Cooking is Medicine

New Beginnings

2009-07-03T21:03:00.005-05:00

I have officially written my first order (and many more) and signed it with an M.D. behind it...that means my order is official, no one has to sign behind me. My first day on the job was Wednesday and I had the privilege of being the intern on call that night...meaning that I got to work at 7:30 and left at 1:30 the next day, all with 1.5 hours of non-consecutive sleep and dinner at 1:30 am! It sounds horrible but I guess it's not that bad. I'm doing what I love (really!) and I guess your adrenaline gets going and you're able to do it. By 1:30 I wasn't even really hungry but I had already ALMOST made a mistake in an order and knew my brain and body needed fuel. After that 30 hours on you just come home take a nap, wake up do about one thing productive, eat, and go back to sleep! Today I took another nap and feel great...I do it all again on Sunday!

Just as I did when a medical student, I will be trying to take on-call snacks...so be on the look out. AND if you have any ideas for a good treat for young docs up all night, let me know...I'll pick some to try and then post about them here! In honor of my new step in life, I decided to let you in on a new peanut butter cookie recipe that I came up with. It ended up having a kind of sandy (as in pecan sandy) texture...which I like. The cinnamon chips add a different dimension and the peanut butter chips heighten the peanut butter flavor. I don't really think that chocolate chips taste quite right in these (it's just not the same) but if you can't find cinnamon chips (Hersey's makes them) then either increase the peanut butter chips or add you choice of chips. Cinnamon Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
1 stick butter/margarine
1 cup PB
½ cup turbinado sugar (this gives it a little crunch and texture...SO good!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour (I used the King Arthur white whole wheat...a little less grainy in cookies OR use whole wheat pastry flour)
½ cup AP flour (or cake flour…I used White Lily)
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup cinnamon chips
½ cup peanut butter chips

Preheat over to 350. Cream butter and peanut butter together. When light, add sugars. Mix. When well incorporated, add egg. When this is well mixed add the dry ingredients. Mix. Stir in chips. Place on baking stones or sheet in tablespoon sized scoops. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until done. After removing from oven, "tap" slightly with the back of a spoon or cookie scoop to SLIGHTLY flatten.

A History Lesson

2009-06-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

History was NOT my favorite subject in school; in fact, I don't really like it that much...but my favorite teacher was my AP US History teacher. This month's challenge came with a history lesson, and I must admit that I didn't read it all! However, I will give you a little of the background.

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England. This tart, like many of the world's great foods has its own mythic beginnings…or several mythic beginnings. Legend has it in 1820 (or was it in the 1860s?) Mrs. Greaves, landlady of The White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire (England), asked her cook to produce a pudding for her guests. Either her instructions could have been clearer or he should have paid better attention to what she said because what he made was not what she asked for. The cook spread the jam on top of the frangipane mixture rather than the other way around. Or maybe instead of a sweet rich shortcrust pastry case to hold the jam for a strawberry tart, he made a regular pastry and mixed the eggs and sugar separately and poured that over the jam—it depends upon which legend you follow. Regardless of which story you believe, the diners loved it and an ensuing pastry-clad industry was born. The town of Bakewell has since played host to many a sweet tooth in hopes of tasting the tart in its natural setting. I always like when I can share my Daring Baker challenges with my family. For the second month in a row I got to do that as I went home, probably for the last time until Thanksgiving, for Father's Day. Since it was Father's Day I wanted to use flavors my dad chose...of course, he said he'd eat whatever I made, so I just made good suggestions! ;-) At first I was going to do half Nutella and half raspberry but we decided to do both on the whole pie (NOTE: I did Nutella to please my brother...who ended up not eating it because he "doesn't eat" nuts. Oh well.). I love the way the chocolate and raspberry looks in the crust...I could have just eaten the pie like that without the frangipane. I put the pie in the oven while we watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (which is SO sad!). When my timer went off I immediately took the pie out and didn't even think to check it because the crust and top was SO brown. WELL, fastforward to Sunday after lunch. I cut into the pie and it's quite soupy. Ugh! So, I put it back into the oven for probably 10-15 minutes. It did firm up and cook but I still don't think it was quite like it should have been. My dad really enjoyed it. His comment was that it was rich but really good. He loved the raspberries. I liked the raspberries but was a little disappointed with the texture of the frangipane. I ground my own almonds and didn't have a food processor...I was using my mom's "Oscar." It just didn't quite get as fine as I would have liked and left more of a nut texture that I thought it should have had. Overall this was a yummy dessert. I had never heard of it before and am glad that I've tried it. If you want to see more challenge results go here.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional - I didn't use)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (I didn't use this)
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Summer Muffins

2009-06-18T21:17:00.006-05:00

My favorite flowers, unfortunately, are tulips! I say unfortunately because I can't seem to get fresh tulips to last longer than two days, which makes me sad. Anyway, when I was in Hobby Lobby several months back I found a tulip cookie cutter that I thought was too cute...so I bought it! I haven't made any cookies with it, but a few weeks after that I found this muffin recipe at Jenny's site. It sounded good to me but I wanted to do something different. Hmmm...so instead to making muffins, I cooked this in two 8X8 pans and cut them out with my tulip cookie cutter. They turned out cute and VERY tasty! They are nice and moist without being mushy. They are the perfect summer muffins because of the berries...which are pretty inexpensive (at least in MS) right now. Jenny put a glaze on hers, which I know would be delicious...what isn't good with a glaze!? Peanut Butter and Berry Flowers adapted from Picky Palate
1/2 Cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup oatmeal
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 mashed banana
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 Cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
6 oz berries - I used blackberries and strawberries (be careful with strawberries because they will add extra moisture)

Glaze (optional)
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place both flours, oatmeal, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the banana, peanut butter, buttermilk and butter until smooth. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Slowly stir in berries. Spoon batter into greased 8X8 pans (2) or muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center (be sure to check...I'm unsure of the actual time I cooked these). Let cool completely. Remove from pans and use whatever cookie cutter you want to use (or just cut into squares) to cut into individual pieces. If making glaze, whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Dip each piece into glaze and let dry.

