Tequila-Spiked Caramel Corn

No matter what I eat for breakfast or lunch, I always find myself craving a little something to snack on mid-afternoon. I start thinking about lunch pretty early, and we eat dinner fairly late most nights, so I need something in the middle there to bridge the gap! I make a conscious effort to keep healthy snack choices on hand, but sometimes the bag of potato chips we hide way up on top of the cabinet will catch my eye and I sneak a few. Lately I've started keeping popcorn kernels in the pantry as an alternative. I make my popcorn on the stovetop and add just a little salt so it satisfies the same cravings as the chips (crunchy and salty). It's definitely a healthier choice and I never feel like I'm missing anything picking it over the potato chips.



As much as I enjoy plain popcorn, sometimes it's fun to make it a bit more naughty :) Here it's coated in a thick caramel sauce, making it the perfect treat when you're craving that salty-sweet combo. Oh, and did I mention it's spiked with tequila? Just in time for Cinco de Mayo too! In the end, I didn't actually find the tequila all that noticeable - it just gives the popcorn that certain something that makes you wonder what else was included in the caramel sauce. This stuff is completely addictive - the recipe makes a huge batch of popcorn, but you'll be surprised how quickly you can make your way through it if you're not careful! I halved the recipe below to keep the yield more manageable so that's definitely an option. If you want to make it all, the popcorn is great for parties or even for packaging up and gifting to friends or family.

PS - if you'd rather skip the tequila, I made a plain version here and a peanut butter version too!

Tequila-Spiked Caramel Corn
adapted from Food and Wine

1 cup popcorn kernels, unpopped
canola oil (for popping)
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons tequila

Pop popcorn using your preferred method. I made mine on the stove top, and for this much popcorn you'll want a big pan - a large Dutch oven works well. Place a few tablespoons of canola oil in the pot along with 3 kernels of popcorn then cover the pot and set it over medium to medium-high heat. When those first 3 kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and pop them, shaking the pot occasionally to prevent burning. When the noise of the kernels popping is nearly stopped, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a minute.

Transfer the popcorn to two large heatproof bowls (try not to add any unpopped kernels, if some remain in the bottom of the pot). You want to leave yourself plenty of room to toss the popcorn with the caramel, so don't fill the bowls to the top. Add the peanuts to the popcorn and toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 250 F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.

To make the caramel: combine the brown sugar, butter, honey, corn syrup and salt in a large saucepan. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Bring the mixture to a boil. When it reaches a boil, stop stirring and leave it alone to boil for 4 minutes. It will bubble up and become foamy but won't overflow. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the baking soda and tequila - be careful, it will bubble up a bit when you add them. Immediately pour the hot caramel over the popcorn (dividing it evenly between the two bowls) and use rubber spatulas to gently toss to coat the popcorn.

Divide the popcorn among the two prepared baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes, and rotating the baking sheets halfway through. You'll know the popcorn is done when it's nearly dry and crisp. Taste a piece - if it's still a little soft, keep baking. Turn off the oven, open the door, and allow the popcorn to cool completely. You'll need to break it apart before serving.

Store the popcorn in an airtight container for up to a week.

Makes about 16 cups of popcorn (the recipe halves well if you want a smaller batch)

Mini Chicken Taco Cups

When I was a kid, I always looked forward to taco night - it was definitely one of my favorite meals we had. Not much has changed now that I'm an adult :) I don't actually make tacos at home all that often though, at least not the basic version I remember from childhood with the seasoned ground meat. We've expanded our horizons a bit with a few fish tacos that have become favorites, but recently I craved something more nostalgic and though we certainly aren't opposed to it on occasion, I was hoping to avoid a certain fast food take-out restaurant.

We had leftover shredded chicken in the fridge so I opted to use that instead of the ground turkey I might otherwise have turned to in creating these tacos. I didn't find any tortillas in the house, but that was probably a good thing, as it motivated me to try these adorable wonton cups I've had bookmarked for a while. The idea is really simple - brush wonton wrappers with a little oil, then shape them into cups using a mini muffin pan and bake until golden and crisp. They were the perfect little vessels for our tacos, sturdy enough to stand up to lots of filling without any rips or tears. You could make any kind of taco you want with these, or even fill them with your favorite salads or dips. The possibilities are endless!



Everything is cuter in mini form, and it turns out tacos are no exception :) Cinco de Mayo is quickly approaching and I think these would be great on your menu, maybe even with a few different fillings. I have a couple more ideas for Cinco de Mayo coming your way this week. Assuming, of course, I can stop watching Revenge long enough to get them posted. I just started watching that show last week and am completely hooked! Anyone else a fan?

Mini Chicken Taco Cups
wonton cups from Ellie Krieger, otherwise TCA original

{Note: The recipe calls for just a little bit of crushed tomato. You could definitely use canned, but I didn't want to open a whole can just for a small amount so I actually pulsed some tomatoes in my mini prep and used that instead.}

Wonton Cups
24 wonton wrappers
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Tacos
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I used this recipe to make mine)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
tomatoes, lettuce, scallions, sour cream, avocado, salsa (or your favorite taco toppings)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray your mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (mine has 24 wells-if yours only has 12, you'll need 2).

Working with a few of the wonton wrappers at a time, lay them on your work surface, and brush both sides with a little of the oil. Press each into one of the wells of the mini muffin tin - the sides will overlap and stick up over the top of the well. Repeat until you've brushed all of the wontons and fit each into the pan. Sprinkle the salt evenly among the cups. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the wonton cups are crisp and golden brown.

To make the filling: Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, and when it starts shimmering, add the onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the taco seasoning, cooking just for a minute or so to toast the spices. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the chicken to the pan, mixing to coat the chicken in the spices. Add the crushed tomato and chicken broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cooking just for a few minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

To assemble: Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into each wonton wrapper. Top with about 1 teaspoon of cheese per cup (you could use more if you wanted, but I left space for other toppings). Place the wonton cups back in the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese and warm the chicken through. To serve, top the mini tacos with your favorite taco fixings - I used sour cream, tomatoes and scallions.

Makes 24 mini tacos

Thick and Chewy Nutella Chunk Cookie Bars

This is phase 2 of my "rid the pantry of half-empty jars of stuff" project (phase 1 here). For a while, I was on a major Nutella kick, mostly using it to bake and spreading it on English muffins for breakfast, but it's been months since I opened a jar of Nutella. On the rare occasion I'm looking for a spread, peanut butter and sometimes Biscoff are my go-to these days. Not only was the Nutella in my pantry taking up valuable space, the "use by" date was rapidly approaching. I hate throwing away food - it's a major pet peeve, so I needed to find a use for the Nutella, and quickly!



