Bananas Foster Ice Cream

Bananas have always been on my list of "Love-Hates." I love them. I hate them. I love them. Nah...I hate them. And so on.

It started when I was a little preschool girl some 25+ years ago. My preschool teacher made us healthy banana shakes. She made me drink a glass of it. I don't know to this day what was in that, but it churned my stomach in a big way. And also to this day, I can only eat banana cold in two capacities: Banana Creamies (a local popsicle), and now this ice cream. (Three--cold banana cake.)

I just love ice cream. I could have fun making ice cream all day and then having a blog just dedicated to ice cream. I could open an ice cream parlor. (And have tons of fun decorating it.)

Some of my ice cream recipes are happy accidents. This is no different.

Yes, of course, I occasionally (read: several times a week) have disasters in the kitchen, recipes that go wrong, etc. On Sunday some caramel sauce I was making crystallized. I was devastated.

What to do?

I thought about it for a long time. I didn't want to waste all the ingredients and I certainly couldn't remedy it. I thought back to Aran's recipe for Salted Caramel Ice Cream and decided that was the only possible direction to take it.

Then came the bananas and rum. What can I say? I go with it when the inspiration comes. I'm like that. (Please note twist of sarcasm.)



Bananas Foster Ice Cream

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream (not ice cold)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 whole eggs or 4 egg yolks
1-2 ripe bananas (depending on how big they are)
2-4 tablespoons dark rum (optional--can use 1 tsp. rum extract, too)

In a 2-quart pan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until the sugar becomes a deep amber color. Add the heavy cream and stir well. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, butter, and salt. (It may clump up, just keep stirring and it will smooth out.)

Transfer caramel to a heat proof bowl to cool.**

Once caramel is cool, whisk in the eggs (or egg yolks).

Prepare an ice bath. (You will need it to quickly cool the hot custard.)

In another pan, heat milk until very hot.** Gradually add the hot milk to the caramel/egg mixture. Whisk well and pour it back into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the custard reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Place the bowl in an ice bath to cool.

Peel the bananas, break them into chunks and put them into a blender. Add some of the custard and puree until smooth. Add the puree back to the bowl with remaining custard. Stir well. Add the rum, if using.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until very cold. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.

Makes 1 quart.

**Alternatively, you could add the milk to the caramel while it's still hot and then add it to the eggs that have been whisked in a separate bowl. It just depends on how you want to do it. It will work just as well either way. My caramel just happened to be cold, so I added the eggs to the caramel.**


Want some?

Project Baby Food

We are, like most everyone else, trying to cut back on needless spending. Have you checked out how much baby food costs these days? It's a lot. Too much, actually.

I experimented a bit with making my own baby food after my first baby. She hated it. So I stopped. With my second I was too sleep deprived and consumed by having two babies still in diapers. And it was, of course, much easier.

Anyway, my number three will eat anything. She would eat a steak dinner if she had teeth. She's that interested in food--but real food, not prepared baby food. She turns her nose up at the stuff.

A few of my friends used to make their own baby food. I went back and read Erin's post about how she made her own. And I looked around online a bit, too, and found a few other blogs with similar posts. You don't need fancy equipment. Just a pan, fresh fruit and veggies, maybe a basket steamer, and a blender.

I spent the weekend making various blends for my little culinary 7 month old baby:

Fuji Apples (they were so sweet and delicious)
Apple-Blueberry
Banana-Blueberry
Sweet Potatoes (not yams--the real thing)
Sweet Potatoes and Corn
Green Beans and Turkey (I used turkey that had been canned in broth with no salt)

Next on the list:

Zucchini
Squash (probably acorn or butternut)
Strawberry-Apple
Plums, Peaches, Apricots or Cherries (if I can find them--she needs some fiber)
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas
Spinach-Potato

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I've been amazed how my baby slurps the homemade food right up. She would not do that with the prepared stuff.