April Fools!

2009-06-16T21:42:00.004-05:00

Oh wait...it's not April, it's June! Oh, well! Before we start....WARNING: This is NOT a cookie post!! I seem to find that my comments (not that there are that many to start with) drop off when I post a "real food" recipe. Well, I still must do it. In fact, I have some yummy "real food" things coming up, so just get ready! Now, I'm not a big fan of mashed potatoes. Just not what I would choose. I think they taste a little dry to me. I don't know! Anyway...sometimes, though, you just need that little mound of white, soft goodness. So, what to do? Make mashed cauliflower! Yep! It really works. I have seen this in several different places and was a little skeptical about it but decided to try it anyway. SO good! The key to this is pureeing ("mashing") the cauliflower for long enough and seasoning it well. I've made this three times and this last time was the best! I used sea salt and vegetable broth this time. I don't know which made the difference but it was delicious! It even tastes like mashed potatoes...though there is a bit of a different flavor, it's not overwhelmingly cauliflower. Try it sometime! Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, steamed until soft
seasonings: I used sea salt
broth (I used vegetable...you could use cream if you wanted to)

When the cauliflower is steamed, place it in a food processor. Turn the processor on. When the cauliflower "gets stuck," open the food processor and move the pieces around so that the blades can reach the big pieces. Once it starts to appear "mashed" add the seasonings and start adding the broth (or liquid of your choice). Keep adding until it reaches the desired consistency. You may have to open and reposition the cauliflower several times. Serve alongside anything you'd serve with mashed potatoes. You can even top with cheese. Mmmm!

Toffee Taste without the Toffee Tug

2009-06-12T14:12:00.005-05:00

This past weekend my mom's family had our reunion. It's always fun and we are currently adding new members just about every year. My cousin's little boy has autism as well as some food allergies, so his diet is limited. Friday night she decided to make a meal for all of us that he could it. It was pretty good...taquitos, guacamole, and salad. On Saturday we usually grill out. However, everyone is responsible to bring a sweet and salty snack to share. I took hummus for my salty along with carrots and broccoli. I actually took two sweet snacks...puppy chow, just like Cate made last week, and a yummy new recipe from Peabody. When I saw the recipe I wondered why she had called them toffee bars. There wasn't any toffee in there. Nope...none of that crunchy, tooth tugging, cavity forming goodness. Hmmm...WELL! When I tasted it, I knew why. It TASTED like toffee. So good. I thought it tasted better cold (as I tasted it after pulling it out of the freezer). So, if you love toffee but have braces or TMJ issues or don't want to damage your dental work...or if you just love toffee, give these a try! So good!
Brown Sugar Toffee Bars adapted from Peabody

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup semiweet chocolate chips
3 ounces almonds, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray baking spray in a 9-x-13-inch pan. Beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and beat on medium high until fully incorporated. Turn mixer to low speed and mix in flours and salt. Press dough into prepared pan. It is a bit thin but will cover the pan easily. Bake until shortbread is brown, firm at edges and slightly soft in center, about 30 minutes.

Take shortbread out of oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the shortbread. Place back in oven for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and using a spatula, spread the chocolate out evenly over the shortbread. Sprinkle the almond pieces on top of the chocolate. Let cool. Place in freezer for 10 minutes (helps with the cutting). Cut into rectangles about the size of graham cracker rectangles (the smallest size of the graham cracker).

Get This Outa My House!

2009-06-09T12:12:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, I just get where I want to bake something. I have no reason to bake and I don't have family nearby, so I'm not baking for my husband or children (or parents). But when the baking bug hits, sometimes you just have to do it! So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try a new recipe from Baking Blonde. For some reason, I think that recipes that use sweetened condensed milk are fun. So, when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it...plus, it has peanut butter and oatmeal! I used crunchy peanut butter and LOVED the way the nuts felt and added to the flavor, it was really toasty tasting. Also, I ran out of oatmeal, so I added some wheat bran to cover for that. This also added to the nutty taste. These bars were REALLY good! That's why I had to "get this outa my house." I ended up taking the bars to a pediatric department picnic. They were all eaten except for one bar...good job everyone! Apparently, I have been deemed the cooking resident! I'll take it. :-)

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Dream Bars adapted from Bakingblonde

1 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups Quick Cooking oatmeal (NOT instant)
1/2 cup wheat bran

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup peanut butter (calls for 1/2 cup but 1/3 is what I had)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup peanut butter chips
2/3 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil (or wax paper) and spray lighlty with PAM.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, soda, oatmeal, flour & salt until it’s crumbly (mine wasn't crumbly...maybe the lack of oatmeal had something to do with that). Set aside about 1 cup or a little more. Press the rest of the crust into prepared pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes.

While crust is cooking, in a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk. Once crust has baked, evenly pour and spread peanut butter filling over the baked crust. Be gentle so you don’t pull up the warm crust while you spread the filling. Evenly sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top of the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle the chips evenly over the top. Return to oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until topping is light golden brown and candy bars/chips are melting. Cool. Enjoy!

So Corny!