I'd seen the idea to make homemade Nutella chunks floating around the web over the past few years, and had mentally bookmarked it as a "could be fun someday" project. No matter how many times someone blogged about it and proclaimed it a success though, I was still somewhat skeptical. I was half convinced the Nutella would never harden enough to cut into chunks, or would melt into a big, gloppy mess in the oven. But since this jar of Nutella was headed for the garbage if not utilized soon anyway, I figured I didn't have much to lose.

There are a few methods for making the Nutella chunks, but the one I ended up going with has you combine Nutella and butter, melting them down into a smooth, glossy mixture that is spread in a layer and frozen. Sure enough, after 2 hours in the freezer, I could cut the mixture into perfect little chunks. I didn't handle them at all (I used a bench scraper any time I needed to move them), and really didn't have any issues with them melting. So far, homemade Nutella chunks were a total success!



I decided to keep it simple and incorporate the chunks into a bar cookie recipe, replacing the chocolate chips. The one I went with is from Cook's Illustrated and it appealed to me because it promised thick and chewy (the best kind of bar, in my opinion), and was quick and easy to throw together. No mixer required here - just a few bowls and a whisk. When it came time to incorporate the Nutella chunks, I erred on the side of caution, and only briefly mixed them into the very thick dough, so they probably weren't as evenly distributed as they could have been. The bars baked up nicely though, and much to my surprise, the chunks were still whole after nearly 30 minutes in the oven. As promised they were perfectly chewy and the Nutella flavor was prominent throughout! They've proven to be the perfect comfort food in which to drown my sorrows over the Bruins game 7 loss last night. Here's hoping for better luck next year :)

Thick and Chewy Nutella Chunk Cookie Bars
cookie bars from Cook's Illustrated, Nutella chunks adapted from The Ivory Hut

Nutella Chunks
6.5 oz Nutella
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cookie Bars
2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups Nutella chunks

To make the Nutella chunks: Add the Nutella and butter to a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (Mine needed 1 minute and 30 seconds total.) Spread the Nutella mixture into a rectangular shape on a parchment-lined baking sheet - it should be about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until firm. Place the Nutella rectangle on a cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut into small chunks. Try not to touch them any more than you need to. Once chopped, place them in a bowl and put back in the freezer until you're ready to use them.

To make the cookie bars: Preheat oven to 325 F with a rack in the lower third. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray then line the dish with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to allow you to lift the bars out after baking. Spray the aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray too.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. In a second bowl, combine the butter and both sugars, whisking until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and whisk to completely incorporate. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry into the wet just until combined. (The batter will be quite thick.) Remove the Nutella chunks from the freezer and add them to the dough. Use the rubber spatula to fold in the chunks, working quickly to distribute them as best you can.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading into an even layer in the bottom. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until the bars are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. The bars will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when they're done.

Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely before lifting them out of the pan and cutting into squares to serve.

Pretzel Dogs

Yesterday was National Pigs in a Blanket Day, another random food holiday I only knew about thanks to a foodie friend who mentioned it to me. Pigs in a blanket are among Shane's favorite appetizers so I knew if I mentioned the holiday to him, he'd ask if I was going to make them. I planned ahead, knowing I wasn't in the mood for our homemade go-to recipe, and added pretzel dogs to the menu this week instead! I don't even really like hot dogs that much, but wrap a soft pretzel around one and it becomes an entirely different story. Mmmm, carbs! I've had these pretzel dogs bookmarked for ages, and even though I'm not technically sure if they qualify as pigs in a blanket, I'm going with it :)



These were a lot quicker to put together than I expected. Yes, the pretzel dough involves yeast, but even if you're not 100% comfortable working with yeast, this is a super simple dough - promise. You toss all of the ingredients into your stand mixer, let it work its magic for about 5 minutes and you're rewarded with a smooth shiny dough. (You could definitely do this by hand too, if you don't have a stand mixer.) Let it rise (it needs less than an hour) then you're ready to shape and roll around the hot dogs. After a quick dip in a baking soda bath and a few minutes in the oven, you have pretzel dogs!

I've yet to meet a soft pretzel I didn't love, and these were no exception. Soft and chewy, topped with a liberal coating of salt and wrapped around our favorite hot dogs - they were completely irresistible! I actually made the full amount of dough, but only wrapped half as many hot dogs as the recipe called for. Shane would probably disagree, but I didn't really think we needed to eat 8 hot dogs for dinner. The leftover dough was used to make pretzel bites for us to snack on later that night. I might just be coming around on hot dogs, so long as you skip the hot dog rolls and serve them in pretzels :)

Pretzel Dogs
pretzels adapted from Alton Brown, method via Fake Ginger (originally from A Dash of Sass)

Dough
22 oz (about 4 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 oz (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
8 hot dogs, halved
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
pretzel salt or coarse salt

Add the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough comes into a rough ball. Knead on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should pull away from the sides of the bowl). Transfer the dough to a large bowl that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 50 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the 10 cups of water and the baking soda in a large stockpot or roasting pan and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto your work surface. Divide it into 16 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into approximately a 12-inch rope. Wrap the rope around one halved hot dog - be sure to pinch the ends very well to seal (to reduce the likelihood that the dough unravels when you boil in the next step). Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough until you've wrapped all of the dogs.

One at a time, boil the pretzel dogs in the baking soda/water mixture for 30 seconds, transferring them to a wire rack afterward using a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Repeat with all 16 pretzel dogs. Transfer the dogs to the parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with mustard or your favorite dipping sauce.

Makes 16 pretzel dogs

Cinnamon Toast Cloudcakes

I've been eating vanilla Greek yogurt with strawberries and homemade granola for breakfast every day for months. It's one of the few things I've found that keeps me full until lunch. With most other options I'm starving an hour or two later, and I either wind up snacking, or eating my lunch way too early. For a while I was using plain Greek yogurt, but then I discovered vanilla, and oh my word, it's like 1000x better! Never going back :)

For the most part, I'm fine eating the same thing for breakfast every day because there's a lot of variety in my other meals. Every so often, though, I like to mix things up, and pancakes are always at the forefront of my mind. I invest the effort once to make a huge batch and then freeze them in individual portions to pull out for a quick breakfast (or dinner!) another time. Pancakes are good any time of day!



There's no shortage of pancake recipes on this site, but I can't help myself, I keep finding new ones I want to try. And with a name like "cloudcakes," how could I not make this one?? They lived up to their name - the texture was super light and fluffy, a result achieved by whipping egg whites to soft peaks and folding them into the batter. I made the cinnamon toast variation and the batter smelled exactly like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (which I loved as a kid), yum! If you'd rather leave them plain just skip the cinnamon and cut the sugar in half. I thought these pancakes were best shortly after they came out of the pan, so they probably wouldn't be my first choice for freezing, but it's all relative. The leftovers definitely didn't go to waste!