Here's a few other links you will find helpful:

Rookie Cookie's Baby Food
Sweet Peas and Pumpkins DIY Baby Food Series (really helpful!)
Wholesomebabyfood.com (great info and Q&A's you may have)

Dinner Tonight: Sausage & Peppers with Polenta

This meal is so satisfying and makes enough to have leftovers the next day. I also usually throw in a few chicken breasts or thighs to stretch it a bit. (i.e. I let my kids and my husband eat all the sausages and I have chicken.)

(Click on the pictures to go to the recipes.)


Sausage & Peppers with Polenta


Blackberry-Strawberry Sherbet

Blackberry-Strawberry Sherbet

Raise your hand if you can't wait for Winter to be over? Me, too.



I couldn't resist stocking up on berries at Sunflower Farmer's Market over the last few weeks. They were having such a great sales on berries. (Although the strawberries left quite a bit to be desired...) Once we ate our fill, I froze some, made jam, and a few other things.

This recipe, yet another adaptation from Cooks' Illustrated, is one of the best recipes for sherbet. It stays soft enough to scoop right out of the freezer and is just tart and creamy enough to feel richer than it is. (I also made killer plain strawberry sherbet. Stay tuned for it.)

Blackberry-Strawberry Sherbet
adapted from Cooks' Illustrated

2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
pinch salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. vodka**
3/4 cup cold heavy cream

Place the berries, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a soft boil over medium-high heat. Cook just until the blackberries start to pop and release their juice.

Transfer the berries and liquid to a blender. Gently pulse the berries to break them up and then puree until smooth. (Be careful here--hot liquid and tight blender lids can lead to burns and splatters!)

Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press and scrape the solids along the bottom of the sieve to get as much puree as possible; leaving only seeds behind.

Add the lemon juice and vodka. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until very cold. (About 3 hours.)

In a separate bowl, whisk the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. While whisking, carefully pour a steady stream of fruit puree into the cream. Keep whisking until all the fruit puree has been added.

Turn on your ice cream maker and while it's running, pour the cream/fruit mixture through the feed hole. Churn according to manufacturer directions. Transfer finished sherbet to a plastic bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for a few hours until firm before serving.

Makes about 1.5 quarts.

**You don't have to use the vodka, but it helps keep the sherbet softer and easier to scoop.

Cafe Johnsonia Button

A few readers have requested a Cafe Johnsonia button. Well, I'm happy to oblige!

Just copy and paste the html code.

<a href="http://cafejohnsonia.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/cafejohnsonia/cjbuttonmarch09.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

Golden Cornbread

Do you like cornbread? I do. I really, really do. In fact, I'm not sure I can tell you exactly how much I love it. That's how much I love it.

I do not, however, like dry cornbread. Who does? Raise your hand. (This is not the recipe for you. Head elsewhere please.)

We like sweet cornbread in our house. Especially my husband, a Brazilian-American, who likes his cornbread to be more like cake. I say it depends on the purpose of the cornbread. (I really do like it to taste like cake sometimes, too.)

As I do all the time, I played around with my favorite recipe from Cooks' Illustrated and came up with (what I think) is pretty darn good cornbread. It's moist and eggy, just sweet enough, and perfect with a bowl of chili.



Golden Cornbread
adapted from Cooks' Illustrated (see original recipe here)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 cups yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar (use less if you don't like it as sweet)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9" by 13" glass baking pan.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and milk together in another bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the egg-milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine, leaving some lumps and streaks of dry ingredients. Using a large silicone spatula, fold in the melted butter. Mix well. Some small lumps may remain.

Pour the batter into the greased pan, smoothing the batter to the edges. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. (Start checking it at 30 just to make sure...) The top will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Sorvete de Doce de Leite (Dulce de Leche Ice Cream)

This is a re-post with a few, slight modifications...and new pictures! I made it for my Brasilian mother-in-law's birthday party on Sunday afternoon. All our Brasilian relatives were there and gave it a big thumbs up. So, I'm taking it on good authority that if you make it, people will like you.

It may not surprise anyone that I love Dulce de Leche. After all, it's sweet and caramely, and delicious.