2009-06-03T19:21:00.006-05:00

They say you learn everything from your parents. In general, you usually look like your parents. You probably talk a lot like your parents. Your humor...in my case, unfortunately...from your parents! You see, my dad's sense of humor is quite, shall we say, corny! Lots of puns, which can go on for many, many minutes! And because I got this sense of humor, my jokes are often corny or not understood. For instance, though you might get this because it involves a knowledge of food: What happened when the nurse accidentally gave the little boy a borscht infusion? Wait for it, wait for it....I said wait for it! Anyway, you also tend to get eating habits from your parents. When I was growing up, we had a typical Saturday lunch...peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with fritos and salsa. Sometimes we'd have banana, sometimes carrot sticks (okay, rarely carrot stick). My dad's favorite chip is the frito. So, when I saw these cookies, I really wanted to try them. I had seen them on Oatmeal Cookie Guy's site and then, the recipe I actually used, on Anna's site. They have lots of stuff in them and you can really customize them for what you want or have on hand. Unfortunately, I don't keep any of the chips on hand, so I had to purchase them specifically for this. I used fritos and pretzel sticks. (You can see both in this picture) These were good though I think it would have been better to use regular pretzels or the potato chips. My dad liked them but said he couldn't taste the fritos much. I think it was kind of fun to be eating the cookie and then all of a sudden get the "essence" of frito. Kind of made you stop and think...and I don't think much when I'm eating a cookie...unless I'm in a meeting, like I was today. But that's beside the point, mine got a bit dry more quickly than I like...but were still a good and fun cookie. Try them out sometime. Oh, and the answer to my joke..."his heart skipped a BEET!" :-) (That came from last one of our chief residents from last year, Maggie.) Compost Cookies adapted from Oatmeal Cookie Guy

1 1/2 sticks butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup flour

1 cup roughly crushed pretzels

1 cup roughly crushed Fritos

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and mix until well incorporate. In a large mixing bowl, stir the dry ingredients (including baking chips) together. Slowly mix the dry ingredients in with the creamed mixture. Mix until evenly combined. Shape dough into ball or use a cookie scoop to scoop onto a pan. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on baking stone or cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Dangerous Layers

2009-05-30T16:12:00.004-05:00

When summer begins it gets kind of sad in the college department. Most of the students are either home for the summer or doing summer missions somewhere. However, we do have some people who stick around for summer school or come home from other colleges. So, a few weeks ago we had a summer kick-off grill out. The church provided the hamburgers, etc but teachers we asked to bring dessert. I knew that there would be chocolate chip cookies and brownies, so I decided to take something a bit different. There was a brownie that I have had before that is kind of a rocky road brownie but it has a chocolate base. Well, I found this slightly different recipe on Peabody's site (for full recipe, click on the word recipe) and combined the top of that with the browned butter blondies from cooking light. Turned out great! First off, the blondies don't EVEN taste like they come from CL. The browned butter really deepens the flavor. They combined perfectly with the peanutbutter, chocolate, marshmallow topping. PLEASE, just be sure that you label these are having peanut butter. I walked in from somewhere else and found one of the ladies checking her son's stomach...he's allergic and had taken a bite of these! He was fine, benadryl allergy fixed it. I felt horrible but she said they knew there was peanut butter b/c they smelled it, just didn't realize what it was in. Yikes! SO glad I didn't have to pull out my doctor's bag...they had an Epi-Pen Jr. in case it was needed. Despite that, these are a great treat and I recommend them!

Butterscotch Blondies

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup egg substitute
Cooking spray

Topping Ingredients (from Peabody):
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Place butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Pour into a small bowl, and cool for 10 minutes. Combine butter and egg substitute, stirring with a whisk. Pour butter mixture over flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; smooth top with spatula. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serving size - 2 squares (1/24 of recipe) Calories:170 (without topping)

Remove the blondies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.
While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted (or melt all in the microwave using 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between...that's what I did). Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.
Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3×3-inch bars.

Simply Strudel

2009-05-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

I always get excited when I know that I'll have people to share my Daring Baker challenges with. This month, I was able to share the strudel with my family when they came for my graduation! The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers. After we went to lunch on Friday, I came back to my apartment and quickly put together a little dessert strudel while some of my family ran errands. I made the dough the night before and let it sit overnight as was suggested on one of the forums. One thing that frustrated me about the dough was the stickiness of it. The instructions say to knead it for 10-15 minutes...well, I couldn't knead it at all it was so sticky. However, I didn't want to put too much flour in it, so I quit kneading. Don't think it hurt the dough. When it came to stretching the dough, I split it into two pieces because I didn't have enough room to do it in one big piece. Surprisingly, it stretched fairly easily; though, I did have a hard time getting the dough on the edge to be thin, which resulted in thick pieces on the end. For the filling, I used what I had available...strawberries and chocolate. I simply sprinkled cinnamon on the dough after spreading some butter over it. I used oatmeal instead of bread crumbs...because I didn't have bread crumbs! Then I just put defrosted TN strawberries and chocolate chips on the dough and rolled. I think that was my favorite part...rolling! Unfortunately, the juices from the strawberries seeped out of the strudel. I did put too much chocolate in the pastry, which my dad commented on..."Next time it needs more fruit and less chocolate" and my brother responded with, "Fruit, what fruit" (knowing full well there were strawberries in there!). For the other half of the dough I scrambled some eggs, crisped some bacon, and tossed it all together with some cheese. The pastry for this one was a bit tough and the eggs got a little tough as well...I'm sure this is from being cooked twice. Probably would have been better to undercook the eggs a little first and then bake it. Overall, both of these were very good! The dough was easy to make (surprisingly) and was fun to put together. If I made this again, I think that I would like to try a spanikopita-like filling with spinach and feta or maybe roasted veggies with feta. Yum! Thanks for a great challenge, Linda and Courtney. Check out more results here. Here is the recipe for the dough and the instructions on how to fill. I'm not posting the apple filling since that's not what I used.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

5. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described above. Spread about 3 tablespoons (I used about 2) of melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with bread crumbs. Spread the filling about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Dr. Claire

