle Granola, which was originally inspired by my mom (her favorite flavor combination has always been chocolate and raspberry.)  She has a recurring shipment of the granola sent to her to replenish her stash, so I don't feel so badly about her not having a Facebook page.  Mom, I know that you are almost due for your next shipment.  I'm on it.

I originally attempted to create a lower-fat version of these muffins, using fat-free sour cream and applesauce instead of the oil.  I could tell right away when the muffins emerged from the oven that the recipe would be a do-over.  They just looked so sad and lifeless as they shrunk back into their paper liners.  The taste test, while O.K., wasn't great and the texture was dry.  Sometimes it's just not worth the flavor sacrifice to use lower-fat ingredients.  This is when the "everything in moderation" rule really comes into play.

 

For Round 2 I decided to use full-fat sour cream and a little bit of oil along with low-fat buttermilk to keep the muffins moist.  I also used whole wheat flour as an alternative way to make the muffins more healthy.  Chopped chocolate adds an second chocolate punch, and tart fresh raspberries were folded into the batter just prior to baking. 

These muffins came out of the oven looking shiny and happy.  Raspberries peeked out from the tops, and an enticing chocolate aroma wafted throughout the kitchen.  My recipe made 18 generously sized muffins, but you could also make 40-50 mini muffins for those mini afternoon or post-dinner chocolate cravings.  

 

 

Here are a few extra tips for creating this chocolate-y way to start the day:

• Whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour may be used as substitutes for the whole wheat flour
• Depending on how large your raspberries are, you might not need to halve them.  The ones that I used were particularly large, so it made sense to cut them in half.
• I would not recommend substituting frozen raspberries in this recipe, as they will likely result in a soggier muffin.
• A good substitute for fresh raspberries would be chopped pitted fresh cherries.
• I think that these muffins are best served while still slightly warm (and the chocolate is still melted!)

 

 

 

 

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes about 18 muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup safflower or canola oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup fine chopped bittersweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips

1 cup halved fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line two muffin tins with paper liners or spray the cups with nonstick baking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat both sugars with the oil on medium speed until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

On low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in two additions each.  Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth.  Add the sour cream, beating until fully incorporated.  Stir in the chopped chocolate and carefully fold in the raspberries (try to avoid breaking them up too much!)

Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.  Bake for 17-19 minutes, until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin emerges clean.

Allow the muffins to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

(PB&J's attempt at) The Bunnery's Famous O.S.M. Bread

 

My 2012 has gotten off to a bit of a slow start.  This is because, for the first time in several years, I actually had something fun to do on New Year's Eve -- New Year's weekend for that matter.

Usually, Eric and I can be found at home on December 31, doing anything that we can to avoid the chaos and the Kardashian-magnet that is the Las Vegas Strip on New Year's Eve.  I'll whip up a batch of cheese fondue or an antipasto platter, and we'll watch the ball drop in Times Square, declaring that it "counts" as staying up until the New Year. 

We'll head to bed by 10, unless Eric happens to discover a Storage Wars marathon on T.V., in which case I will just head to bed, ready to get a good night's sleep and a fresh start on the new year.

 

 

 

But not this year.  This year, I had a wedding to attend.  A New Year's Eve wedding!  Sounds fun, right?  Believe me, it WAS.  I mean, I stayed up until the actual midnight, maybe even 12:35.  That's BIG for me.  I even got my husband onto the dance floor.  That's HUGE for me. 

My handsome cousin, David, and my beautiful new cousin-in-law, Claire, got married in Dallas, and the weekend was jam-packed with activities (including, of course, lots of eating.)  It was great to spend time with my extended family, who I don't get to see often enough, and the weather was consistently perfect.

The icing on the incredibly delicious lemon and berries wedding cake was that our travel could have not gone more smoothly.  I mean, think about it:  We left Vegas for New Year's, and we traveled back to Vegas after New Year's.  Who does that?

Here's a little non-wedding photo from the wedding weekend:  I am modeling a Christmas gift from my mom with my brother, Jay.  I didn't know that he was sticking his tongue out at me until after I saw the photos.  Typical. (Note: She really likes me best.)

 

 

 

When we returned home, the house was in a complete state of disarray.  Between winding down from Christmas and getting ready for the wedding, there hadn't been much effort exerted in the cleaning department.  So making the house look somewhat presentable (should Martha Stewart drop by) and catching up on work were my first orders of business.  Then, I could get back to blogging.

So, my obligatory "start the New Year with a healthy blog post" post has been delayed by a few days.  My house is still kind of a mess, but I saw Martha on the Today Show this morning, so I figure that I have at least until tomorrow to prepare for any surprise drop-ins.

 

 

 

Resolving to go on some sort of an extreme diet/cleanse in 2012 is setting yourself up to fail.  Sure, they might work well in the beginning or for the short term, as with many popular cleanses, but following a regimen that only allows you to eat beet greens for six months will, at the very least, make you cranky.

Resolving to eat a healthier than you did in 2011?  To incorporate raw fruits and vegetables into each meal?  To introduce whole grains to your diet?  That sounds more like it.

Some people have no problem whatsoever eliminating bread from their diet.  I am not one of those people.  I love bread.  Not just any bread though.  Admittedly, I am a total bread snob, so when I choose to consume bread it must be good bread.  Fresh bread.  Artisanal bread.  And more often than not, whole grain or multi-grain bread.  I don't go for the grains simply because they are healthier, although that does make me feel better about reaching for the bread basket and spreading on a little butter.  To me, bread and rolls made from whole grains are so much more interesting to consume -- they generally taste better, have greater depth, and have a more complex texture than their white flour counterparts.

 

 

 

I've mentioned in previous blog posts that one of our favorite places to go on vacation is Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  While in Jackson, Eric and I make sure that we go to The Bunnery at least a few times for breakfast and usually once for lunch too.

The main reason for these multiple visits?  The Bunnery's signature O.S.M. menu items.  For breakfast, I'm all about those massive O.S.M. blueberry pancakes prepared on a cast iron skillet, perfect fuel for a long hike or a morning on the slopes.  Lunch tends to be a sandwich on The Bunnery's O.S.M. bread, lightly toasted to perfection.

Oh, sorry!  How rude of me--let me explain:  O (Oats).  S (Sunflower).  M (Millet).

I've never been much of a pancake eater.  I enjoy them, but I'll usually opt for an egg-white omelet or oatmeal when I am out to breakfast.  The Bunnery O.S.M. pancakes are the exception to my rule, and I found myself craving them long after we had departed Wyoming.  Fortunately, smart businesspeople that they are, The Bunnery sells their O.S.M. pancake and waffle mix at their store and on-line, and it produces flapjacks that are pretty darn close to the real thing.

 

 

 

So we've got the pancakes covered, now what about the bread?

I wanted to start the new year off by making a few loaves of homemade multi-grain bread, so that we could have easy access to healthier options for toast, sandwiches, and even croutons for soups and salads.  I've made other good bread recipes before, but I decided to try my hand at recreating The Bunnery's O.S.M. recipe.  Using the ingredients on the back of the pancake mix as my guide, I came up with a recipe that I think is pretty close.  I added the wheat bran and cracked wheat, not only for extra fiber but because I had them in my pantry.

The resulting loaves rose beautifully, giving the kitchen an enticing aroma as they baked.  I tried the bread several ways (for research purposes, of course), and my conclusion is that it actually tastes best after it has rested overnight, tightly wrapped, and I also prefer it toasted.  It makes a killer PB&J too.  Next, I'm turning it into a panini.

One last thing!  Just before the holidays, I did my first official gig as the Sterling Ultimate Host on our local Fox newcast.  I'll give myself about a B grade on this one....maybe a B+.  I start out a little shaky, but I think that I ended pretty smoothly.   All in all, not too shabby.  I didn't knock anything over, and I had a lot of fun.  PLUS, one of the original Pips (as in Gladys Knight) and celebri-stylist Kim Vo were hanging out in the green room with me.  That was pretty cool!  Enjoy (and no laughing.)