I wish I could say that my husband introduced me to it while we were in Brasil visiting family. That would be so romantic. Rather, I just grew to love it even more than I had before.

In Brasil, where it is called Doce de Leite (and that's what we call it at home), I watched the ladies at the Mercado Central in Belo Horizonte stir big vats of it with wooden spoons longer than their arms. There were myriad varieties--some were darker or lighter, some were made with cultured milk. All were delicious. I tasted them all.

My first taste was actually as a college girl. I lived in my grandfather's basement. He liked to keep a stash of Haagen-Daz Dulce de Leche ice cream in the freezer. I was guilty of mining out the dulce de leche swirls. That was far before I owned my ice cream maker or even considered making it on my own.

When my husband bought me a Cuisinart ice cream maker, I attempted to make it. And the attempts just keep getting better. And out waistlines just keep expanding.

Don't even think about making this ice cream if you are on a diet. I don't even want to know the calorie count. (I remember well enough my first taste of Haagen Daz and falling over dead when I saw the nutrition label. P.S. This is better than HD.)

As with every flavor I make, my husband claims this is by far the "best ice cream ever." I would be lying if I didn't say that this really is the best ice cream I've ever made.

You can make it without the egg yolks, just add another cup of milk. The texture won't quite be the same, but the flavor will still be wonderful.

Servete de Doce de Leite (Dulce de Leche Ice Cream)

2 cans dulce de leche** (purchased, or homemade--see this post for instructions)
2 cups whole milk
4-6 egg yolks (depending on how rich you want it)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cream, col (heavy or light cream will both work)
dash of salt

Whisk together one can of dulce de leche and the milk in a medium saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat until very hot, but not boiling.



Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color--you can also use an electric mixer.

Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. Pour back into pan. Gently cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to thicken and reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. (Don't let it exceed 180 degrees, or it will curdle. If you don't have a thermometer, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.)

Strain the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the cold cream.

Chill until very cold and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.



Place 1/4 of the ice cream in a freezer-proof container. Dollop with 1/2 to 1 teaspoonfuls of dulce de leche. Top with another 1/4 of the ice cream. Repeat until all ice cream has been transferred to the container and most of the dulce de leche has been dolloped. (You will probably only use 1/2 of the remaining can.) Use a knife tip to swirl the dulce de leche through the ice cream.

Place in the freezer for several hours to harden before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

A few years ago, I was getting ready to make cupcakes for my son's first birthday, when I realized I was out of white sugar. (This rarely happens.) It was either use Splenda or brown sugar. I opted for brown sugar.

The result was marvelous. Since then I've tweaked the recipe a bit more to get a deliciously moist cupcake that packs a brown sugar punch. (And works well for high altitudes--by the way.)



We decorated these cupcakes for my mother-in-law's birthday party yesterday. Although I think I'm with my husband--the cupcakes are so good on their own they really don't need any frosting.

Not even technicolor pink with sprinkles. (And if you don't frost them, does that mean you can call them "muffins"? Just wondering...)



Brown Sugar Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart Kids
Makes about 24 cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp.) pure vegetable shortening (I used butter flavored)**
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (For high altitude--375 degrees F.) Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. (You will probably have enough batter left for 4 or 5 extra cupcakes.)

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening and sugar until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Only beat until combined. Remove bowl from mixer base and scrape the sides and bottom with a large silicone or rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the paper-lined cups.

Bake only one pan at a time for 15 minutes, checking after 12-13 minutes. Cupcakes should be lightly golden and springy to the touch.

Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Decorate as you wish.

**EDIT: You can certainly use butter. The cupcakes may be a bit drier, but will have better flavor.**

Basic Powdered Sugar Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract, optional
a little milk, for thinning out the frosting

Beat the butter at high speed with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the extracts (if using). Beat until light and fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar alternating with a little bit of milk (no more than 1-2 tsp. at a time), until you reach the desired texture.

Tint if desired.