2009-05-24T21:27:00.015-05:00

This past Thursday, my family came into town to attend my long coat ceremony. For four years I've been wearing the well known short coat of a medical student. It's one of the ways they distinguish us from the residents and attendings. So, this ceremony is a pretty exciting time! It's when we finally get that coat...with our names embroidered above the pocket with that all important "M.D." following it! (Yes, mine will have to be tailored!) I had a great time, even though my best friend and I were at mirror image tables (i.e., ALL the way across the banquet hall from each other at the same table). The food left something to be desired. The salad was your typical iceberg with feta/bleu cheese (not sure which), bacon, and (depending on your bowl...mine had none!) tomatoes. For the entree we had chicken cordon bleu (not stuffed but with ham melted to the chicken by cheese), about half of a red potato, and squash. Dessert was either carrot cake (which was pretty good) or chocolate cake (which was SOOO rich...I barely had a taste). Despite the lack of exceptional food (it was hotel food) it was a wonderful evening. One of the best times was when they had all of us stand up after receiving our long coats. It really hit me then that my class had done it, we were all doctors! Pretty cool! The next day was my official graduation. We had to get there an hour and a half before it started (WHY? Please, tell me why!) and then sit through all the other schools being announced as the medical school was next to last. However, then we were all hooded with the lovely green that designates a medical doctor. Do I feel different? Not really, until someone calls me Dr. Claire...then it's kind of weird. After graduation we went to a new restaurant called Mint. It was a cute little southern place with sandwiches and seafood. The food was pretty good outside of the french fries. I got a portabello sandwich. I enjoyed it but there was just a bit too much goat cheese for me. Daddy had the shrimp po-boy. The shrimp was brought in that day and hand breaded in the restaurant, so I'm sure it was great. Mama had the roasted chicken quesadilla with watermelon salsa. I didn't get much feedback on that one but I think it was pretty good (not as good as Daddy's crawfish quesadilla the next night!). Philip got the butter burger with fried pickles on it. He ate it all, so I'm sure it was good. Finally, Aunt Betty, who came all the way from Houston to see me graduate, had the green plate special (b/c of Mint) which was roast beef, greens, and Hoppin' John salad. She seemed to like the salad part the best. Cute place...I'd try it again sometime. It was a GREAT weekend and now my blog address is TRUE! Cookie DOC! :-)

Changing Seasons

2009-05-18T15:45:00.006-05:00

This is the big week...the week I graduate!!!! On Thursday, we have our long coat ceremony, where we transition from our short white coats (a clear sign of a medical STUDENT) to our long coats, which indicate DOCTOR! I bought a new dress for it today and am so excited. Then, on Friday, I will officially graduate! Lots of things to celebrate...and then lots of changes. I'll be super busy with residency, trying to become a proficient and good pediatrician. I know I'll need a break from the kiddos and will make time to do things with friends, but it will become even tougher than it is now. I've been trying to get a certain group of friends together since at least New Years. Well, we finally got together the other day. They all took a break from studying for USMLE Step exams to come enjoy some food and fellowship. We had chicken breast supreme, zucchini, rice, and rolls. I knew they wouldn't require a dessert but I wanted to make a little something. So, I found this recipe on Anna's site. These brownies looked wonderful but wanted to make them bite sized; so, instead of baking in a pan, I baked in my mini-muffin tin. They turned out great...not overly chocolaty but moist and with that delicious crumbly crust on the outside. I provided Starbuck's Carmel Macchiato ice cream to go with it (only one person took me up on that offer). It was the perfect mini-dessert to end the evening with friends.

Julia’s Best-Ever Brownies adapted

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (5 oz/145 grams) — measure after sifting
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (228 grams) unsalted butter
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups (380 grams) sugar (divided use)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the sifted flour and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium-low heat (or in the microwave like I did). When melted, reduce heat to low and add chopped chocolate, stirring often until it melts. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for about half a minute. Remove pan from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla.

Whisk the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs in a second bowl – Whisk only until combined – don’t over-beat (I hand wisked!). Gradually pour half of the sugar/egg mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, stirring gently so that eggs don’t set from the heat of the chocolate mixture.

Using a hand-held mixer (or your own arm power...this is what I did!), beat the remaining sugar/egg mixture on high speed until it becomes pale and thick (it should double in volume).

Carefully fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Using a small cookie scooper, scoop the batter into a pre-greased mini-muffin pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes. (mine took a bit longer than this.) Remove and let cool slightly before removing from pan (I tried too early as I was in a hurry and some of them fell apart). The cooking temp and times are courtesy of Peabody. I got 48 mini-brownies!

Healthy Cookies!

2009-05-12T15:51:00.006-05:00

A healthy cookie? Don't we all wish there was one that existed? Sure, there are those cookies that are healthy but they don't really taste like a cookie. They're often tough and just plain bland. Well, I have come across a cookie that I think is as healthy of a delectable cookies you're going to get! Katrina even says it's her FAVORITE cookie! I made it when I was on my ENT (otolaryngology) rotation, and everyone liked it. The resident on that month even guessed the main contents. The scene proceeded like this: The resident walks in the room and immediately spies the bag of cookies on the counter. "Ooo...cookies. Who brought cookies?" I smile and raise my hand. "Mmm...gotta try one. (takes a bite) Mmm...banana?" I nod. "Peanut butter?" I nod. "Those are my favorite. Thanks! This is gonna be my lunch (as he had clinic that morning and went to an unexpected surgery that afternoon)." Now, how can a cookie be healthy you might ask. Well, this cookies DOES have sugar in it....BUT not nearly as much as you would think. The only fat is from the peanut butter. So, no butter, no margarine, no trans fat...just the healthy nut fats. It gets some GREAT moisture from the banana. Additionally, the flour is whole wheat. It does have a bit of a whole wheat taste, but it's not so much that you don't want to eat it...and I think it actually provides a good texture for the cookie. The first time I made these I used Reese's to add a little; the second time I used mini chocolate chips. The Reese's are MUCH better!Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies from Picky Palate through Baking and Boys
1/2 cup mashed rip banana (I used 2 small)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 medium egg (1/2 large egg beaten or 2 tablespoons of Egg Beaters - I think I just used a whole egg)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (the whole wheat white or pastry flour makes a more tender cookie, or use AP flour but you must use 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 regular sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped (I used 14 mini cups, chopped)
1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling (I used sugar in the raw...adds great texture)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together in bowl of electric mixer the mashed banana and the sugars. Mix in vanilla, egg and peanut butter to combine.Add the combined flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped peanut butter cups. Don't over mix. Scoop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls and roll in sugar. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down the cookies to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

O-reo, reoo-oh!