 

   

Here are my extra tips for making this healthy, whole grain bread:

• When you first glance at the list of ingredients below, you will likely see several which are not currently in your pantry.  Fear not!  There is a bit of flexibility with the ingredients.  You can omit the cracked wheat/wheat bran and substitute another whole grain, such as additional oats, oat bran, etc.  I would recommend investing in the millet and sunflower seeds though, as they add a nice crunch to the texture.
• Regarding the tip above, I would not recommend substituting a raw larger grain, such as wheat berries, for the smaller grains.  Wheat berries take a bit longer to soften, and you don't want to break a tooth when biting into the bread!  If wheat berries are a MUST for you, then boil them per the instructions on the package before adding them to the dough.
• I like to use maple syrup as a sweetener as often as possible, because we always have plenty in supply.  You can certainly substitute honey, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup.
• This bread will keep, tightly wrapped, for several days.  You can also freeze it: My suggestion is to slice the bread, tightly wrap it, and freeze it.  That way, you can remove slices from the freezer as needed and place them directly in the toaster/toaster oven.

(PB&J's attempt at) The Bunnery's Famous O.S.M. Bread

Printable version

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (105-110F degrees)

2/3 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup safflower oil

4 cups whole wheat flour, divided

2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup wheat bran

1/3 cup cracked wheat

1/3 cup millet

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon kosher salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the water, maple syrup, and the yeast until the yeast has dissolved.  Allow the mixture to rest until the yeast is foamy, 10 minutes.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, and mix in the oil on low speed.  Add one cup of the whole wheat flour and the two cups of bread flour to the mixture.  Increase the mixer speed to medium, and beat the mixture until smooth and shiny.  Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes before continuing.

Add the oats, wheat bran, cracked wheat, millet, sunflower seeds, and salt to the bowl; mix until well blended.

Switch the mixer attachment to the dough hook.  Add two more cups of the whole wheat flour to the bowl, and mix on medium speed until the flour is fully incorporated.  Gradually add the remaining cup of whole wheat flour to the bowl, and mix until the dough is soft, but not sticky, about 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times with your hands.  Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel, and place it in a warm location for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Spray two 9X5-inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray, and line them with parchment paper.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and punch it down to deflate.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and shape each piece into a loaf.  Place each loaf into one of the prepared pans.  Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and place the oven rack in the center position.  Bake the loaves until they are browned and sound hollow when tapped, 35-45 minutes.  The internal temperature should be about 200F degrees.  Allow the loaves to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

In Search of a Better Brioche (Thanks, T.K.!)

I take pride in my punctuality. If anything, I am usually 5 minutes early for appointments, and I just can't understand why some people are always running late. True, sometimes delays are unpreventable, but habitual tardiness is just plain rude.

This post is about 1 1/2 weeks late, and you can imagine how much it has been driving me bonkers. It's been staring at me from the top of my to-do list, waiting to be crossed off, and I've started it three different times, only to be deleted due to my dissatisfaction with the content.

Today is a good day. I am going to finish this post.

Before I go on, I want to congratulate Debbie R. for winning the Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen cookbook giveaway from my last post. Yay, Debbie!! I know that you will really enjoy cooking your way through Sara's recipes.

A small portion of this delayed post was due to work commitments. It seems that, with my business, when it rains granola, it pours granola. I just received a huge order (woo-hoo!) from a new customer, Central Market in Texas, which I have been working on for about a year, so I have been putting in overtime to get that shipped. At the same time, I have been trying to get ready for the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington D.C., where Julie Anne's Granola will have a booth (#5034 if you happen to be there!) This involves making samples, packing up my "set", preparing paperwork, and getting my highlights done so that I don't scare away potential customers with my Cruella Deville hair. You know, the usual stuff.

I mentioned above that I started this post three different times.  Why?  Well, in addition to being perpetually punctual, I'm a bit of a Type-A perfectionist.  In other words, I probably annoy lots of people (at least I'm self-aware, right?)  The first idea that I had for this post sounded great in theory.  It looked great when I typed up the recipe.  The finished product even tasted like I anticipated it tasting.  All of that said, it still kind of had that meh, who cares? factor, which didn't make it very exciting for a blog post, and I didn't just want to post any old recipe just for the sake of posting.  I still might try to rework it for the future though, so I'm keeping it under wraps for now (the suspense is killing you, I know.)

Then, I was scrolling through my Epicurious recipe box for ideas, and I came across a highly-rated recipe for brioche, for which almost all of the reviewers gave glowing remarks.  Having little past experience with brioche, I thought that I would give it a try.  Let me clarify, I have little past experience baking brioche.  I have plenty of past experience eating brioche, so I know what the finished product should look like and taste like.  This wasn't it.

Now, I don't know if I did something wrong, or if I just wasn't satisfied with the total results.  The brioche tasted fine:  buttery, rich, and slightly yeasty.  Fine, but not "WOW!"  I wanted to be wowed.  The texture of the bread was much too dense, as it didn't rise as much as it should have during the proofing process.  I also felt like the baking temperature (400F) was too high, as the loaves browned much too quickly, and the recipe could have used a few more eggs.

So I was again left without a post, but I was now determined to find the perfect brioche recipe.

I think that it was fate that I happened to be leafing through one of my newer additions to my cookbook collection, Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home (which, by the way, I found at Costco for something like 50% off), later that same evening.   The first recipe featured in the "Breads, Crackers, and Cheese" section is, you guessed it, "Brioche."  As I read through the ingredients and T.K.'s signature well-explained technique, I noticed many differences from my first batch of brioche.  It's kind of nerdy how excited I was to try his recipe the next day. Thomas Keller won't let me down!  Thomas Keller is a genius!  I'd been to his Bouchon bakeries, and I'd tried their brioche, so my hopes were high.

T.K. didn't disappoint.  The two buttery loves of brioche rose as they should rise, and they baked up golden brown as an enticing aroma filled the kitchen.  This recipe is a keeper, and I encourage you to give it a try.  Just a note:  Brioche needs to rest overnight, so start preparing it one day in advance.  Here are the major differences between the two attempted recipes:

• T.K. used a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour.  Epicurious just used all-purpose flour.  The cake flour resulted in a finer crumb texture.
• T.K. used 6 large eggs, which likely helped with the rising.  Epicurious used 3.
• T.K. set the baking temperature at 350F, while the Epicurious recipe was set to 400F.  I found the 400F temp to be much to high, resulting in over-browned loaves.
• The Epicurious recipe also used an egg wash on the loaves prior to baking, which also increased the browning process.

 I'm going to go make a slice of the world's best toast now.  Jealous?

**BONUS RECIPE: Since I found some beautiful ripe peaches at Trader Joe's (a rarity here in Las Vegas!), I decided to make some spiced peach butter to go with the brioche. This recipe couldn't be easier when using a slow-cooker: Peel, pit, and chop 4 pounds of ripe peaches. Place the peaches, 1 1/4- 1 1 3/4 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you like your spreads), 1/3 cup orange juice or peach nectar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice in the slow cooker; stir to mix. Loosely cover (wedge a butter knife in the lid to allow for air) and cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are broken down and the mixture has reduced. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or by placing it in a blender/food processor. Spread on brioche -- yum!

