Cookies, cookies, cookies!

Growing up, I was never a big fan of baking cookies.  I was always more interested in baking pies like my Nana. Not to say I didn't enjoy eating them, but for some reason they just didn't fascinate me.  As I've mentioned before, I'm a huge fan of King Arthur Flour.  Not only do they make a superior product, their web site is amazing!  And the customers/baking geniuses that contribute to it are amazing too!  KAF has recipes going way back and spans all the cultures so check it out.  You won't regret it.  Since visiting their site, my love for baking cookies started to grow. With all the products KAF offers, the sky's the limit on flavors and appearances.  And as they say, presentation is half the taste.

Following are three different cookies I decided to make for the first day of school.  I love my kid's elementary school.  They have wonderful teachers, administration and office staff and I try to let them know how wonderful they are by making them treats.  So here we go with the recipes:

My mom found this recipe on the Crisco web site.  These cookies have lots of flavor and are slightly chewy.  And they taste better the next day.  Check out their Oatmeal Raisin cookies, too.  The directions are pretty clear and if you follow them exactly they will be perfect.  I always use a piece of parchment paper on my cookie sheets so when I take them out of the oven I just slide the cookies on the parchment directly onto the cooling rack.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

  

 Ingredients:

·       1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar      

·       3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

·       1/2 cup butter flavor shortening

·       3 tbsp. milk        

·       1 tbsp. vanilla extract  

·       1 egg         

·       1 3/4 cup flour   

·       3/4 tsp. baking soda    

·       3/4 tsp. salt

 Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375º. 

    Beat brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla at medium speed in a mixer until well blended.  Add egg.  Beat just until blended. 

    Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture at low speed.  Mix just until blended. 

    Drop by rounded tablespoons of dough 2″ apart onto greased baking sheet.  Flatten slightly. 

Bake one baking sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Do not over bake.

    Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

Servings:  3 doz.     

This recipe and the next were both from King Arthur Flour's web site.  When I think of Summer, I think of lemon.  When it's really warm, you don't want too much sweet.  These are a great combination of tart and sweet.  And they are so pretty!

Lemon Cream Cheese Coolers

 Ingredients:

·       Dough:     

·       2 sticks butter    

·       4 oz. cream cheese

·       1/4 tsp. salt         

·       1/2 tsp. baking powder

·       1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel       

·       1/4 tsp. lemon oil        

·       1/2 cup sugar     

·       1/2 cup powdered sugar       

·       2 cups flour

·       Coating:

·       3/4 cup powdered sugar

·       3/4 cup sugar     

·       1/4 tsp. lemon oil        

·       yellow sanding sugar (for color)

 Directions:

    In a mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, baking powder, lemon peel and lemon oil. When that mixture is soft, add the sugars, a bit at a time, until evenly blended and fluffy. Finally, mix in the flour.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. 

    Preheat the oven to  375°.

    Using small scoop to measure, roll the dough by hand into 1/2″ balls.

  Place the balls on ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheets, and flatten them to about 1/4″ thick and 1 3/4-2″ in diameter. 

    Bake the cookies for 14-18 minutes, or until they're lightly browned on the bottom and edges. 

    While the cookies are baking, make the coating. Place the sugars in a food processor or blender, and add the lemon oil. Process until well-blended. Note: This can also be done in a bowl with a whisk, but the food processor makes sure the lemon oil is evenly blended with the sugar. 

    Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for about 5-8 minutes, then dip them into the prepared sugar coating mixture. Place the cookies on a wire rack and let them cool completely. After they're completely cooled, shake more powdered sugar over them. 

    Variation: For Raspberry-Lemon Coolers, add 1 teaspoon raspberry flavoring to the cookie dough and pink sanding sugar to the coating.  If you like raspberry lemonade, you'll love these cookies! 

    Note:  Why coolers? Because these citrusy, slightly tart cookies are a "cool" alternative to the usual heavy, chocolate, sweet confections that cover the table during the holidays. Tender but not exactly crisp, soft but not soggy, these cookies melt in your mouth.

Servings:  4 doz.     

For the butter, I like to let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes.  They're not too soft, but warm enough to cream.  I would do the same with the cream cheese.  This recipe calls for lemon zest and for lemon oil.  With the zest, you only want the yellow part of the skin, not the bitter white pith.  I get my lemon oil for KAF, but I think you would probably be able to find it at these stores:  William's-Sonoma, Sur la Table, Whole Foods or any cake supply store.  

