Chocolate Pudding with Strawberries and Orange Blossom Whipped Cream

One of Max's most favorite things in the entire world is making matches. He turns life into one giant matching game. When he makes a match, the word "same," is yelled with gusto.

In one of his books, a trombone caught his eye. I would just like to point out that this occurred after I had explored other musical instruments with him - looking at and listening to french horns, and violins, and cellos, and harps - but trombone had not made the cut. How could I possibly have forgotten to show him a trombone? I clearly had fallen down on the "introducing him to the wide world of musical instrument" front of parenting.

After seeing the trombone in his book, he asked to find more trombones on the computer. Then he wanted the keyboard to make trombone sounds. And to have the iPad instrument app showing a trombone. So many opportunities for him to yell "same" with incredible enthusiasm.

Matching also occurred when I made Max waffles that he had requested, and subsequently, refused to eat them. So I did the very mature, adult thing and pretended to cry.

Max told me to go upstairs with him, where pulled out some with books in which characters were crying. He pointed at me, and then the books, and also yelled "same." Again. So incredibly excited to make a match. Not at all concerned that I was "crying."

Luckily, Max was able to yell out "same" when helping me to assemble this dessert.  A dessert with strawberries tossed with orange juice and zest, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream flavored with orange blossom water.

He pulled out books with strawberries as we were making the strawberry part.  However, he was a bit stumped when it came to the whipped cream and pudding.  Apparently those are not as common in his library.  But I totally think they should be.  Pudding and whipped cream should be in ALL the books.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
*adapted from Gourmet

1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
pinch salt

2 cups chopped strawberries
drizzle of orange juice and orange zest
shortbread cookie, for serving (optional)

Instructions
For the pudding:  In a medium-sized pot, whisk the sugar, salt, cornstarch and chocolate chips.  In a bowl, whisk half and half, milk, egg yolk.  Pour over the dry ingredients in the pot.  Set over medium heat, bringing the mixture to a boil.  Let the mixture boil for a minute.  Take off heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.  Pour into dish and chill.

For the cream:  In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, orange blossom water, and pinch of salt, and use the whisk attachment to whip the mixture until stiff peaks form.

For the berries:  Toss the strawberries with a drizzle of fresh orange juice and orange zest.

To assemble:  In a bowl, layer the strawberries, then the pudding, then orange blossom whipped cream. Top with a shortbread cookie.

Dark Cocoa and Roasted Kumquat Egg-Free Ice Cream

It is hard to not be taken in by the kumquat.  So small and vibrantly hued, they are just begging to thrown in your bag and carried home and loved.

Last time I fell for their charms, I wasn't enamored.  It wasn't a bad experience, but there are so many other foods I love with so much more fervor.

So you would think I would just leave things well enough alone and bypass them next time I encountered them.

You would think that.  But that is absolutely not what happened.  Next time I saw them, I found myself stuffing them by the fistful into my bag.  I knew logically that this wasn't the best idea in life.  But emotionally I was attached.

Since I'm impetuous and the opposite of rational, these adorable little fruits were indeed coming home with me.  Again.

After sitting in the fridge for a few days (weeks?), I knew the time had come to finally do something - anything - with the little guys.  I've always liked the taste, but not the way they feel in your mouth.  So I tried to do something about that issue - and I pureed them after roasting them, turning them into a cocoa ice cream.  And now I'm absolutely falling in love.

Ingredients
1 cup halved kumquats
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions
For the kumquats:  Heat oven to 400.  Toss the kumquats with the oil.  Spread on baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until they have softened and are brown on the bottom.  Let cool.

For the ice cream: Put the kumquats in a large bowl.  Add the cream and milk.  Use an immersion blender to blend the kumquats into the liquid.  Stir in cocoa powder, sugar, and the extracts.  Pour into the ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.  Serve immediately.  If freezing, you may find it it best to let the ice cream set out for a bit before serving.

Strawberries with Minty Dip

Sometimes, our time together is fleeting.  We don't intend for it to be like that, but so it goes.

I'm not one to make friends easily.  But one day at the park, I started chatting with another mom, her son being of a similar age to Max.  We somehow managed to get the kids happily playing together in the sandbox. She helped me with some Spanish words, I helped her with some English.  We made plans to meet up the following morning at a designated time.  I thought it would be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

Alas, Max and I were the only ones at the park the next day.

At the farmer's market, I spotted a giant bunch of mint leaves.  So fresh and vibrant and green, I couldn't possibly not take home these leaves of freshness.  I placed the bunch in the fridge for safekeeping.  Or so I thought.  Just a few short hours later, I realized the mint leaves were rapidly deteriorating.  It was apparent that they needed to be used quickly.

Sometimes, there isn't any lesson to be learned.  No lesson or narrative to retroactively give meaning to events.  I'll never know why they never showed up at the park.  But I did learn that one must use farmer's market mint quickly.  This time, as a dip for strawberries.

And next time, I'll consult this Cooking Light slideshow for more ideas to use my mint.

Ingredients
1 large bunch of mint leaves
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
touch of honey
pinch salt
fresh strawberries, for serving

Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended together like a pesto.  Serve with fresh strawberries.

