Thanksgiving Recap: Part 2

Ok, I promise, this is my last Thanksgiving-related post. As much as it pains me to admit, fall has come and gone for another year. The ground was littered with leaves during my morning commute today and, despite the fact that I was listening to Christmas music, I cried a little on the inside. But, I have saved (in my not so humble opinion) the best for last. It's dessert time people! 

So, when last we left my Thanksgiving adventures, TF was joining my family for Thanksgiving dinner and I was all abuzz (to loosely summarize yesterday's post). After crafting some mad mac and cheese, it was dessert time. This is where my talents have always lied and, despite my improvements in the cooking arena, dessert is still where I shine. As I alluded to yesterday, I was both on a mission to outdo last-year-Gian, as well as impress TF with my rapidly improving culinary skills. And so, I committed with full confidence to make FOUR desserts for this year's feast....only one of which I'd made before. And so the madness began...

Dessert #1: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Redo 

I made this one for the first time the week before Thanksgiving for my awesome day of work-Thanksgiving (also known as the day we got to spend most of the day eating Thanksgiving food outside the office...still one of the best work days ever). I made this one again because it was so delicious and I didn't get nearly enough of it the first time around. Also, I can't have Thanksgiving without something pumpkin-inspired on the table, I'm old school like that.

Dessert #2: Mini Apple Pies

I have a lot of food issues to take into account in my family. My sister and I are vegetarians, my aunt and grandmother can't eat chocolate, and my mom prefers her desserts to only be chocolate. Not sure that my grandmother would receive my pumpkin cheesecake well (she's 87 and pretty set in her ways), I wanted to make an additional chocolate-free item for her to try out. 

Next to pumpkin, apple is my favorite go-to fall baking ingredient. I made my first apple pie last Christmas, but since I was already juggling so many dishes I wanted something slightly easier....enter the mini apple pie. I only have two regrets with this dish--1) that I didn't make the crust from scratch (again, I had to pick my battles...I'm notorious for over-extending myself); and 2) I didn't have a tiny leaf cookie cutter to make the tops prettier. Live and learn. They were still delish...even my chocolate loving mother liked them! 

Ingredients [makes 12]

Original recipe found here

• 4 cups Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 12 Tbsps all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 4 tsps of cinnamon (I let them overflow a little because I LOVE cinnamon)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 4 Tbsps chilled butter, cut into 12 equal portions  
• 1 box (2 crusts) of Pillsbury pie crusts (next time I'm making my own!)

Preparation

1. Unroll your pie crust and begin to cut circles out. Continue this until you have 12 mini crusts. Save the excess dough to make to crust for the tops after the mini pies are filled

Oddly, one of my favorite parts--I used the top of a large glass, but a mason jar lid would work as well

2. Peel and dice apples. Unfortunately, I found this part to be the most tiresome as my mother, the anti-cook likes to keep her kitchen sans fun tools (no apple peeler or slicer for me) and I forgot to bring my own. I rallied though

No matter where I bake, my faithful assistant is always by my side :)

3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine apple pieces with cinnamon, flour, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Toss until thoroughly coated

4. Grease and flour muffin tin, then line with mini pie crusts. Nice trick the original creator shared, slightly pinch down the sides so that they stay afloat prior to being filled

5. Fill crusts with apple mixture and gentle push down into pan. Place slice of butter on top of each (I definitely forgot this step and had to yank them out of the oven midway through to add the butter to the top....this was my last dish of the day so my brain was a little fried). Top with excess dough to create a fun crust (this is where I wish I had a leaf cookie cutter)

6. Bake at 400 for 18 to 22 minutes or until crusts begin to brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Since we served these the next day, I stored them in the tin overnight, then covered them with foil and warmed for about 10 minutes in the oven to recreate the fresh from the oven taste!

Dessert #3: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Frosting and Mini Chocolate Chips

TF is a fairly picky eater as well (although I've made some progress in expanding his food horizons), but luckily he shares my mother's love of chocolate. When we last had Thanksgiving together I insisted that we bring dessert. TF has a couple baking specialties, but chocolate chip cookies are kind of what he's known for (at least in our circle ;)). While our creation used both a boxed cake mix and icing from a can (shake of head, shake of head), we did use homemade cookie dough...although it was not sans egg, so it's somewhat of a miracle no one got sick. Nevertheless, it was delicious and pretty much the biggest cake I've ever made. I would not be doing this story justice without some throwback pics...

