Tomato Basil Soup & Grilled Cheese

I know this probably sounds crazy...soup in the summertime??  Especially, since a lot of the country is experiencing triple digit temperatures, but there is a method to my madness. And, I can't believe that everyone is eating salad on these hot days, so just in case you think of soup as comfort food, like I do, maybe this recipe will appeal to you.  If not now, save it for the Fall...which is just around the corner according to the retail stores which have already started setting out the new lines.

I also baked a couple of loaves of Country White Bread and thought "grilled cheese" to dip in the soup.  I know Ari and Maddie are big dippers and would love this.  It didn't take long to make and after I put my lunch together, I grabbed my book to finish the last few chapters and just relax; something I don't do often.

Country White Bread (makes 2 loaves)

Sponge:
1 cup warm water (95F to 105F-degrees)
2 tsp. dry (or fresh) yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour 
Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cover with a towel and set aside until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Dough:
3/4 cup warm water (95F to 105F-degrees)
3 T honey or Agave syrup
4 tsp. (or 1 packet) dry yeast
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 1 T shortening
1 T salt


In a KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment,   Place water, yeast and honey (or Agave) in the bowl and allow the yeast to proof (become foamy) Add all the ingredients, including the "sponge," and mix on low speed until dough is fully developed.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead.

You could probably do the kneading in the KitchenAid if you change to the dough hook, but I like to knead by hand...gets out the stress!  Knead until dough is smooth.  Form into a ball.

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.  Turn risen dough out onto the board and divide in half.  Spray two 9"x5" loaf pans with a non-stick oil spray.  Shape the dough into an oblong loaf and place in the pan.  Repeat with the second dough.

Cover with plastic wrap, that you spray with the non-stick oil spray and cover.  Let rise another 30 minutes.  Preheat oven 375F-degrees/convection (or 400F-degrees/conventional).  When loaves have doubled, use a sharp knife to score the top, mist with water and place in the oven.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 190F-degrees in the center of the bread.  

Let cool completely before slicing.  Enjoy!


Meanwhile, start the soup...

Tomato Basil Soup
 2 (28 oz) cans Muir Glen Organic Whole Tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T olive oil
14 oz. vegetable stock
1 T Dried Basil
2 tsp. (or more) Salt
Pepper to taste
3 cups Half & Half

In a large saucepan, heat oil.  Add the onion, garlic and carrots and saute.  Turn heat to med/low and cover the pan.  Check after 5 minutes, stir vegetables.  

Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, Basil, and seasonings.  Stir well and cover once again.  Cook on med/low heat 15 to 20 minutes.

 Use an immersion blender (or use a regular blender and puree soup in small batches) to puree the mixture.

 It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get it all to a pureed consistency.  Lower temperature to low.  Add the cream and stir thoroughly.  Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, but do it on low so you don't curdle the cream.  
I made my grilled cheese on a Panini maker--using Fontina and American cheese.  Enjoy! 
 
 

Friendship, Foundation, and a Funky Fruit Dessert

Over the last few years I have come to know the Vera Bradley store in Bellevue, Washington very well; a fact my husband can attest to by the number of debit entries I have surmounted.  And, I've come to know the manager, Dana Dickenson-Lofton, first as someone who assisted me with picking out a special gift for a friend or family member, but recently, as a friend who would asked about Kelly and sincerely wanted to know how she was doing with her treatments.  When I went to the store in June to choose a gift for a dear friend and Dana asked about Kelly, I could tell she was as upset as I was to tell her that she had passed away on May 14th. 

I don't know if many of you know about The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.  Since Kelly's diagnosis, I have contributed to this foundation in honor of Kelly, but now I will contribute in her memory.  My hope is that no other family should ever have to go through losing a daughter, a sister, a mother, an aunt, or even a friend to this disease, but sadly, nearly 200,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone, according to The American Cancer Society.  My optimism stays strong that one day we will beat this.  I promised Kelly that I would continue to support research in what ever way I can...yes, another promise.

A few weeks ago, I noticed on Facebook.com that Dana commented on doing chores in her beautiful Vera Bradley apron.  When I asked if they were in the store, her comment back to me was, "one is on it's way to you."  And, as promised, I received a beautiful apron in the mail almost the next day!  I think it's only appropriate to show off this beautiful gift.  After all, my blog is so named for the apron string my mother cut and gave to me when I was married...almost 42 years ago.