Valentine's Treats: Turtles

When I told my daughter we were going to make turtles, she asked if they were going to have "feet and arms and a little head poking out." She thought it was pretty great that we were going to make turtles out of chocolate and caramel.

As I was getting ready to post this, I thought I'd try and find out a history of turtles. Alas, I couldn't find anything other than that have been made for about two hundred years. (You can read a bit more in this article.)

In any case, turtles are a delicious way to get your calorie count for the day in one pop, and to combine three of my favorite things: pecans, caramel, and chocolate.

I've found that people associate turtles with Christmas, but I usually have them for Valentine's Day.

They are super easy to make. There are tons of recipes out there. All you have to do is check around a bit.



But, since you are reading this, why don't I tell you how I like to make them? I'm still a novice in dipping chocolates, but I have made turtles several times over the years with good luck.

(Soapbox alert: Please use homemade caramel and real chocolate. Okay?)

Here's what you need:

1 batch of caramels (this recipe is really good, but so is my regular one.)**
1 lb. bittersweet or milk chocolate
1 tsp. pure vegetable shortening (or a little paraffin wax has also been suggested by readers)
1-1 1/2 lbs. whole pecan halves



I cut the soft, prepared caramel into small squares and press two pecan halves onto one side. Then I let them sit for about 15 minutes so the tops smooth out a bit.

Melt the chocolate and shortening together in the microwave on 50% power. (Make sure to keep it at the proper temperature so it doesn't bloom and give you streaks!)

Dip each piece of caramel into the chocolate using a fork with long tines, dragging the bottom against the edge of the bowl and tapping to remove excess chocolate. Carefully place each piece on a piece of waxed paper. Let them cool and harden.



Store in a dry, cool place in an airtight container. Place pieced of waxed paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Yield: Varies, but I got between 5-6 dozen out of one batch of caramel and one pound of chocolate.

**One thing to remember is that you have to adjust the cooking temperature according to altitude. Here in UT, I cook my caramel to 234 degrees F. When I lived in NY, I cooked it to 244 degrees F.**

Valentine's Treats: How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

I get pure joy in the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. My other half thinks it's so common. (Wink, wink.) And then he consumes PB& C in quantity with me.



I like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups along with the rest of the universe, but there has always been this part of me that wanted to make my own. I'm strange like that. I'd rather spend a whole day making my own than bundling my three kids up and heading to the supermarket for a quick fix.

Like I said, I'm strange. And I like chocolate. (A lot.)

In any case, I think making homemade peanut butter cups is a great gift to give to neighbors and friends for Valentine's Day. (Or any other time.)

I offer you a tour of how I made my own yesterday...

How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups:

First you need to make sure you have all the ingredients. Or come up with a plan. And you should probably do this a few days before. (Don't wait until your craving is intense.) And maybe even search out some recipes online. Or make up your own. (That's what I did!)

Here's what you need:

*mini baking cups and a mini-muffin tin




*1 lb. bittersweet or milk chocolate and 1 tsp. pure vegetable shortening



*homemade peanut butter filling...wait--I forgot to take a picture of it.

Then you get to work:

1. Line the mini-muffin cups with paper liners.


2. Melt the chocolate and shortening in the microwave on 50% power. Stir to melt any chunks. Take the temperature. It should be no more than 88-90 degrees F. for dark, and 86-88 degrees for milk. (Sources vary on the temp for milk chocolate...)



3. Spoon a bit of the chocolate into each paper-lined well.


4. Use a clean paint brush to cover the bottom and sides of each paper liner.





5. Drop a ball of peanut butter filling into each well.



6. Spoon a bit of melted chocolate on top of each peanut butter ball. Lightly spread to cover the top and sides of the ball.


7. Rap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.



8. Work in batches. I did six at a time. And I did have to rewarm the chocolate a few times.

Don't let it get too hot! Look what can happen--


See those ugly streaks? That's called bloom. That's because at some point the chocolate was a little too hot and broke temper. We call those "chef's snacks."