To shape the cookies, I use my Pampered Chef small scoop.  I scoop up the dough to where it's level.  I do 4 rows of 3 across and scoop up all the balls before I roll them with my hands.  You can use another object to flatten them, but I found it took too much time because of the dough sticking to the object so I just used my hand.  Don't flatten them too much, though because they will over bake.  Keep an eye on them as they bake because they will brown fast on the bottoms.  

For the coating, it recommends combining it in a mixer or food processor.  If you do so, add the sanding sugar  after by hand.  The mixer and food processor will break down the colored sugar and it won't show up as much.  As a variation, you can gently stir in yellow edible glitter (you can find it at Michael's or KAF). This will give them a sparkly look.  You want to do the first coating while the cookies are slightly warm.  This will make it stick and give it more flavor.  

Lemon-Raspberry Sparkler Cookies

 Ingredients:

·       Cookies:   

·       1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

·       3/4 cup sugar     

·       1/2 tsp. salt         

·       1 tsp. baking powder

·       2 tbsp. lemon juice      

·       1/8 tsp. lemon oil        

·       1 tsp. raspberry flavoring

·       1/8 tsp. sour salt (citric acid)*       

·       1 large egg          

·       2 1/2 cups flour

·       Coating:

·       1/8 rounded tsp. sour salt (citric acid*)

·       1 1/2 cups powdered sugar  

·       3 tbsp. white edible glitter

·       yellow and pink sanding sugar (for color)

Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a mixer beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and baking powder till well blended. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon oil, raspberry flavoring, sour salt (citric acid), and the egg. Blend in the flour thoroughly. 

    Roll the dough into 1" balls, and place them on lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies in the top third of the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are browned on the bottom.

    Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan for about 10-12 minutes before transferring to a rack. 

    Mix together the sugar coating ingredients in a pan or bag. Gently shake and roll the still slightly warm cookies in the sugar till coated. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then repeat, coating again with the sugar. (If you're freezing the cookies, you may choose to recoat the cookies in sugar once they've been removed from the freezer, before serving.) 

    *Sour salt (citric acid) is what gives the cookies their sour bite—if you want less tang, use just a pinch.

Servings:  3 doz.     

This recipe is a variation of a favorite, Key Lime Sparklers.  I usually make the Key Lime version during the holidays to balance out the heavier flavors of the other treats I make.  They seem to be more of a favorite with the adults who really go nuts over them.  This version is a bit more kid friendly and better suited for the Summer.  

There are two additional specialty ingredients that this recipe calls for, raspberry flavoring and sour salt.  You can probably find the raspberry flavoring at the sources I mentioned in the last recipe, but the sour salt might be harder to find.  I bought mine from KAF, but I have had it forever.  You will probably only have to buy it once, though.  You can omit it, but I love that tiny bit of tartness it gives.  If you do buy it but want to know other ways to use it, here is another feature I love about KAF's site.  Go to their site, kingarthurflour.com and click on recipes.  Instead of typing in the name of a recipe you're looking for, type in the name of the ingredient.  Up comes all the recipes that call for this ingredient!  

Again I use the small scoop to shape these cookies, but the balls can be slightly rounded when you scoop up the dough.  Since these stay in the ball shape, I do 4 rows of 4 across.  Just be real careful when you carry your cookie sheet to the oven.  If you move too fast or have the sheet at an angle, they can roll around.  

For decoration you can add the yellow and pink sanding sugar, but I find the yellow doesn't show up that much with the pink.  It also calls for white edible glitter, but you can use yellow (it's brighter than the sanding sugar) and/or pink.  That's what gives them the sparkler name!  Enjoy! 

Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce and Tourned Steamed Potatoes

The first thing I want to say about the Flank Steak recipe is "Oh My Gosh!!!"  That recipe is amazing and perfect for Summer! Per the recipe, it's based on chimichurri, a staple of Argentinean steakhouses and this zesty sauce can be served with just about any cut of meat. It is also great drizzled over roasted potatoes and other vegetables or stirred into rice or minestrone.  I love flank steak, but the sauce makes it and don't be afraid of the bright green of the sauce which has a very fresh flavor to it.

Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

·       1 1/2 lb. flank steak        

·       coarse salt and ground pepper

·       1 tbsp. olive oil                

·       1-2 garlic cloves

·       1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed (about 4 cups)      

·       3 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves

·       3 tbsp. white-wine vinegar

·       1/8 tsp. red-pepper flakes

·       1/4 cup olive oil             

·       2 tbsp. water

·       1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

   Generously season both sides of flank steak with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak 7-8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest, covered, 10 minutes.  Thinly slice against the grain. 

   In a food processor, pulse garlic until finely chopped. Add parsley, oregano, vinegar, pepper flakes, oil, water, and salt. Pulse until herbs are finely chopped. Serve with steak. 

   Based on chimichurri, a staple of Argentinean steakhouses, this zesty sauce can be served with just about any cut of meat. It is also great drizzled over roasted potatoes and other vegetables or stirred into rice or minestrone.

Servings:  4

In the recipe it calls for it to be cooked inside, but with it being Summer, I wanted to use the grill.  I preheated the grill on high and a few minutes before putting the meat on, I turned it down to medium-low.  I oiled both sides and seasoned both sides with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  I cooked it on the grill for 6 minutes on one side and 5 minutes the other.  This was for medium-rare.  If you want a bit less red, do 6 minutes on both sides.  Don't forget to let the steak sit for 5 minutes before carving so the juices that rush to the surface of the meat from the heat can be reabsorbed.  When you slice it, you want to use a long, sharp knife and cut on as much an angle as you can handle against the grain.  Place the slices on the platter and drizzle with the chimichurri sauce.  

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Tourned Steamed Potatoes

Ingredients:

·       7 small yellow potatoes

·       1 tbsp. butter

·       2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs

·       1/4 tsp. white pepper

Directions:

    Put 1 cup water and some salt into a saucepan with a steamer basket inside and bring to a boil.

    Using a paring knife, peel the potatoes, turning as you peel off the skin, into a football shape.

    Add potatoes to the basket and steam until potatoes are knife-tender and the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

    Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and add 1 tablespoon butter, chopped herbs, and white pepper. Toss to coat. Serve warm.

Servings:  2

This recipe comes from Lucinda Scala Quinn and if you've read my previous posts you know how much I love her.  This recipe was very good, but I would add a couple things, but the hubby thought it was perfect as it was.  Please note that this is for 2 servings.  I doubled it and used my dutch oven to steam them.  For the herbs I used what I had in the garden which was parsley, chives, oregano, and thyme.  I have basil, but thought that flavor would dominate too much.  When choosing herbs, I would say go heavier with the parsley and the chives and use the oregano and thyme to accent.  I just feel parsley and chives are perfect for potatoes.  

In the recipe, Lucinda peels the potatoes with a small pairing knife and turns it as it peels off the skin.  I will admit that I started off that way but after a couple nicks on my knuckle, I resorted to the potato peeler.  I feel no shame admitting this.  The only salt used is in the water you steam the potatoes in, but I don't think a sprinkling of sea salt with the herbs would hurt.  Since I doubled it, I used 2 tbsp. butter, but 1 tbsp. more wouldn't hurt either.  To make sure they have been steamed enough, the tip of a knife should penetrate very easily.  The 20 minutes was perfect for my double batch.  Enjoy!

Michael Chiarello's Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Cruda

It's been a while since I last blogged and man am I rusty.  Plus my husband is sitting behind me trying to read what I'm writing and that really bugs me.  So excuse me while I get rid of him....I really don't like people watching over my shoulder.  It stifles my creative juices (and makes me a wee bit self-conscious).  So on to the recipe.

This recipe comes from Michael Chiarello who hosts the Food Network show "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello."  He owns restaurants in Napa, CA and has a food line called Napa Style.  He is also a good friend of my favorite makeup Goddess, Leslie Blodgett!  Michael focuses on fresh foods grown locally so you have the best choice of flavors.  I would like to mention that almost all the produce I used came from my garden in keeping with the spirit of the chef who created it.

As you can see from the picture above, this is a robust and hearty recipe.  The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but I found it made more like 6. I could only finish 1 serving.  The flavors are rich and spicy, so I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart.  You would think with the jalapenos that they would add the spice, but the 3 tablespoons of raw minced garlic really gives it a kick.  I also would not recommend it for those who want a real quick meal.  The veggies need to be charred on the barbecue and then peeled with can take quite a bit of prep time especially the first time you make it.  But if you like a lot of flavor and want to really show off, then this meal is for you!  By the way, my hubby loved it and ate 2 1/2 servings.  So he gives it the thumbs up.  