2009-05-07T22:17:00.007-05:00

In my children's choir, we have what we call the bean jar. If you fill the bean jar, you get a party. How do you fill the bean jar? Well, be quiet, listen well, sing well...all that fun stuff. How do you lose beans? Talk to loudly, move too much, annoy the teachers...also fun stuff. For first graders, it is a very good way to help with/control behavior. However, it's really no surprise as to WHEN the parties actually occur. We plan the dates in advance and just put bean in accordingly, so that the bean jar happens to be full on the day of the party (I don't think even Glenda the Good Witch could plan it better than that!). Well, we filled our bean jar a couple of weeks ago and I signed up to bring cookies or cupcakes. Well, I wanted something fun so I went in search of a recipe for oreo cupcakes. I was in an ambitious mood and wanted to make these from scratch. THAT took a while to find. I kept finding these WONDERFUL looking recipes, but they used cake mixes...not that I have an issue with using a cake mix, but I wasn't in the mood. Finally, I found this recipe at Baking Bites. It turned out really good and would have been even better if I hadn't forgotten to set a second timer after I checked the first time! My cupcakes ended up being more like frosted muffins...I still think the kids liked them. At first I was afraid there wouldn't be enough frosting, but there was plenty, even extra. This is an extremely sweet buttercream, unlike the buttercream I dislike that is like eating butter. However, when I first tasted it I could just FEEL my teeth rotting! It was just bitingly sweet...but SO good. I would still probably cut down on the sugar just a bit. One of the good things about the icing is that it firms up nicely. I even used the top cookie to pull the cupcake out of the holder and it held. I would definitely recommend these cupcakes...the kids liked them and some of my friends in adult choir did, too!
Oreo Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup milk (skim is fine)
1 1/4 cups crushed oreo cookies (10-12 cookies) - I used reduced fat and it worked fine.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract, then beat in the egg whites one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Working in 4 or 5 additions, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the sugar mixture. Keep the mixer on low speed while you do this. When just combined, stir in the crushed oreos. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick comes out clean (a few chocolate cookie crumbs are fine, but not batter).

Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Store in an airtight container if not serving the same day.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with frosting using a butter knife or offset spatula. Add as much or as little frosting as desired. If making oreo cupcakes, garnish with additional chunks of Oreo.

In Remembrance

2009-05-04T18:59:00.004-05:00

Do you remember when there was an event hosted by Cate called ARF-Tuesdays? That post was SO good for me as it forced me to make something each week that was healthy and had antioxidants or lots of veggies/fruit. Now, I do this weekly but tend to do the same thing over and over! So, Cate's even made me try something NEW. Why in remembrance? Because this yummy salad is FULL of great antioxidants! Well, when my Sunday School had an Easter lunch, I decided to take a yummy salad as I knew that most things there would be casseroles. Now, I love broccoli salads, both the yummy mayo-based one and the great marinated one. However, both of these have their own down-sides. The mayo-based one is obvious...LOTS of mayonaisse! The marinated one uses about 1 cup of oil and TWO cups of sugar! I'm just not willing to do that, though I know it is SO good. So, I found one that was better and modified it a bit...turned out GREAT! One of the other teachers, before she knew it was my salad, commented that it was her favorite part of the meal. I've since made it again for my brother's graduation (with dessert recipe to come!)...of course none of the men at it but the ladies enjoyed it! And me, I'm enjoying the leftovers!!! Broccoli Salad
2 hearts of romaine (you could probably use three), chopped
2-3 small heads (one of the packs offered at Kroger) of broccoli, cut into florettes
5 green onions, sliced
2 handfuls of craisins (or more...put what you want!)
3/4 cup walnuts, would be best toasted and cut into quarters
Ramen noodles, crumbled (optional...I didn't use)

Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
2-4 T oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or cider vinegar)

Directions: Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl with a lid. In a small bowl put the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the salad, cap the bowl with the lid, and have some fun shaking it!

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane...

2009-05-01T12:59:00.006-05:00

But only if they serve these cookies! This past semester I started working in the college Sunday School at my church. It has been a lot of fun remembering how college was...I forgot how LOUD college girls are! :-) Anyway, a few weeks ago, the college choir led in worship and we decided to have a pizza party afterwards. The adult choir (which I'm also a part of) was asked to bring desserts for the students. So, I took it as an opportunity to try a new cookie recipe. I had seen these on Katrina's site earlier and even tried to make them until I realized I didn't have any nuts. This time, the nuts were available. One of the things that makes these particularly special is that they not only have chopped nuts added at the end but FINELY chopped nuts added in with the flour. This really gives the cookie a nice texture and flavor. I think this is one of the best oatmeal cookies I've made...will definitely make them again. Another intersting fact about them...the recipe came from an Alaskan airlines pilot (thus, the title of the post)!
Alaska Airlines Pilot Oatmeal Cookies, adapted

2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, toasted, crushed finely
2 cups walnuts, toasted, barely chopped
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup Hershey's cinnamon chips
1 cup Hershey's Premier White Baking Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, finely chopped nuts, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix together. Add oats, coarsely chopped nuts and any other mix-ins and stir to combine. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 11 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Wwwwwwhat's Up Doc!?