TF adding the cookie dough filling on top of layer #1

I forgot about our brilliant idea to add chips to the middle as well....may need to do a remake of this cake in its entirety soon

Behold, the finished masterpiece. We gave away hunks of this cake to our law school classmates and it still took over a week to get rid of it all!

It was from this cake that I drew inspiration for the final two desserts of Thanksgiving 2012:

30 Minute Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Courtesy of a family recipe I discovered 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda (dissolved in buttermilk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 sticks margarine
• 3 Tbsps cocoa powder
• 1 cup water

Chocolate Mousse Icing Ingredients

• I'll be honest, I kind of made this by accident. I was trying to recreate this one, but it came out super light and fluffy instead. I'll be honest, I'm not sure how I did it (I think my butter was softened too much). So I'll just encourage you to experiment or trust google for this part :)

Preparation

1. Preheat over to 400 F

2. Mix sugar and flour in large bowl

3. Combine margarine, water, and cocoa in a small pot on the stove. Heat to a boil and mix until margarine is dissolved

4. Pour over flour and sugar, mix well

5. Add eggs, buttermilk/baking soda mix, and vanilla. Mix until combined

6. Pour into pan (I used a bundt pan for fun) and bake until cooked through (about 35 minutes)

7. Once cooled, icing and cover with as many mini chips as desired

Dessert #4: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffle Balls

Since mother doesn't share TF's love of cookie dough, I made these to incorporate the cookie dough element from the original cake into our dessert spread this year. Unlike the original, however, these were from an egg-less recipe, but so good that they were equally as addicting as the real thing.

Ingredients

Courtesy of Cooking Classy 

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, chopped (about 1/2 - 1/3 their original size)
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for melting/drizzling 

Chopping the chocolate was more fun than I thought it would be....I seriously had so much fun cooking all these desserts, it's kind of ridiculous

Preparation

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until pale and fluffy about 3 - 4 minutes
2. Stir in cream and vanilla extract. Add in flour and mix just until combine (dough will seem dry at first but it will come together)
3. Mix in chopped chocolate chips. Scoop dough out 1 equal tablespoon at a time and roll into balls
4. Place on parchment or wax paper and chill. I chilled mine overnight, but that was due mostly to time
5. If drizzling with chocolate, place 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe container and microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth
6. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookie dough balls (or you can use a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the tip). I knew TF would care more about taste than presentation, so wasn't into dealing with the bag....and I was right

And so concludes Thanksgiving 2012. Congrats if you made it all the way through this epic post, I didn't realize how long it would end up being?! Now, onto many, many days of Christmas baking!!

Beach Treats

Summertime at the beach. It never feels like my summer is complete until I visit the beach. For as long as I can remember, that came in the form of a trip to Ocean City, MD. When we spent summers in Maryland growing up, we'd always make the trip to Ocean City during the end of our two month stay. As a result, I would both look forward to and dread the trip. I loved a good trip to the beach, but also dreaded summer coming to an end and heading back to school and "responsibilities." In my third official summer since ending my very long stint in school, trips to the beach no longer signal the end of summer, but rather help me stay sane as I tire of summer and anxiously await the arrival of my beloved fall.
For the first time ever, Mother and I decided to head to a different beach for the day. Usually, we head out to Maryland's eastern shore for a day filled with nostalgia. Trips to Ocean City are never complete without a retelling of the time when my cousin and I talked our parents into letting us get hermit crabs on the boardwalk and I both dropped mine, allowing to fly across the bathroom floor, and nearly drowned it in a bowl of water...screaming hysterically during both occurances...within the first 24 hours of ownership; or the time when a solo trip on the haunted house ride on the boardwalk sent me into a crying fit of hysteria. This time, however, we decided to head to the first state (Delaware) for some rest and relaxation on the shores of Bethany Beach. It was a delightful day (well, at least until dinner time...Deleware doesn't do crab cakes like Maryland and I mistakenly ordered a whole lobster, sending me into an unexpected level of hysterics yet again) and we were quiet pleased with our decision for a change of pace.

