YWPWT: “Shirley Temple’s Gotta Eat, Too” Cherry Cheesecake Pie
This month’s You Want Pies With That? Challenge is “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” Pie! The description:
My pie is called “Shirley Temple’s Gotta Eat, Too” Cherry Cheesecake Pie. I was trying to recreate the classic Shirley Temple drink as a pie. It’s a mouthful.. but a tasty mouthful! The components:
- Dorie Greenspan’s all-purpose crust (all butter, no shortening)
- Cherry Cheesecake filling with whole Maraschino Cherries
- Whipped Cream topping
Check out the other Pies With That entries here!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Banana Cream Pie
This week’s TWD has been very popular with the group. Everyone loves it.. including us!
I made a mini version of the Banana Cream Pie, picked by Amy at Sing for Your Supper. I used a third of Dorie’s all-purpose pie crust, as suggested, but I used butter only, no shortening. I don’t know what it is about shortening, I just feel weird using it. Instead of rolling the dough, I just pressed it into a (buttered and floured) mini springform pan.
The pie is layered with sliced bananas and a cinnamon/nutmeg custard filling. It’s definitely a tasty pie.. I think this might actually be my first taste of banana cream pie, now that I think about it. It was enjoyable, but definitely an indulgence.
Very tasty! Find the recipe here.
*Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Hot Dogs and Soft Pretzels: It’s Baseball Season!
It’s spring, people! Baseball season is here!
If you don’t know, I’m a Phillies fan. Love them. (If you don’t believe me.. check out these cupcakes!) So I had to find a food-related way to celebrate Opening Night. We needed a little taste of home out here, so I made soft pretzels and homemade rolls for hot dogs.
This was my first attempt at making homemade pretzels and rolls- I’m kind of on a bread-making kick. I have to say, I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the pretzels. I’ve decided to make it my quest to find the perfect soft pretzel recipe- so look forward to more of these! They didn’t rise like I had hoped, and they weren’t as doughy.. lots of issues. Kind of like the Phils last night- far from perfect, but I still loved them in the end. (Recipe here.)
The rolls are pretty awesome! They’re from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Soft on the inside and the outside.. way better than store bought. I made half hot dog rolls, and half round buns. It took a little kneading, but it was worth it! (Recipe here, page 265.)
Loved the hot dogs! I’m a ketchup girl myself. Nick goes for ketchup and onions. I know some people who just eat them plain (crazy, right?). No matter what, hot dogs mean baseball.
Here’s to the first of many hot dogs this season. Let’s go Phils!
Just another reason to love Trader Joe’s
So, we’re getting pretty exclusive, Trader Joe’s and I.
Why? Because of awesome stuff like this.
Say hello to Trader Joe’s Savory Broth Concentrate. This little box is filled with the equivalent of TWELVE cups of broth. TWELVE! Totally crazy.
Why it’s awesome:
- It’s space-saver – this tiny box vs. 3 boxes of broth.
- It saves on packaging – less enviro-waste.
- It’s just as tasty as boxed broth, and comes in beef and veggie flavors.
- It comes in 12 pouches – lasts longer than an opened box of broth.
- It mixes easier and has a cleaner flavor than powdered broth substitutes.
- It’s CHEAPER than 3 boxes of broth!
I’ve been using these a lot lately – I’m a big fan (Trader Joe’s: feel free to start sending me stuff, anytime..). I highly recommend them to add a little ease to your mealtimes and save some space in your cupboards.
Homemade Spaghetti-O’s!
In honor of the new Pre-Made, Our Way challenge, I created a recipe for homemade Spaghetti-O’s. Well, the idea actually started at Trader Joe’s (love that place!). Nick saw some little ring shaped pasta, Anelletti, and thought of Spaghetti-O’s immediately. So I accepted his challenge and created a recipe.
Now, it’s been a long time since I’ve had the canned version, but this version tastes much like I remember. I’ll have to arrange a side-by-side taste test.. maybe do a meatball version, too! I highly recommend this recipe if you’ve got a Trader Joe’s around- kids or no kids. 🙂
Homemade Spaghetti-O’s
(I know this recipe isn’t too exact, but relax- taste it as you go along, and do what you like. Have fun and be flexible!)
6 cups canned tomato sauce
3-4 cups water
2-3 teaspoons garlic powder (depending on how garlicky you like it)
1 lb bag anelletti (ring shaped pasta- you could use any small pasta- alphabet or stars would be fun!)
1-1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (fresh shredded is best!)
1/4-1/2 cup milk
2 tbs butter
salt, to taste
1. Combine tomato sauce, water and garlic powder in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
2. When the tomato mixture is boiling, add the pasta to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently (the pasta is tiny, so it’s easy to stick to the bottom) for about 20 minutes, or until the pasta is soft.
3. Stir in cheese until melted. Add milk, butter and salt to taste. Taste it, check it out, see how you like the flavors. Then enjoy it!
Chicken Fontina Risotto: Two-Ways
You guys have seen the new Food Network Magazine, right? I was a little skeptical at first, but I kinda like it. I decided to try a set of recipes they had for risotto:
and Risotto Cakes.