Cinnamon Toast Cloudcakes
from The Cook's Country Cookbook

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 extra egg whites, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
vegetable oil, for cooking

{If you aren't going to serve the pancakes until you've cooked all of them, preheat oven to 200 F. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set it inside a baking sheet then place the baking sheet in the oven.}

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add the buttermilk and sour cream to a large measuring cup and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks and melted butter into the buttermilk mixture until well combined.

Add the egg whites to a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat them to soft peaks. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients. Whisk until just barely combined - the batter should be lumpy. Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter, again until just barely combined. It's fine if a few streaks of egg white remain.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium heat (or spray with nonstick cooking spray). Once the oil starts shimmering, use paper towels to wipe the pan so only a thin, even coating of oil covers the bottom and sides. Use a 1/8 cup measure (2 tablespoons) to portion the batter into the pan. Cook on the first side until the edges are set and bubbles form on the surface, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the second side, or until golden brown and cooked through. {If not serving immediately, transfer the pancakes to the wire rack in the oven.} Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

Makes about 25 small pancakes

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Last month Shane ran his first race of the year (a half marathon), and as has become our tradition, we went out to lunch with his parents afterward. Shane chose the restaurant - a pub we'd eaten at after the same race two years earlier. On that visit I'm pretty sure I'd ordered a burger, and I was set to get the same thing this year until Shane's dad mentioned he was considering the fish tacos. I hadn't even taken notice of them on the menu, but they sounded great so I ended up ordering them too. They were really good, and I remember turning to Shane and telling him we definitely needed to make a version at home.

I vaguely remembered bookmarking a beer battered fish taco recipe last year, and was psyched to uncover it among the starred items in my Google Reader. As tempted as I was to add the tacos to the menu the next week, I held off. When possible, I really prefer to fry when the weather is a bit nicer so we can open the doors and windows. It definitely helps to reduce that fast food restaurant smell from the house. With the crazy mild winter we've had here, we didn't have to wait long. Early April brought temps in the 70's and the perfect opportunity to recreate that restaurant experience at home.



I've fried a variety of things in my kitchen, but this was the first time for fish. The fish was coated with a batter made from a combination of seasoned flour and IPA beer (we used Harpoon), and after just a few minutes in the oil was golden brown and crisp on the outside with a flaky interior. I'm not generally a fan of IPA beers (too hoppy!), but it works here - the fish was so good! And, no worries, Shane was perfectly happy to handle the chore of drinking the leftover beer :) It took a little bit of time to fry all of the fish since we were doing it in batches, and in the meantime Shane and I couldn't help sneaking a few pieces to snack on. What was left made it into the tacos, which I served on warm corn tortillas with lettuce, a little bit of cheese, baja sauce, and lime. It was definitely more work than the version I had at the restaurant but really fun to put together, and very tasty.

Quick note - the recipe originally called for frying the fish in just 1/2-inch of oil, but I found it really hard to maintain the temperature with so little oil. Even working in batches, the temperature of the oil dropped rapidly when I added the fish. I found it much easier with a greater depth of oil and that's reflected in the directions below, but feel free to do what works best for you.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos
beer battered fish adapted from Pink Parsley (originally from Tide and Thyme), baja sauce from Coastal Living

Fish
1 lb firm white fish (I used haddock)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup beer, preferably IPA
canola oil, for frying

Baja Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning (I used this recipe to make my own)
1 small jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For serving:
corn tortillas, lettuce, cheese, lime wedges (or your favorite fixings)

To make the baja sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir well to combine.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of the flour, the paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add the beer, whisk to combine, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Pour oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches and set the pot over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until it reaches 375 F on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, pat the fish dry, season with salt and pepper, and cut into 1/2 to 1-inch cubes. Add to a medium bowl and combine with the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Toss to coat the fish.

When the oil is hot and working in batches, shake excess flour from the fish and transfer to the beer batter (the batter will be thick, just do your best to shake off the excess before adding the fish to the oil). Add about 6-8 pieces of fish at a time to the oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. I stirred mine around a bit with my spider strainer but wasn't particular about flipping them individually. Remove the fish from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue to fry in batches until all of the fish is cooked. Adjust the heat under your pan to maintain the oil temperature.

Serve with warm corn tortillas, lettuce, cheese, lime and the baja sauce.

Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake

Have you guys made your sourdough starter yet? No? What are you waiting for? :) Sorry, I don't mean to be pushy. The scientist in me just thinks it's a really fun project to have a living thing in the fridge, especially when it's so low maintenance and can be used in a ton of ways (pancakes, anyone?). And the fact that it's not dead like all of the plants I try to keep makes me feel uber responsible.



Still not convinced? Need another reason? Two words: chocolate cake. It's pretty much the last thing I would have expected you could make with a sourdough starter, but it absolutely works! It also happens to be the perfect way to usher in the weekend :) I haven't made a bundt in a while so that's the route I took with my cake, but a 13x9 pan would also work here. And I think a naked bundt is sad, so I added a little glaze on the top to dress it up. The cake is moist and fluffy - mine was even better on the second day, so wrap it and wait if you can. If you had no idea there was sourdough starter in the cake, I don't think you'd be able to guess. I was really trying to pick it out, and could detect the faintest hint of the classic yeasty scent, but still couldn't taste it in the cake. The recipe makes a giant bundt, so you'll need a few friends and a couple of glasses of milk to help you finish it off!



One quick note - you need "fed" sourdough starter to make your cake. All that means is that instead of pulling your starter from the fridge and using it immediately, you need to feed it before making the cake. The night before you are ready to bake, you remove 1 cup of the starter and feed what's left with 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Let it sit overnight at room temperature, and the next morning you'll come back to find it bubbling away. It's now "fed" starter you can use in your recipe! Just don't forget to feed it again after you remove the portion you need to make the cake. If this sounds at all confusing, don't worry - it's simple, promise. If you need more information, refer back to these tips from King Arthur Flour.

Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake
adapted from King Arthur Flour

(Note: You can find step-by-step photos for this recipe on KAF's site here. If you'd rather, you can bake the cake in a 13x9 pan instead of a bundt.)

1 cup (241 g) fed sourdough starter
1 cup (227 g) whole milk
2 cups (241 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (298 g) sugar
1 cup (198 g) canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2 large eggs

In a large bowl, stir together the fed starter, milk and flour - it'll be fairly thick. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. The mixture will expand slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 F and place a rack in the bottom third. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Beat on low speed to combine - the batter will be grainy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the starter mixture to the batter, and beat on low until incorporated. This may take a few minutes, and you may need to scrape the starter off the paddle (the starter will have a slightly elastic quality that makes it stick to the paddle). Continue beating until the batter is smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and level the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out and let cool completely on the rack.

