Rowan's Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
I have a terrier. She's adorable, fuzzy, energetic, but kind of a pain in the ass. What else can I say? She's a terrier- stubborn, willful, etc. The stereotype holds true. When I had to leave town for an evening I needed a trusted dog-sitter to keep little Hermione fed and out a trouble. Knowing Rowan to be a lover of dogs and generally willing to do things for money, I asked him to take on the task. He agreed. To sweeten the deal, as it were, I offered to make him his favorite pie. "Pecan," he responded without hesitation. Being one of the easiest pies to whip up I agreed, but I wanted to do something a little more exciting than the recipe on the back of the corn syrup bottle. In the end, Rowan approved of this tasty treat and I am grateful for his willingness to look after that feisty little beast that sleeps at the end of my bed.
Ingredients
- 1 9 1/2" pie crust (See blog entry for 9/15/10: "Just Peachy" for the perfect crust recipe, halve the recipe because the pecan is a one-crust pie.)
- 1 c. dark corn syrup
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 2 c. pecan halves
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll out pie dough into a 9 1/2" pie pan and finish the edges as desired. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and rum until well combined. Whisk in eggs until thoroughly incorporated into mixture. Add pecans and mix in. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake in oven for 60-70 minutes until the top of pie becomes slightly crusted over and the crust is turning light golden brown. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak and Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I'm a red-meat loving kind of girl. It's just so tender, delicious, and flavorful. And served alongside potatoes? Well, let's just say that few pairings are more pleasing to the pallet (although chocolate and peanut butter are a close second). Strangely enough, however, my favorite go-to inspiration source of Italian cuisine includes few traditional meat-and-potatoes dishes. What choice had I but to develop my own? Throwing together some of my favorite Italian-themed flavors I put together this delicious hearty dinner that I found particularly satisfying after tonight's seven mile run in the rain. I served it alongside a good helping of sauteed spinach with shallots. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 2 lb. cut flank steak, scored on both sides in a diamond pattern
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb. little yellow potatoes
- 1 head garlic
- heavy cream
- 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 handful Italian parsley, chopped
Season steak of both sides with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and thyme. Pour over steak and marinate in refrigerator for at least twenty minutes, overnight is okay too!
Preheat oven to 425˚ F. Slice the top of a head of garlic and place in the center of a foil square. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap into a packed and roast in oven for about 30 minutes until garlic becomes soft and brown. Meanwhile, begin boiling a large pot of water for the potatoes. Remove the roasted garlic from oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven to broil.
After steak has worked, place in an oven-proof dish and broil each side to desired doneness, (4 minutes per side for medium-rare). Remove from oven and allow meat to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing thin crosswise.
To make the potatoes, add potatoes, and to boiling pot of water and cook until very tender and can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Squeeze roasted garlic into the potatoes and mash together with a potato masher. Add pieces of butter and a splash of heavy cream. Sprinkle in Italian parsley, grated cheese, and season with salt and pepper. stir together until thoroughly combined. If potatoes are a little dry, add a little more cream. Serve warm with steak. Good dinner!
Pumpkin Spice Sour Cream Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Trick or treat! My announcement to my students that Friday's class would require wearing Halloween costumes to engage in a Fall-term Acting I tradition I have deemed "Super Spooky Halloween Fun" was met with a variety of responses. While several students were less than thrilled at the prospect of donning Halloween-themed attire two days before the actual holiday, their attitudes shifted when I promised a baked "treat" as part of the festivities. Pumpkin-themed baked good abound this time of year . . . and with good reason! The familiar orange gourd-like squash yields a flavorful and moist texture to cakes and cookies. I hope you enjoy this spicy, rum-spiked treat throughout the autumn season.
Ingredients
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 1/2 c. butter, room temperature, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla, divided
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. cinnamon, divided
- 2 tsp. fresh nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- Halloween candies for decoration
PUMPKIN SPICE SOUR CREAM CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line two muffin tins with paper-liners and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Blend in pumpkin. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add baking soda, cardamom, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon, and nutmeg and blend until thoroughly mixed together. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with 1/2 c. additions of flour. Blend thoroughly after each addition. Blend in sour cream, rum, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla until combined.
