Blonde Brownies

I made these blonde brownies as an All Hallow's Eve surprise for a cutie out in cali, but the postal service failed me and lost my precious box of baked goods somewhere in between here and there. I do know that they turned out well as I sampled the snacks before sending them off. It makes me sad/angry to know that those adorable little pumpkin decorations will go unseen, but at least I have the internet through which to show them off.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and mix in the brown sugar. When well combined, pour into a large bowl and let cool. When cool, add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Combine everything well.

Spread batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips generously over the top. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let blondies cool in the pan before cutting into squares.

Butterscotch Cashew Bars

Today's food item of focus is the cashew. With an abundance of cashews in the pantry, I thought this would be a good starting point for my next baking project. I scoured the internet and was a little disappointed by how few recipes are out there for cashew centered baked goods. Butterscotch and cashews is an explosive flavor combination, and this recipe does a great job wedding them.

For shortbread layer:
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 cups flour

For butterscotch/nut layer:
11 ounces butterscotch chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon water
2 cups roasted, salted, whole cashwes

Preheat oven to 350 degress Fahrenheit.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Then, line the pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one down the width and one down the length. Spray the parchment with the cooking spray.


Beat butter, brown sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed for a minute or 2, until combined. Add the flour, and mix in on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Press the dough evenly into the pan, being sure not to apply too much pressure to the dough. Poke some holes in the dough with a fork. Bake between 30 and 40 minutes, until the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, melt together the butterscotch, corn syrup, and water over low heat. Stir until everything is melted together. Pour this mixture evenly on top of the crust. Sprinkle the cashews over the butterscotch. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack and cool completely before cutting into squares with a very sharp knife.

This sweet-salty treat is seriously irresistible.

Thai Red Curry

This is probably my favorite thing to make (and eat), and I make it more regularly than anything else. It's taken this long to get it on the interweb because I never seem to get a good photo of it. At this point, I surrender. I'll post some photos now, and maybe update at a later time if I ever do capture it appropriately. So, for now, here it is - the legendary Thai red curry!

1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
Olive oil
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
2 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Chili paste (or chili oil)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1 lime
4 chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
Vegetables (cut into bite size pieces)
Rice
Basil

What makes this recipe so awesome is that it's very flexible. All of the ingredients for the sauce are really to taste, so proportions are not set in stone. Different curry pastes can be very different (especially in the hotness-factor), so add slowly and taste your way to the best flavor. I usually use chicken, but any meat/seafood/tofu would work. Also, all sorts of vegetables are good in this dish. Some of my favorites are broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, red peppers, string beans, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms. Whatever you can find. Get creative!


Okay. Start by sauteing the onions and garlic in olive oil in a wok until translucent. Add the coconut milk and let everything warm together. Slowly add the curry paste until you reach a flavor that you like. Next add fish sauce, stir everything together and let it simmer for a few moments. Add chicken and let everything simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir dish and let simmer another 10 minutes. Add sugar and chili paste to sauce until desired flavor is achieved. Next add vegetables. Let everything simmer together until vegetables are cooked. The longer everything simmers, the thicker the sauce will get. If the sauce gets too thick, add some more water. Keep in mind that the vegetables will release a lot of water once they start cooking, so wait to add any water until after veggies have been added.
A few minutes before finishing, grate some fresh ginger into the wok. Stir to incorporate. Immediately before serving squeeze lime juice over curry and tear some fresh basil on top. Serve over rice. And there you have it!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

I love this time of year when blueberries are sold in enormous quantities far beyond the amount any one household could eat before they start to rot. There are only two solutions for this kind of berry-overload: freezing and baking! This summer I have been trying to bake with blueberries at every opportunity. This recipe, which is adapted from the barefoot contessa, was so good that I actually made 2 of them in the past week. People love it when you show up at their house with a piece of cake, it will make them smile every time.

For streusel:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
1 1/3 cups flour

For cake:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Confectioner's sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For streusel:
In a bowl combine white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add melted butter and then add the flour. Mix everything together until crumbly. Set aside

For cake:
Cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on high speed for about 4 minutes. Adjust mixer speed to low and then add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream while continuing to mix on low speed.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine on low speed until texture is consistent. Turn off mixer.

Fold in blueberries gently with a spatula, taking care that everything is well mixed.

Spoon the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly with the spatula. Crumble the topping with your hands evenly over the cake batter surface. Bake around 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top. Great served with coffee or ice cream!

Lavender Honey & Rosewater Oatmeal Cookies

Last weekend I got some lavender honey from the local farmer's market which I wanted to use somehow in baking. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to combine it with some rosewater that I purchased in Bulgaria for a flowerific flavored treat. I love how the smallest drop of rosewater really permeates the flavor of whatever it is added to. My next challenge will be to use it in a savory dish, a curry maybe?

3 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lavender honey
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon rosewater
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup walnuts (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Mix together butter, brown sugar, honey, egg, rosewater, and water in a mixer with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the oatmeal. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir together well. Add the walnuts and stir until the texture is consistent. Drop about 1 tablespoon of dough on the cookie sheet for each cookie. Remember that the cookies will spread when they are baking, so leave plenty of room between each one. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.

Banana Bread

One of the perks of being back in New York is that I have access to an oven that actually has temperature control! This means I can start baking again and trying to recreate some of the delicious baked goods I've met on my journeys. For my first baking adventure back at home I went with an easy and familiar classic that is satisfying for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 9x15in baking pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate large bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter together. Add 2 eggs to the butter and brown sugar. Add mashed bananas to the wet mix. Slowly fold the wet mix into the dry mix until the consistency is uniform throughout. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake in oven for about 65-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!