Coffee Glaze
adapted from The Best Light Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated

1 cup (4 oz) confectioners’ sugar
5 teaspoons brewed coffee
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

Combine everything in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake; let set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Grilled Beef Teriyaki

I've never really been a steak person (aside from the occasional grilled ribeye in the summer), but in the past few months I've fallen in love with flank steak. It's really flavorful, and when cooked properly and thinly sliced against the grain it's incredibly tender too. I'm not as in love with the price - it's pretty expensive here - but most of the time it's still cheaper for me to buy flank steak than it is to pick up two ribeye steaks. Since we don't eat red meat all that often, I'm ok with splurging every once in a while to get what I really like. I don't know that I've ever seen flank steak on sale but if/when I do, I'll be stocking my freezer with enough to last us a while, especially since any beef recipe I bookmark lately seems to call for it (including my most recent addition to the list)!



When I think of beef teriyaki the first thing that comes to mind is the version that's served on a stick at some Chinese take-out restaurants. It's never been my favorite - too chewy and not enough teriyaki flavor. Happily, this homemade version is a massive improvement in every way. The steak is cut into strips and marinated in a mixture of (among other things) soy sauce, mirin, garlic, ginger and orange zest which makes it really tender. And no worries, it only needs 30 minutes to marinate so no need to plan in advance. I can never remember to marinate the night before when recipes call for 24 hours :) The meat is quickly seared on the grill and in the last minute of cooking is brushed with a homemade teriyaki sauce that's made with just a few simple ingredients. There's plenty of extra sauce for serving too, in case you like to soak your rice with it as I do! I liked this dish more with every bite, I probably looked over at Shane 2 or 3 times to say "this is really good," and since he cleaned his plate in record time, I think he agreed.

Grilled Beef Teriyaki
barely adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

(Note: you can substitute sirloin steak tips (not the ones already cut into strips, the whole steak) - it's sometimes also called flap meat for the flank steak.)

Steak
1 lb flank steak, trimmed of excess fat
1/6 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 scallion, white parts minced and green parts sliced thin on bias, separated

Sauce
1/6 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sake or vermouth
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Place the steak on your work surface with the long side facing you. Cut the steak into 2 or 3 pieces (do 2 unless the steak is over 12 inches long, then do 3). With the knife at a 45-degree angle, cut each of those pieces into 4 or 5 slices that are about 1/2-inch thick. (If you have a subscription to the CI website, you can find pics of the cutting process here.)

Add the soy sauce, mirin, canola oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, orange zest and the white parts of the scallion in a resealable plastic bag. Shake to combine. Add the meat, press out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (but no more than an hour), flipping the bag every 15 minutes to make sure the marinade gets all of the meat equally.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (400-450 F). Oil the grates lightly (I use the tongs to hold a paper towel that's been dipped in oil and rub it over the grates).

While the grill preheats make the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is syrupy, about 12 minutes. The sauce should be reduced to about 1/2 cup. Transfer all but 2 tablespoons of the sauce to a small bowl and set aside for serving.

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the meat on the grill and cook on the first side for about 3 minutes, or until well seared. Flip the steak and cook on the second side for 3 more minutes. Use half of the reserved 2 tablespoons of sauce to brush the top of the meat, then flip and cook for 30 seconds. Brush the second side of the meat with the remaining tablespoon of sauce, flip and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer the meat to a plate, tent and let rest for 5 minutes.

Garnish with the green parts of the scallion and serve with the reserved sauce.

Super Simple S'mores Bars

When I get home from the grocery store, I empty all of my bags and organize things into piles according to where they go (fridge, freezer, upstairs pantry, basement pantry). The upstairs pantry is just a tiny cabinet in our dining room where I try to store the stuff we'll use in the next week along with the most frequently utilized staples (peanut butter and brown sugar, for example). That cabinet has been driving me crazy lately though because it also seems to be the place where half-empty jars of "stuff" accumulate. I could have banished them to the basement pantry (which is really just a few wire racks in the unfinished half of our basement) but the odds I'd remember to use them before they went bad were slim to none.



So, instead, I made it my mission to find ways to use these miscellaneous ingredients and clear some space asap. First up was a partial jar of fluff, leftover from the oatmeal creme pies project. I really had no idea what I was going to do with it until I also came across a package of Hershey Bars in the basement. I was convinced there had to be a way to turn them into some variation on s'mores, and I found one :)



I have a ton of s'mores treats on the blog, but these are definitely the easiest! The only thing you have to make is the base, which is a simple cookie dough that incorporates graham cracker crumbs. This "crust" is covered with whole chocolate bars and then a layer of marshmallow creme, and finally some of the reserved crust mixture crumbled over the top. In the oven, the cookie base stays soft and chewy while the fluff puffs and becomes more marshmallow-like in texture. And surprisingly, the chocolate bars don't melt into a giant puddle! I absolutely loved these, and I wasn't alone - they were met with rave reviews at Shane's office too. They're the perfect little afternoon snack or late-night dessert, and luckily for me, a great way to use up half a jar of fluff. I'd never give up classic campfire s'mores but this portable, less messy version is a very nice substitute!

Super Simple S'mores Bars
adapted from Taste of Home

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 5 whole crackers)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each)
1 cup marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the bars out afterward. Spray the foil and pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients gradually, beating just until the dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, reserving 1/2 cup to use for the topping. Gently press the dough into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Top the crust with the candy bars (you'll probably have to break them up and shingle them to create a single layer). Spread the marshmallow creme over the chocolate bars. Top with the reserved dough, crumbling over the marshmallow creme.

Bake the bars for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Lift from the pan using the foil "handles" and cut into squares for serving (I found these cut easily if I refrigerated them for a little while first).

Makes 16 bars

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs with Sweet and Sour Orange Dipping Sauce

I'm pretty sure when the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was written they were talking about the holiday season, but for me, the most wonderful time of the year is right now. Playoff hockey. Yes, I'm completely obsessed. Since the playoffs started last week, it's been all hockey, all the time in our house. There was over 12 hours of coverage on Sunday, and when it was over, I still hadn't had my fill. Sure, there's some extra excitement since my team is in the playoff race, but even if they weren't, I'd still be tuning in to every game. The intensity, the pace, the rivalries - it's must see tv for sure. Don't worry, it's not going to turn into hockey central over here for the next 2 months, I'm just so darn excited, I couldn't help myself today :)



Hockey doesn't really have anything to do with this chicken, aside from the fact that these kebabs are a quick and easy meal I can get on the table on weeknights so I won't miss a second of my favorite game. The chicken is coated with a fragrant (thanks to the rosemary) spice rub that's a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy then threaded onto kebabs and thrown on the grill. They only need about 15 minutes to cook through and develop a little char on the outsides. The dipping sauce is super simple with just three ingredients and totally worth making - its sweetness is the perfect complement to the spice in the chicken. I couldn't get Shane to try the sauce after he saw the jar of orange marmalade I was using to make it, and I had a ton of leftovers so I'll probably halve the sauce next time. Shane raved about the kebabs even without the sauce - they're a definite repeat here. I just love the easy clean-up that comes along with grilling too. If only we could grill year-round, I'd be washing a lot less dishes around here!

