Oatmeal Fudge Bars

These are simple bars for a simple treat. A no-muss, no-fuss kind of thing. Easy to whip up, easily transportable (trust me on that one, I brought them to California), and even easier to eat!



The chocolate layer really shines, especially with the help of just a smidge of espresso powder. I'd especially recommend these if you're a beginning baker or don't feel like doing anything too complicated in the kitchen. A lot of payoff for relatively little effort! I made these for my father-in-law's birthday and wound up sharing them with a large chunk of my husband's family, many of whom I had just met. Brownie points!

Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Makes ~25 bars
Printable Recipe

Crust & Topping:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp instant espresso or instant coffee
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg

1. For the crust and topping: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil with nonstick baking spray.

2. Whisk the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oat mixture for the topping.

3. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

4. For the filling: Whisk the flour, sugar, instant espresso, and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the egg until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

5. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325F. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved oat topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached and the filling begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

6. Set on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

White Chocolate Lime Cheesecake Bars

Sometimes I'm surprised at the versatility of certain food products. Like a simple block of cream cheese, for example. Besides all of the obvious bagelicious uses, the number of dessert-related things you can do with cream cheese are infinite, and they all score extremely high on my deliciousness scale.



Cream cheese desserts, to me, often have that highly desirable, elusive, and seemingly contradictory combination of light and rich at the same time, which I love in a dessert. At first I was skeptical about the chocolate cookie crust with the rest of the flavors. But who am I kidding? Chocolate cookie crust? White chocolate? Lime? Cheesecake? Sold. Oh! And did I mention you don't even have to turn the oven on?

White Chocolate Lime Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Printable Recipe

7 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt), chopped
27 chocolate sandwich cookies (about 11 ounces)
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel

1. Line 8x8x2-inch square baking pan with foil, extending over all sides. Stir chopped white chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add 2 tablespoons melted white chocolate and blend until mixture clumps together. Firmly press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Chill while making filling.

2. Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Beat cream cheese, sugar, lime juice, and lime peel in large bowl until smooth. Beat in remaining melted white chocolate. Fold in whipped cream in 2 additions; spread over prepared crust. Chill until filling is slightly firm, at least 2 hours. Using foil as aid, lift cheesecake out of pan. Cut bars into desired sizes. Garnish with lime zest and chill until ready to use.

Broccoli Sundried Tomato Fusilli

Yesterday was Day 3 of Meatless Week and I'm going strong! Being a vegetarian certainly isn't boring, that's for sure. Dinner last night was an attempt to recreate one of my favorite restaurant dishes, Broccoli Sundried Tomato Fusilli from California Pizza Kitchen. It seems so basic, but achieving just the right punch of garlicky flavor has eluded me until now.



Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think my version was much better than CPK's. This falls into the quick, easy, and delicious weeknight recipe category. I sure didn't miss the meat in this meal, either. If you're looking for a bit more protein and aren't playing along with Meatless Week, I like to keep chicken sausages on hand for nights like this. You could either serve them on the side (like I did for Andy) or slice them up and toss them with the pasta.

Broccoli Sundried Tomato Fusilli
Adapted from Gourmet
Printable Recipe

5 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus additional for serving
1 pound dried fusilli or other short pasta
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs (optional)

1. With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop.

2. Cook garlic in oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute. Add broccoli, water, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very tender and almost all of liquid has evaporated, about 12 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted.

3. Meanwhile, cook fusilli in a pasta pot of boiling, well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

4. Toss pasta with broccoli, sundried tomatoes, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water. Season with salt and thin sauce with more cooking water if desired, then toss in breadcrumbs just before serving, if using. Serve with cheese for sprinkling.

French Toast

I have an informal policy that I try not to make recipes more than once. I'm so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ridiculously good-sounding recipes online and in my ever-expanding cookbook collection, so unless a recipe is the best I've ever tried, I move on to the next.



This French toast is, without a doubt, the best I've ever tried. At home or in a restaurant. It didn't hurt that it was made with the challah that I had so lovingly spent the whole day before making. But still. This is a forever keeper kind of recipe, the kind that I'll make again and again.

The perfect textural balance of custardy and crisp is what sold me, though the flavor and ease of preparation earn bonus points here too. Even though there are multiple steps that happen in quick succession, the fast pace of the recipe means that the French toast enters your mouth sooner. That's what I'm talkin' about.


I made that!

Thanks to Anne, who is always ready with an Earth-shatteringly good recipe recommendation in my times of need!

French Toast
Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes 8 pieces
Printable Recipe

1 cup half-and-half or milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half or milk, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan or shallow dish.

2. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting on a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Cashew Coconut Curry

Day 1 of Meatless Week is complete, and I feel great! I must confess that the real reason I signed up to be a vegetarian for a week isn't because I can't get enough meat (not that big of a fan). Really, it's because I've been on a mission to become more conscious of what (and how much) I put into my body. Vegetarianism is just one of many perspectives that I can use to accomplish that goal, and so far it's working well. I have vegetarian tendencies already; I'd say about half of my days I don't eat any meat products. So I'm just stretching those tendencies from part-time to full.



I sat down today with my favorite vegetarian recipe resources (books and blogs) and planned our meals for the week. I came home from the grocery store with a ridiculous amount of produce; more than I've ever bought at one time, I'm sure of it. I know that vegetarianism isn't all about the veggies, but the time of year and my enthusiasm for this project led me in that direction.


Fruits & veggies for the week. Not pictured: 2 pounds of broccoli and a giant pineapple!

First up, my take on Cashew Coconut Curry, an adaptation of a recipe from a classic vegetarian food blog, Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks. This was really simple to throw together on a weeknight, easily adaptable to seasonal vegetables, and quite tasty as well. The tofu could have been more flavorful, next time I'll marinate it beforehand for an extra kick. I didn't use the cilantro, obviously (ick!), but if that's what you fancy, I'm not going to stop you!

Cashew Coconut Curry
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Makes 3-4 servings
Printable Recipe

1 cup whole coconut milk
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup water
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes (optional)
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
1/4 cup golden raisins
a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped (optional)

1. Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps.

2. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans and cauliflower.

3. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked to your desired doneness. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews and raisins. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt & curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl if desired.

Macarons, Redux

A long, long time ago, I attempted making French Macarons. The holy grail for many home bakers. The delicate, finicky, almost-impossible-to-get-right trendy little cookies. A long, long time ago, I failed. But this time? This time, I got it right.



I did a few things differently. First of all, and I think most importantly, I didn't plan ahead. I had some egg whites left over and decided to make these on the spur of the moment. So I didn't spend anxious hours plotting, reading, re-reading, and preparing. I just went for it. I also baked them longer and didn't use any food coloring (I had used gel in the past), both of which I'm sure helped my cause. Also, in the past I used store-bought almond flour, and this time I ground my own.

At first, I didn't see what all the fuss was about, but now I understand. When done properly, they're divine. I filled half with nutella and half with homemade blackberry jam. The jam-filled ones were the unanimous favorite.

I used a mishmash of macaron maven Helen (of Tartelette)'s macaron recipes, all of which you can find here.

Meatless Week

Hi everyone! Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was full of impulsive baking that I can't wait to fill you in on. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you an adventure that I'm going on this week. Fellow Pacific Northwest food blogger Lorna Yee (she's also a cookbook author, how cool is that?!) of The Cookbook Chronicles has invited us to join her for a week of vegetarianism, starting Monday, May 24th.



I was a vegetarian in my teenage years for a while, but it wound up being a phase. I've wanted to try it out again just for a short time to see what it would be like as an adult, and Lorna's Meatless Week is the perfect opportunity for that. I highly doubt this will be a permanent change, but I'm excited for the chance to have an increased awareness of the kinds of foods I choose to eat and how my body feels about them.



If you'd like to play along this week, head over to The Cookbook Chronicles and say hi to Lorna!



Hugs,
Amy I.

Challah

It's no secret that I've been on a bread-baking bender lately. Since I'm a nice Jewish girl always striving to be a good Jewish wife, one bread that's long been on my list is Challah.



Challah is a braided egg bread, traditionally served on the Jewish sabbath and other special occasions. For a long time, I was convinced that making challah was a virtually unobtainable goal for me because it just seemed so twisty and hard to make. It's even on my 101 in 1001 list (101 goals I'd like to accomplish in 1001 days). I'm not going to say it was easy, but with a few other yeast breads under my belt, I almost felt like I knew what I was doing.



The feeling of accomplishment when this came out successfully was far greater than usual. And going through the sabbath rituals was so much more special that Friday night, knowing that I had made the challah from scratch, with love. This was an amazing-tasting loaf of bread, but it was so much more than that too. Including the best french toast I've ever had, which I'll share with you soon!

You can find Peter Reinhart's challah recipe, straight from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, over here at Google Books!

Caraway Ice Cream

One of my favorite things about my little cooking club (3 dear friends and me, we all pick recipes and make them) is that I'm constantly making foods I never would have thought to try otherwise. With this recipe, I accidentally took that to the extreme.