2009-04-27T00:15:00.000-05:00

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.Well, almost! The next time I post a Daring Bakers' Challenge, I will be a doctor...cookie doc will be a doc. AMAZING! Really, the reason I used that as the title is the addition to my cheesecake. Can you guess what it is? I haven't been able to go home for Easter for the past three years, and the past two years have not spent it with my family. However, this year, I am teaching college Sunday School and we hosted a pot luck lunch for the students who couldn't go home; so, I was able to spend it with "family" anyway! I took a broccoli salad (which I will post later...it is delicious and I was asked for the recipe) and this cheesecake. I wanted to do something special and thought for a while. I decided to make it a carrot cake cheesecake. Basically, I just added carrots and spices to the crust. Then I used walnuts and a glaze over the filling. I was pleased, though you really couldn't tell that much difference with the richness of the cheesecake. However, when I tasted JUST the crust, it definitely tasted like carrot cake! I'm not sure if it was the addition of the carrots, using more butter than I'm used to using, or mixing the crust in the food processor...but it was just a big clump...more like a dough than a graham cracker crust. I'm sure the moisture from the carrots helped but I didn't even used all of the butter and it was just too sticky...I think I would suggest just slowly pouring in the butter until it reaches a consistency you're comfortable with. If you've only used half, then go with it...I didn't and had a much denser crust that I think a cheesecake should have. It still tasted good! For the filling I followed the recipe exactly (with the exception of using half and half...but that was only because I thought it was heavy cream and it wasn't!). Though it was a good cheesecake, it won't be the recipe I use on a regular basis. Despite only using 3 eggs (not much IMO for a cheesecake) it tasted pretty eggy and just wasn't my favorite. Not that it was bad...I left the Easter lunch with NONE left! Just prior to cooking, I sprinkled some chopped walnuts on the top. Then, after it all cooled, I poured a bit of a simple glaze over the top just to add a little more carrot cake quality to it. All in all, this was a great challenge and resulted in a very yummy dessert! Thanks to Jenny for a great challenge!

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

crust (with my changes):
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
about 15-20 baby carrots, chopped in food processor until tiny!
1/2 stick / 2 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle nutmeg

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream (half and half)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
walnut, sprinkled on top

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.*

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

*I didn't put my pan IN the water because I didn't have a pan large enough to hold my springform! No cracks resulted...success!

Stuffed to the Gills! :-)

2009-04-21T20:15:00.010-05:00

One of my favorite things to eat is portabella mushrooms. They have a great texture. Some people would describe it as "meaty," however, I do not subscribe to this description! It is a thick and satisfying texture, though. So, when I saw this yummy looking recipe on Maria's site, I knew that I had to try it! I even "splurged" and got the yellow bell pepper (which I love but just find too pricey!). I thought this was a delicious and filling meal; however, I did miss the saucy taste and texture. This could EASILY be remidied by adding just a tad of spaghetti sauce. Try it out...it's the perfect spring dinner (or lunch!). I did make a couple of changes because of ingredients on hand...those are in my recipe. If you want to see Maria's (which I'm sure is better!) click on the link above. AND if you're stuffed to the gills with pictures on your digital camera...check out this great giveaway from Veggie Venture and BlogHer for a great HP Photosmart Wireless Printer! What a great prize. Now get to scraping those gills and fill those mushrooms!

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
2 Portobello mushrooms
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, roasted and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach
corn meal
basil
Nature's Seasoning
Mozzerella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stem and gills from the mushroom. I used a spoon to scoop them out as suggested by Maria...what a brilliant suggestion. Never have been able to do it until then!
2. Brush the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar.
3. Heat a sprinkle of olive oil in a small (or large!) saute pan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Add in peppers. Cook until tender.
4. Add in tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach wilted and "cooked."
5. Divide the filling and stuff the mushrooms.
6. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top and add Italian seasoning. Top with cheese.
7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes or until the cheese is melted.
8. Enjoy! Thanks, Maria!

Peanut Butter Reese's Cookies

2009-04-16T22:02:00.004-05:00

Through my four years in med school, I've been involved in a group called the Pediatric Interest Group or PIG. Every year we have a fundraiser so that we can have lunch at our meetings and provide fun things for the kids in the hospital at holiday times. In the years past, we have had a PIG roast with bar-b-que, etc. This year, the president decided to have it at a local pizza place. I think it was a good idea because it drew more people. She also decided to add a bake sale to the fundraiser. It lasted for a week and a half; and, as you can imagine, I did a lot of baking at that point...one reason I missed last month's Daring Bakers' challenge. Most of the things I made were oldies that I knew would please like Sharpeis, Magic Cookie Bars, and Three Great Taste Blondies (made as the original recipe calls for). However, I wanted to make a big cookie that was bake sale material. So...I went in search on Cookie Madness. These are the cookies I found. They were perfect and sold out quickly. The peanut butter makes the cookies moist and the peanut butter cup adds just the right amount of chocolate! Yum!

Peanut Butter Reese's Cookies adapted from Cookie Madness

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter (chunky)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 scant teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 cups sifted flour (about 6 oz)
8 Reese’s peanut butter cups (the larger flat type)

Don’t preheat oven quite yet.

Cream butter, shortening and peanut butter together in a mixing bowl; Beat in granulated and light brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in egg. Dissolve baking soda in warm water. Add to butter-sugar mixture and stir well. Stir in flour. Mix until dough is smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to be workable.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough by hand into golf ball size balls. It helps to wet your hands while doing this...the dough won't stick by doing that; it also makes the dough move easier. Working one ball at a time, split ball in half, place a Reese’s in between halves and mold dough around candy to make a neat mound. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving 1 to 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies stand 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Makes about 10 big cookies

From An Expert

2009-04-13T22:15:00.004-05:00

In the medical field, there are many times that you consult someone to deal with a specific problem because they are an expert on that problem. As a general (most likely) pediatrician, I have to be knowledgeable about most areas of a child's health; however, I won't know the intricate details of how to deal with specific heart problems or neurological issues. I'll call an expert for that. Well, the blogging world has it's experts. If you've ever stopped by Peabody's site, you know that she is an expert at desserts. She makes some of the best looking confections EVER. If I had a question about a dessert, she would be one of the first people I'd ask...in fact, if I'm looking for a dessert recipe, her site is one of the first graced by my fingers. A few months ago I spied these snickerdoodle blondies of hers. Now, who doesn't like snickerdoodles? I don't know but if it's you, there must be something wrong! Anyway, I decided to whip these up one day (don't remember why). I made a small change to her recipe (because of supply) but it still turned out fabulous...nice and moist with that perfect blondie texture. Try them out sometime soon!