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Cruda

Ingredients:

 ·       Salsa Cruda:                      

·       5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes (a few more if using romas)

·       1 large red bell pepper         

·       2 jalapeno chiles

·       6-7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread

·       gray salt and freshly ground pepper

·       wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

·       1 onion, sliced into thick rings

·       3 tbsp. minced garlic

·       2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar     

·       1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

·       gray salt and cracked black pepper

·       1 flank steak, about 1 lb.

·     3-4 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled

·       1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, divided

·       6 large slices bread, cut from a good, crusty loaf

Directions:

   Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium.  Core the tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion rings, bell pepper, and chiles with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

   Secure the chilies with metal or soaked wooden skewers so they won't fall through the grill grate. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down and away from direct heat, with the other vegetables. Cover the grill and cook, turning the bell pepper and chiles to char evenly all over, until the tomatoes have softened but are still firm enough to stand on their own and the bell pepper and chilies are blistered, about 15 minutes.

   Put the pepper and chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam and loosen the skins. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature. 

   In a large, shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, vinegar, oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. 

    Peel the grilled vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds into a mesh sieve suspended over a bowl to catch the juices. Finely chop the tomatoes.

    Return the tomato pulp and any juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices. Seed the bell pepper and cut the bell pepper and onions into small dice. Seed and chop the chiles. Mash the chiles and taste to determine their heat. 

    Add all vegetables with garlic olive oil mixture. Mix well before topping the flank steak. 

    Brush both sides with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill for 5 minutes for medium-rare and 6 minutes for medium on both sides (to cook indoors try a cast iron, skillet or bistecca pan).

    A minute before removing steak from the heat, top with oregano and Gorgonzola. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and crumble the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano over the top. Let rest for about 5 minutes. 

    Meanwhile, brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread on both sides until brown and crunchy on the outside but still soft within. 

    Carve the meat on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange on a platter or plates, on top of crusty bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of the Salsa Cruda, per slice of bread drizzled over each portion. Serve immediately.

Servings:  6

The recipe calls for 5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes.  I used romas which were a little on the small side, so I used 9 total.  It says to put the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down, but the way romas are shaped, that was a little hard to do.  If yours won't stay, don't worry about it.  Just remember to turn them.  It also says to use skewers for the jalapenos. I used Anaheim peppers which are a slightly larger and milder version of jalapenos and they were big enough to put on the grill by themselves so I didn't need the skewers.  If you do use wood skewers, do make sure you soak them because they will catch on fire.  The recipe also calls for gray salt.  Michael Chiarello really LOVES gray salt.  It's a bit pricey so if you don't have it, just substitute it with sea salt or as a last result, table salt.

It originally called for 4 oz. of Gorgonzola cheese (you'll find it near cumbled blue or feta cheese), but you can get away with 3 oz.  Gorgonzola is Italy's version of blue cheese and very yummy.  You add this to the top of the flank steak a minute before taking off the grill.  It will not be all melty when you take off the grill.  I recommend a large spatula to remove it so you don't dump the Gorgonzola into the flames.

For the bread, I made a loaf of Italian bread which is probably the size of the average grocery store loaf of French bread which you can use also.  Cut the slices on as much of an angle that you can with a serrated bread knife to make the slices as large as possible.  Don't make them too thin (about 1" thick) or they will get too soggy.  Grill them till you have the grill marks, but still soft in the center.  When you slice the steak, use the same knife and technique you used for the bread and cut against the grain.  With skirt and flank steak, you always cut against the grain.  Plate as directed and enjoy!

Deadheading Roses

As much as we would all like to believe that plants produce flowers, fruits and vegetables for our pleasure, they actually are doing so for the survival of the species.  Inside those flowers, fruits and vegetables are seeds.  Once the plant has produced a sufficient amount of seeds, it either goes dormant to re-energize or in the case of annuals, die off completely.

Selfish humans that we are, we are constantly figuring out ways to extend those "fruits" of their labor.  Following is the correct way to deadhead roses and encourage more flowers:

1.  Locate a spent bloom on your rose bush. Flowers that have begun to wilt or are dropping petals need to be removed.

2.  Locate the first set of 5 leaves beneath the bloom. There are typically several groups of 3 leaves directly under the bloom, so you may have to look further down the branch to locate the first group of 5 leaves. If the plant is weak or unhealthy, you should prune more conservatively.