With this ice cream, I had a major slip up. The recipe, chosen by my friend Sarah, was actually supposed to be fennel ice cream. I had some fennel-looking seeds in my spice cabinet, but they weren't labeled, and they sure looked like fennel to me. I smelled them and thought they smelled a lot like rye bread, but didn't think much of that at the time.

Turns out it wasn't fennel, it was caraway! And I didn't realize until we were taking our last bites of the whole batch. Luckily, this was a happy accident. Even though the flavor sounds completely bizarre, it was actually really tasty. I attribute that to the custardy base of the ice cream. The custard was so delicious that just about any kind of herb or spice would have gone well with it, in my opinion.

I'm not saying you should go out of your way to make this, but feel free to substitute fennel seeds for the caraway, or use the custard base as a jumping-off point for other flavors. I definitely will be.

Caraway Ice Cream
Adapted from Gourmet
Active time: 30 min
Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr
Makes 1 quart
Printable Recipe

1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks

1. Bring cream and caraway seeds just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, then cover and let steep about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring.

3. Whisk together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl, then add milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Return mixture to medium saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, then quick-chill by setting bowl in an ice bath and stirring occasionally until cool, about 15 minutes.

4. Strain caraway cream through fine-mesh sieve into custard, pressing on solids. Continue to chill in ice bath until custard is very cold, then freeze in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 1 hour.

Note: Custard with caraway cream can be chilled, covered, in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie

Last May, I decided that I loved baking so much that I wanted to start baking extra-special treats for my friends on their birthdays. A whole year ago, I made my first-ever layer cake from scratch, a double chocolate raspberry concoction, and gave it to my friend Annmarie on her special day.



A whole year's worth of birthday baking has passed, and Annmarie still loves chocolate and raspberry. This time around, she got a pie. A black-bottom chocolate pudding pie with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Enough said.



As you might guess, the pie was dreamy. Especially with my first taste of fresh raspberries in just about forever. And that oreo crust makes me swoon every time. It did get really messy when I started cutting it up, though, so if you're a stickler for presentation I'd recommend popping it in the freezer for a bit so it firms up. Also, a heads up that this recipe requires an overnight chill in the fridge, so be sure to factor that into your prep time.

Happy birthday, Annmarie!

p.s. Annmarie successfully defended her dissertation this morning! Congrats, doc!

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

Crust
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 3/4 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 30 cookies from one 9-ounce package)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

Topping
3 1/2-pint containers raspberries
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
preparation

For crust:
1. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Blend cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in medium bowl. Press mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Chill crust 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes, then cool.

For filling:
3. Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan; whisk to blend well. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in remaining 2 1/4 cups milk, then egg yolks and egg. Stir over medium-high heat until pudding thickens and boils, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth.

4. Spread pudding in prepared crust. Press plastic wrap onto pudding to cover and chill pie overnight.

For topping:
5. Peel plastic wrap off pie. Cover chocolate layer with raspberries, pointed side up, pressing lightly into chocolate to adhere (some berries will be left over). Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form; spread over berries on pie. Arrange remaining berries atop cream. Chill pie at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

I've mentioned a few times recently that I have a new found fascination with yeast breads, and that I have been reading through the well-known and -loved The Bread Baker's Apprentice to teach myself the craft.



I finally made my way through Peter Reinhart's patient, friendly, and brilliant explanation of everything bread-related, and only when I finished those introductory chapters did I allow myself to start making bread from his now-classic book.

The first recipe I picked, after careful consideration, was Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread. I'm telling you, making bread is a transcendent experience. Especially after reading Reinhart's description of how bread-baking is a sort of alchemy, weighing out ingredients, watching the dough rise, forming loaves, baking, waiting through the painful cooling period, and finally taking the first bite were all magical.

If you're looking to get into baking bread, this recipe is a great place to start. But it will mean so much more if you get your hands on a copy of The Bread Baker's Apprentice and read it for yourself.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread
Adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
Printable Recipe

3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread flour
4 tsp (.66 ounce) granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp (.31 ounce) salt
2 tsp (.22 ounce) instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp (.16 ounce) ground cinnamon
1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp (1 ounce) shortening, melted or at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) raisins, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts

Optional:
Additional granulated sugar and cinnamon for swirl, and sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for topping

1. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.

2. Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed, switching to the dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6-8 minutes). Sprinkle in the raisins and walnuts during the last 2 minutes of kneading (or mixing) to distribute them evenly and avoid crushing them too much. (If you are mixing by machine, you may have to finish kneading by hand to distribute the raisins and walnuts evenly). The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form them into loaves. If desired, before rolling the loaves, sprinkle the dough with a mixture of 1/2 c granulated sugar and 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, creating a cinnamon-sugar swirl. Place each loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pan, mist the tops with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

5. Proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 350F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the loaf pans on a sheet pan, making sure they are not touching each other.

7. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished breads should register 190F in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

8. Immediately remove breads from their pans. If desired, brush the tops of the warm loaves with melted butter and roll the tops in cinnamon sugar. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2, before slicing or serving.

Lemon Tiramisu

Warning: lemon overload ahead!



This isn't the chocolate-y, espresso-y tiramisu you know and love. This is lemon, lemon, and more lemon. Lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon syrup or liqueur, layered with mascarpone, with a little lemon zabaglione thrown in there for fun. Seriously, I am not messing around here. I'm one of those people that will take as much lemon as you can throw at me, so I loved this. Everyone I served it to enjoyed it as well, or at least they claimed to. You never know when people are just being polite, eh?!

I kid. They loved it. And I loved it too. And if you love lemon like I love lemon, you will likely agree.



A few quick notes: the original recipe calls for limoncello rather than lemon syrup. If that excites you, have at it! Also, I had to cook my zabaglione far longer than the recipe directed. Trust your gut to know when to stop cooking, it's your best cooking tool! Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I found this recipe to be quite spendy, even though I used lemon syrup instead of buying limoncello. If you're making this on a tight budget, I'd recommend making your own lady fingers, which will cut down significantly on the cost.

Lemon Tiramisu
Adapted from Lidia's Italy, via Epicurious
Serves 8-10
Printable Recipe

5 large eggs
5 - 6 lemons
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon syrup or limoncello liqueur
1 cup water
1 pound (2 cups) mascarpone, at room temperature
40 ladyfingers (preferably imported Italian savoiardi), or more as needed

1. Pour just enough water in the double-boiler pan so the water level is right below the bottom of the mixing bowl when it is sitting in the pan. Separate the eggs, putting yolks into the large bowl of the double boiler and the whites into another stainless-steel bowl for whipping by hand or with an electric mixer.

2. Remove the zest of two or more of the lemons, using a fine grater, to get 2 tablespoons of zest. Squeeze out and strain the juice of these and the other lemons to get 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.

3. To make the base for the tiramisù, heat the water in the double boiler to a steady simmer. Off the heat, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup of the lemon syrup or limoncello until well blended. Set the bowl over the simmering water, and whisk constantly, frequently scraping the whisk around the sides and bottom of the bowl, as the egg mixture expands and heats into a frothy sponge, 5 minutes or longer. When the sponge has thickened enough to form a ribbon when it drops on the surface, take the bowl off the double-boiler pan and let it cool.

4. Meanwhile, pour the remaining cup of lemon syrup or limoncello, all of the lemon juice, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook for 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely.

5. In another large bowl, stir the mascarpone with a wooden spoon to soften it, then drop in the grated lemon zest and beat until light and creamy. Whip the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, by hand or by machine, until it holds moderately firm peaks.

6. When the cooked lemon sponge (or zabaglione) is cooled, scrape about a third of it over the mascarpone, and fold it in with a large rubber spatula. Fold in the rest of the zabaglione in two or three additions. Now fold in the whipped egg whites in several additions, until the limoncello-mascarpone cream is light and evenly blended.

7. Pour some of the cooled syrup, no deeper than 1/4 inch, into the shallow-rimmed dish or pan to moisten the ladyfingers (savoiardi). One at a time, roll a ladyfinger in the syrup and place it in a 3-quart casserole or 9x13 baking dish. Wet each cookie briefly—if it soaks up too much syrup, it will fall apart. Arrange the moistened ladyfingers in neat, tight rows, filling the bottom of the pan completely. You should be able to fit about twenty ladyfingers in a single layer.

8. Scoop half of the lemon-mascarpone cream onto the ladyfingers, and smooth it to fill the pan and cover them. Dip and arrange a second layer of ladyfingers in the pan, and cover it completely with the remainder of the cream.

9. Smooth the cream with the spatula, and seal the tiramisù airtight in plastic wrap. Before serving, refrigerate for 6 hours (or up to 2 days), or put it in the freezer for 2 hours. To serve, cut portions of tiramisù in any size you like, and life each out of the pan and onto dessert plates.

Spring Green Risotto

As I get more and more serious (err... I mean "serious") about cooking, I'm becoming increasingly aware of the quality of the ingredients I use. Closely related to this phenomenon is my heightened interest in (err... obsession with?) seasonal produce. I've always adored trips to the Farmers Market, but spending time there has taken on a whole new meaning lately.