Apricot Tarragon Vanilla Sundae

Over the past few weeks Max has
- repeated the word "ghost" over and over and over and over while on a ghost tour of the    Queen Mary
- pointed at a supposed "ghost" while scrolling through photos taken on said tour
- told me that the plumber is a ghost
- pointed at the water in the toilet bowl and said "ghost"
- found a ghost in a documentary about elephants
- pointed out a window, no less than three times, and said "ghost"

So, I guess there is a chance that Max is indeed connected to a spirit world.  But it seems more likely he just extremely obsessed with the idea of finding one of these elusive entities.  I should probably point out that he isn't frightened of the idea - I don't think he has the framework in place to have such feelings... Yet.  He is just zealously smitten.

And this makes me so ridiculously and extremely proud of myself. I have passed on the torch of obsession.

When we were younger, my friend and I were ardent enthusiasts of ghosts.  Like super obsessed.  We created ghost stories out of every day life, even insisting that a sibling's swimming instructor was really a ghost.  We supposedly had evidence of this fact.  Even though, you know, she was right there and visible to everyone and conducting class on a weekly basis.  This is what you do to stave off boredom.  Create elaborate stories of ghost worlds.

I've basically gotten over this.  Maybe? I still think it is fun, but, you know, I no longer believe that the swimming instructor was actually a ghost.

To celebrate my life's triumph, I made a sundae.  A sundae of vanilla ice cream, apricot compote, tarragon leaves sprinkled with a a smidgen of crisped cubes of pancetta.  A slightly unusual but nonetheless delicious accompaniment to our mom and tot conversations about ghosts.

Ingredients
scoops of very vanilla ice cream (or use your favorite recipe/store-bought version)
tarragon leaves
handful of fried pancetta cubes

For the compote:
13 apricots, pitted and halved
2 teaspoons juice from a Meyer lemon
3-4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions
To make the compote: Put everything into a pot.  Cook on low for about 8-10 minutes, until warm and the apricots start to break down.

To make the sundaes: Place scoops of vanilla ice cream in dish.  Top with the apricot compote.  Sprinkle handful of torn tarragon leaves on top.  Finish with the pancetta.

Blueberry and Chocolate Dessert Sliders with Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm not really into making bread. I feel like I should be weaving poetic yarns about the wonder that is yeast, the therapeutic effects of kneading dough and the satisfaction that comes from baking your very own loaf of bread.

But I just can't.

Every now and then I'll get it in my head that bread needs to be baked. So I'll do it.  Half-heartedly.  Despite this exertion of effort, it never strikes the same chord as a well-chosen purchased loaf.

My response after baking such bread is more, "well look at that, I made some bread, I'm now totally Martha Stewart" (okay, maybe I don't really think that last part, but we can all dream our dreams) and less, "oh my god, this is so good, definitely worth the time and energy."  To be honest, I'm not quite sure why I continue to have at it.  I'm pretty sure this is sheer insanity at play.

The one exception, the one that I can enthusiastically undertake, is challah.  It is the one bread that makes me think, "yes, yes this is indeed worth it".  All rich and subtly sweet, it is difficult to not love.  Yet, when I make it, I never feel like I'm letting it reach its fullest potential.  I just serve it with some breakfast or dinner with a bit of butter and call it a day.

Rather then letting the challah rolls sulk with their their accompanying condiment of generic unsalted butter, I decided to throw them a bone and turn them into miniature dessert sandwiches with a lavender blueberry sauce and salted chocolate.  Served with vanilla ice cream.  Blueberries and chocolate are such a fun and under-appreciated combination (I still need to make that tart, it sounds ridiculously amazing).  I originally envisioned the two of them mingling in an ice cream sandwich.  But structural issues were encountered so I just spooned some vanilla ice cream on top of each bite. This time, the challah became everything it could be - and more.

Ingredients
challah rolls (I like this recipe from Food 52, and just formed them into small rolls instead of a loaf)
unsalted butter to spread on toasted roll
1 square sea salt chocolate (I like Lindt's sea salt chocolate bar)
fleur de sel, optional
serve with vanilla ice cream

For the blueberry sauce:
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground lavender

Instructions
Place all the ingredients for the blueberry sauce in a medium pot over medium-low heat and gently boil, stirring often. Let it cook together for about 5-10 minutes.  Let cool.

To make the sliders, slice the roll of challah in half, and toast.  Spread the toasted roll with unsalted butter.  Place a square of sea salt chocolate, sprinkle more fleur de sel if wanted, and then spread some blueberry sauce on top.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Berries with Hibiscus-Infused Whipped Cream

I'm not always great at multitasking.  Okay, if I'm honest, I'm never great at multitasking. But I love to believe I am.

One minute I'm full of hubris about simultaneously doing some laundry, engaging Max in a toddler alphabet game, cooking some dinner, running the ice cream maker, and perhaps slipping in a quick phone call.  And then time passes, and I've forgotten that I was actually doing laundry.  And now it is smelling a bit moldy and the clothes in the dryer are now wrinkled.  I have no idea what letter we are on in our alphabet game, and I've left things in the oven for too long.  Or over-whip the cream, as was the case the first time I made this hibiscus whipped cream.