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs with Sweet and Sour Orange Dipping Sauce
barely adapted from Fine Cooking

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons of the rosemary, the brown sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a medium bowl, and drizzle the oil over it, tossing to coat. Top the chicken with the spice mixture and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.

To make the dipping sauce: Combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary, the marmalade and the rice vinegar in a small saucepan. Set over low heat and stir just until the mixture is heated through. Cover and remove from the heat.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (400-450 F). Oil the grates lightly (I use the tongs to hold a paper towel that's been dipped in oil and rub it over the grates). While the grill is heating, thread the chicken cubes onto skewers (we used metal ones, but if you're going with wood skewers, you might want to soak them in cold water beforehand).

Place the kebabs on the grill and cook, giving them a quarter turn every 3 minutes or so, until they are slightly charred on all sides and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes total. Transfer the kebabs to a platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with the warm dipping sauce.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

When I first became interested in cooking and baking, I had only a few cookbooks in my collection. Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours, was an early favorite, and I remember bringing that book to work with me and devouring it on my breaks. I read it from cover to cover (multiple times!) trying to absorb as much of the information as I possibly could. My coworkers always thought it was hilarious that I was reading a cookbook like a novel, but I learned so much - more than anything else, I credit that book with teaching me to bake.

My library of cookbooks has expanded considerably in the years since, and I don't always make the time to read each of them as thoroughly as I once read Dorie's Baking. When a new book arrives, I'll usually quickly flip through the pages flagging the recipes I really want to try. Sometimes a little too hastily, apparently, because occasionally I'll see a recipe I really want to make on another blog, only to scroll down and discover it's from a book I already own. Ooops.



That was exactly the case with these peanut butter and jelly bars that I discovered on Michelle's blog, Brown Eyed Baker. They're from one of my favorite baking books, Baked Explorations, and I wanted to make them as soon as I saw her post. Peanut butter and jelly is such a classic nostalgic treat, it reminds me of the elementary school cafeteria. If we ever kept bread in the house it'd probably be a go-to lunch even now for me. These bars take the idea to another level. At the base is a sweet pastry dough, which is topped with a frosting-like peanut butter filling, then a layer of jelly (I used my childhood favorite, grape!) and finally a crumble topping. They're a little bit messy to eat but completely irresistible nonetheless. The recipe calls for storing them in the fridge, but I liked 'em best at room temperature so I took one out 15 minutes or so before I ate it. The book's authors jokingly suggest the bars as a lunch substitute, and on this Monday, that's sounding like a pretty good idea to me :)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Peanut Butter Filling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups peanut butter
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumble Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cups rolled oats
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Jelly
2 cups of your favorite jelly or preserves (I used grape)

Spray a 9x13 baking pan (preferably glass or light-colored metal) with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper then spray the parchment too.

To make the crust: Add the sugar, flour and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg to the food processor and pulse repeatedly until the dough begins to hold together. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to take the chill off (otherwise it may be too cold and crack when you try to roll it). On a lightly floured work piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 9x13 rectangle just slightly bigger than the bottom of your pan. Gently transfer the dough to the pan (it's likely to develop a few cracks/holes, don't worry you can patch them afterward). Lightly press the dough into the bottom of the pan then trim off the excess and use it to patch any holes. Pop the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.

Line the pan with aluminum foil then fill it 3/4-full with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.

To make the peanut butter filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the peanut butter, beating to combine. Mix in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and continue beating until the filling is smooth and fluffy. Distribute the filling over the crust, and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Pop the pan in the refrigerator to chill while you make the crumble topping.

To make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, and beat briefly to combine. Add the brown sugar and use your hands to rub it in until the mixture is even in color and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Add the oats and mix on low to combine. Add the cold butter cubes, and beat on low until the pieces of butter are no larger than peas and loose crumbs form.

To assemble: Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Spread the jelly over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the jelly layer (I squeezed some into bigger chunks and left some loose).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping browns. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting the bars. (I refrigerated mine before cutting.) Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Stuffed Cheddar Bacon Cheeseburgers

For weeks, Shane's been asking me to pick up burgers when I'm at the grocery store. We eat so many burgers through the summer months though, that I really try to avoid starting that trend in March or April. I'd be all burgered out by July at that rate. But I caved when I sat down to make this week's menu. With 4 straight days of 70+ degree weather in the forecast, how could I not? The grill was beckoning, and not adding at least one fun burger to the menu just seemed mean considering how much Shane's been looking forward to them. He would have been perfectly happy if I'd picked up the premade frozen ones, but if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right! :)



Stuffed cheddar bacon cheeseburgers seemed like a very good place to start this year's burger affair. Bacon, cheddar, onions - they're some of my favorite burger toppings - and while I usually pile them on top of my burger after it's cooked, it turns out it's even more fun to stuff them inside of the patties before throwing them on the grill. I won't lie, I definitely feared we were going to wind up with cheese spilling out the sides of the burgers and making a giant mess on the grill, but it never happened. If you're careful to seal the sides of the patties well when you form them, it'll be smooth sailing. The cheese gets all melty and gooey inside with the salty bacon and scallions adding lots of flavor and color. These stuffed cheeseburgers would be a really fun change of pace for a summer barbecue, and if for some reason bacon and scallions aren't your thing, I don't see any reason you couldn't adapt and substitute your favorites!

Stuffed Cheddar Bacon Cheeseburgers
adapted from Sargento Cheese and Confections of a Foodie Bride

2 slices bacon
1 1/3 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 scallion, minced

for serving:
4 hamburger rolls
lettuce, tomato, onion (or whatever toppings you like)



In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate then crumble when cool enough to handle.

To make the burgers: Combine the ground beef, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Gently mix until combined, but don't overwork. Divide into 4 equal portions, then divide each of those portions in half. Form each portion into a thin patty. Top one of the patties with about 2 tablespoons of cheese, 1/4 of the crumbled bacon, and 1/4 of the minced scallion. Press a second patty over the filling and pinch the edges to seal completely. Gently shape into a burger, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Repeat to make 4 stuffed burgers. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each patty (this will keep the burgers from puffing and swelling in the center as they cook).

