Vanilla Wishes and Sour Cream Dreams

Vanilla Sour Cream Scones with Blueberries and Whipped Cream
Hands down, the best summer desserts include fresh berries and the simpler, the better. My favorite way is right out of the basket and into my mouth. But, for a slightly more involved preparation, a great shortcake recipe never fails to impress. For a while now, I had been musing over a twist on my favorite scone recipe and came up with this slightly sweet, vanilla-spiked biscuit. Without the blueberries and whipped cream, it's perfect alongside your morning coffee or afternoon tea. As a shortcake, it hits the perfect meal-ending note after a summer time dinner with friends.

Ingredients
- 2 c. flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 8 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder 
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. good quality vanilla
- 2/3 c. sour cream
- 1-2 Tbsp. cold milk
- 2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- juice from one lemon
- fresh whipped cream

Preheat oven  to 400˚F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder until well combined. Work in cold butter with a pastry blender or two forms until it is broken up and a slightly crumbly mixture forms. Add sour cream, vanilla, and egg and mix together until it is just blended. If mixture is too dry work in 1-2 Tbsp. of cold milk to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly with floured hands. Roll dough into a 1 1/2" thick rectangle and cut out scones into eight squares. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake scones for 9-12 minutes until they have risen and are just barely beginning to turn brown on the tops. Remove from baking sheet with a spatula and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container before serving. These can be made up to two days ahead.

 Prepare the blueberries by placing them in a medium sized bowl and drizzle with honey and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine ingredients and allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly. Assemble the shortcakes by splitting the scones lengthwise down the center. Top the bottom half with a dollop of whipped cream and a scoop of blueberries. Top with the other half of the scone and add a little more whipped cream and blueberries on top. Enjoy with your favorite dessert wine, tea, or whatever your pallet craves.

Berry Fresh

Seared Salmon With Raspberry Glaze Over Mixed Greens
I don't think I can ever really tired of a seared cut of meat served over a bed of fresh greens. Here is another yummy, fresh variation on that theme. The last couple of weeks, we have been experiencing oddly spring-like weather which has made me crave crisp greens and berries rather than my usual winter menu of rich soups and stews. So . . . for that odd sunny winter day (or any time of year) enjoy this main course salad.

Ingredients
- 2 6-7 oz. salmon fillets
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 2 c. fresh raspberries
- 2 Tbsp. dry sherry
- 10 bag of mixed greens
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 3 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

RASPBERRY GLAZE
Crush 1 c. fresh raspberries and dry sherry in a blender or with an immersion blender. Combine in a small saucepan with brown sugar and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer mixture for about 10 minutes over low until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

SALMON
While glaze is simmering, prepare salmon by seasoning fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high in a large, heavy skillet. Add salmon and sear (3-5 minutes per side). Remove from heat and tent with foil on a plate for about 5 minutes before serving.

SALAD
While salmon is resting, combine shallots, honey, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Set up salad by dividing greens, avocado, cucumber, and remaining raspberries between two plates. Dress with prepared dressing and sprinkle with feta cheese. Top each salad with a salmon fillet and then brush salmon with raspberry glaze. Eat up! It's good for you.

Celebrate . . . With Cake!

Dave Got His Sh** Together Chocolate Raspberry Sour Cream Cake
My pal Dave is great. He's funny, sweet, an excellent drummer, and one heck of a charming guy. Due to his abundance of great qualities, naturally we give him a lot of shit. But sometimes, we give him cake. Last fall he was all prepared to perform his senior drumming recital, basically the capstone of his undergraduate studies and the LAST thing for him to achieve in order to graduate. The date was set, the invitations sent out, and the promise of a taco reception loomed in the horizon. When it all came down to it, however, Dave didn't feel ready. He was particularly nervous about his complicated marimba piece and decided to postpone the recital until the first weekend of Winter Term. This, in the long run, worked out much better. His girlfriend from Michigan was able to fly out and attend, he felt confident about his work, and an enthusiastic audience was eager to lend their support. I asked him if he would like a cake and champagne toast to celebrate post-show and post-taco feast. Dave agreed and requested "a chocolate cake with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting." Done. I put this recipe together in honor of Dave and his achievement. And also because even the best moments can be made better with cake.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 c. sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 1 c. hot coffee
- 1 c. raspberry jam
- fresh raspberries
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. or more powdered sugar

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Lightly grease and flour three 8" round cake pans. Set aside. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, melt 6 Tbsp. butter in the hot coffee. In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Using the stand mixer, beat half of the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. When thoroughly combined, add coffee mixture and blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the remaining sour cream mixture and blend thoroughly.

Pour batter evenly distributed into the prepared cake pans. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking until cakes are springy to the touch. Let cakes cook in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out on a write rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese, stick of butter, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Add powdered sugar slowly, then blend until fluffy and well combined.