9. Let the PB cups sit for a few hours to set.



10. Enjoy.



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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

For chocolate shell--

Supplies:

2 dozen mini-paper cups (available in the cake decorating section of party stores or online)
small, clean paint brush (like the ones your kids use for watercolors)

Ingredients:

1 lb. bittersweet or milk chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tsp. pure vegetable shortening

For filling:

1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts (if you use salted, adjust the amount of salt in the recipe)
1 cup rice cereal (graham cracker crumbs will work, too, and may even be better)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3-4 Tbsp. melted butter (you may need a little more if it's too dry)
salt to taste (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.)

Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with mini-baking cup paper liners.

Place the rice cereal in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms fine crumbs. Add the peanuts and process until a paste forms. Add the brown sugar and butter. Keep processing, scraping down the bowl as needed, until a somewhat smooth paste forms. Set aside while you prepare the chocolate.

Prepare chocolate:

Place the chocolate and vegetable shortening into a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for a few minutes, stopping the microwave and stirring every 30-45 seconds, until most of the chocolate is melted. Keep stirring to melt any large chunks. Take the temperature with an instant read thermometer. (Dark chocolate should be between 88-90 degrees F., and milk should not exceed 88 degrees F.)

Work in batches of six at a time.

Spoon a small amount of the melted chocolate into each well of the mini-muffin pan. Use the paint brush to spread the chocolate across the bottom and up the sides of each paper. (Keep checking the temp of the chocolate to make sure it stays in the right temperature range.)

Drop a rounded teaspoonful of peanut butter filling into each painted cup.

Spoon a enough chocolate over the peanut butter filling to cover it. Rap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Smooth the top of the chocolate.

Repeat with remaining cups. (You may have a bit of filling and/or chocolate left. Remember--chef's snacks!)

Let the peanut butter cups sit for a few hours to set up. Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, lining each layer of PB cups with waxed paper.

Makes 24.

Love for TJ's...

I got a little teared up watching this...and I'm not lying. You'll get a kick out of it.


And if you're in UT...you can join the Facebook group, Trader Joe's Should Go The Distance. (See? I'm not alone! Seriously though--anyone know someone at TJ's corporate?)

Valentine's Treats: Cherry-Almond Divinity

My grandmother was the master divinity maker. Her divinity was heavenly. She would tint it pink and add chopped nuts. It was always a treat. And I think of her every time I make a batch.

I made my first batch years ago. It is one of my favorite candies to make. Divinity is very easy to make, but finicky at the same time. I found that out when I lived in New York where the air is quite a bit more humid. (My divinity didn't always work.) Make this candy on a dry day.



Divinity is basically a meringue that is beaten until very thick.

I started with two-day-old egg whites that I left out at room temperature. I read somewhere that "old" eggs give you better height, etc., when making a meringue.

A syrup made from sugar, water, and corn syrup is cooked to hard-ball stage and then added slowly to stiffly beaten egg whites. (Think seven minute icing beaten a lot longer, or a meringue buttercream icing minus all the butter.)

The result is something magical.



The divinity are dropped quickly onto waxed paper and left to sit to set up. The outside is dry and the inside is soft and creamy--almost buttery, but there is not a drop of fat in them. (Just tons of sugar.) The flavor possibilities are endless--add dried or candied fruit, nuts, or various extracts. (Rum and brandy extracts are favorites around our house.)

For this particular batch, I like the pairing of dried cherries with almond extract. Although, the tasters seemed to agree that a smattering of chopped nuts was called for to offset the intense sweetness.

If you are a purest, just leave out the cherries and the almond extract.



**Note that you need to adjust the recipe according to the altitude where you live. For here in UT, I have been cooking syrups and candies about ten degrees less than the recipe states. The general rule is 1 degree lower for every 500 feet above sea level. Don't be tempted to disregard this info or your candy will be too hard.**

Cherry-Almond Divinity
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup (or more) dried cherries, chopped

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degree F, hard-ball stage;10 to 15 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil.)

2. Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites with a freestanding electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gradually pour hot mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating on high speed about 3 minutes; scrape sides of bowl occasionally. Add vanilla and almond extract. Continue beating on high just until candy starts to lose its gloss (5 to 6 minutes). When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself. Quickly fold in the dried cherries.

3. Drop a spoonful of candy mixture onto waxed paper. If it stays mounded, the mixture has been beaten sufficiently. If mixture flattens, beat 1/2 to 1 minute more; check again. If mixture is too stiff to spoon, beat in a few drops hot water until candy is a softer consistency. Immediately stir in candied fruit. Quickly drop remaining mixture onto waxed paper.

Store tightly covered for up to 1 week. Makes about 40 pieces, depending on the size. (I usually get about 20 larger pieces.)

Sweetheart's Breakfast Ideas

A few ideas I have kicking around in my brain for possible Valentine's Day breakfasts:


(image via Williams-Sonoma)
Waffle Napoleons with Raspberry Cream

(image via Williams-Sonoma)

Brazilian French Toast

(image via Williams-Sonoma)

Brûléed Orange French Toast

Homemade Poptarts

Crepes with Fresh Rhubarb and Strawberries (can you even find rhubarb at this time of year?)

Croissants ( a lofty goal unless I buy them...)

Or the old standby--

(image via Martha Stewart)
Heart-shaped Pancakes (using my favorite recipe from Cooks' Illustrated)

Valentine's Treats: Chocolate-Cinnamon Heart Cookies

I love cinnamon and chocolate together. These cookies are the perfect afternoon snack. (Or after dinner, or first thing in the morning, or middle of the night...)






Chocolate-Cinnamon Heart Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (use a little more if you really like cinnamon)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Optional--
4-6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. vegetable shortening

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in several additions to the creamed mixture. Be careful not to overmix. Chill the dough several hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface--1/8 to 1/4" depending on how thick you want them. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets. Bake for 5-6 minutes, more if the cookies are thicker. Let cool completely.

Melt bittersweet chocolate and shortening on 50% power in the microwave or use a double-boiler. Dip half of the each cookie into the chocolate and lay on parchment or waxed paper and let the chocolate harden.

Store in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper in a cool, dry place.

Valentine's Treats: Lavender Hearts

I have a penchant for anything lavender.



For a few weeks now, I've been experimenting with different recipes to see if I could make good Lavender Cookies.

I saw a recipe a long time ago in one of my cookbooks. Somehow I either misplaced or donated that book and do not have the recipe. I believe it was similar to shortbread. If only I could find it....



I love herbs and flowers in desserts. (Lavender is so versatile.) But, I did not want these cookies to taste like perfume or soap either. I used the tiniest bit and rubbed it with granulated sugar to release the oil from the lavender. I think they turned out great.

I ended up liking my favorite recipe for sugar cookies the best of all. (You can find it HERE.) I also tried Dorie's recipe and it was good, but the cookies didn't hold their shape very well.

Lavender Heart Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. culinary lavender (I bought mine from Penzey's)
1/2 tsp. salt

Optional topping--
milk or egg white
raw sugar (sanding sugar will work, too)

Directions:

Place sugar in a small bowl. Add the lavender. Rub the sugar and lavender between your fingers until it becomes fragrant. Set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients together.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add the lavender sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla extract.

Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides. Add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed to incorporate them into the creamed mixture. Scrape the bowl again and add the remaining flour. Mix only until the flour is all incorporated--be careful not to overmix or the dough will be gluey and the cookies will be tough.

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours, overnight, or up to two days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (You don't have to do this for plain cookies, but for these you do.)

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shape. (My heart cookie cutter is about 3" across.)

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1" of space between the cookies. (They don't spread very much.) Brush the tops of each cookie with milk or egg white. Sprinkle raw or sanding sugar on the tops of each cookie.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them. (I like these to be crisp rather than soft, so I left them in for about 8 minutes, or until the tops were golden.)

Let cool on wire racks. Keep in airtight containers.