Spoon prepared batter into paper cupcake liners. Fill each cup to about two-thirds full. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Test cupcakes for doneness and remove from oven. Let cool on a rack completely before frosting. Bake cupcakes in batches and continue process until all the batter has been baked into tasty treats!
CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a large bowl blend together cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 1 Tbsp, cinnamon, and 1 stick butter with an electric hand mixer. Blend until frosting is smooth and creamy. Add more cinnamon to taste, if desired. Frost each baked and cooled cupcake with a generous amount of frosting and decorate with Halloween candies. Enjoy this spooky and tasty seasonal treat!
Sarah: Breaker of Translucent Wings Memorial Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
It was just another ordinary day in playwriting class. Clustered together in the basement room, the students shuffled their papers and poised their pencils for another in-class writing assignment. Suddenly, our peaceful haven of creativity was disrupted by the dull buzz of an uninvited intruder: Musca domestica, the common housefly. Incredibly annoying, not to mention unsanitary, this winged, garbage-dwelling insect has no place at my table. After a few of my own feeble attempts at swatting the little bugger away, I realized a hero could emerge from the crowded table of students. "I will bake cookies for whoever kills the fly." The offer of baked-good worked as a motivating bounty and within three seconds the fly's crumpled body fell to the floor. The victor? Sarah, a clever brunette with a sardonic wit and an impressive collection of Woot tee-shirts. When I asked what kind of cookie she was interested in, she requested brownies. No problem. I developed the chocolate and peanut butter combination in honor of Sarah: Breaker of Translucent Wings and to our fallen and worthy foe who gave his life so that we could enjoy an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks room temperature butter (plus 1 Tbsp.), divided
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. cocoa powder
- 5 eggs, divided
- 1 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 c. flour, divided
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil. Butter lightly with 1 Tbsp. of butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add sugar and cook over medium, stirring frequently, until ingredients are well combined and the surface looks shiny, about 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp. vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add three eggs, one at a time, whisking ingredients together after each addition. Whisk in 1 c. flour and baking powder.
Spread brownie batter into prepared baking pan and bake in oven for 15 minutes.While brownie layer in baking place peanut butter, powdered sugar, and remaining stick of butter into a large mixing bowl and cream ingredients thoroughly with an electric mixer. Add 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, and remaining flour and beat thoroughly with mixer. Set aside until brownie layer has baked for fifteen minutes. Remove brownies from oven and carefully spread and even layer of the peanut butter mixture on top. Evenly distribute the chocolate chips on top on the peanut butter layer.
Return to oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes longer until the brownies are baked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into 2" squares. Eat!
Mascarpone Vodka Sauce with Turkey Meatballs
Maybe it's something floating around the autumn air, but lately Angie and I have been on the same food wave-length when musing over our dinner plans at the office. The other day I mentioned, "Do you know what I've been in the mood for? Spaghetti and meatballs!" Angie exclaimed, "Me too!" And we began comparing notes for potential pasta and ground-meat permutations. Mascarpone cheese is always a good idea and I have recently been gifted a fantastic bottle of vodka- this variation on vodka sauce seemed like a natural fit. Enjoy a heart bowl on a chilly October night. Keep in mind, the delicious herb-laden marinara base to the sauce makes more than enough for leftovers. Whip it up, save all about about 3 cups and freeze the rest for a future lasagna recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
- 1 c. carrots, finely diced
- 4 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 c. Italian parsley, chopped, divided
- 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
- 1 c. good quality vodka
- 4 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp. sugar
- salt and pepper
- 3 lengths Italian turkey or chicken sausage, removed from casings
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp. herbs d' Provence
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- milk
- 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
DELICIOUS HERBY MARINARA SAUCE
Heat 1/4 c. olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for about 3-4 minutes until they become soft and fragrant. Add carrots and celery, cook until vegetable begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add fresh thyme, 1/4 c. Italian parsley, and fresh basil. Stir to combine. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.