Snickerdoodle Blondies adapted from Peabody

8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
3 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ tsp cream of tartar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan.* Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and move pan around to make sure that the bottom and sides are coated. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.

Using an stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat for three minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
On low speed add the sifted flour mixture. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. This will be hard as it is a thick batter. As Peabody suggests, it is easiest to just wet your hands a little and press the batter into the pan. Then even it out afterwards with a spatula. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

*I'm almost positive that I halved this recipe...and it worked out just fine.

A Fiesta in Your Mouth

2009-04-10T21:59:00.006-05:00

Remember those nachos that Philip created awhile back? Well, I think I was inspired by the refried beans! Last week I created a yummy Mexican pizza. It's pretty simple and makes for a healthy dinner. The tortilla I used is one of the La Tortilla Factory tortillas. I used the whole wheat version but the herb and garlic would be good, too. This even provides its own crunch as the edges of the tortilla crisp up in the toaster oven. The only thing, well only TWO things, that would have made this better would be black olives (which I bought at Target tonight!) and sour cream (or Greek yogurt). You can even customize to your tastes...add what you like, take off what you don't. If you like your Mexican spicy, add some jalapenos. If you like that strong taste but not spicy, add some green chiles. If you just HAVE to have meat, add some browned ground beef...grilled chicken would be good, too! Just make a fiesta in your mouth! Mexican Pizza

1 tortilla refried beans
roasted bell pepper
roasted onion
sliced tomatoes
cheese
salsa

Spread refried beans on tortilla. Place onions and peppers on top of beans. Place tomatoes on top of this. Sprinkle cheese over all. If you want to add something different, I'd probably put it under the cheese. If adding meat, I'd put it on top of the beans. Once dressed the way you want it (no sombreros, please!), place the tortilla on a pan and toast in a toaster oven (or bake in an oven until cheese is nice and bubbly! Serve with salsa and sour cream. Kiwis go well with this.

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-05T18:53:00.005-05:00

We've been having some beautiful weather around here. Highs in the 70's, sun, all the best! Of course, tomorrow we have a cold front come through and the high is only in the 50's...but that's just for a day or two. I think spring is here. I honestly wish it would stay around a bit longer. I love spring...and fall! They are perfect...summer is just too hot! To welcome spring, and the bounty it brings, here are some sweet and fruity cookie bars. You can make them in a pizza form or a bar form. You can also vary the fruits you use. I like strawberries, bananas, and mandarin oranges...but used kiwi on this one. Other fruits I've seen used include blueberries, grapes, and pineapples. You could even do a tropical fruit theme and use pineapple, kiwi, oranges, even mango and banana. Yum!!!! Fruit Pizza
1 tube sugar cookie dough (you could probably even use the precut and just mash it together...OR use homemade - I USUALLY do this)
1 8oz cream cheese (you can use the 1/3 less fat)
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Fruit: e.g. - 2 bananas, 1 can mandarin oranges, drained, 1 pack strawberries (cut in slices lengthwise), 1 can blueberries, drained, kiwi, green grapes, cut in half - I suggest about three different kinds of fruit
1/4 cup peach preserves (this is optional...I don't use it)

Spread the cookie dough on a baking pan.* Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool. Blend cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and water. Spread the mixture on cooled cookies. If using the preserves, spread that on top of the cream cheese. Drain and cut fruit. Put on top in whatever "design" you want. Chill. Enjoy!

*The instructions I have say to cut the cookies and place them touching on a pan. Either way would work but to be SURE there are no gaps I might try spreading.

Sweet Layers

2009-04-02T16:36:00.005-06:00

Three years ago, I went with my mom and her best friend to see Paula Deen cook...well, I didn't exactly get to see her cook! Sure, I saw her but Paula is quite the Chatty Kathy. She gabbed the whole time, so when I heard that she was coming to town again, I didn't really get so excited. However, Paula DOES have some yummy recipes - even if she DOES use way too much butter. I mean, really, who puts a tablespoon of butter inside their hamburger? PAULA! A few weeks ago when my friend came over, she wanted something chocolate for dessert. Well, I remembered a DELICIOUS dessert that I had tasted around Christmas time. It was Paula's Pumpkin Gooey Butter cakes...oh, my! These are SOOOO good! At the bottom of the page, there is a version for a chocolate one. Well, I suggested that and she agreed. My only mistake was thinking that the cake base was a yellow cake instead of chocolate. This was still delicious and you can make it more or less chocoaltey based on your desires. You do have to be careful not to overbake these. When your timer goes off...just take it out...it will continue to cook as it cools. Go ahead, take a bite! Chocolate Gooey Butter Cakes
Cake: 1 stick melted butter
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg

Filling: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat)
2 eggs
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used 3)
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

Spinach and Beer

2009-03-28T19:16:00.011-06:00

Though my rotation this month is not incredibly demanding, I did not find a chance to make the Daring Baker's challenge this month. It was spinach lasagna...I must admit, I wasn't too excited about it. Too bad the challenge wasn't some delectable sweet treat...I have been baking up a storm for our bake sale for the children's hospital! So, in substitute for my spinach lasagna I bring you sauteed spinach and beer bread!

My mom got the recipe for these from one of the girls in her church when I went home last month. The spinach is really good...but be prepared to use LOTS of spinach. Hannah said that the first time she made the spinach (with company coming!) she used one bag...and ended up with a tiny bowl to serve. They joked and said that each guest had a teaspoon of spinach! She was not joking...once the whole bag wilted down, it really is enough to serve about two people...maybe even one if you're hungry! (Sorry for the poor picture quality!) The beer bread...OH SO GOOD! If you like the taste of a yeast bread but don't have time...this is your bread. It's not quite as tender as a sourdough but is delicious. The way we made it, I thought that it tasted like Maccaroni Grill bread. Mmmm...I need to make this again! Even if you don't like beer (I don't), you'll like this bread!