Not only does using in-season ingredients guarantee more flavorful food, it also provides for me a sort of celebration, or even just a cognizance, of the flavors, scents, and textures of the season. This risotto evokes Spring in that way. Bigtime.

Asparagus, peas, and fava beans are all at the height of their season here in Oregon, and that's obvious from how well they played with each other in this dish. This was my first time using fava beans. They sure are interesting little guys. I took a little taste of the puree on its own and loved it, but couldn't detect the flavor in the final product; it got lost in the mix. For that reason, if you can't find favas, I say (reluctantly) that it's okay to omit them this time.


Pea shoots at the Farmers Market

If you find that the end product is a bit bland, don't be afraid to salt salt salt. It will make the flavors pop, I promise.

Green Risotto With Fava Puree, Peas, and Asparagus
Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables
Serves 6-8
Printable Recipe

1/2 pound young fava beans
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh green peas
5 spears of asparagus
1 medium onion
7 to 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish.

1. Shell the fava beans and discard the pods. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the favas and simmer for one minute. Drain them and cool them immediately in cold water. Pierce the outer skin of the beans with your thumbnail and pop out each bean with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand.

2. Put the beans in a pot with a little olive oil, a little salt and water to just about cover and cook slowly, until they are soft enough to puree but haven't lost their color, about 15 to 20 minutes. If necessary, add water as they are cooking to keep them from sticking. Drain them and pass them through a food mill or puree in a blender or food processor.

3. Shell the peas. Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into thin slices. Peel and chop the onion into small diced pieces.

4. Heat the stock and keep it at a low simmer. In another, heavy bottom saucepan, heat three tablespoons of the butter, add the onion and cook over medium heat until it is translucent, about five minutes. Add the rice and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for about three minutes, stirring often, until the rice has turned slightly translucent. Turn up the heat and pour in the white wine. When the wine has been absorbed, add just enough hot stock to cover the rice, stir well and reduce the heat.

5. Keep the rice at a gentle simmer and keep adding stock, a ladle or two at a time, letting it be almost completely absorbed by the rice before adding the next. After about 10 minutes, stir in the peas and asparagus. Ladle in more stock, stirring after every addition. After five minutes, add the rest of the butter, the cheese and the fava bean puree. Stir well. Add more stock if needed; the rice should have a saucey consistency. Correct seasoning and serve garnished with more Parmesan.

Oreo Truffles

If you're a lover of food blogs, you've probably seen these ubiquitous Oreo Truffles around the blogosphere. It seems like many of the food bloggers I know have made these at some point. Last week, it was my turn.



As you can see, I made a ridiculous mess in my kitchen, which is guaranteed fun. But I had some trouble with my chocolate bark. It didn't melt smoothly at all, and the dipping process was pretty horrendous. I melted it on the stove; next time I'll go for the microwave (the package directions gave me the choice), use a different brand, or the non-bark chocolate wafer melty things. As for decoration, I happen to adore whimsical, brightly colored sprinkles, but the crushed oreo-topped truffles were really popular too.

I tried rolling a couple of truffles entirely in sprinkles, rather than just on top (see those 2 in the back?). I don't recommend that; they weren't bad but the crunch of the sprinkles was distracting from the real goodness inside.

Bottom line: if you like oreos, you will melt when you eat these. They made my day over and over and over. I'm not telling how many I ate!

Oreo Truffles
Adapted from Bakerella
Makes about 24 truffles
Printable Recipe

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use entire cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
1 package chocolate bark (milk or white)
Sprinkles or other candies for decoration, optional

1. Finely crush 7 cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later.

2. Crush remaining cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon or a rubber spatula to help mash the two together.

3. Roll the mixture into 1″" balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.

4. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. Before they dry, decorate with crushed remaining oreos or anything else your heart desires.

5. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Soft Pretzels

For some reason, I've always been under the impression that soft pretzels were really difficult to make. High maintenance, time consuming, and finicky. Seems like I'm saying this a lot lately, but I've been proven wrong. Bigtime.



Making these pretzels was the most fun I've had in the kitchen in a while. Not only did I get to do my new favorite thing ever (watching dough rise... I know, I lead a thrilling life), but the twisting and the boiling and especially the eating made these a perfect Saturday afternoon activity. I think these would be especially fun to make if you have kiddos around to help you.

I call this one Pretzel on Parchment. It's hanging on my fridge.


Let me know if you try making these... free admission into my Homemade Pretzel Fan Club!

Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes 8 Pretzels
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

3. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

4, In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

5. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.