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (400-450 F). Oil the grates lightly (I use the tongs to hold a paper towel that's been dipped in oil and rub it over the grates). Place the burgers on the grill (the side with the indentation should be facing up) and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for about 4-5 more minutes, or until they are cooked to your desired doneness.

Grill the rolls lightly, if desired, then serve the burgers on the rolls with your desired toppings.

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Sauce

I really have gotten a lot better about impulse purchases at the grocery store since I started meal planning and going in with a list. It's actually pretty rare that I leave with something that I didn't walk in intending to buy. I still have one weakness, though, and you're probably going to think it's a weird one. Chicken tenderloins. I know, right? All bets are off if I stumble upon a sale on chicken tenderloins.

I like them because they're easier to prep than chicken breasts plus they defrost more quickly, which is a nice bonus when you often forget to take things out in advance for dinner. I mainly only utilize them in recipes calling for chicken cut into cubes (meaning this recipe is in heavy rotation) so I always have my eyes peeled for new ideas. When Julie posted these chicken nuggets they immediately went on my to-do list.



Rumor has it these chicken nuggets rival the ones you might find at Chick-fil-A. I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor as I've never had Chick-fil-A - I think there might be one or two locations in New England, but the one closest to me is over an hour away and I'm just not that curious :) What I can tell you is that these chicken nuggets are completely addictive. I've been tempted to add them to our menu every week since I first made them. The original recipe calls for soaking the chicken in milk and eggs before coating and frying, and in the pictures it looks like that version might have a slightly more crisp crust then my nuggets, but I enjoyed these as is so don't think it's necessary. Oh, and don't skip the honey mustard sauce! Shane never, ever likes sauce with his chicken nuggets, but even he agreed it was a must here.

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Sauce
slightly adapted from Table for Two (nuggets originally from My Name is Snickerdoodle, sauce from Life's Ambrosia)

Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

Chicken Nuggets
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces

Oil for frying (I used canola, but peanut or safflower would work too)

To make the sauce: Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, cider vinegar and honey together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper then cover and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

To make the chicken nuggets: Pour oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches and set the pot over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until it reaches 370-375 F on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, add the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, pepper and paprika to a large reasealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag, then seal and shake again until all of the chicken is evenly coated. Use tongs to transfer about 8-10 pieces of chicken at a time to the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the nuggets are golden brown and cooked through. I stirred mine around a bit with my spider strainer but wasn't particular about flipping them individually. The cooking time will depend on the size of your pieces - you can cut one open to double check.

Remove the chicken from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue to fry the chicken in batches until it's all cooked. Adjust the heat under your pan to maintain the oil temperature.

Serve with the honey mustard sauce.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I hope you guys found yesterday's sourdough post informative. Maybe a few of you even found yourself in the kitchen putting a starter together?? If so, you're in luck, because that means you're only a few days away from having these pancakes in your life, and that's a very good thing! If you happen to already have a sourdough starter in your fridge, no need to wait - you can make these pancakes for your family this weekend! Everyone will be glad you did :)

As I mentioned yesterday, once you make your starter, it has to be maintained. That means every week or two you remove 1 cup of the starter and stir in fresh water and flour. But what to do with that portion you removed? The first 5 or 6 times I fed my starter, I simply threw away that extra cup. Eventually I realized what a giant waste that was and wondered about using that starter in other cooking/baking projects. I was a little skeptical at first about introducing sourdough tang into anything but sourdough bread, but figured there wasn't much harm in trying once. The first recipe I made was a success, and now that I've gone down that road there's no turning back. I want sourdough everything! Well except, oddly enough, the bread :)



These chocolate chip pancakes are right at the top of my list of favorite ways to use discard starter. They do require a little bit of advance planning because there's an overnight sponge to be made, but they're worth the effort. The pancakes are on the thin side - not as thin as crepes, but also not super thick and fluffy. They have just enough tang to set them apart from more traditional pancakes, I loved the depth of flavor. And of course I added chocolate because I always look for an excuse to eat it, but these would also be good plain. The recipe makes a lot of pancakes (especially if, like me, you're the only one in the house eating them), but leftovers freeze perfectly. Oh, and if you're not a pancake person, you can use this exact same batter to make waffles too! Either way, the recipe is a winner.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Pancakes
from King Arthur Flour

Sponge
1 cup sourdough starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk

Pancake Batter
sponge
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

chocolate chips
canola oil (for the pan)

To make the sponge: Remove your starter from the refrigerator and stir to incorporate any alcohol that may have collected on top. Remove 1 cup of the starter. In a large bowl, combine the starter, flour, sugar and buttermilk. Cover the bowl and let the sponge sit at room temperature overnight.

(Note: Remember, after removing a portion of the starter for this recipe, you'll want to feed the remainder of your starter before putting it back in the fridge.)

To make the pancakes: In a measuring cup whisk together the eggs and oil. Add to your sponge, whisking to combine. Stir in the salt and baking soda until incorporated - the batter will bubble up slightly. Set the batter aside while you preheat your pan (my batter was pretty thin at first but thickened as it sat for a few minutes).

{If you aren't going to serve the pancakes until you've cooked all of them, preheat oven to 200 F. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set it inside a baking sheet then place the baking sheet in the oven.}

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium heat (or spray with nonstick cooking spray). Once the oil starts shimmering, use paper towels to wipe the pan so only a thin, even coating of oil covers the bottom and sides. Use a 1/4 cup measure to portion the batter into the pan. Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the surface of the pancake. Cook on the first side until the edges are set and bubbles form on the surface. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown and cooked through. {If not serving immediately, transfer the pancakes to the wire rack in the oven.} Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

Makes about 20-22 pancakes

Sourdough Bread Basics

I really like kitchen baking projects - in fact, most days I prefer a time-consuming recipe to something I can whip up in 20 minutes. I enjoy these projects so much that it causes me to do crazy things, like try recipes that I know really won't be a giant hit here, simply for the experience of having done it. Sourdough bread, for example :) We're just not big bread people. I love baking it, but I usually end up giving away what I make, or sticking it in my freezer to make croutons or breadcrumbs at a later date.

I knew it would be a fun challenge to make sourdough bread, though. Sourdough bread begins with a starter - it's what gives the sourdough that classic tangy flavor. It's a simple combination of water, sugar, yeast and flour that is made in advance and then stored in your fridge. Generally, you only use a portion of your starter to make a recipe, so once you have the starter prepared, you can bake many, many goodies with it. The part that always intimidated me before I tried this was knowing that I had to keep the starter alive in my fridge. My track record for keeping things alive is, well, not very good.