As with any trip to the beach, we packed up the cooler with sandwiches and snacks for both the car and our time at the beach. Never one to miss an opportunity to bake, I decided to make some cookies for us to take on our journey. Using both apples and cinnamon, these cookies filled my kitchen with the smells of fall and further ignited my desire for it to arrive. They were perfect for a day in the sun and will be even better to snack on when the leaves begin to fall...less than two months :)

Butterscotch Apple Cinnamon and Oats Cookies

Adapted from this version

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup chopped apples

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; whisk in oats until combined
3. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and applesauce until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in vanilla and egg until combined
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in oat mixture until combined. Stir in butterscotch chips and apples until combined
5. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets, about an inch apart
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Happy Summer!

My Love Affair with Apples

Warning, my life-long love of apples has reached new heights as of late. Since I spent most of fall obsessed with all things pumpkin (beers, lattes, baked goods...it's amazing I didn't turn orange), I feel like my body is now trying to make up for all the apples I missed consuming! As a result, I've been cooking with apples every chance I get (hence my apple banana oatmeal bread and crock pot applesauce...which I made again last Monday because I loved it so much). Today, thanks to my following of Whole Foods on Twitter, I found a way to incorporate apples into my dinner and I could not be more pleased.


As a new cook, I recognize my limitations. I have "prime" cooking days and "never going to happen" cooking days. Friday and Saturday generally fall in the former category, with Thursday as a close third...especially this week. Cooking was the last thing I wanted to do when I got home today. Enter Whole Foods. When this recipe crossed my Twitter feed I couldn't not make it...quick, easy, I had all the ingredients, AND it included apples! HUGE win. It was delicious and hit the spot. My love affair with apples is stronger than ever!


Apple Cheddar Whole Wheat Quesadilla
Courtesy Whole Foods


Ingredients [serves 6, but easy to adjust accordingly]

• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 large or 2 small apples, cored and thinly sliced 
• Natural cooking spray

Preparation

1. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over one half of each tortilla. Arrange apple slices, barely overlapping, on top of each pile of cheese then sprinkle 2 more tablespoons cheese over apples on each tortilla and fold each in half.
2. Generously spray a large skillet with oil spray and heat over medium high heat. Arrange half of the quesadillas in the skillet without overlapping and cook, gently flipping once, until cheese is melted and tortillas are golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plates and repeat process with natural oil spray and remaining quesadillas; serve warm.

Yummy..plus the extra apple slices made a delightful side!

Snow Comes to the District

I love, love, love winter. I love running in the cold temperatures, accenting my outfits with scarves and boots, and sipping a hot beverage during my morning walks to the metro. My first winter on the east coast was the year of Snowmageddon, or as I like to call it, indoctrination by fire. While I was slightly traumatized by the feet of snow that seemed to never leave, part of me has spent the years since craving the return of such a wondrous display. So far, my dreams have not come true. In fact, most of the time this year I'm fairly certain I will never see winter. While I didn't have high expectations for this weekend's snowfall, awaking to a mini-winter wonderland still made me smile...and want to bake. 

In honor of spending the afternoon nestled inside with my Aussie, Bax, today's new recipe: apple banana oatmeal bread. Having gotten the opportunity to visit my beloved Costco last weekend, I had a plethora of both oats and apples that I was dying to incorporate into my cooking. After spending some time on the google, I found a recipe that, with some alterations, hit the spot. First loaf = major success!

Apple Banana Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (I also used additional oats as a topping prior to baking)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 2 mashed bananas

Pre-Baking

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
3. Add eggs and milk, mix until well blended, mix in bananas
4. Fold in chopped apple
5. Coat loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, pour in batter, top with oats (and cinnamon if desired)
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes

Finished product!

And, in honor of this semi-snow day, some additional fun pictures completely unrelated to cooking

View from my apartment. By the time I thought to take a picture of my snow covered neighborhood it had sadly already started to melt 

While I was cooking, Bax chose to spend the day sleeping. She loves nothing more than to be warm and dry

I'm often jealous of her life

Happy Weekend!