At this point, you have a delicious and complete marinara sauce. Enjoy with pasta, chicken, eggplant, or anything or use as the base for about a thousand other sauces.
VODKA SAUCE
To make the vodka sauce, take 3 cups of the Delicious Herby Marinara Sauce in a Dutch oven and add 1 c. good quality vodka. Simmer over medium-low for about 20 minutes for sauce to thicken. Add 1/4 c. mascarpone and 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheeses. Stir warm sauce until cheeses are melted and well combined. Season with additional salt and pepper and pour over cooked pasta to serve.
TURKEY MEATBALLS
Preheat oven to 350˚F and spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, chicken sausage, torn bread pieces, herbs d' Provence, poultry seasoning, 1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley, 1 egg, a splash of milk, and 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese. Mix with hands until ingredients are thoroughly combines. Form meat mixture into 2" balls and arrange in prepared baking dish. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, until meatballs begin to brown. Serve over prepared pasta and vodka sauce. It's good stuff!
Almond and Mascarpone Stuffed Brownies
When fearless and awesome team captain Jessi proposed an informal reunion for our amazing Hood to Coast team I couldn't resist the drive all the way up to Southeast Portland. But what to bring to this potluck barbecue? Appropriately enough on a Saturday evening run I cataloged the ingredients available at home in the cupboard. Brownies were certainly an option, but I didn't want to bring just any old brownie. My first instinct was putting together one of my favorite flavor combos: chocolate and peanut butter! Unfortunately, due to my recent experiment (see Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Peanut Butterscotchies) I was out of peanut butter. An unopened jar of almond butter, however, was waiting for me at home. A soft, cakey brownie seemed like the perfect pairing for this under-utilized nut butter. It was a hit! Hope you like it.
Ingredients
- 1 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 1/4 c. cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 6 eggs, divided
- 1/4 c. water
- 2 c. flour, divided
- 1/4 c. mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 c. creamy almond butter
- 2 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Lightly grease a sheet of foil and line at 13x9" baking pan. Set aside. In a medium, heavy saucepan melt butter of medium heat. Add sugar and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. When thoroughly combined add 5 eggs, water, and 1 1/2 c. flour. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into prepared pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl blend mascarpone, almond butter, 1 egg, 1/4 c. flour, and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. If mixture is too runny, add more powdered sugar or flour by the tablespoon.
Drop dollops of almond butter mixture into brownie batter-filled baking dish. Try to distribute evenly throughout the baking dish. Place prepared pan into preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and set aside. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy with milk and friends!
Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Peanut Butterscotchies
I've been on a baking kick lately. Perhaps it's the fall weather that makes me want to fill the house with oven-warmth and the scents of vanilla, chocolate, and sugary goodness. Last week, on a whim, I threw together some chocolate chip cookies. Jordan (always a source of food-inspiration) had the idea of doing something with butterscotch chips as a deviation from the chocolate-chip default. I mused over this and came up with some tasty ideas. Jordan provided the butterscotch chips. I always love the combination of sweet and salty and decided for this tasty treat I would put together a variety of beloved snack flavors. While these cookies are perfectly delicious without the chocolate coating . . . I figured if you're going to do the thing, you should do it right! Feel free to omit the chocolate dip . . . your call. You are the master of your own cookie destiny. Enjoy! (And by the way, the cookie dough was awesome!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks of butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 c. creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
- 2 c. butterscotch chips
- 2 c. crumbled pretzels
- 2 c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350˚ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend ingredients thoroughly. Add flour and baking soda in batches until mixed. Using a wooden spoon, mix in butterscotch chips and broken pretzel pieces. With a cookie scoop or tablespoon scoop equal portions of dough and place on prepared baking sheet, spaced several inches apart (cookies will spread a bit while baking.) Bake in batches for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a metal rack.
When cookies have cooled completely, place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt in microwave for 1 minute, stir chips around and return to microwave. Cook for another minute, stir again until chips are melted and smooth. Dip cookies, one at a time, into melted chocolate and then place on a sheet of waxed paper for chocolate to cool and harden. Eat!
Rowan's Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