In doing research about aprons, I found some references to Biblical times; "Adam and Eve sewed together fig leaves to make aprons to cover themselves," although, we think of aprons associated with cooking or tasks that tend to be messy.  In the early 19th century, women wore aprons to keep their clothing clean or for transporting items like eggs or kindling wood.  However, it was not until the 1940s and 50s that society started thinking of wearing aprons as being stereotypical of "the perfect mother."  I loved watching my mother don her apron in the morning, ready for a day of cooking and chores.  It's a memory that I smile about today.  Over the last few years, aprons have made a stylish comeback and this one from Vera Bradley proves that.

So, today I donned my Vera Bradley apron and made a "Stone Fruit Slab Pie."  If you look back to a post in April for my father's birthday, I made Apple Slab Pie.  It's my portable pie idea for dessert when my husband attends ball games.  I had some peaches left over, but since I needed 8 cups of fruit, I ended up adding some dried apricots and even cherries to complete the measure.  Therefore, the idea of a Funky Fruit Dessert.

Stone Fruit Slab Pie

Pie dough 
Filling:
8 cups of fruit (I used 4 cups peaches, 2 cups dried apricots, 2 cups cherries)
1 cup sugar
2 T Instant Clear Jel or all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
Make the pie dough, as directed, cover with plastic and refrigerate as you prepare the fruit.  Peel and slice peaches and rough chop the dried apricots.

 I added cherries and combined the fruit to come up with 8 cups.  Add the sugar, instant clearjel or flour, nutmeg and almond extract.  Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, divide the dough into 2 (two) pieces.  Using a non-stick oil spray, spray a 10" x 15" sheet pan.  Roll out the bottom dough to fit the pan.  Arrange fruit on the dough evenly. 

 Roll out the top crust and place on top of the fruit.  Crimp the edges and make slits in the top to release steam and place in a preheated 375F-degree/convection oven. 

 Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and the juices are flowing.  During the last 7 minutes, place a small baking sheet with 1 cup of sliced almonds, in the oven to toast.  Let pie and almonds cool 15-20.  While the pie is cooling, mix up glaze: 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 2T unsalted butter, softened.  Add 2-3 T milk until you have a pourable consistency.  Pour on top of the pie, then sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Enjoy!

  Before closing, I want to add a quote that Dana shared on Facebook: "People will not always remember what you said.  They will not always remember what you did.  But they will always remember how you made them feel."  Dana, you gave me such memories of my mom and Kelly today while I baked.  Thank you dear friend for that feeling and the beautiful apron. xoxo

Jammin Breakfast Buns...and July's Give-Away

I know I'm a bit late in posting July's Give-Away, but I was trying to think of a special gift in remembrance of Kelly.  She loved gardening, as much as I do, and with all the beautiful flowers that summertime brings, I thought I would offer this framed "bouquet" from paper with a verse that Kelly held dear, although you can easily add a photograph surrounded by the flowers.  As a bonus (lol) I will "throw-in" a copy of my first book: Paper Garden~Summer Blooms.  As always, if you post a comment, your name is entered for the drawing I'll do on August 1st.

This morning also inspired me to come up with yet, another recipe, using jam, of course.  I love making these since I'd rather have something sweet in the morning than eggs.  The moist cake with a middle of your favorite jam is just the thing that will get you going.  I use "crumb-cake" papers, and that's what the baking time is based on, but you could easily do them in a muffin tin, I just think these look a little more elegant.

Jammin Breakfast Buns
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Vanilla Crush)
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk (1% or 2%)

1/2 - 2/3 cup jam (I've made these with raspberry, strawberry and blueberry, but use your favorite)
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees/convection or bake
In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Lower speed and add the sugar.  Mix well.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and nutmeg.   In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and use a hand whisk to mix well.  Switch to the paddle attachment (if you've been using a KitchenAid). Add the flour, alternately, with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Turn the mixer up to medium and combine well for 1 minute.  Use a one-third measure scoop for placing the batter into the crumb cake papers. 

Smooth the batter, then, use a 2-tsp. scoop to measure jam or just a heaping teaspoon to place the jam in the middle of the batter.

Use a dinner knife to "swirl" the jam into the batter, having the batter encase the jam.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes.  If you've used a muffin paper-lined tin, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden.  Let cool 10-15 minutes, then, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.  The cake is wonderfully moist and the warm filling is just the right touch.  Enjoy!

   

Jammin Good Time

I love summertime; all the fresh fruit means jam to me.  We have great farmers' markets here in Seattle, in fact, the Public Market, in downtown Seattle, is the oldest in the country.  This weekend, I chose blueberries and early peaches and in about two hours, I made 20-8oz. jars of jam--12 blueberry and 8 peach.  I imagined Kelly saying, "did you get carried away, again?  This isn't Little House on the Prairie, Mom!"   Well, in my defense, I do give most of it away, but then, if I want to make up Jam Tarts or Toaster Tarts, I have the filling!