3.  Cut the branch at a 45 degree angle slightly above the first group of 5 leaves you located beneath the bloom. Use a sharp set of bypass hand pruners to make the cut. Try using anvil pruners if your roses have particularly tough or thick canes that are difficult to cut with bypass pruners.


4.  Repeat Steps 1 to 3 until you have removed all of the old blooms from your rose bush. This will ensure plenty of new growth and beautiful buds.


If you need a more visual explanation, here is a link:


http://www.ehow.com/video_4418560_deadhead-roses.html

Sam's Club Beef Kabobs, Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter and Fruit Salad

Since Memorial Day is now over and that day officially kicks off the grilling season, I thought I would share with you some of my favorites!

My friend PJ and I make or weekly trip to the grocery store and sometimes make a stop at Sam's Club.  We started doing this when PJ would watch my daughter, Gillian, on Wednesday mornings when I bowled.  PJ doesn't drive (I've seen her push a grocery cart, be thankful) so she would accompany us to the store.  Gillian was about 6 months old at that time and is now 12 years old!

On this particular day, they were doing samples of beef and chicken kabobs and the beef ones had a very unique flavor.  They handed us the recipe cards and couldn't believe 2 out of the 3 marinade ingredients.  Country Time Lemonade Mix and Hidden Valley Ranch Mix!  The third was olive oil.  I know it sounds very strange, but you gotta try these.  They only need a minimum of 30 minutes to marinate and they are so easy.  I don't necessarily recommend using extra-virgin olive oil because it has a higher flash point and these are done on the grill, if possible.  On most recipes you can get away using regular olive oil if it's being cooked because extra-virgin's flavor holds up better when it isn't cooked for very long and at lower heats.  The recipe name was just Beef Kabobs, but I like to keep track of where I get recipes so I renamed them Sam's Club Beef Kabobs!  Here's the recipe:

Sam’s Club Beef Kebabs

Ingredients:

·       1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/4" cubes

·       1 tbsp. Country Time Lemonade Mix                      

·       1 oz. (3 tbsp.) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

·       1/4 cup canola oil

·       1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 2" squares                             

·       6 mushrooms, cut in half

·       12 cherry or grape tomatoes                      

·       6 skewers       

·       non-stick spray

Directions:

    In a bowl, combine seasoning, lemonade mix and oil with a whisk.  Stir in beef cubes and marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator. 

    Alternately thread pieces of meat, bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes on 6 skewers.  Spray with cooking spray. 

    Grill at medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.

Servings:  6


If you use bamboo skewers, be sure that you soak them in cold water for 30 minutes just before threading. If you use metal skewers, make sure you use tongs or oven mitts to turn them.  I don't recommend using white mushrooms, they keep splitting in half when you're trying to thread them.  I used brown mushrooms or you can use baby portabellas.  Be sure you don't overcook the skewers or the meat will be tough.  Enjoy!

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

·       4 whole ears of corn, cut in half

·       Garlic Butter:

·       1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened

·       4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

·       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

    Combine butter and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

    Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.

    Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. 

Servings:  8

I adapted this recipe from a Bobby Flay recipe.  It's very simple and very tasty.  I like to cut the cobs in half after cooking, because some people aren't able to finish a whole one and therefore, not as much will be wasted.  Get the butter done first so the flavors have a chance to marry.  If you don't want to deal with the husks and silk, tear them completely off.  Cut the cobs in half and wrap them in heavy duty foil.  Heavy duty foil really is better for the grill.  Cook them for the same amount of time.  

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

·       1 tbsp. honey 

·       2 tbsp. lemon juice                    

·   1 sprig of mint, leaves chopped

·       preferred fruit, i.e. cherries, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, canned pineapple totaling about 3 cups

Directions:

    Combine honey and lemon juice (to taste) and add mint. 

    Cube and slice desired fruit and toss with dressing.  Cool before serving.

Servings:  4

I first tried this recipe while visiting some long lost relatives.  Her daughter had just started culinary school and made this recipe for her.  My favorite combo of fruits is banana, fuji or gala apple (no need to peel), cherries halved, green grapes halved, and strawberries.  I used strawberries from Oxnard, CA and they truly are the best!  Refrigerate to cool and then serve.  I normally make this recipe in May and June because the cherries really make it and those are the months they are best in season.