Here are my extra tips for making this rich and buttery bread:

• The brioche not only makes outstanding toast, it can also be turned into croutons or even breadcrumbs. To make the croutons, cube the brioche and toast the cubes at 350F degrees until golden brown, tossing once, about 10 minutes. For the breadcrumbs, allow the loaf of bread to dry overnight unwrapped. Then, cut it into pieces and pulse the pieces in a food processor to get coarse crumbs. Bake the crumbs at 250F degrees for 1 hour, tossing once, until completely dried out.
• I hate to sound like Ina Garten, but be sure to use "good" butter with this recipe.  It matters.
• Regarding the rising times, depending on the temperature/humidity conditions in your kitchen, it may take a bit longer for your loaves to rise. Since my kitchen runs a bit cold, I turn the oven on for 1 minute to pre-heat, and then I turn it off. Then I place the dough in the oven to rise in a "warm" place.

Brioche (Recipe from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller)

Printable Recipe

Makes two large loaves

1/3 cup very warm water (110F-115F degrees)

One 1/4-ounce package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

2 1/3 cups cake flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel or sea salt

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature

Combine the water and the yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. Set aside.

Sift together the flours, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute at low speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Slowly add the dissolved yeast and continue beating at low speed for 5 minutes. Stop the machine, scrape any dough off the hook, and beat for another 5 minutes.

Add the butter cubes, about one-quarter of them at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, beat for 10 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and silky.

Transfer the dough to a large floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface and gently work out the air bubbles by folding the dough over several times while lightly pressing down on it. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Generously butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-3-inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. With floured hands, divide the dough in half, shape it into 2 rectangles that fit into the loaf pans, and put the dough in the pans. Let the dough rise, uncovered, in a warm place until it is about 1/2 inch from the top of the pans, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Bake the brioche until it is well browned on top and sounds hollowed when tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the brioche out onto a cooling rack.

If serving immediately, let the bread cool for 10 minutes, then slice. If serving within a few hours or up to two days, promptly wrap the hot bread in aluminum foil and set aside at room temperature until ready to use. To freeze, wrap the hot bread in foil and promptly freeze. The bread can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to use, reheat (without thawing, and still wrapped in the foil) in a 250F degree oven until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Doughnuts

Much like my dad, I have a weakness for doughnuts.  Unlike my dad, I cannot eat as many doughnuts as I want without turning into a doughnut.  If you inherit the weakness, then it should be a given that you also inherit the metabolism, right?  *Sigh*  So unfair.

 

 

My dad is particular to those cinnamon-sugar coated apple cider doughnuts found at the farm stands during the fall months.  I, in a rare turn of events, am less picky.  Cake, yeast-raised, Boston cream, glazed, powdered sugar, holes, crullers, sprinkles, spice, chocolate, coconut......I pretty much like 'em all.

I have, however, always been much more partial to the Dunkin' Donuts variety vs. any of the other brands.  And for some reason Krispy Kremes don't appeal to me at all.  Must be a raised-in-the-northeast thing.  Biting into a powdered cake or a glazed chocolate Munchkin immediately takes me back to elementary school recess.  Those special "Munchkin Days" were the best days ever!

 

Not only do I love to eat doughnuts, I have also developed a fondness for making them from scratch.  There is something very satisfying about producing a beautifully raised and glazed, perfectly round batch of doughnuts and holes.  Maybe it's the "You made those?!?" reaction, which you are almost guaranteed to hear (although it usually comes out more like "Yuh muh thuh?!?", due to mouth full of doughnut.)  Or maybe it's due to you conquering that somewhat daunting task of frying pastries, and then thinking to yourself "Hey! I made those!" ("Ah muh thuh".)

 

When I do prepare doughnuts, I need to find a home for them, stat (after the requisite sampling, of course.)  Otherwise I'll pick at them, crumb-by-crumb, all day long.  This distributing of the doughnuts, as you can imagine, is not the most difficult of tasks.   I have yet to find a potential recipient whose reaction is of the "Fresh doughnuts?  Thanks, but I'm good" persuasion.

These guys are going to the FedEx office.  They always get my stuff where it needs to be when it needs to be there, and they run a lot this time of year, so I figure that donuts are just what they need.

 

I've been on a huge gingerbread kick lately: creme brulee, macarons, and my planned recipe for Thanksgiving breakfast, blueberry gingerbread pancakes.  So, creating a gingerbread-flavored doughnut has been on my list.  I decided to give this recipe an extra fall kick with the addition of pumpkin puree in the dough, which also helps to keep these treats nice and moist.  As far as toppings go, some people love a glaze, while others go for the sugar (while some of us, ahem, go for both.)  So, I have included maple glaze and a spiced sugar options below.

 

 

These doughnuts would be a welcome addition to breakfast for your family and guests on Thanksgiving morning -- or on any morning this holiday season.  Because the dough can be prepared in advance, all that needs to be done that day is the cutting, frying, and glazing/sugaring.  Enlist kids or a willing helper to assist with the rolling and cutting portion as well as the finishing touches.  Anything leftover from breakfast will taste great served alongside hot cider as a mid-day treat.

 

Here are some extra tips for making these holiday-spiced sweets:

• If you like an extra punch of ginger in your gingerbread, chop up some crystallized ginger and add it to the dough, or sprinkle it on top of the glaze for garnish.
• You can also dress up theses doughnuts even more by adding chopped dried cranberries, raisins, or toasted nuts to the dough.
• When cutting out the shapes, try dipping the cutters in flour first.  This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutters.
• One of the handiest tools that I own for frying is a spider skimmer, pictured below.  It facilitates removing items from the fryer while draining.  I found mine for about $4 at the international market, in the Asian foods section.

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Doughnuts

Printable Recipe

Makes about 15 doughnuts and holes

Ingredients:

4 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons shortening (preferable butter-flavored)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Canola oil for frying

For the spiced sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

For the maple glaze

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3-4 tablespoons hot water

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening with both sugars at medium speed until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the molasses and beat for one minute more, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the pumpkin puree.  Add this mixture alternately with the dry ingredients to the electric mixer bowl, mixing after each addition until combined.  At this point, the dough should be very sticky and resemble buscuit dough.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

Place enough canola oil in a large pot to reach 2-inches in depth an place over medium heat.

For the spiced sugar: Stir together the sugar and the spices in a medium bowl.

For the maple glaze: In a medium bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, maple extract, and maple syrup.  Whisk in enough of the hot water to yield a thin glaze.

Transfer the chilled dough onto a generously floured work surface and roll out to a 1/2-inch thickness.  Using either a doughnut cutter or two round cutters (about 2 1/2-inches and 1-inch in diameter), cut the dough into as many doughnuts and holes as possible.  Carefully reroll any scraps and cut out more doughnuts and holes.

Once the oil has reached a temperature of about 325F degrees, add the doughnuts and holes, a few at a time, to the pot, making sure not to crowd them.  Fry the doughnuts for about 15 seconds, then carefully flip them.  Fry them for about 1 minute, until golden brown, then flip and fry again on the other side for about 1 minute more, until dark golden brown.

Transfer the doughnuts to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain and continue the process with the remaining doughnuts.

If using the spiced sugar, toss the still warm doughnuts in the sugar mixture until coated on all sides.

If using the glaze, dip one side of the still warm doughnuts into the glaze, then place them on wire racks until the glaze sets, about 15 minutes.

 

Honey-Glazed Peanut Butter & Apple Scones

 

 

Some people are snackers, while others make it a policy to never eat in between meals. Of course, some members of the latter group also subscribe to the "six-small-meals-a-day" plan, popularized by Hollywood diet gurus who warned their clients about the dangers of unconsciously over-snacking.

They call it a "small meal." I call it a "scheduled snack." Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

I, for one, am proud to be a snacker, a grazer, a nosher. Since I'm a pretty active person, hunger often strikes at odd hours of the day. And I'm not one of those people who can just ignore my hunger, hoping that it will pass. I need to drop everything and address the dire situation at hand, immediately, if for no reason other than to quiet my very embarrassingly vocal stomach. I might be a snacker, but my stomach is a growler.