I've always found it hard to be in the moment, I never feel I'm experiencing things quite right. I can be at the beach, and instead of feeling the coarseness of the sand as I dig my fingers into it or the chilliness of the salt water on my toes, I'm on my phone - absorbed in some reading or writing.  I know I should be doing this whole "mindfulness" thing, but that just doesn't work for me.

So juggling multiple things at once feels natural for me.  Even if I often fail spectacularly at them.  It is that rare, fortuitous occasion in which success happens that keeps me going at this multitasking endeavor.  Plus, I'm stubborn.

But even a stubborn person knows when to let it go.  So this time, I made sure to devote most of my attention to the task at hand.  And instead of playing an alphabet game with the tot, I tried teaching him to say "hibiscus," a rather amusing word coming from him.  And this time, things worked out.     

I would like to say that this will be a permanent change in behavior.  But I can assuredly say that isn't the case.  Because I'm stubborn like that.

Here we used the whipped cream to top some gorgeous blueberries and strawberries that were picked up at the farmer's market.  For more strawberry dessert ideas, Cooking Light put together this slideshow.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
3 tablespoons dried hibiscus leaves
pinch salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

strawberries, sliced
blueberries

Instructions
For the hibiscus cream:  In a small pot over low heat, warm 1 cup cream and hibiscus leaves.   Take off heat and cover, letting the leaves steep in the cream for 20 minutes. strain and chill the mixture.  Once the hibiscus cream has chilled and is nice and cold, add the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and add in another 1/2 cup of whipping cream.  Add a pinch of salt and the sugar and use the whisk attachment to the whip the mixture until stiff peaks form.  Serve with the berries.

Quaker Big Chewy Granola Bars, Chocolate Fondue, and a Night of Television

Seth is often found working late nights and weekends.  Sometimes, however, a Saturday bestows on us a bit of serendipity and magnanimously opens itself up with freedom.  When that happens, we run into it and embrace it, in all its weekend glory.

The day quickly fills up.  Some hours are wiled away on errands and chores that had been put off, but others are used for fun - pit stops at the beach, playground time, lunches at a favorite restaurant - to make the most of our time together.

By the time we get home, it is toddler-late, and time to scoop him off to bed.  And toddler bed time means Seth and I get to do “our thing.”

“Our thing” has two components:

            1.  Our television show of the moment

            2.  Food!!

It is our time to watch our shows, or our “stories” as we like to say.  We generally have room in our hearts for one dramatic series at a time.  But there have been so many wonderful love affairs through the years - The Wire, Deadwood, Battlestar Galactica, West Wing, House of Cards, Damages, Breaking Bad, Mad Men... just to name a few.  And in this Netflix era, we can bring up our show of the moment with the click of a Wii remote and binge on back to back episodes.

And while we watch our stories we like a snack.  A snack that doesn’t involve expending a lot of energy, as that attribute has been depleted during the day’s activities.  A snack that will curb our hunger with some whole grain goodness, but a snack that is still delicious.  A snack like Quaker Oat’s Big Chewy Granola Bars.  

We love chocolate chips (seriously, we love them), so we get the Chocolate Chip Big Chewy Granola Bars.  But the snack doesn’t stop there.  We cut the granola bars and put them on a plate with some fruit - bananas (for me, we all know about Seth’s strong aversion to anything banana), strawberries, tangerines.  And a dip.  A chocolate fondue to be exact - one made with coconut milk and a hint of cardamom.  

It has been awhile since we mentioned our love of dipping.  So active! So communal! So fun! And can possibly lead to some intense debates about what the precisely most delicious combination of foods is to combine with the dip.

And while we snack on our granola bar bites and our fruit slices and fondue, we can sit side by side, watching our stories, discussing camera angles and character development, analyzing plot twists and turns, and arguing about the morality of actions that characters have taken.  And life is good.

Quaker is on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest - so follow/like them!

And now that you totally need some of these granola bars in your life right now, you need to know where to find them - look here for product locator and here for more information about the bars.

This post is brought to you by Quaker.  We were financially compensated for this post by Quaker via AOL Media.   

A Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch fleur de sel

Instructions
In a small pot over low heat, warm the coconut milk.  Take off heat and stir in the chocolate chips.  Once they are melted, stir in the cardamom and vanilla.  Sprinkle fleur de sel on top of the fondue for serving. 

Roasted Spiced Strawberries with Honey Vanilla Yogurt

I'm great at holding grudges.  Forgiveness does not come easily after being betrayed.  I've held one (or continue to hold one) against each of the following:
1. granola
2. hot dogs
3. orange juice
4. Fig Newtons
5. yogurt

Most of these grudges have lasted for years.  One has lasted over two decades.  I won't get into the details of how each of these relationships went sour.  But now that we are firmly into 2013, it is perhaps time to get rid of all that bad energy and drop the hard feelings.