Both recipes were very tasty. I love the fontina cheese.. it’s so creamy and perfect in this risotto. The risotto was a little time consuming, as risottos can be, but it was worth it. The cakes I made with the leftovers came together very quickly. (The recipe calls for a cube of fontina in the middle of the cakes, but i left out that step, so it was even quicker.) I loved the crunch of the panko with the creamy risotto and crunchy lettuce.. super tasty.
Check out the recipes for the risotto and risotto cakes.. love you, Food Network!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Coconut Butter Thins
Finally! Our weekly installment of TWD!
It took me a little while to get these posted, but they are here, and you’re lucky they are – I’ve been eating them as quickly as they’re coming out of the oven! There was a lot of TWD chatter about how thin the cookies should be, how much they spread, etc. My little cookies did spread, but they held their form fairly well. I liked my thickness, probably closer to 1/4 inch than 1/8 inch. My only substitution was almond extract for the vanilla (still haven’t replenished my supply.. slacking!).
Bottom line- this is a tasty cookie, in all its buttery glory. (If you aren’t a big fan of coconut/macadamia nuts, don’t worry- the taste isn’t very overpowering.)
*Find the recipe here, thanks Jayne!
**Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
The First "Pre-Made, Our Way." Challenge!
I’m excited about the responses I’ve gotten about cooking and baking together. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun. I decided to call the group “Pre-Made, Our Way,” but if that’s lame, we can definitely change it! I’ve chosen a fairly easy recipe to start off with- it’s made with pantry ingredients and is flexible for all experience levels. Here are all of the details..
April 2009 Challenge:Homemade Wheat Thins
Instructions: This is a totally relaxed challenge. The only real requirement is to bake them. Ideally, though, please bake the crackers, take a photo, post about it on your blog (it’s okay if you don’t have one!) or send pictures and comments to me at natalieherr@gmail.com. Then I’ll post a round-up of all of the participants by the end of the month. Please post or send pictures/comments by Sunday, April 19 at midnight.
Recipe Info: Feel free to be creative with this recipe! It’s a very basic cracker recipe, so if you’re feeling experimental, try adding some herbs, spices, cheese, seeds.. whatever you’re in the mood for. Extra points for those who make a cool dip or spread to go along with!
Homemade Wheat Thins
(based on Alton Brown’s ‘Seedy Crisps’ recipe)
Ingredients:
- 5 ounces (just under 1 cup) whole-wheat flour
- 5 ounces (just under 1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 1/2 ounces water
In a medium bowl whisk together both flours, salt, and baking powder. (Mix in any extra ingredients here.) Add the oil and stir until combined. Add the water and stir to combine and create a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
For a thin snacking cracker: On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough to 1/16-inch. Cut dough into small squares, or bake as one large piece, to be broken up when cool. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 4 minutes then flip and bake for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. If you haven’t pre-cut the crackers, break into desired size pieces when cool. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
For a thicker dipping cracker: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as above but to 1/8-inch thick. Bake for 6 minutes on the first side, then flip and bake another 4 to 6 minutes.
For super even thickness and easy rolling: Roll out using a lightly floured pasta roller. Flatten the dough until it will pass through the first setting and go to the highest number that your pasta roller will allow without tearing the dough. Bake according to the thin cracker instructions.
Note: Baking times will vary depending on exact thickness of dough and oven temperature, so watch them closely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Quick Veggie Tikka Masala
Tikka Masala is one of my favorite indian sauces. My first love is Chicken Tikka Masala, but I would probably eat anything if it were bathed in this sauce. I know I can make it from scratch (I have a recipe.. I’ll get to it eventually), but there’s an easier way. Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala simmering sauce!
This recipe is for all of my vegetarians out there! Go to town!
Quick Veggie Tikka Masala
(note: I didn’t write down exactly what I put in here, so this is an educated guess. Feel free to substitute any of your favorite veggies!)
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jar Tikka Masala simmering sauce (I love Trader Joes!)
1 cup dried red lentils
2 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can red or pink beans, rinsed and drained
naan and white rice, for serving
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add Tikka Masala sauce and 1-2 cups of water, stir until heated through. Add potatoes, red lentils and beans. Cook until potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently. Add water as necessary. Serve hot with naan and white rice.
CB’s Cupcake Pop Throwdown
I like people who throw down. Like Bobby Flay. And CB!
The lovely CB over at iheartcuppycake and iheartfood4thought has thrown down the Cupcake Pop Challenge. If you’re not familiar with the cupcake pop phenomenon, check out the amazing creator, Bakerella. You won’t be sorry.
This wasn’t my first experience with Bakerella (I’ve played around with her cake balls before), but it was my first go at cupcake pops. The basic steps are these: mix crumbled cake and icing together, roll into balls, freeze for a bit, shape into something neat (in this case, cupcakes!), dip in chocolate, put it on a stick, and decorate. I thought I had a little more finesse when it came to baking and decorating, but I think there’s a learning curve with cupcake pops. It didn’t take long, and they tasted delish, but my technique needs some work!
Thanks, CB, for throwing down. I think I’ll be seeing lots of cake balls and cupcake pops in my future..
(for more on cupcakes, visit Tickled Pink!)