 

 

My challenge is finding snacks that are both healthy and filling, so I generally stick to a rotation of a handful of options. These include tamari almonds and turkey jerky, sliced carrots and hummus, a mini Golden Spoon fro-yo if I'm out and about, and those 100-calorie Think Thin bars. Most recently, I have become slightly obsessed with those Trader Joe's Wasabi Seaweed Snacks too (feel free to say "Ewww, seaweed." My husband does.) But seriously, they're really yummy, inexpensive, and healthy--the entire package is something like 70 calories. Why, that's a snacking trifecta!

Of course I cannot talk about snacking without mentioning my go-to pre-workout snack, which also used to be one of my favorite after-school snacks, which also occasionally makes a guest appearance as a bedtime snack: apples and peanut butter. I prefer a cold, crisp Granny Smith paired with a salty, natural, crunchy peanut butter (Whole Foods' 365 brand is good), but Honeycrisps and Galas are great too.

 

 

Whoever thought up this apples & peanut butter ingredient and flavor combination was nothing short of a genius. Maybe it was an accident, kind of like the old 80s Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercials, where a girl just happened to be walking down the street with an open jar of peanut butter, and the guy was walking towards her with a chocolate bar. And whaddayaknow?  They run into each other and then -- eureka! -- awesome new flavor combination. Don't remember that? Here, let me help:

 

 

 

Oh yeah!  Those stylin' 80s.  Seriously, this has got to be a front-runner for most cheesy commercial ever.

So, anyway, no matter how the apples & peanut butter combination came about, it's one of my favorites.  Smearing a tart, juicy apple with some good quality natural peanut butter is not only a nutritious snacking option, it is filling, satisfying, quick, and inexpensive.  Why, that's a snacking quint-fecta!

The other day, I was thinking while I was snacking (because I am a multi-tasker.)  Despite the fact that apples and peanut butter blend so well together, it is rare that you ever see this flavor combination used in cookies, cupcakes, pies, and other baked goods.  Why is that?  Does the pairing not translate well to sweet treats such as these?  Well, there was only one way to find out.

 

 

But what to make?  I started to prepare a list of all of the possibilities, which soon became fairly lengthy.  In the end, it was between cupcakes and scones.  The scones won out, since I already make pretty tasty peanut butter and banana scones, and I was afraid that the cupcake would end up being more of an apple muffin with peanut butter buttercream on top.

Because I have a hard time making scones without adorning them with some sort of topping, I decided to drizzle these guys with a sticky-sweet honey glaze, which just kind of soaks into the top.  The scones themselves aren't super sweet, so the glaze was a nice complementary flavor.  Technically, you're supposed to allow the glaze to set before eating the scones, but I kept picking at them.  That's a good sign!

 

 

While these scones probably won't be inducted into my everyday healthy snack rotation, they are definitely up for nomination in the "special occasion" category.  Here are a few extra tips for making these two-great-tastes-that-taste-great-together treats:

• Tart apples really do work better with the peanut butter and honey flavors. Instead of Granny Smith, you could also use Honeycrisp, which start to become available this time of year.
• The scone dough, once shaped into a disk, can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks or refrigerated overnight. If freezing, thaw the scones overnight in the refrigerator.
• You can also cut the scones into wedges and then wrap and freeze them. That way, you can bake them one at a time!
• If you want to skip the honey glaze, you can use this alternative topping: Before baking, brush the scones with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.) Then, sprinkle the tops of the scones with coarse or Turbinado sugar.
• The scones are definitely best eaten the day that they are prepared!

 

Honey-Glazed Peanut Butter & Apple Scones

Makes 12 large scones

Ingredients:

4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

12 ounces cold butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups diced Granny Smith apples

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy -- your choice!)

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup honey

About 1 tablespoon hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse the mixture several times to blend.

Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse several times, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (you should still be able to see pieces of butter.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the apple pieces, tossing to mix.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the peanut butter until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. If the dough is still too dry, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into two rounds, each about 1 1/2-inches thick. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing a few inches apart.

Bake the scones until they are puffed, golden brown, and firm when touched, 20-23 minutes. Allow the scones to cool for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack placed over foil or a baking sheet.

Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and the honey until blended. Add enough hot water to create a smooth, thick glaze. Whisk in the vanilla.

Drizzle the glaze all over the still warm scones. Allow the glaze to set, at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!

 

 

Spiced Apple Pancakes with Boiled Cider Syrup

Since I spent most of my childhood on the east coast, one of the biggest bummers about living in Las Vegas during the fall season is that, well, we don't really have a fall season.

I mean, sure, we have a few short weeks when you finally, after months and months of oppressive heat, feel like "Ahhhhh! Fall has arrived." The air is a little bit crisper in the morning, we can open our windows at night, and there is even an occasional glimpse of a modified harvest moon (we don't really harvest much here, so it feels odd to give the moon the full harvest credit.)

But no leaves turning spectacular jewel tones. No sweater weather. No roadside stands featuring bushels of freshly picked local McIntosh apples, stacks of pumpkins, and funny-looking gourds.

So when Eric asked me what I would like to do when we traveled to Vermont last week to visit his parents, I replied "Fall-ish stuff." Somehow, this was enough of a response for him to come up with some ideas--after eight years of marriage, he has learned to speak semi-fluent "Julie."

The first part of the plan was to go to a local orchard and pick our own apples. Fall-ish? Check.

The orchard was quintessential small-town New England, complete with handmade signs and a little shop that sold apple pies, turnovers, and various Vermont souvenirs. You did have the option of purchasing already picked apples inside the shop, but c'mon, what fun would that be?

So, we geared up with a fancy-schmancy apple picking device, which was a huge relief for me since I was wearing my too-tight-to-climb-a-tree jeans, and the results wouldn't have been pretty. Funny maybe, but not pretty.

I made Eric model the apple picker for my blog. That's his GQ pose right there.

We ended up with about two large boxes of apples. But the fun wasn't over yet.......

Next on our agenda: Making our own apple cider using an old-fashioned cider press that Eric's parents happened to have. How fun does that sound? And fall-ish?? Is the Pope Catholic??

The process involved placing a few cleaned apples at a time into the top of the press and then crushing them into the bucket below by turning the handle, which took quite a bit of effort when full.

You can see my technique below.....

Once the bucket is full of crushed apples, the apples are pressed with a disk, and the cider comes out of the bottom, into the stainless steel bowl.

Now you can see Eric's technique......

(Notice how my technique is slightly better than Eric's technique.)

While Eric and I exhausted ourselves with the churning and pressing, his mom's sheep watched us with increasing curiosity, and his dad was nice enough to serenade us with his mad fiddlin' skills.

He's really quite talented, especially since he's only been playing for a few years. In fact, in my opinion, if the Zac Brown Band is ever one man down, I think that Bob Hession would be the perfect candidate to fill in.

All in all, I think that we ended up making about 3-4 gallons (maybe more--can't really remember) of cider that day. And wow! Was it fantastic! Store bought apple juice has absolutely nothing on fresh, unfiltered apple cider from the local orchard.

Here you can see Eric enjoying the results of our hard work........and the sheep enjoying the leftover apple mush. No wonder they were so interested in what we were doing.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to bring any cider home to Las Vegas with us, thanks to that no-liquids-in-your-carry-on rule, but it was still great to have the whole fall-ish experience during our stay. After we came home, I still had cider on the brain, so I wanted to create a recipe that somehow incorporated it as well as apples.

I decided to play around with an apple pancake idea, grating lots of fresh tart apples into the batter along with some traditional apple-pie spices. Then for the syrup, I experimented with reducing apple cider to thicken it and concentrate the flavor, then mixing it with equal amounts of maple syrup. I was pretty darn pleased with my results -- the tartness of the reduced cider paired addictively with the super-sweet Vermont maple syrup.