Yogurt is an easy food with which to get back into a relationship.  So useful as an ingredient - especially with quick breads and smoothies.  But I'd like to take things to the next level - and enjoy the stuff on its own terms.  As creamy, luxurious yogurt.

Here, Greek yogurt is mixed with honey, vanilla, and some spices.  And topped with strawberries spiced and roasted.  It is hard to stay mad at the stuff, when turned into this concoction.  I can drop the hard feelings for yogurt, and granola looks like the next food to work on - but one thing is for sure, the hot dog war will never cease.  Time doesn't heal ALL wounds.

Cooking Light has a great slideshow about yogurt - Click here to get some nutrition information, recipes, and tips about the stuff!

Ingredients
1 pound strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon spice mix

Spice mix:
1/2 tsp roasted Saigon cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground coriander
Pinch cumin
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground star anise

Yogurt:
16 ounces Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons wild dandelion honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch spice mix

Instructions
Place sliced strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar.  Let them sit for an hour.  Meanwhile, mix together the spice mix in a small bowl.

Heat oven to 350.  Stir in olive oil, white wine vinegar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mix with the strawberries.  Spread on baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, honey, vanilla, and spices.  To serve, top with the roasted strawberries.

Almost Instant Banana, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter "Pudding"

Ugh, I hate those recipes that pretend to be one thing but in reality are nothing like it.  I'm looking at you pureed cauliflower masquerading as fettucine alfredo.

Afterwards, you are all sad and regretful because you ate something that was not delicious.  Unless you are like Anton Ego, living the philosophy of  "If I don't love it, I don't swallow."  In which case you are still hungry.

It occurs to you that you should have just made the real thing - with you know, cream and butter and cheese - then maybe just stuff a handful of spinach in your face and be done with it.

It is hard for me to tell if I am breaking my own rule.  Maybe this really is nothing like pudding.  But calling it a "pudding-like substance" doesn't exactly flow.  And maybe I hate myself a bit for even posting this.

But even if this is not pudding, but technically a "pudding-like substance," I did at least convince the toddler that this was a dessert - something to demand, to crave.  He can be a tough crowd, a pint-sized but nonetheless fervent subscriber to Anton Ego's food philosophy .  Case in point - never serve this child homemade biscuits that are not fresh from the oven - lest one offend his his delicate sensibilities.

Ingredients
1 frozen banana
1 banana
1 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon (roasted Saigon cinnamon works really well)
pinch sea salt

Instructions
Put everything into a bowl and blend with an immersion blender.  Alternatively, put everything in a blender to blend.  That's it!

Brown Sugar Meringues Dipped in Coconuty Chocolate and Chopped Cashews

I could perhaps justify the malformed nature of these baked goods by:

a) rambling on about creating miniature abstract art sculptures, expressing myself by forming meringue batter into individual confections, each one displaying its own personality, its own story, through its unique set of peaks and valleys

or

b) blaming the toddler, who after getting to watch egg whites billow up into fluffiness, desperately wanted to help put the said fluffiness onto baking sheets

In a way, I guess these are sort of true. Max insisted on scooping some of the batter onto  trays.  And I do sometimes stiffen under the demands of Pinterest worthy beauty.

In reality though, it all comes down to my inability to make things look pretty.  I've yet to do anything that resembles piping (Seth can do this...see Bus Cake).  I've picked up pastry bags and tips and tried to do the things you do with them, but it just doesn't work out.  My fingers and hands and wrists never communicate to each other in ways that produce even and controlled results.  They instead choose to create blobs.  Blobs of meringue.  Blobs of frosting.  And after the failure to produce "pretty," I once again hide the bags and tips in the back of a drawer until one day I optimistically, defiantly, get it into my head that I can get this.  So it goes.

These meringues (adapted from this Cooking Light recipe), made with dark brown sugar and vanilla, are baked to a crispy, almost caramely goodness, and then dipped into a mixture of chocolate and coconut oil (with just a bit of espresso powder to intensify the chocolate taste).  A roll in some chopped cashews finishes these off.  Maybe they have appearance issues, but they make up for it in taste.  A perfectly imperfect cookie.

Ingredients
5 egg whites
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1/3 cup roasted and salted cashews, finely chopped

Instructions
Heat oven to 250.  Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whip the egg whites until foamy, then add the cream of tartar and salt.  Once the mixture reaches soft peaks, gradually add in sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Line two baking sheets, and either neatly pipe the meringue mixture into rounds, or just spoon the mixture Bake for an hour, until they are dry and no longer sticky.  Turn the oven off, and leave the meringues in the oven for another hour.  Put chocolate chips, coconut oil, and espresso powder in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on low power in 30 second intervals (stirring in between) until melted.  Put the chopped cashews in a bowl.  Dip the meringues in the chocolate and then the cashews.  Let the chocolate set before eating.  Or not.  Totally up to you!

The Pretzel Milkshake

So there's this episode of the West Wing, bear with me... Yes we're about ten years late to game on this show. Anyways, Josh and some other White House staffers take the president's under-21 daughter as well as the president's young personal aide out for a drink.  To a bar.  When the president finds out, he tells Josh that when Josh told him he was taking them for a drink, he thought he was taking them out for some malteds.  Josh asks him, what do you think this is, a production of Our Town?