Take advantage of summer's bounty and make jam.  Your family will be impressed and they do make wonderful gifts to dear friends and family.

equipment:
6 -8oz jars
large Dutch oven (I like LeCruset - it's enamel lined cast iron)
canning supplies

small sauce pan to sterilize rings & lids


Blueberry Jam

4 cups crushed blueberries
4 cups granulated sugar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. finely grated lemon zest
1 pkg. 1.75oz Sure~Jell powdered fruit pectin


Prepare jars.
Wash, dry and sort your blueberries.  I made two batches (12 jars) because I had over 3 pounds of blueberries.  

In a food processor, pulse the blueberries until a fine chop.  Measure the 4 cups of crushed berries.

In the Dutch oven, put the crushed blueberries, package of Sure~Jell, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter (helps cut down on the foam).  Bring to a boil, while stirring.  Add the sugar, all at once, and stir completely.  Bring to a boil, again, while stirring.  Set timer for 60 seconds when you have a boil that you can not stir down.  Turn off and ladle into the sterilized jars.  Add a lid and a ring and tighten.  Turn jar upside down.  Complete the rest of the jars.  
*Note:  Even though I made 12 jars, I still only made a batch at a time.  Do Not Double the Recipe!


 
Peach Jam

5 cups crushed peaches
6 cups sugar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 pkg.-1.75 oz. Sure~Jell fruit pectin


Wash, peel and pit the peaches.  Here's a tip: do yourself a favor and invest in a "tomato" peeler.  This peeler not only peels the skin of a tomato, without tearing, it's great for peaches.

I also have a peach corer/slicer, but then, I do tend to go overboard with gadgets and you can do that the "old-fashioned" way.  In the food processor, pulse the peaches to puree.  Measure out 5 cups of pureed fruit.  Add to the Dutch oven, along with, the lemon juice, almond extract, 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter and 1 package Sure~Jell fruit pectin.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Add the sugar, all at once, and stir completely.  Bring mixture back to a boil, stirring constantly.  When the boil is "hard" enough that you can't stir down, set timer for 60 seconds.  Turn off jam, ladle into sterilized jars, add a sterilized lid and ring and seal.  Turn upside down.


Test seals after ten minutes.  There should be no movement in the lid if sealed properly.  If you're still able to push it down and it springs up, turn the jar over again and retry after five minutes.  Any jars that don't seal, should be refrigerated.  

However, you can seal them in a water bath.  Place jars in a large pot with a rack on the bottom, cover jars with water, 1-inch over, cover and bring to a boil.  Maintain a low boil with the lid on for 10 minutes.  Your jars should seal.  Enjoy!

 

Easy Cheesy Flatbreat

About five years ago, Kelly emailed me a recipe she'd come across in the New York Times; No Knead Bread.  Skeptical at first, but I tried it and it has turned out to be one of my favorites.  It has a crunchy crust with a soft center that makes you think you've been to a La Boulangerie rather than your own kitchen.  So, when I received an email from King Arthur Flour for a "No Knead Garlic-Cheese Flatbread, I wasted no time trying it out.  Just reading the second step--"combine all of the ingredients except the cheese and garlic, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds" tells you this is going to be easy.

I made it this afternoon to go along with spaghetti, but it would be great with anything.  I actually froze eight pieces to have with a pot of chili the next time it rains!  The cheese can be cheddar (which I did), Monterey Jack, or any flavored favorite of yours.  It even gives you the option for the next day to cut it into 1/2-inch slices and bake them another 15-25 minutes for golden crunchy bread stick.  How great is this?  If you're having a soccer party tomorrow, this would be a great bread to accompany any entree.

No-Knead Garlic~Cheese Flatbread

DOUGH
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 T olive oil (plus additional for drizzling into the pan)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 pkg Instant Yeast
4 tsp. Pizza Dough Flavor (optional, but good) 

FILLING & TOPPING
2 cups diced cheese--cheddar, Monterey Jack, flavored cheddar, or your favorite
4 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Pizza Seasoning or your favorite dried herbs, to sprinkle on top

1) Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 T olive oil in the bottom.
2) Combine all of the ingredients except the cheese and garlic, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.  I used my KitchenAid and the paddle attachment.
3) Add the cheese and garlic, beating gently just to combine.

4) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it becomes puffy.

5) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375F-degrees.
6) Sprinkle the dough with pizza seasoning or your favorite dried herbs, if desired.

7) Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
8) Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
9) To make crunchy bread sticks: Cut day-old bread into 1/2" slices.  Lay the slices on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake them in a preheated oven 350F-degrees to 400F-degrees oven till they're light golden brown and crunchy, 15 to 25 minutes.  Keep your eye on them, as they brown quickly towards the end.  Yield: 12 to 18 servings of bread; or about 50- 6 1/2" bread sticks.  Enjoy!

Waka Waka

The World Cup finals are on Sunday--Spain vs. Netherlands.  We've all gotten caught up in the excitement, even my grandson, Ari has been practicing his penalty kicks!  Waka Waka!

I decided to bake cookies, representing these countries, in their honor.  It didn't take me long to choose the cookie from the Netherlands because I have baked these several times, especially at Christmas.  Speculaas is a spice cookie that good children get in a bowl or shoe on December 6th~St. Nicholas Day.  I have two speculatius molds that were given to me by a friend I worked with in Connecticut.  Rie was from the Netherlands and because I loved to bake, she wanted me to know how to make these cookies, properly.

Coming up with a cookie from Spain was a little more difficult, but hopefully my choice of Polvorones represents the sweetness of the country and people.  Surprisingly, both recipes share ground almonds as an ingredient. So, choose your cookie and enjoy the game; we will!

Speculaas

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup finely ground almonds*
1 T plus 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. baking soda

Vegetable oil and cornstarch (or flour) for molds

In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Add lemon zest and spices and beat until combined.  Mix flour and ground almonds together.  Add half of the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Stir in the remaining flour/almond mixture  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or up to 2 days, if needed. 
*Grind blanched almonds in the food processor, being careful not to turn it into butter.

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Prepare wooden molds by lightly brushing with vegetable oil then, lightly sprinkle with cornstarch or flour.  Tap out the excess.  Pull off a piece of dough, large enough to fill the mold, and press the dough into the shape. Fill in completely all the areas and press down to remove any air spaces.  To remove the cookie, hold it upside down and tap it repeatedly and sharply against a hard surface until the cookie loosens.  Space the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Bake 10-15 minutes, or until they are brown around the edges.  You may have to turn the cookie pan, half way through baking to get even browning.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer.

Polvorones

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Additional Confectioners' Sugar for dusting


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  On a baking sheet, measure out the flour and ground almonds and fold together.  Bake in the oven 6-8 minutes, stirring mixture half way through for even toasting.  Let cool.
Meanwhile, in the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the cinnamon and mix to combine.  Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir flour/almond mixture into the butter/sugar.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  I place the dough on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and used a piece of wax paper on top to roll the dough to 1/2-inch thick.

Use a 3-inch cutter to cut shapes, then, remove the excess dough.  I used a flat, metal spatula to arrange cookies on the sheet.  This recipe made 12 - 3-inch cookies.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.
Dust tops with additional confectioners' sugar.  Enjoy!

  Ari's contemplating playing in the World Cup in 2026!  Waka, Waka!!

 

Spiced Cherry Tea Cake

I started baking very early this morning...temperatures threatening to hit the 90s and even I won't turn on the oven to heat up a non-air conditioned house!  I was still thinking how my mother would "stretch" ingredients (Ham & Egg Pie) and remembered I had some left over cherries that I didn't use in the pie I made for the 4th of July.  I wasn't quite sure what to bake, but I let the cherries do the talking!!

They said, "We like spices to enhance our flavor," so I thought about my favorites and blended cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamon, of course.  I pitted the cherries, then, coarsely chopped them, and found I had one-and-half cups.  Perfect.

Whenever I bake something with fruit, I have a great tip to pass along.  Add some dried fruit to help balance the juices that will be extracted during baking, from the fresh fruit.  For instance, today I added 1/2 cup dried cherries to 1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries.  It seems to act as a stabilizer for the recipe.  I especially like this trick when I make blueberry muffins that can have a tendency to fall apart because they're too moist.

Spiced Cherry Tea Cake

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried sour cherries

1/2 cup-3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Use a non-stick spray to prepare pans.  I used a paper tube pan since I was giving one as a gift, but you could easily bake this in a 9" x 5" loaf pan or 10-cup bundt pan.  In the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemony.

 Add the spices and mix well.  Pour the melted butter into the batter and combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add to the batter along with the sour cream and mix well, but don't over beat.  Fold in the cherries (fresh and dried) and pour into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle top with the sliced almonds.  If using the paper mold, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes.  I ended up lowering the oven temperature to 325F-degrees to finish the time so the top wouldn't get too dark.  Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before unmolding.  And, if you're wrapping it up as a gift, let cool completely.

As you can tell, it rose beautifully and the almonds have that golden, toasted look.  The aroma of the spices filled the kitchen and I thought I felt a cool breeze outside.  Enjoy!