Eric hardly ever eats breakfast, and he had four pancakes. I think that this recipe is a keeper :)

Here are a few extra tips for making this autumn in Vermont-inspired breakfast:

• You can peel the apples for the pancakes if desired, but it's really not necessary, so why bother yourself with the extra work?? Besides, the apple peel contains lots of nutritious fiber!
• For this recipe, I used one Honeycrisp apple and one Granny Smith apple, which ended up being a yummy combination.
• The cider syrup can be prepared several days in advance, covered, and chilled until ready to use.
• For variations on this recipe, you can add some chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the pancake batter, or you could stir in some chopped dried cranberries or raisins.
• If you are serving a crowd at once, keep the batches of pancakes warm by placing them on a sheet tray in a 250F degree oven until ready to serve.

Apple-Spice Pancakes with Boiled Cider Syrup

Printable Recipe

Makes about 12 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh apple cider (not from concentrate)

Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise (optional)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

2 medium tart apples, coarsely grated (peeling is optional)

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter for frying the pancakes

Prepare the cider syrup: Place the apple cider in a medium saucepan. Add any of the following to spice the cider (optional): 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 whole cloves, 1 star anise. Bring the cider to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and allow the cider to simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened slightly and reduced to about 1/2 cup (20-30 minutes.) Remove the spices with a slotted spoon, and stir in the maple syrup. Set the mixture over low heat to keep warm.

Prepare the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Gently squeeze some of the juice out of the grated apples, then add them to the flour mixture, tossing to coat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Place a large skillet or a griddle over medium heat and coat it with a thin layer of the butter. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop the batter in about 3 tablespoon portions onto the skillet, flattening them out a bit with the back of the spoon.

Cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook them for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve immediately, drizzled with the ridiculously yummy cider syrup!

Vegan Sweet Potato Zucchini Cupcakes

 Hold your horses!  No, I did not wake up this morning and suddenly decide to become a vegan.  I've   already tried it, and I learned almost immediately that the 100% dairy free-meat free-animal free lifestyle just isn't for me.

If I could be 80% vegan, then that would be perfect. The fact of the matter is that, as a healthy eater, many of my meals are vegetable, grain, and soy-based to begin with.   Here's where I ran into vegan commitment issues:

• I love my lattes.  I mean, I looooovvvvveeee them.  You pretty much don't want to speak to me in the morning until I've had my 1% extra-strong latte with massive  amounts of froth on top.  Now, you might be inclined to suggest that I can still enjoy said latte with another form of dairy free milk, such as soy, almond, coconut, or hemp.  Wrong.  Tried it.  Remember the oh-so-important mound o' froth?  Well, there wasn't any.  That's a deal-breaker in my book.  Plus, the taste was just "off" from what I was used to.  I'm more that willing to use these milk alternatives in my morning smoothie and baking.....just not coffee.
• Every once in awhile, a girl needs a peppercorn-crusted steak.  Or tandoori chicken.  Or my favorite seared halibut salad from Table 34.  Or ______ (insert your favorite meat dish here.)  I realize that this doesn't apply to everyone, but for me, my body knows when it's time for some red meat, and it's sure to let me know.  Although I probably only have meat 2-3 times during the week, there's no way that I could eliminate it from my diet altogether.  I'd miss it waaaayy too much.
• As far as I can tell, vegan cheese is gross. And while I don't consume mountains of cheese, when I do consume cheese, I want it to be yummy.

Alicia Silverstone would refer to me as someone who "flirts" with veganism.  In case you aren't aware, in recent years Ms. Silverstone has progressed from being famous for Aerosmith videos to becoming quite the authority on the vegan lifestyle.  She was actually the first person who sparked my interest in the vegan diet, after I saw her promoting her cookbook, "The Kind Diet", on (what else?) Oprah. 

 

I own two vegan cookbooks, one being Alicia's and the other being "The Conscious Cook" by Tal Ronnen.  Where did I learn about the latter?  Embarrassingly, while watching Ellen.  I really don't sit around all day watching talk shows (sure you don't, Julie).  This was just a coincidence.  I swear.

Anyhow, I really like both books because while they contain 100% vegan recipes, they offer flexibility for those of us who only want to flirt.  The recipes are incredibly creative, and most of the time you won't even miss the non-vegan ingredients (except of course where cheese is concerned.) 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a vegan luncheon at the Wynn Resort as part of Bon Appetit's Vegas Uncork'd food festival.  This was the first year that a vegan event was included, and luckily I was able to get my friend Veronica to attend with me (you can imagine Eric's reaction when I asked if he wanted to come along too.)  Tal Ronnen himself was cooking at the luncheon as well as almost all of the Wynn property's chefs.  I was curious, and almost apprehensive, to see what dishes would be prepared.  Would there be platters of tempeh and tofu?  Cashew cheese sandwiches?  Should I have eaten beforehand just in case?

It turns out that the turnout for this event was huge, and all but one of the dishes that we tried were pretty darn fantastic.  Eggless pasta dishes, "chicken" scallopini, "crab" cakes (vegans use lots of "" in their recipes) -- it's amazing what the talented chefs were able to recreate, and recreate deliciously.  Because we were talking just as much as we were tasting, Veronica and I barely made it to the dessert station before it was shut down.  On the menu was a vegan carrot cake with a walnut tuile and a tofu cream cheese icing.  I was able to get in one quick bite before we left, but it was a big enough bite to make me want to recreate a similar recipe at home.

I love it when an experiment turns out well, don't you?  Instead of creating a vegan carrot cake, I thought that I would try the recipe using sweet potatoes and zucchini.  I already make a yummy, non-vegan sweet potato zucchini bread, so why not cake (or in this case, cupcakes)?  The cupcakes are dense due to the amount of vegetables, but they are also very moist.  You could also easily serve them as muffins.  For the vegan buttercream, I opted to not use to not go the cream cheese route, simply because I don't like cream cheese, so I used only Earth Balance butter instead.  Earth Balance can be found at many grocery stores and, to me, it's the closest non-butter butter that I have yet to find.  The result was surprisingly light and fluffy.

Here are my extra tips for creating these dairy-free delights:

• You might notice that the baking time for these cupcakes is longer than that of your standard cupcake.  The addition of the sweet potatoes and the zucchini gives these cupcakes a dense and moist texture, so they take closer to 24-28 minutes to bake.  Be sure to test them with a toothpick before removing from the oven.  The same applies for the smaller cupcakes.
• The buttercream recipe below makes a generous amount for those who like to pipe a swirl onto their cupcakes.  The recipe can easily be halved for a smaller portion.  You can also simply finish the cupcakes off with a dusting of confectioner's sugar (or turn them into mini muffins!)
• I found that this vegan buttercream tends to soften much faster than a traditional buttercream, so if you are not planning to served these soon after decorating, keep them chilled.
• The baked cupcakes can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 2 days.  They can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for 1 week.  Defrost at room temperature several hours before decorating.

Vegan Sweet Potato Zucchini Cupcakes

Makes 18 regular or 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canola or safflower oil

Zest from one orange

1 tablespoon rum or vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups shredded orange sweet potatoes

1 cup shredded raw zucchini

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the vanilla-rum "butter"cream

1 cup vegan stick butter (such as Earth Balance), softened

6 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons rum (depending on desired taste)

1-2 tablespoons coconut, almond, or soy milk

 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line two cupcake tins with liners or, alternatively, spray them with nonstick baking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and the raisins.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat, and then turn the heat off, allowing the raisins to soak up the orange juice.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the safflower oil, orange zest, rum or vanilla, and the orange juice/raisins.  Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined (mixture will be thick.)  Add both the shredded sweet potatoes and the zucchini to the bowl, and stir until evenly incorporated into the batter.  Stir in the pecans.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full.  Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 24-28 minutes for larger cupcakes and about 15 minutes for smaller cupcakes.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the "butter"cream:  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the Earth Balance with the confectioner's sugar on low speed until well combined.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.  Beat in the salt and the rum.  Add enough of the coconut/soy/almond milk to reach your desired consistency, and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes more, until very light and fluffy.