Though I am of the age for which a bar should be seen as a dispenser of sweet nectar, a wonderful adult refuge, I would be more excited to be taken out for a malted.  I've never had one!  But it sounds fabulous!  Though I may not have been shown the wonders of a malted as of yet, I do become deliriously excited about going out for milkshakes.  I've been assuming malteds are a relative of a milkshake, perhaps I am way off base here?

Anyways, a few months ago, we visited the East Coast, and my dad thought he was taking us out for a cheesesteak at this awesome, personality-filled diner near his work, called Bobby-O's.  Now, don't get the wrong idea, the cheesesteaks were great, super delicious!

But it was their extensive milkshake menu that was the total highlight. Column after column of tantalizing combinations - chocolate and caramel, vanilla cherry, etc, etc.  We chose a Milky Way one, because why not?  It was wonderful.  One of the best I have had!

A few days later, we made my dad take us there again.  For milkshakes.  And for cheesesteaks.  But really, for milkshakes.  This time we got a vanilla pretzel one.  It sounds so simple - vanilla and pretzel - but it's one of those combinations...  They come together and are this vanilla-pretzel-filled, sweet and salty, drinkable confection that gets into your head like an earworm.

Like the bars of a song you can't scrub away from your brain, this milkshake will stay there, forever dangling its exquisite ambrosial liquid in front of your face until you can no longer take it any more.  At which point, only two options are available.  Spend about a thousand dollars to fly the family across the country for a milkshake at Bobby O's.  Or make one at home.  One of these is significantly cheaper than the other.  So we went with that.  I think I would have gotten along famously with President Bartlett.  If he wasn't, you know, a fictional character.

As a postscript, I would be remiss if I didn't provide a warning about this milkshake.  It is apparently not only appealing to humans, but to our four legged friends as well.  Our cat Rambo became a bit protective over ours. He attempted to claim them as his.  And  I have a report from my friend Jess that when she made it, one of her pups was smitten as well.  So you may have to share.

Ingredients
2 cups homemade vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons ground pretzels (toss a few handfuls in a food processor and grind), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk (we used 2% because that is what we had around)

Instructions
I put all the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and use the paddle attachment to mix everything together.  Or throw in a blender.  Whatever works for you!  Crumble some pretzel on top as a garnish.

Chocolate and Olive Oil Crostini

A setting or rising sun is one of those sights that we, as a species, love to behold.  So colorful and and epic and majestic, it inspires a sense of wonder and awe.  Unless you are a certain two year old.  The sun is totally old news, apparently, for him.  A sunset, though, is exciting for one and only one reason - it is a harbinger of the moon!  Our little guy is quite taken with the moon, and has a deep love for just sitting outside and gazing up excitedly at it.  Moon watching, actually, can begin as early as 3 or 4 pm. That's when we start to think the moon is out.  So we have to go outside and check if it can be seen.  As expected, it usually is not visible at that time.  So we keep checking again and again and again.  And eventually, that wonderful moon of ours does indeed make an appearance (though I'm not sure how he will take the news that the moon goes through a "new moon" phase).  And when that happens, he scoots some chairs out to the deck and demands a moon watching companion. If Max was running the show, one would do nothing but moon watch from 4 pm until bedtime.  But, as you can imagine, that leaves no time to do things like, I don't know, make dinner.  So compromises are made.  Full on moon watching begins after dinner once the dishes have been cleaned up.  We go to the deck, bundle up, sit on on the chairs that Max so helpfully brought outside, and eat a snack while gazing up at the moon. These crostini with a chocolate and olive oil drizzle, mint leaves, coconut flakes, and vanilla salt make for a fun moon watching snack.  Packed onto a tray and taken outside, it is a delicious companion to celestial observations. And of course, it can be eaten indoors as well.

Ingredients
3.5 ounces good quality chocolate ( I used a Lindt 70% cacao bar)
1/4  cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 baguette, sliced
vanilla salt
white pepper
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
1/3 cup coconut flakes

Instructions
Heat oven to 375.  Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet (I used a Silpat to line mine).  Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a bowl, and brush the oil on each slice.  Sprinkle a bit of vanilla salt and pepper on each.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden-brown.

Place the chocolate bar (chopped) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Carefully melt the chocolate and olive oil together (about 30 seconds).  Stir the mixture.

Have fun with these - drizzle the chocolate and olive oil on the crostini, or use it as a dip.  Sprinkle more vanilla salt on top, if desired. Or throw on some mint leaves and/or coconut flakes.  Whatever floats your boat!

Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies with Fruity, Nutty, Chocolaty Flair

I am beginning to think the only holiday traditions we have are intending to do festive activities and not following through.  For instance, this year we were going to carve pumpkins for Halloween, like we did last year.  Didn't actually happen.  It got pushed back and back until it would have been December 1 and we would have been the weird people with a jack o lantern out on the porch in December instead of glittery Christmas decorations. For Hanukkah, we plan to make latkes at least one of the nights.  This year we managed to make some before Hanukkah started.  But not during.  Even though we swore to ourselves we would.  Quite frankly, there didn't seem to be any reason not to make these again. We were looking forward to them! We actually completely failed to celebrate this holiday. Candles were bought for the menorrah and never even lit.  And now on to Christmas, we still have a few days, but it is looking increasingly likely that the gingerbread houses will not indeed be assembled and decorated.  Perhaps we crack under holiday pressures? At some point these things sound super fun but once they are upgraded to the category of tradition they also bring a sense of obligation, a yoke we refuse to wear?  Lazy? Busy? Perhaps we prefer to go with the flow, and see what new fun things each season brings? I have no idea.  But there is actually one tradition - ok, I'm not using that word anymore - one activity that always happens this time of year... one that, without fail, actually happens.  The cookies are always baked.  The exact list of cookies changes each time.  There are a few stalwarts, lending their years of experience to the annual cookie brigade.  But it is the addition of new cookies that adds excitement and a sense of whimsy to the mix.  These particular cookies are actually a hybrid between the new and old- a former heavy hitter recipe from my mom that got a bit of a chocolate makeover.  So here are some shortbread thumbprint cookies filled with either apricot or orange spread.  Or a raspberry, for funsies. Drizzled with a chocolate and almond ganache. Toasted almond slices optional.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/3-1/2 cup apricot or orange spread
raspberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup toasted almond slices, optional

Instructions
Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add in extract.  Slowly stir in the flour.  The mixture will look sandy at first, but the dough should come together, just keep the mixer going.  Feel free to add just a touch of milk if it doesn't seem to come together.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press an indentation into the ball.  Fill with either the apricot spread or place a raspberry in there.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.  Cool for a minute on the tray then move to a cooling rack.  Combine chocolate chips and cream in a microwaveable bowl.  Carefully microwave for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is melted.  Stir in the almond extract.  Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies.  Add toasted almond slices to each cookie, if desired.

Orange and Anise Cookies

I love all the nuances and quirks of people.  They can be so strange and fascinating.  For instance, take Seth and me.  We love pajamas.  Love them.  Nothing makes us happier than being all cozy and comfy at home.  But when we eat, we rarely use paper plates and paper napkins.  We get out the place mats and plates and utensils and cloth napkins, even when we get takeout Chinese or pizza.  And we eat like this while wearing pajamas.

There are many things that Seth doesn't eat that I enjoy.  I love fruit and fruity desserts.  Seth doesn't. And it is a bit random what I actually find worth making for myself (and Max) and what I don't think is worth it.  Like cheesecake - I won't make it.  Even though I adore it and used to have my mom make me some for birthday cakes growing up.  But banana bread is a yes.  Desserts with peanut butter are generally a no (Seth hates peanut butter in sweets).  But I make apple pie at least once a year.  These cookies are also a yes.  Seth doesn't particularly love anise, but Christmas isn't Christmas without these cookies for me.  They are adapted from my dad's mother's famous recipe.  They are like anisey, orangey little cakes with a cream cheese frosting.  And I crave these every year.  So while peanut butter blossom cookies won't make the cut on the holiday cookie list - these are always at the top.

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

For the icing:
8 ounces cold cream cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
pinch salt
pinch allspice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, allspice, orange zest.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and egg yolk, and beat until incorporated.  Add milk, anise, and orange juice into the butter mixture.  Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Once the flour has been incorporated, refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight.  Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes.  Once cool they have cooled, frost with the cream cheese icing.

For the icing:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar in mixer.  Add in remaining ingredients and beat gently until a spreadable icing remains.  Feel free to add more sugar if the icing is too liquidy, or to add more liquid if it is too stiff.

The Bus Cake, with Eggnog and Chocolate Chip Batter

Yep, it is indeed a bus-shaped cake.  You totally know that your life isn't complete until you've experienced the bus cake.  When most of us are out and about, buses are just another mode of transportation peppering the landscape. But to a certain 34 inch tall toddler, this mode of transportation is the most amazing thing ever.  Ever.  One never knew how much joy was to be had by a bus sighting until now.  His enthusiasm for this marvel of human innovation is so infectious, both Seth and I even find ourselves becoming genuinely excited when we spot a passing bus.  And a corresponding twinge of sadness when said bus moves out of sight.  Countless minutes have been spent doing Google image searches of buses, taking time to admire each and every bus on the page.  He is a delightful bus companion, radiating toddler glee while riding in this most favored vehicle, and every few minutes exclaiming "bus," as though I would have forgotten that we were on a bus.  Since it was his birthday last week, we decided to tackle a bus-shaped cake.  I made the icing and cake, and Seth assembled it into its bus form.  We originally wanted a double-decker London style bus, but we belatedly realized that much more cake would be needed.  Oh well... he recognized it immediately, exclaiming, "BUS!" and dove right in, so mission accomplished.  With the eggnog and chocolate chip batter and buttercream frosting, it was pretty tasty as well.

adapted from
cooking light pound cake

Ingredients
Cake:
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup egg nog
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Icings:
1/2 pound unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar, whisked
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
red food coloring

1/2 pound unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
black food coloring

Decorations:
4 mini chocolate frosted donuts
2 yellow chicklets for the front lights
2 red chicklets for the tailights

Instructions
For the icings:  Beat butter in electric mixer.  Add in sugar.  Mix in cream, extracts, salt, and red food coloring.  Set aside, and repeat process for the black icing.