Spinach/Leek Egg Pie

We finally have sunshine and temperatures hitting 80-degrees in Seattle and I thought, "what could I make that is easy, yet filling?" Tonight I made a "vegetarian" version to the Ham & Egg Pie my mother use to make.  I've never seen a recipe, in any cookbook, and I can only imagine that necessity was her creativity.  She had just a few slices of ham left and needed to stretch it to feed all of us (8 children!)

At first glance, you might think this is a quiche, but it's not.  Whereas, a quiche has a more "custard-like" consistency, egg pie is dense.  The main difference lies in the proportion of cream and eggs, but, with a closer look, you'll also discover, egg pie has a top crust.  These subtle differences will make this dish one you'll family will like as much as we did.  The fun thing is that you can substitute your favorite ingredients as long as you keep the right egg/cream mixture.  Try chard or broccoli, Gruyere cheese or a Smoked Gouda, and I think mushrooms are always good, except my husband doesn't like them!  Finally, adding a salad makes this a balanced meal for your family, whether it's summer, fall, winter or spring.


Spinach/Leek Egg Pie

2 pie dough disks

9 or 10-inch pie dish

1 - 10oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
2 large leeks
7 large eggs
1/2 cup Half & Half
1 cup cheddar cheese (or a mixture of your favorite)
2 T chopped chives
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.
Using a chef knife, cut the root end off the leek, then, cut off the green end.  I cut the leeks in half so I can really wash between the layers.  Leeks can be loaded with dirt by the nature from which they grow.

 
Saute in a large frying pan that you have heated 3 T olive oil in over medium heat.  Sweat the leeks until translucent. 

Meanwhile, remove the spinach packaging  and in just the box, heat in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.  Add the spinach to the leeks and continue to cook until all the "moisture" from the spinach has evaporated.  Set aside to cool.

Take out your dough from the refrigerator and roll out the bottom crust.  Fit it to the pie dish, allowing for excess dough to overhang.  Sprinkle the bottom with the 2 T. chives, salt and pepper and half the cheese. Set aside.

In a 4-cup mixing bowl, whisk the 7 large eggs.  The measurement should be about 1 1/2 cups.  Add Half & Half to come up to the 2 cup measure.

Arrange the cooled spinach/leek mixture over the cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the spinach/leek mixture.  Sprinkle with additional cheese.


Roll out the top pie dough and place it over the above.   Crimp edges and make slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a baking sheet and place in the oven.  Set timer for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 375F-degrees and continue to Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a paring knife comes out clean when stuck into the center.  Enjoy!

Mama Needs Chocolate!

Have you ever had one of those days?  Well, mine has been one of those years!  However, one lesson I learned from my mother was...chocolate always makes it better or at least tolerable.  My mom loved chocolate and I remember when I gave her the first box of Godiva chocolates for her birthday.  She said she hid them in her bedroom and allowed herself one a day so they would last longer.  My family will attest to my chocolate stashes; what can I say, it's in the genes.

Today, I thought about creating a chocolate cookie to satisfy even the worse days.  I looked through my pantry and pulled out bittersweet, German's, unsweetened, semi-sweet, and white chocolate; pretty much every kind I had.  Although, my purest daughter, Erin, would argue that white chocolate is not chocolate...and she would be right.  I also decided to add some nuts, toasted to bring out their essence.  Now, all I had to do is add butter, sugar and some flour and voila!

I bit into the cookie and have decided it's a perfect chocolate cookie for those days, weeks, months, or even years you'd rather forget.

Oh! So Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup unsalted butter
5.3 oz. (Green & Black's Organic) 72% Bittersweet Chocolate bar, chopped
2.25 oz. German's Chocolate, chopped
2 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
In a double boiler, melt the above ingredients and set aside to cool.
 

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Toast pecans (approx. 1 1/2 cups) for 8 minutes or until golden and you begin to smell the aroma.


Coarsely chop.  Measure (after you've chopped them) 1 cup of pecans.

4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar

In a KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemony.

1 T Vanilla Extract

2 tsp. Espresso Powder

Add the extract and espresso powder and mix well.  Add the cooled melted chocolate and combine thoroughly. 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, using a spatula to combine.  Fold in nuts and additional chips.  I used:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chunks

The "dough" resembles more a batter, but don't put in the refrigerator.  Set aside for 20 minutes while the chocolate sets.  When batter has set-up, use a 1/4-cup-size-scoop for cookie size. Place on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until tops are set and shiny.  

Find yourself a quiet corner, grab a couple of cookies and just relax.  Enjoy!