Peanut Butter and Julie's Favorite Things for 2010 (and a holiday muffin recipe!)

It's not easy living in Oprah's shadow.  I mean, she gave her audience a cruise.  She gave her audience a car that won't even be available for another six months.  She brought her audience the Black Eyed Peas.  She brought them a holiday medley performed by Johnny Mathis and Josh Grobin at the same time.  And she fed them with macaroni and cheese, chicken pie, Williams-Sonoma croissants, and the world's biggest tin of popcorn.  Where was my granola you ask?  I was wondering the same thing.  I'm sure that my email invitation was lost in my spam folder.  Darn.  I was this close to fame and fortune.  I'd say "maybe next year," but as we all know, this is (sniff) Oprah's 25th, and her very last year as a talk show host.  I'm not sure I recall what life without Oprah was like.  I mean, I'm just slightly older than 25 as it is......

So perhaps the Fourth Annual Peanut Butter and Julie Favorite Things list isn't quite as expensive or as luxurious as that of Oprah's 25th, but what it lacks in terms of personal transportation, diamonds, and all-expenses paid vacations, it certainly makes up for in charm, affordability, and quality (Are you buying any of this?  Good.)

This year, as with year 1, year 2, and year 3, all of the items on the list are my own selections.  They have not been solicited by anyone or by any company.  While a few of the items are creations of my friends, they did not ask me to promote them.  I chose to promote them because I think that they are outstanding products, things that I would buy for my friends, my family (or myself!)

So, without further ado (drum roll), I give you Peanut Butter and Julie's Favorite Things for 2010!!

1. Whenever I go to Sephora, the beauty product superstore where I always feel like I am too old to be a customer, I tend to become completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of products that they have on the shelves.  I've never been one to wear a lot of makeup, so I don't even know what half of the products are for.  Primer?  Dunno.  Facial highlighter? Not a clue.  If I don't walk in with a plan, I'll emerge an hour later empty-handed and extremely stressed out.  That's why I've started heading straight to the Philosophy section, my safe haven.  Here's the thing about me, oh marketers of America: Once I'm loyal to a brand, I'm loyal until I am given a seriously good reason to change brands.  I've been using Kiehl's products since I was about 18, and I've been using Philosophy products since they launched. I especially love Philosophy for their holiday food-themed scents, ones that are truly reminiscent of their titles:  Candy Cane, Have a Cherry Christmas, Peppermint Bark, Cinnamon Buns, Dreamy Tangerini.....the yummy list of flavors goes on and on.  Last year, while hiding from the overly agressive Sephora salesgirl behind the Philosophy rack, I tried a sample of the new, and very appropriately named, Melting Marshmallow body lotion.  While I don't know if it smells exactly like a marshmallow, this lotion truly melts into my skin, and in this desert climate, you have no idea what an important trait that is.  I quickly stocked up for the year.  This year, they've come out with an even better scent of the same lotion, called The Gingerbread Girl .  It hits the mark as far as aroma is concerned, with that same "melting" quality.  Yes, I smell like a walking bakery, and I'm OK with that.

2.  O.K., so Oprah totally stole this one from me, but I'm going to go ahead and forgive her because, well, she is Oprah after all.  Plus, it's her 25th season, so I completely understand if she is running out of ideas for her Favorite Things list, and she needs to look to people such as myself for assistance.  It's fine, O.  I'm here for you.  I may have mentioned once, or maybe one hundred times, that I am a sweet potato fanatic.  FAN. A. TIC.  With the exception of cheesecake, which I won't go anywhere near, simply put the words "Sweet Potato" on a product label, and you have my attention (and likely my money too.)  When I exhibited at the Fancy Food Show in New York this past June, I had a short amount of time to  peruse the aisles of the immense Javits Center and check out what the other exhibitors were peddling.  Many of the items on display were of the ho-hum-I've-seen-this-somewhere-before genre: truffled this, chipotle that, bittersweet chocolate thingamajigs.  I was about to give up and return to granolaland, when I passed by Low Country Produce's booth, and I sampled their Sweet Potato Butter.  In a word: yum.  It took almost all of my will-power to not slip a few display jars into my bag.  Perfect for toast, dinner rolls, or even by itself straight outta the jar, this smooth and sweet spread is lightly spiced with a hint of lemon juice, and it would make the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who is sweet on sweet potatoes.

3.  It never fails.  I walk into Target for my monthly supply of Crystal Lite and a box of aluminum foil, and I walk out with three packages of cute cupcake liners, a candle, mascara, a set of retro-looking plates, puppy biscuits, and about five t-shirts.  I buy almost all of my t-shirts at Target.  And why not?  Target makes fantastic t-shirts, and they're only about $7-$9 each.  Of course, when you purchase them by the truckload, that bargain price can really add up.  The marketing folks at Target have really figured out their target (get it?) customer (that would be me) too, because they come out with t-shirts for just about every holiday (I Heart Arbor Day!!) and trend.  Well, team Tar-jay, you might be interested to know that you now have some competition from the folks at  Food Tees, a brand of naturally sweet food-themed tees, tanks, and bags that I recently found on-line.  While the price runs a bit higher than your average Tar-Tee, I think that the increased cuteness quotient more than makes up for the difference. 

4. The specialty food community is onto me.  Clearly, word has gotten out that I love salt, because over the past decade an entire new industry has been created out of what used to be a fairly boring ingredient.  When I was growing up, our pantry contained one kind of salt: Morton's in the blue tube.  We occasionally had a box of kosher salt on hand, but it was never used for our table, and I think that we actually had that same box for my entire childhood.  As I glance over my shoulder into my kitchen, I see no fewer than eight options of various colors and crystal sizes for seasoning my food.  Not only do we now have sea salt, we have Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, not to be confused with Hawaiian Red Sea Salt or, my personal favorite, Smoked Sea Salt.  Last year, for Christmas, my mom (who happens to be married to a fellow salt-a-holic), gave me this Napa Style 5-Salt Box, from Michael Chiarello's store, Napa Style in, you guessed it, Napa Valley.  The wooden box contains five little square wells with lids, and it comes with five different salts: Sun-Dried Tomato, Citrus Rosemary, Roasted Garlic, Gray Salt, and the aforementioned Hawaiian Red.  I might have gone through those salts fairly quickly (suddenly, everything could use just a little sprinkle of salt), but fortunately I can just refill the box with my own variety of flavors.  This would make a great housewarming gift for the foodie who has everything.

5. One of my favorite traditions every holiday season is decorating the tree, even if I end up doing it on my own (Eric doesn't always get into the holidays quite like I do.  It's in my blood.)  My parents did a great job of saving all of the ornaments that I collected over the years, from an angel made out of a paper plate, who is slowly losing her glitter, which I made at the Pennington Presbyterian Church Christmas Bazaar one year, to a golden Snoopy ornament, engraved from my friend Amy in 1982.  I don't know if Martha Stewart would really approve of my tree-decorating skills.  I like to think of my technique as more freestyle than department store chic.  My tree is definitely over-crowded with ornaments, but there is no way that I am leaving any off, and there is always room for more, especially super-duper adorable ones (see photo).  I recently discovered that my friend, Linda Bibbo, is not only an extremely talented cook, but she also makes the most adorable Christmas ornaments, which she sells at various craft shows (or sells out!)  These hand-made, 4" glass ornaments sell for $18 each plus shipping, and they can be personalized on the back or at the bottom.  Linda doesn't currently have a web site (which makes these ornaments even more of a unique gift), but she can be contacted via email (which I can provide for you), and she can usually ship within 5 days or less.  Oh boy, oh boy!!  Another ornament for my tree!!  Eric will be so thrilled.