Spinach:

spinach (for a "small" amount use one bag, for a larger group you need two)

1 T olive oil (or butter)

salt

pepper

(I think lemon would be good as well)

In a large skillet or pan (you need a lid) place the olive oil. Open your bag of spinach and just dump it in! Smoosh it down and put your lid on. This was it's sauteeing and steaming. After a couple of minutes, stir it. The spinach on the bottom will be wilty. Stir every few minutes to get the spinach equally wilted. Once it is all dark, place into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. This is best served right after making it, so make right before you eat/serve.

Beer Bread:

3 cups flour (it calls for sifted, but I can't be bothered!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz can beer
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix dry ingredients, then pour beer over all. I don't think the type of beer matters - I always get the cheapest and even light beer and it's fine. It will foam up. Stir it well. The dough will be super sticky - more sticky than regular bread. This is fine. Pour into a loaf pan. Melt the butter and pour it over the top. We used 1/2 a stick and as you can see it was still a good bit! You might even be able to decrease it a little more. You could probably even half the butter to be healthier and I bet it would still turn out. Bake for one hour at 375 degrees. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.From Hannah: This bread is so easily adaptable. The original recipe calls for Italian seasoning instead of garlic powder. Just measure by eye...you can do it! You can also add up to a cup of grated cheese - cheddar, parmesan, swiss, whatever. I've had success adding a can of drained diced green chiles for Mexican! Lots of room for creativity here.

A Perfect Match!

2009-03-20T20:31:00.009-06:00

Well, yesterday I had my match day ceremony...that means that I found out where I'll be doing my pediatric residency! In November/December, I went to several different locations and interviewed. Then in February, I submitted a rank order list, telling the powers that be where I wanted to do my residency (and the programs submitted lists telling which residents they wanted). Then, yesterday, all was announced across the entire nation. Before all that, though, my class had a party at a local pizzeria/bar. It was lots of fun to see my fellow classmates, as fourth year has us so spread out we don't ever see each other. Unfortunately, I spent the entire time waiting for a wonderful pizza to come out (this place has LOTS of unique pizzas); however, they never brought one out, so I had to settle for supreme. It was good but not quite what I wanted...oh, well...at least I had fun! The next morning, the alumni association hosted a breakfast for us. My dad was able to attend with me. They had tons of food to choose from. You could make a breakfast burrito, though I chose to just get eggs. They also had grits, waffles, biscuits, hashbrowns, muffins, cinnamon buns, and fruit. I got eggs, which were SO GOOD, grits, which were not so good, an apple muffin, which I ate the top of (that's my signature move!), and fruit...excellent raspberries, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries, all painstakingly grabbed with ice tongs! After breakfast we moved to the student union where the ceremony began. After lots of waiting we all found out where we would be going. About half the class is staying here. We had a couple going to Utah, a girl going to NYU (she was SO excited, jumping in the air!), a guy going to John's Hopkins, a girl going to Mayo Clinic, a guy going to Duke. I am going to be staying here at Blair E. Batson Children's hospital along with three other people from my class (and eight other people from elsewhere)...Sarah, me, Yakela, and Josh. After the ceremony my family went to Walker's Drive-In for lunch. They are known for their grilled redfish sandwich, which my dad got.It has the fish, red onion, cheddar, bacon, avacado, aioli, and is served with sweet potato fries. Philip and Kenna got the hamburger.Kenna had cheddar on hers. Philip got bacon and pepper jack cheese. Mama got the turkey sandwichIt had avacado, pepper jack cheese, tomato, and aioli. I got a grilled chicken salad (after pondering the redfish vs. veggie sandwich - both of which I've had before) that I've never had before. It had green apple, dried cherries, feta, roasted corn, avacado, and grilled chicken on top of field greens with a lemon vinegarette. Very good! I think that some red onion would have made it perfect...and maybe a piece of focaccia. We enjoyed good weather, good food, and good fellowship!

Not Exactly Irish...

2009-03-16T19:51:00.007-06:00

For some reason, I tend to have a hard time finding things to do on the weekend. Whenever I try to plan parties or get-togethers, no one is available; so, when my friend Katie said she was available to stay for dinner after we got another friend's baby shower give, I was quite excited. We planned it on Wednesday...but first, the gift. So, Jennifer doesn't know what she's having (which really drives me crazy (for ME) but I'm excited that she's going to have a surprise). We had planned on getting her one of those little bouncers, but the one she registered for was out. Hmmm...I saw a cute one but it was very clearly for a girl...pink, brown, and decorated with birds and flowers! Somehow, I don't think a little boy would appreciate that. HOWEVER, Katie got into her head that we should get that one...so we did! Ahhh...Jennifer just laughed. She thought it was funny. Anyway, after making that purchase, we came home and made a yummy pork chop dish. It has only THREE ingredients...pork chops, potatoes, and saurkraut! Yummy! Total time is probably about 35 minutes. I served it with broccoli...so, instead of corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's day, I give you pork and saurkraut with a little broccoli for the green! Stay tuned for Chocolate Gooey Buttercakes for dessert! Katie's Pork Chops
pork chops (I had four)
2 large potatoes
1 can saurkraut

Season pork chops on one side with Season All. Place the pork chops in a large skillet, seasoned side down and season the other side. While searing the chops, thinly slice the peeled potatoes. Flip pork chops...do NOT cook all the way through. When seared, remove from pan...spray pan with cooking spray. Place potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Cover with saurkraut. Top saurkraut with pork chops. Cover with a lid OR if you don't have one large enough, use aluminum foil and weigh down with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes on medium head. At the end of the time, test the potatoes with a fork or knife. If tender, remove from heat. Place pork chops and potatoes on plate. Serve with your favorite veggie! Enjoy!