When cake is completely cooled set one layer at the center of serving plate or bottom part of a cake dome. Spread half the raspberry jam on top of the cake. Top with the second layer then spread remaining raspberry jam on top of that layer. Top second layer with remaining cake round. Frost the top and sides of cake with an even layer of cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate before serving. (Cake can be made and stored in refrigerator the day before.) Before serving top with fresh raspberries. Slice and toast to life! Congratulations Dave! You did a fantastic job . . . even on the marimba!

Sweet Spot

Bleeding-Heart Snickerdoodles

Ahh, the humble Snickerdoodle. On the surface, this unassuming cookie doesn't seem like much. It is a reliable baked staple you can turn to like an old friend. But therein lies the trick. There is much more to Snickerdoodle than meets the eye. Sure, Snickerdoodle is sweet, but the subtle spice of cinnamon gives this buttery friend a memorable bite. To put a twist on this classic cookie, I added a strawberry jam filling. The sweetness of the jam plays nicely with the cinnamon's heat. The name of the cookie? It seemed appropriate because I'm planning on bringing this batch to my Macbeth cast tomorrow . . . if there are any left.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 c. flour
- 1/4 c. corn syrup
- strawberry jam
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking pad. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together shortening, butter, 1 1/4 c. sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup. Add eggs and mix on high until batter is well combined and smooth. With mixer on low, add baking powder, salt, and flour.

In a small bowl mix together 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. With a tea spoon or cookie scoop, take dollops of cookie dough and create 1 1/2" balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mix until outsides are covered. Place dough balls, evenly spaced on prepared cookie sheet. With your thumb, make a small indentation in the center of each ball and fill with a small (about 1/2 tsp.) amount of strawberry jam. Bake in oven for about 9 minutes. Let cookies cook completely on metal rack. Store in an airtight container. Eat and enjoy with milk and friends!

Something Fishy . . .

Cornmeal Crusted Trout Fillets with a Simple Springtime Salad

After my four days of Midwest fried food and beer indulgence (and last night's rather rich mac n' cheese) I was definitely in the mood for something on the lighter side. One of my favorite quick and healthy go-to recipes is a nice piece of seared salmon over a bed of baby greens and a homemade balsamic dressing. With this tasty thought in mind, I headed to my local Whole Foods seafood section to find that the usually exorbitantly priced salmon was . . . well, even more exorbitantly priced. At over $20 for a pound of this delicious fish I found, to my surprise, that there was something that would come between me and one of my favorite meals . . . and that thing was $20. Not easily discouraged when it comes to creating yummy food to put in my face, I scanned the fish selection for a more moderately priced option. Ahhh, trout. Yeah, it's trout- nothing to usually write home about, but I thought I'd give it a try. Simple, white, fleshed, and incredibly cheap. I walked away with a large $2 fillet figuring I would use a typical lemon-butter treatment on the fish and call it done. Later, while surveying the cupboards, however, inspiration hit! The cornmeal crust adds a light, crisp texture to the tender fillet. This dinner was a snap to throw together and perfectly paired with a (big) glass of sauvignon blanc. It's good stuff served atop my simple salad, but try it in colder months alongside potatoes and creamed spinach for a heartier meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients
- 1 lb. trout fillets, 4 fillets with skin
- 1/2 c. medium ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 10 oz. mixed baby greens
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced crosswise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. honey
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c. exra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking the trout fillets

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, honey, mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 c. olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a shallow dish, mix cornmeal, paprika, cayenne pepper, and pepper flakes until ingredients are combined. Season trout fillets with salt and pepper, dredge through flour then dip in beaten egg. Dredge fillets into cornmeal mixture until they are completely covered. Set aside.

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add fillets to pan and fry about 2 minutes per side until the cornmeal coating begins to turn golden brown. Remove fillets from pan and set aside. Divide greens among four plates and top with strawberries and sliced avocado. Dress with balsamic dressing and then top with trout. It's a pretty tasty dish!

Chee's Cakes

Sour Cream Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

One of the greatest pleasures about cooking is sharing food with appreciative eaters and I can honestly say I have met the most appreciative eater on the planet. Chiaki (or Chee as she has been nicknamed) came to us from Japan to study in the theatre department for the 2009-2010 year. Back in November, I invited her to spend the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with me gorging herself on two very American hobbies: eating and shopping. Chee was definitely up to the task. Not only did we eat our way through a decadent traditional Thanksgiving feast (Chee met my Pumpkin Cheesecake with definite approval) but I enjoyed cooking her several other meals including flank steak stuffed breakfast burritos and french onion mac & cheese. But it didn't end there. I love bringing homemade snacks to work, rehearsals, and end-of-the-quarter class showcases. Without fail, Chee would meet these treats with a cry of glee: "Snacks for Chee!!!" So . . . here we are: spring quarter and the last of this year's acting showcases. Just for Chee (the World's Most Appreciative Eater) I put together this spring-themed cupcake recipe. I hope she enjoys them. And with this sweet, little, cupcake I will always remember the petite gal from Tokyo who ate her way into my heart.

Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. all purpose flour
- 3 tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1/4 c. strawberry jam
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- fresh strawberries, stems removed, and sliced lengthwise in half

Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Line a muffin tin with papers and set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together 1 stick butter, granulated sugar, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. With the machine running on low, add flour mixture to butter mixture in batches alternating with eggs, making sure ingredients are thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Add 2 tsp. vanilla.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner about halfway. Place in oven and bake about 20-25 minutes until cupcakes begin to turn light golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Recipe should yeild about 2 dozen cupcakes.

While cupcakes are baking cream together 1 stick butter, mascarpone, vanilla, powdered sugar, and strawberry jam to make frosting. Frost cupcakes when they have cooled completely and top each cupcake with a strawberry because it looks pretty!

Berry Nice to Sweet You

Blueberry Shortcakes with Brown Sugar Biscuits (For Kaite)

Of all my many favorite things about spring and summer, perhaps one of my most favorite is the presence of berries in my life. So good and so good for you! It doesn't take too much to throw together a fantastic springtime berry-based desert with a few basic ingredients and a little time in the kitchen. I had my friend Kaite over for a spring-time salmon dinner the other night and put together this as a light and complimentary dessert to the meal. I told her if she liked it, I'd name it after her . . . I think she liked it.

Ingredients
- 2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 8 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 1/4 c. flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- milk
- vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, whisk in sugar to combine. With a pastry blender or two forks break up cold butter into flour mixture until combined, but not overworked. Dig a well into the dry ingredients. Break egg into measuring cup, add just enough milk to make 3/4 c. liquid. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and syrup to liquid. Pour liquid into well and combine with dry ingredients. Work mixture with forks until a sticky, soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and pat out into a round about 1" thick.

Cut into 8 wedges and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in oven about 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are rising and very slightly browned on top. Place on wire rack to cool.

Just before serving shortcakes, combine berries, honey, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside. While berries soften slightly in lemon juice combine heavy cream, 1 tsp. of vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. With a hand mixer on high whip ingredients into whipped cream- allow stiff peaks to form. Then assemble the shortcakes by splitting biscuits in half, topping with whipped cream and berries. Yum! It's good stuff.

The Too-Many-Blueberries-Blues

Blueberry Pumpkin Bread
When budding Kitchen Diva Lacey presented me with the problem of what to do with an over-abundance of frozen blueberries, I promised her I'd devise something delicious. At first I thought of the more conventional choices- blueberry pancakes, pie, muffins . . . etc. Although these are indeed tasty uses for bags and bags of frozen blueberries, I wanted to develop something more in the spirit of fall baking. Combining pumpkin with one of my favorite berries seemed like a perfect fit . . . enter Blueberry Pumpkin Bread. It's a snap to whip up. Try it for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning to give you energy for the busy day of cooking ahead of you!

Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- zest from one lemon
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3" loaf pan with butter or vegetable shortening. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and whisk gently to combine. Add blueberries and lemon zest and combine thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool ten minutes in baking pan then turn out on wire rack and let cool completely before serving. That's it! Nothing to it!

Dressing Up 1

Quick and Easy Steak and Salad with Balsamic Shallot Dressing

Here is another super fast, easy, and delicious meal. It's all about the salad dressing. I never buy salad dressing from the store. It's so fast and tasty to make it yourself because you can make it exactly the way you like and there are thousands of dressings and sauce variations that can be made from the simple oil and vinegar ratio (3 parts oil to 2 parts vinegar). This is Part 1 in my many, many part series on dressings. One of the great things about this meal is that it is so versatile. Greens and berries can be swapped for whatever is seasonal, steak can be swapped for sliced chicken breast or seared salmon . . . whatever! Trust your own taste buds and make it the way you like it. This is just one of my gazillion variations of this recipe. Yum.

Please note, I prefer my steaks bloody rare, but cook it to your desired doneness. I find that searing the meat and letting it rest under tented foil for about five minutes makes for a juicy steak even if I buy a really cheap cut of meat (which I usually do because I'm poor and I still like to eat good food).

Ingredients
- 2 7 oz. strip steaks (Or whatever is on sale. Really.)
- 1 5 oz. bag mixed baby greens
- 1 c. strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, halved, and sliced
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
- salt and pepper

Pat steaks dry with a paper towel then season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in medium pan over medium-high heat. Sear steaks in pan (1-2 minutes per side for rare). Remove steaks from heat, place on plate, and tent with foil. Let steaks rest about 5 minutes.

Toss together greens, avocado, strawberries, and cucumbers in medium bowl. Set aside. Put honey, vinegar, shallot, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 3 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over salad mixture and toss to combine. Divide salad among two plates.

After steaks have rested (really this is an important step to keep them juicy), thinly slice across the grain. Top salad with sliced steak and then top each steak with remaining dressing. Eat. It's delicious. You'll love it.