 

6. Recently, I've come to terms with the fact that I don't have the shopping attention span or patience to call myself a TRUE fashionista.  Come to think of it, I'm probably a salesperson's dream.  I walk in, see a pair of shoes that I like, try them on, and buy them, usually in about 10-15 minutes.  I like to hit the malls early and on weekdays, so crowds aren't an issue.  Outlet shopping is my worst nightmare.  That said, I devour fashion magazines as if they were an 8-ounce cup of Golden Spoon Vanilla Malt frozen yogurt covered in rainbow jimmies, so I am aware of the trends.  I'm just too short on time to follow them all, so I need to pick just a few.  Eric is going to kill me for divulging this, but this past year we both became avid watchers of The Rachel Zoe Project  on Bravo.  I adore Rachel Zoe.  I want to be her friend.  Plus, I completely identify with her trials and tribulations from a woman business-owner's (and Starbucks addict's) perspective.  Although Eric doesn't necessarily get the whole fashion aspect of the show, I think that he identifies with Rachel's husband, Roger.  No, I don't force Eric to walk around indoors wearing a scarf and carrying a man-purse, but Eric sometimes looks at me when I am obsessing about all things culinary the same way that Roger looks at Rachel when she obsesses about Chanel.  Unlike Rachel, I don't own a lot of Chanel clothes. O.K., I own no Chanel clothes.  BUT, I do own Chanel......nail polish.  Every season, Chanel ingeniusly comes out with fantastic new limited edition colors that always sell out (anyone remember Vamp?)  I buy a few of these every year, although I opted to skip the army green color -- didn't really flatter my skin tone.  While, in true Chanel form, these polishes are pricier than normal polish, they are of great quality, and they are a fun, unique, and affordable gift for someone who enjoys fashion.   As Rachel would say, they are "major."  

7. I think that the world would be a better place if there were more chocolatiers, don't you agree?  I mean, how many times do you see someone biting into a decadent bittersweet chocolate-covered salted caramel with an unhappy expression on their face?  Never.  It's hardly rocket science.  Chocolate makes people happy.  Sure, the after-effects of not being able to squeeze into your skinny jeans might not be the ultimate joyous occasion, but skinny jeans are stupid anyhow, and they should all be burned.  So.......guess what?  I have a FRIEND who is a real live chocolatier.  A fantastic one too.  Jealous? It's kind of like knowing Willy Wonka, except she doesn't hang out with Oompa-Loompas (that I know of) or wear crazy hats.  I met Ruth Kendrick this year through a mutual Facebook friend, who knew that we both owned small gourmet food businesses.  After exchanging emails, Ruth and I decided to exchange products.  I sent her a sampler of my granola, and she sent me a HUGE sampler of her Chocolot Artisan Confections, her perfectly gorgeous, beautifully packaged, hand-crafted, rich, creamy, and irresistible truffles.  I'm usually pretty proud of my will-power, but it was completely shot after my first bite.  I ended up buying a bunch to put into holiday gift baskets.  Boy, am I going to be popular!!  My favorite flavor???  Definitely the Meyer Lemon....or the Fleur de Sel Caramel....or the Orange Cream....or the Praline.......(clearly I can't decide, so I may need to sample again.)

8.  I think that few people would argue the fact that bacon is everywhere these days.  Not only is bacon in your BLT for lunch, but it's also showing up in your Maple Bacon Cupcake for dessert.  In the past few years, I've seen bacon ice cream, bacon chocolate truffles, candied bacon caramel popcorn, bacon toffee, bacon mints (fail), and even bacon Jolly Ranchers (not really, just wanted to see if you're paying attention.)  I've read write-ups from supposed culinary trend experts who have proclaimed that the bacon trend is "so over", much like the cupcake or the ubiquitous slider.  Um, no.  It's not.  That's clearly the overdose of nitrates speaking.  Bacon will never be over, much like culottes will never be stylish.  I am fairly confident that I am not alone when I say that I especially love the combination of salty caramelized bacon with something that is particularly sweet, like the classic combination of pancakes and bacon drenched in maple syrup.  The other day, I was shopping at Whole Foods when I came upon a carefully crafted pyramid of Mo's Bacon Pancake Mix, the latest creation from those geniuses at Vosges chocolate.  First they came out with Mo's Bacon Bar, which I thought would be impossible to top.  Well they didn't exacty top it -- rather they broke it up into pieces and added it to pancake mix to create a perfect stocking stuffer or gift basket item.  I don't know who this Mo guy is, but I like his style. 

9. There are certain baking classics, such as chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and blueberry muffins, for which I am determined to discover "the best" recipe, at least in my opinion.  I am 100% satisfied that I have found the ultimate recipe for two of those three items.  The chocolate chip cookie is still a challenge.  Cakey?  Crisp?  Nuts?  Chunks or Chips?  Oh well, I suppose that I am willing to sacrifice continual testing and sampling, all in the name of research of course :)  Another recipe for which I constantly get positive feedback is my sugar cookie recipe.  Ever since I created this combination about six years ago, it has become my standard for decorated cookies throughout the year.  Confession time:  Whenever I have posted this recipe on my blog in the past, I might have made one little change in the ingredient list.....but I had a perfectly good reason for doing this: my secret ingredient isn't exactly a shelf staple. Whenever I prepare these cookies, I use a special flavoring ingredient that I discovered in the King Arthur's Catalog: Fiori di Sicilia (I think that this means something like "Flowers of Sicily" -- anyone??)  Just a smidgen of this fragrant extract added to cookie dough or cake batter yields a vanilla-orangey scent and flavor that will truly set your baked goods apart.  If I happen to be out of Fiori di Sicilia, I'll usually substitute some orange zest and extra vanilla extract, but it's never quite the same.  So, that's my secret.  Merry Christmas.

10.This is another one of my favorite things that happens to also be a creation of one of my friends.  Hey, what can I say?  I have talented friends, and I'm not afraid to brag about them.  I've mentioned in the past that I occasionally participate in cooking/recipe competitions, a hobby that has allowed me to meet some wonderful friends (who don't think that I'm weird for sitting around and discussing food for hours on end.)  A few weeks ago, I competed in (and won!) the Aetna Healthy Food Fight which took place in L.A.  Our challenge was to prepare an entire healthy Thanksgiving feast, using a limited list of ingredients, in 90 minutes.  Oh yeah, and the judge?  Bobby Flay.  The Iron Chef himself.  No pressure there.  One of the other competitors, Camilla Saulsbury, is someone that I have been friendy with via email and Facebook, but we had never actually met in person.  Not only has Camilla set the bar for cooking contest success -- she has won just about every major competition there is -- but she is a Phd-carrying successful cookbook author, fitness instructor, blogger, former professor, mom, and wife.  Oh yeah, and she's gorgeous......and nice........and humble.......and funny (I know that you wanted me to say that she was mean or snobby or something, but sorry, you simply can't hate her.)  Anyhow, Camilla and I were both flying solo during our stay in L.A., since both of our husbands had to work, so we essentially became each other's "plus ones."  We had a fantastic time eating our way through the menu at Mario Batali's Osteria Mozza and working out next to Fabio of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter fame at the gym (I have to say, he looks pretty good in person.)  When Camilla announced the title of her newest cookbook last year, I felt like it had been written just for me:  750 Best Muffin Recipes .  No, I didn't accidentally add a zero to the number.  That's 7.5.0.  As in, a new recipe every day for over two years.  As in, about $.03 per recipe.  Sounds like a good deal to me!  I love a well-crafted, moist on the inside, but slightly crisp on the outside muffin, and from the recipes that I have tried so far, I will be very happy baking my way through this book.  Muffins for breakfast, savory muffins, gluten-free, international, vegan.....they're all inside, and then some.  Here is a yummy recipe from the book that I whipped up yesterday, perfect for the holidays:

Camilla's Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Muffins (from 750 Best Muffin Recipes)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3/4 cup sour cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

1/3 cup coarsely crushed red and white striped peppermint candies

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, butter, and peppermint extract until well blended.  Whisk in the sour cream until blended. 