But, good news! My starter has now been alive for 6 months, and if I can do it, anyone can :) It's really pretty simple actually. To maintain your starter all you do is feed it (meaning you add fresh flour and water) once every few weeks. And even if it somehow makes its way to the back of your fridge and you forget about it (which may or may not have happened here) it can probably still be rescued.

I've been having so much fun with this project. Yes, I made bread (more on that below), but the best part has been discovering that I can use my sourdough starter to bake tons of other things too! I'm really most excited to share those with you, but I didn't feel I could introduce sourdough pancakes, for example, without first giving you some basics. So today, I'm including some information to get you going - how to make your starter, care for it, and, if you're so inclined, bake sourdough bread. I am by no means an expert, almost everything I know about sourdough I learned from King Arthur Flour's sourdough primer. It is, in my opinion, the best resource out there so I definitely recommend checking it out. Annie of Annie's Eats also put together an informative post on sourdough last year that I referenced when baking my bread - it has great step-by-step pics if you find that helpful like I do.

Making Your Starter

You'll need:

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour

Add the water to a large glass bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then stir in the yeast. Gradually add the flour, stirring to incorporate. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside at warm room temperature - don't use plastic wrap, you want to attract wild yeast to your starter and allow it to develop the sourdough tang.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 2-5 days. You'll want to stir it once a day because it will separate. So, don't be concerned if it looks like this:



It should come back together easily if you mix it up:



When the starter stops bubbling and has developed a sour aroma, give it one final stir then store it in your refrigerator until you're ready to use it.

Feeding Your Starter

Once your starter is in the fridge, it's pretty low maintenance. You only need to replenish it about once every two weeks. When you take it out, you'll find the alcohol has separated and come to the surface. Use a whisk to mix the starter back together then remove 1 cup and either bake with it (most of the recipes I've seen that call for sourdough starter use a 1 cup quantity) or discard it. Replace the 1 cup of starter you removed with 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to incorporate, then let the starter sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours before you return it to the refrigerator.

Using Your Starter

If you've made a sourdough starter, I'm guessing you want to bake bread with it :) There are a ton of recipes out there, but I've tried two and can recommend both of them. The first is from King Arthur Flour, and yields bread that is really flavorful, but doesn't have a ton of that classic sourdough tang. It can also be made in just a few hours, which is in sharp contrast to the second recipe, from Williams-Sonoma, which requires an overnight rest (8-12 hours) in the fridge, and therefore a bit more advance planning. This second recipe definitely delivers the sourdough flavor you expect, and time requirement aside, it's really not difficult.

You can find the first recipe on King Arthur Flour's site here. The second recipe is available from Williams-Sonoma here. The bread photographed above was made using the second recipe, FYI.

Beyond Bread

The bread is good, don't get me wrong, but (with a few exceptions) I'm just not a bread girl. Of the 4 loaves of sourdough bread I've made, I've given away three of them, and used half of the other one for breadcrumbs :) For me, the really awesome thing about having the sourdough starter in my fridge is the wealth of other goodies I can bake with it. Pizza, waffles, popovers, even cake - you name it, it can probably be made using your sourdough starter! I'll be sharing two or three ideas in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Baked Chicken Meatballs

I was doing a little spring cleaning of my Flickr photostream recently (hoping maybe it'd inspire me to tackle my house next...) when I came across these chicken meatballs. I didn't think it was possible I'd forgotten to share them with you so I clicked over to the blog to double-check, but sure enough, they'd slipped through the cracks. I decided to remedy that mistake this week because these meatballs are simply too good not to be shared!

When it comes to ground meat, I rarely buy anything but turkey, but I've been discovering some great uses for ground chicken too. These meatballs might just be the best yet though. They're baked, which makes me happy, as I really prefer not to stand over a skillet with oil splattering on me when possible. And though ground chicken sometimes gets a bad rap as dry, these meatballs are anything but. The ingredient list is short, too, but you'd never guess it given how much flavor is packed into these. It's the first time I'd ever used pancetta in meatballs and to be honest, I'm not its biggest fan, but it just works so well here! When Deb blogged about these, she said they tasted almost cheesy, and we agreed. Weird, but true, as there's no cheese anywhere in the meatballs :) We enjoyed these so much we just ate them as is, though if that's not your thing I'm sure they'd be great with pasta, on a sub roll, or even as an appetizer if made in mini form.

Baked Chicken Meatballs
adapted from Gourmet (via Smitten Kitchen)

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small pieces (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 oz pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided*
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.

Add the bread to a small bowl and pour the milk over it. Allow the bread to soak in the milk until softened, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pancetta to a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta begins to brown and the fat renders, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook until the onion has softened, about 6 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic to the plate with the pancetta and allow to cool slightly.

Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk then add the bread to a medium bowl (discard the extra milk). Add the egg, chicken, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, the parsley and the pancetta mixture. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs and set in a 9x13 baking dish.

Stir together the remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and the oil then brush over meatballs (the paste/oil won't combine in any cohesive manner, just do the best you can). Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Makes 12 large meatballs

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Can we talk about candy for a minute? Apologies if you overdosed on chocolate yesterday for Easter - Shane and I didn't do Easter baskets, and in an extremely rare display of willpower, I avoided the massive candy display at Target every time I was there in the past few weeks. When I do indulge, I definitely have a few favorites, and they tend to rotate depending on my mood. I've never been big on fruity or gummy candy like Skittles, Starburst, jelly beans or anything sweet and sour. Instead, you'll find me making a beeline directly for the chocolate :) Top choices? Reese's, Twix or Kit Kat bars. Very rarely will I go with something other than one of those three things, though I do have a soft spot for Whatchamacallit bars but sadly they're pretty hard to come by these days. What's your go-to?



I've known for a few years now that one of my neighbor's favorite candy bars was also Twix, and every year for his birthday, I intend to make him a homemade variation. For a variety of reasons, I've failed to get it done until this year, and of course now I'm kicking myself for having put it off. I assumed with three components this recipe would be time consuming, but it came together surprisingly quickly. At the base of the bars is a crumbly shortbread layer, which is topped with a sweet and gooey caramel and then finally a glossy chocolate glaze. These are also sprinkled with a bit of fleur de sel so they have that salty-sweet combo going on. Yum! They're like the fancy cousin of the Twix :) And luckily the recipe makes a ton, so even after sharing a bunch with my neighbor, there are a few left leftovers for me!