For the cake:  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, stir eggnog and buttermilk together.  In mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one by one, being sure to mix well after each one.  Mix in vanilla extract.  Turn mixer to lowest setting, and alternate between adding flour and the buttermilk/eggnog mixture into the mixing bowl.  Once the flour and buttermilk mixtures have been incorporated, place batter in two greased 9x5 loaf pans and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove to cool on wire rack.

For the assembly:  Once the cakes have cooled, cut into rectangles by slicing off any ends and curved parts, you want nice rectangles to work with.  Spread red icing on one and stack the other on top.  Place donuts where they will eventually fit as wheels, and tracing around them, cut out chunks of the cake to make wheel wells.  We didn't think of this until after making the cake, which is why the wheels stick way out on the sides.  Spread red icing all over.  Spread the grey-black for windows.  Pipe grey-black around the windows using a a pastry bag or ziplock bag with a corner cut off.  Paint the donuts with the grey-black frosting, and use toothpicks to keep the wheels in place.  Add the yellow Chicklets to the front of the bus and the red ones to the back.

Apple Pomegranate Fruit Bars with Rose and Ginger

I love that I am 28 years old, with a child of my own, and I can go to my gram's and still be treated like one of the grandkids.  When we were visiting friends and family back East last month, Max and I ended up with extra time to spend at her place, and it was AWESOME!  She fed us amazing baked goods. She gave us books to read to keep us busy (picture books for Max and Christmas-y cook and craft books for me).  I even had my friend Vicki come over and my gram made us all a homemade spaghetti dinner.  With both coconut pie and shortbread bar cookies with an apricot filling for dessert!  Yay for two desserts!  It probably sounds like she was babysitting both me and Max.  And that is probably a true statement.  I even needed her medical help with this weird thing that had popped up on my arm.  I apparently was the recipient of a spider bite.  I have no clue how that happened.  But my gram took care of it.

So after we got back, I missed my gram!  How could someone not miss gram?  And then I remembered that she gave me the recipe for her shortbread bar cookies with the apricot jam!  I didn't have any jam around, but I had gone to the farmer's market recently.  I combined her cookies with ingredients I had on hand, and it made me feel like she was right next door for a moment.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 apples, chopped (I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady)
pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground dried rose leaves, plus more for sprinkling on top
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.  In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.  Then slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples, pomegranate seeds, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, rose and ginger.

Press 2/3 of the reserved flour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Pour apple mixture over it.  Then sprinkle remaining flour mixture.  Dust a bit of sugar and ground rose on top.  Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown and the apples have cooked.  Remove and set aside until cool.  Cut into squares for serving.

Halloween Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow)

They say that if you love something, set it free.  If it comes back it is meant to be.  I hate pithy statements like this.  I really did love it and very very very reluctantly let it go.  Well, more like it was forcefully taken from my hands.  I made this candy mix.  A whole glorious batch of ridiculous festive candy in celebration of Halloween.  So garish and bright and delicious.  And placed it into a gigantic container.  And I loved it. Oh how I loved it.  I had no intention of setting it free.  And then Seth told me that it was an absurd amount of candy for one toddler and his parents.  So he was taking it into his office to share.  I hate sharing.  And obviously my container of candy does not have motor skills, so it can't find its way back to me.  But I will contend that it was meant to be.  As I fully intend to make another batch over the weekend.  Maybe, you know, just half a batch. And Seth will not be prying this one away from me.

adapted from bettycrocker.com

Ingredients
9 cups Rice Chex
2/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon vanilla salt (see this post for details)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
a bunch of whatever Halloween candy floats your boat
  I used:
  1 bag of Brach's candy corn
  1 movie theater sized box of Reese's pieces
  ~ 10 ounces of pretzel M&Ms
  ~ 10 ounces of peanut M&Ms

Instructions
In a large bowl, pour in the Chex.  In a medium glass bowl, place butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter.  Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  You want the mixture to be melted together.  Stir in vanilla.  Sprinkle vanilla salt over the Chex, then pour the Nutella mixture over the cereal.  Get the cereal as evenly coated as possible, then sprinkle with the powdered sugar.  Place the mixture on waxed paper to dry.  In a medium bowl, mix together all the Halloween candy you are using.  Mix with the cereal mixture once it has dried.  Place in an airtight container.