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Gently fold in the chocolate.  Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle with candies.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.  Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

 

O.K., folks!!  That's all that I've got.  I'm exhausted.  Time for a nap.  Happy holiday shopping!!

Flaky Homemade Pop-Tarts

What ever happened to Saturday morning cartoons?  I mean, I know that there are technically still cartoons on T.V. every Saturday morning, but what happened to the good ones?  O.K., so some might respond to my query as follows: "Uh, Julie?  Hate to break it to you, but you're a just a little bit out of the cartoon target market age range.  Today's cartoons are probably just as good as the ones that you watched as a kid."

Good point, but........no.  They're not.  Sorry.  Not even close.

Now, just to clarify, I don't have a habit of evaluating cartoons on Saturday mornings, but sometimes I'm in a position where they are just the next thing on after the morning news, and for whatever reason I can't change the channel.  Really.  Like....say I'm in the middle of a big granola-making-marathon, or I might be on the treadmill without the remote.  These types of situations happen often enough for me to know that today's cartoons (with the possible exception of SpongeBob) don't hold a candle to the ones that I grew up with.

I feel lucky that my cartoon-watching era occurred during the 80s, when my Saturday mornings were a 2-3 hour special event before ice-skating practice, piano lessons, and slumber parties.  My brother and I would sit on the carpet, usually too close to the T.V., until my mom would make us scoot back  "You're going to hurt your eyes!"  Breakfast would be a bowl of whatever cereal had the best prize (I was a sucker for temporary tattoos), an Entenmann's chocolate donut, or a Pop-Tart.  Apparently, healthy egg-white-whole-grain-and-oatmeal breakfasts weren't yet all the rage in the 80s.

My favorite cartoon was The Smurfs.  Smurfette, Papa Smurf, and Jokey Smurf made being blue cool long before Avatar hit the silver screen.  That cartoon was, for lack of a better description, super smurfy.  Incidentally, I now have the Smurf theme song ("La-laaaa-la-la-la-la....) going through my head.  Darn.  I heard that they are making a Smurf movie, using live actors?  Hmmm....  Not sure how I feel about Katy Perry as Smurfette.  We shall see.  Remember The Snorks?  That premise was basically The Smurfs underwater.  Also, an enjoyable cartoon, but it didn't last quite as long. 

Looney Tunes, Wile E. Coyote & Roadrunner, and The Superfriends were also favorites in our house.  How can you forget "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"  "Form of, an eagle!"  "Shape of, water!"??  Classic.  And that poor, poor, wacky Wile E. Coyote.  Will he never stop ordering faulty products from Acme?  True, every single episode was essentially the same basic formula (Roadrunner outsmarts Coyote), but it was  a brilliant one that worked, week after week after week. 

Of course, I simply cannot discuss Saturday morning cartoons without giving a nod to Schoolhouse Rock! It was an incredibly smart concept, tricking kids into learning history and grammar through cartoons and catchy songs on a Saturday morning:

I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
 
Apparently I'm not the only fan.  Check out this web site dedicated to songs such as "Conjunction Junction", "Electricity", and the oh-so-fun-to-say "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here".

Just as my taste in T.V. has evolved, so has my taste in breakfast treats.  I can't remember the last time that I bought boxed anything without heavily scrutinizing the ingredient list first for words that I can't pronounce.  I know.  No fun.  I used to really love the store-bough Pop-Tarts and Toaster Strudels, but now they just taste, well, store-bought. 

I was flipping through my new favorite baking book, Flour, by Joanne Chang, and I was so, so excited to find a recipe for her homemade pop-tarts.  The resulting pastry is more of a cross between a traditional Pop-Tart and a Toaster Strudel, because the outside is much flakier than the cookie-like texture of a Pop-Tart.  That said, Joanne's pastry recipe is ten-thousand times better than any Toaster Strudel that I've ever had.  I've always struggled a bit with achieving truly light and flaky pie crusts, but clearly I've been using the wrong recipes. 

I tweaked Joanne's recipe just a bit, but it's still pretty close to the one in her cookbook, and the technique is the same.  Warning:  These treats are super-rich and buttery, so maybe go outside for a run after enjoying one on Saturday morning.  There's nothing good on T.V. anyhow :)  Here are my extra tips for making these better-than-the-boxed-version breakfast treats:

• Once the pastry dough has been prepared, it can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to one month.
• Try to use the best butter that you can find for this recipe.  The quality really comes through in the flavor of the pastry.  Challenge makes a good unsalted butter that's not over-the-top expensive.
• Filling ideas for these treats are limited only to what you have in your pantry: bittersweet chocolate and marshmallows, jams and preserves, peanut butter and jelly, diced bananas and chopped pecans, pumpkin butter.......be creative :)
• If you prefer to serve the pop-tarts warm, feel free to either omit the glaze, or you can glaze them sooner after removing them from the oven.  The glaze won't set as well, and they might be a bit messier, but they will still taste yummy!  You can also reheat the glazed pot-tarts in a 300F degree oven for 8-10 minutes until warm. 
• Don't become frustrated if the pop-tarts don't look pretty during the assembly process.  Mine didn't!  One thing that I did to dress them up a bit was use the excess pastry dough (from the trimmings) to cut out small shapes to place on top.  Just brush the top of the pastry with some of the beaten egg and adhere the cut-out to the top.

Flaky Homemade Pop-Tarts

Makes 8 pop-tarts

For the flaky pastry (Pate Brisee):

2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup good quality cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons whole milk

For the Apple-Cinnamon filling:

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium apples (recommend Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

Assembly:

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 tablespoons whole milk or water

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Prepare the flaky pastry: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined.  Scatter the butter pieces over the top of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until lumps of butter the size of pecans are seen throughout, about 1 1/2 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the milk until blended.  Add this mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the dough just barely comes together.  Dump the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface and gather it into a tight mound.  Using the palm of your hand and starting on one side of the mound, smear the dough bit by bit, starting at the top and then sliding your palm down the side and along the work surface, until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the dough comes together.  When finished, you should have a "cohesive dough with streaks of butter" (Joanne's words exactly!)

Gather the dough together and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, pressing it down to flatten to a 1-inch thick disk.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare the Apple-Cinnamon filling:  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the apples and saute for 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften.  Add the sugar and the cinnamon and saute for 3 minutes more.  Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a bowl to cool slightly.  Mix in the egg and flour and allow to cool completely.

Assemble and bake the pop-tarts:  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two equal pieces.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece into a 14X11-inch rectangle.  Using a paring knife, lightly score one rectangle into two rows of four equal pieces (about 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches each.)  Brush the surface of the scored rectangle with the egg.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the Apple-Cinnamon filling (or your filling of choice) in a mound in the center of each scored rectangle.  Carefully place the second large rectangle of dough directly on top of the first, pressing around the sides of each mound of filling to adhere.  Using a knife or a fluted roller, cut the dough into 8 rectangles.  Transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1-inch apart.

Bake the pop-tarts for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.  Allow the pastries to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.** (See note above about options here!)

Prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and enough milk to make a smooth and pourable glaze.  When the pastries have cooled, drizzle or brush the tops with the glaze.  Allow the glaze to stand for 10 minutes to set (or just eat them right away, like I did!)