I halved the caramel in mine and thought the ratio of one layer to the next was perfect, but if you like a thicker caramel layer (like Annie's), go for it! I stored my bars in the refrigerator and liked them best directly from there, but they were good at room temperature too. The caramel is a little more gooey at room temperature, but not overly messy.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars
adapted from Annie's Eats (originally from Baked and The Golden Book of Baking)

Shortbread
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar

Caramel
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate
8 oz chocolate, finely chopped (I used bittersweet)
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Fleur de sel for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

To make the shortbread layer: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer over the bottom (it'll be a fairly thin layer). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the caramel layer: Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns a light caramel color. This may take 10 minutes or more, so be patient. Pour the caramel mixture over the cooled shortbread and spread in an even layer. Allow to cool completely, then chill briefly (I stuck mine in the fridge overnight, but you just want to chill enough that it won't melt when you add the warm chocolate in the next step).

To make the chocolate layer: Add the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Pour the chocolate over the chilled caramel and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Let cool for a few minutes, then sprinkle the top with the fleur de sel (if using). Let the chocolate set completely before slicing and serving.

Chocolate Danish

From time to time, my food blogger friends and I talk about how much fun it would be to all live in the same neighborhood (or at least within a short drive of one another), as opposed to spread out around the country. Food blogging friends are a special breed - among other things, they don't think it's weird that you have 10 pounds of butter stashed in your freezer, and they understand your odd obsession with taking pictures of almost everything you eat :) I know we'd have a blast if we had the opportunity to spend time together in the kitchen, but until that's possible, we spend a lot of time baking virtually, usually texting and sometimes tweeting one another as we work. These chocolate danish were a project I tackled with my friend Di a few weekends ago.



The basis of these danish pastries is a laminated dough, which just means that it has alternating layers of dough and butter, which are made through a series of folds and turns. When the thin layers of butter hit the heat of the oven, the water in the butter turns to steam, the pastry puffs, and you're left with the lightest, most flaky treat. It's like magic! This lamination is typically achieved by wrapping dough around a block of butter, then completing lots of folds and turns, and though I've used that method twice - first to make traditional croissants, and then chocolate croissants - this recipe's technique is referred to as "rough" and is decidedly less fussy. You don't need a mixer to make the dough and there's no kneading required. You also get to skip the butter block; if you're ever tried to shape 3 or more sticks of butter into a square, you'll understand why this is a very good thing!

The best part is that this method produces results that are just as fantastic as the other recipes I've tried! Just looking at the danish you can see the flaky layers that have been created. These were buttery and rich, everything you'd want from a decadent breakfast treat. I filled my danish with chocolate, of course, but the world is really your oyster here. The recipe's author included a raisin danish and Di made a raspberry-filled braid, to name a few. Just be sure you have friends to share with because resisting the temptation of these pastries is nearly impossible :)

The recipe comes from Dan Lepard and can be found in The Guardian here. Just a few notes:

-Only weights are given, so you'll need a scale to make this recipe. I prefer it this way anyway, I think it's far more accurate.

-Some of the ingredient names may seem a little unusual. Quick translation - fast-acting yeast = instant yeast, strong white flour = bread flour, cold double cream = heavy cream, caster sugar = granulated sugar (technically, superfine I think, but regular works). Also, I subbed bread flour where the recipe calls for 00 flour without any problems.

-If you need help figuring out the folds, I included step-by-step pictures in the croissant posts linked above. Also, don't worry if the dough is a rough mess for the first few turns, it will get better!

-The recipe doesn't specify a range of time for rising after the croissants are shaped. Mine took about 45 minutes to double in size.

-You can freeze the danish after shaping, but before rising and baking. See the comments below the recipe for detailed instructions.

White Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

If there's one ingredient I associate with baking in the spring, it's coconut. I'm not sure why the two are linked in my mind, but when the days begin getting longer and everything starts to bloom, I always find myself craving it. I've been bookmarking possible recipes for weeks now, and I finally remembered to add the coconut milk and shredded coconut to the grocery list before my last trip. I used to find myself at the store 3 or 4 times a week picking up things I'd forgotten on the weekend, and I really didn't think much of it, but I stopped doing that about 6 months ago, and am amazed at the time and money I save. It forces me to be a lot more thoughtful when working on my list, that's for sure!



Though I think coconut works well in combination with a lot of other flavors, most of the time I'd really rather let it be the star, which it absolutely is in this recipe. The cupcake base is a white cake (just egg whites, no yolks) that's flavored with both coconut milk and shredded coconut. When baked, the cupcakes have a really tight crumb but they're fluffy and moist and full of coconut flavor, which only gets more intense if you let them sit overnight. They're topped with a rich Swiss meringue buttercream that also gets a punch of coconut flavor from coconut milk. I adore coconut milk, it makes everything it touches 100x better! These are the best cupcakes I've made in quite a while, and if you're a coconut fan, they're a must try. Searching for a last minute Easter dessert? I think they'd be perfect :)

Just a quick note: this was originally a recipe for a layer cake, so if you'd rather go that route, use two 8-inch cake pans, and increase the baking time (start checking around 35 minutes). Also, the recipe scales well if you'd rather not have over 20 cupcakes sitting around tempting you :) I did 1/3 of the recipe and wound up with 7 cupcakes - I recommend going with the ingredient weights rather than volume if you're going to scale back.

White Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
from Flour by Joanne Chang

Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups (270 g) cake flour
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 large egg whites
1 cup (240 g) coconut milk
1 cup (120 g) sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup (160 g) coconut milk

To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.

Sift the cake flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar, baking powder, and salt then mix on low briefly to combine. Cut the butter into 2-inch pieces and, with the mixer on low, add the pieces a few at a time until you've add all of them. Beat on low until the mixture looks like coarse crumbles, about 1 minute.

Whisk the egg whites, coconut milk, coconut, and vanilla extract together in a large measuring cup. Add half of the coconut milk mixture to the mixer bowl, and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute, or until well combined. Add the remaining coconut milk mixture, beating until the batter has a uniform consistency and is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.

Divide the batter among the liners, filling each about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes then remove them to the racks and allow them to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Add the sugar and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Set over a pan of simmering water and heat, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. You can test it by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingertips - it shouldn't feel grainy. This will take about 6-8 minutes.

Attach the bowl to your stand mixer which is fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed until the mixture is a fluffy meringue and is cool to the touch, about 6-8 minutes. Cut the butter into 2-inch pieces, and, with the mixer on low, add a few pieces at a time until they've all been added. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until the butter is incorporated and the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Don't worry if it looks curdled, just keep beating and it will come together.

Add the vanilla extract, salt and coconut milk to the frosting and beat on medium-high speed until the coconut milk is incorporated and the mixture is once again fluffy and smooth. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe some frosting onto each cupcake (you should have enough for a good-sized mound if you like a lot :) ). Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes 21-24 cupcakes