Brown Butter Blondies with Chocolate Maple Glaze

Ugh I hate packing.  I think I somehow manage to both overpack and underpack at the same time.  It is a gift.  I was looking for the new toothbrush holders that had been picked up a few days ago, and I knew I saw them the day before.  I had looked right at them in their bag.  Somehow, during those hours, they got lost.  I don't understand how that happens! Am I getting old and senile?  Did I just imagine toothbrush holders?  Was the whole act of going to the drugstore and placing said holders in my basket, checking out, and then coming home with them just an elaborate fantasy in my head?  Is it a trick being played by some sort of supreme being?  Did the cats take off with the package and wrap yarn around it?  Did Max claim it for his own, burying it under a forgotten pile of toys?  Did it disappear through a wormhole into an alternate dimension?  I HAVE NO IDEA! It is confusing.  I was so annoyed about this situation.  I know it really isn't a big deal in the scheme of life, but it doesn't take away from how frustrating it feels at the moment.  So I tried to let it go (okay, lets face it, I'm not really letting it go) and accept the fact that the toothbrush holders have found a new home and would not be accompanying us on our trip.  Then I went to the kitchen and made these.  Eating these made me feel better.

Ingredients
For the blondies:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, ground
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon half and half

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 baking pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground walnuts.  In a medium skillet, melt the butter.  Keep and eye on the butter, it will become foamy and brown specks will be at the bottom of the pan, and it will have a wonderful nutty fragrance.  Take off heat and stir in brown sugar and maple syrup.  Let the mixture cool.  Once cool, whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture and then the chocolate chips.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until  the top is golden brown and it has cooked all the way through.  Let cool.  To make the glaze, place the chocolate chips, salt, maple syrup, and half and half in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute (you want everything to be nice and melted together).  Stir, then use a pastry brush to glaze the blondies.

Adapted from the blondies recipe in Joy of Cooking  

Baked Apples with Pine Nuts, Juniper Berries, and Orange

It is surprising to me that apples in this day and age still have cores.  I mean, watermelons and grapes are now seedless.  Apples are wondering when their day is coming.  Okay, I'm wondering that.  I'd also advocate for pit-free cherries.

I thought it would be all meditative and soothing to be coring apples (and I only did 4!).  Looking back, I have no idea why I thought that would be the case.  At all.  For one thing, I am completely incapable of having those kinds of attributes.  Instead, I lean towards "anxious" and "stressed."  I feel like that is something I need to work on, but that just makes me more anxious.  So it is what it is.  And yes, I've tried the whole yoga thing.
Secondly, maybe the 90 degree weather also played a part in making things not so fun.  Okay, probably a large part of it. In addition to being the anxious type, I am also stubborn and delusional - stubborn in that, since September 1, I have declared it to be Autumn here... and delusional since "here" is Southern California.  It has been like 90 here the past few days.  And it is October.  I'm confused by this.  But because it is Autumn, I must do Autumn things.  Even if the weather doesn't cooperate.  And perhaps I should consider one of those apple corer gadgets.  But despite the annoyance of taking out the cores and the overbearing heat, I loved every bite of these.  Completely and utterly worth the hassle.  

Ingredients 
4 granny smith apples, cored
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
pinch salt
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup water
vanilla whipped cream, for serving

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, juniper berries, melted butter, salt, pine nuts, all spice, orange juice, and orange zest.  Fill the apples with brown sugar mixture.  In a small bowl, mix brandy and water, and any remaining brown sugar mixture.  Place the stuffed apples in ovenproof dish, then pour the brandy mixture on the bottom.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until the apples are tender but hold their shape.  Serve with vanilla whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Since having our little nugget boy, I have become fixated on cookie cutters.  Like, the universe might implode if we don't have the appropriate cookie cutter to correspond to holidays, outings, activities, lessons, etc.  I have amassed a bit of a collection, which isn't too hard when you can buy gigantic containers of 100 for like 10 dollars.  But it isn't even the little guy who likes having fun-shaped treats.  He has made it quite clear that he is completely and utterly unimpressed to receive a sandwich cut out into the shape of a truck.  I, on the other hand, am very impressed by our ability as a society to provide the tools to make sandwiches into truck shapes.   I'm apparently the real toddler in this parent-child relationship.  That is why the gingersnap cookies are in little heart shapes.  I was feeling "heartsy."  I also made an owl! But I ate him before he could end up in the photo.  I guess I could have given that one to Max, but lets face it, he would not have appreciated it as much as I did.  

I really wanted to make a pumpkin pie now that we have moved into September.  And I like to pretend that there really is Autumn here in Southern California.  However, making this pumpkin pie would have caused distress for Seth for two reasons.  Number 1 - He doesn't like pumpkin.  Okay, fair enough.  We all have foods we don't like.  But Number 2 - HE DOESN'T LIKE PIE!  How can someone not like pie?  I have no idea how that happened in life.  So since I love baking pumpkin pie in a gingersnap crust, I decided to eliminate the second of these issues.  Because I'm nice like that.  I, however, am not getting rid of the pumpkin.  I feel I compromised enough.  So here is a pumpkin pie ice cream into which I dipped gingersnap cookies.  The ice cream is best fresh, so remove it about 15 minutes before serving if storing in the freezer.  

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon clove
dash pepper
pinch of kosher salt

Instructions 
Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Once again, I am doing an egg-free ice cream, as I am very impatient and hate waiting for the custard to cool.  I like to whisk until a layer of bubbles forms on the surface and the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the mixture into the canister of the ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.  Serve with gingersnap cookies (either store-bought or use your favorite recipe and roll out some fun shapes!)