Also it’s National Peanut Butter Day, and the peanut butter people would be totally fired up if you chose to celebrate with them.

When it comes to food, there’s always something to celebrate. 

SUPER-NUTTY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Makes Approximately 3 Dozen
Source:  cooksillusrated.com

2 ½ c. flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
2 sticks butter, salted
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. roasted, salted peanuts, ground in the food processor to resemble coarse crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand), beat butter until creamy.  Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary.  Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.  Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture.  Add ground peanuts, stir gently until just incorporated.

Working with two tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into large balls, placing them two inches apart on the cookie sheets.  Press each dough ball with the back of a dinner fork to create crosshatch marks.  Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but not on top, 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked).  Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Small note:  I usually divide the dough and freeze half.  The dough freezes just fine and I’ve never been sad to open up the freezer and see peanut butter cookie dough sitting there.  Besides,  having too many extra cookies hanging around the kitchen is not good for anyone who’s looking ahead to spring break.

Even though I love trying new recipes, I’m bringing this crisp back out today.  It’s the perfect time to make it - blueberries and peaches are on sale, it tastes like summer, and it’s easy like Sunday morning!  I can’t think of a more perfect dessert for weekend entertaining.

Happy long weekend, everyone!  See you next week. 

BLACK & BLUEBERRY CRISP WITH PEACHES
Serves:  8
Source:  epicurious.com

• 1 ½ lbs. fresh peaches, rinsed and sliced (White Peaches are on sale)
• 1 6 oz. container blueberries (on sale)
• 1 6 oz. container blackberries
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 c. sugar

• 2/3 c. flour
• ¾ c. brown sugar
• ½ c. old fashioned oats
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. nutmeg (I didn’t have any and didn’t miss it)
• 1 t. cinnamon
• ¾ c. toasted pecans, chopped
• 6 T. cold butter, cut in bits
• Vanilla ice cream for serving (Haagen Dazs or Edy’s are on sale)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 7×11” baking pan and set aside.

Toss fruit ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside to stand while you make the topping.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and toasted pecans.  Add the butter to the bowl, and cut it in with your fingers, squeezing it through your fingers to combine the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

Spread the fruit mixture in the prepared pan.  Top with the oat mixture.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

I mean, I like Miss Gwyneth and all.  “Emma” is one of my favorite movies … I did feel quite bad for her when she met her unfortunate, cringe-worthy demise at the end of “Seven”.  I even thought her version of “Forget You” on the Grammys was halfway decent.  But when I saw her on the cover of BA, I was skeptical.

I was wrong.  It was a great article and there were a couple of recipes I dog-earred to try.  I loved her idea of ‘strawberry shortcake sliders’ so well that I made a version of it here today.  The slider idea is always a hit around here, and it’s great for portion control.  Although I didn’t use her biscuit recipe (I have one that I love from Cooking Light), the slider concept — well that’s all Gwyneth. 

Joke’s on me I guess.

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SLIDERS
Serves:  10
Source:  adapted from cookinglight.com & Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2011 issue.  p. 79.

2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
5 T. cold butter, diced

3/4 c. buttermilk
3 T. honey

1 T. butter, melted (optional)
1 T. raw sugar (optional)

2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (Organic Strawberries are on sale)
1 T + honey

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both) for serving

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Blend in the butter using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, until it forms a coarse meal.  Chill in fridge for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine buttermilk and honey in a small mixing bowl.  Combine the buttermilk mixture with the flour mixture and stir just until it comes together into a soft dough.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Gather dough into a ball and form into a rectangle (it doesn’t have to be precise).  Fold rectangle like into thirds (like a letter), then pat out into a rectangle again and repeat with the folds.  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 3/4″ thick; use a small round cookie cutter to cut the biscuits and place them on the parchment lined sheet.  Gather dough; re-roll and continue to cut biscuits until all of the dough is used (I usually get about 10 biscuits).  Brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar, if using.

Bake biscuits in pre-heated oven until golden brown, 12 -15 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place sliced berries in a mixing bowl; drizzle with honey and toss to blend.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Slice biscuits in half and place bottoms on serving plates.  Place a scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream on the bottom biscuit; top with a scoop of berries.  Place biscuit top on berries, and top with more whipped cream if desired.  Serve immediately.

“Daddy always says, an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure…”
Movie line anyone?

When ice cream sandwiches were on sale last week, I decided to give this recipe a try. I wanted a last-day-of-school treat for the kiddos, and I was expecting that they would like it, but I had no idea of the rave reviews it would receive. With their faces stuffed full of ice cream sandwich cake, my girls both said “YOU SHOULD PUT THIS ON YOUR BLOG!!! KIDS EVERYWHERE WILL THANK YOU!!”

So, if you fancy ice cream sandwiches and Cool Whip, it’s your lucky day. Some assembly required, but I think you’ll agree: it’s a piece of cake (ha) to put together. And your kids are gonna love helping out!

With that said, the food snob in me has temporarily left the building. Have a great weekend, and of course Happy Father’s Day to all you great dads out there!

ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE
Serves: 8 – ish?
Source: atasteofhome.com

• 1 dozen ice cream sandwiches
• 1 (16 oz.) jar hot fudge sauce (Mrs. Richardson’s has been my fav’ since I was weeee bitty)
• 1 c. salted peanuts
• 3 full-sized Heath Bars
• 1 (8 oz) carton Cool Whip, thawed

(Pay attention, this is very difficult.)

Place peanuts and Heath Bars in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Enlist the help of your assistants to unwrap the ice cream sandwiches. Place six sandwiches side by side in a 9×11 baking pan. You’ll need to slice the 6th sandwich from top to bottom to make it fit. Fit the other half along the side of the pan (or eat it). It doesn’t have to be precise.

Remove the lid from the hot fudge sauce and microwave for 30 seconds, or until it is loose enough to spread easily. Top the first layer of sandwiches with half of the fudge sauce, then sprinkle half of the peanut/candy mixture over the fudge. Add another layer of sandwiches, again, cutting the last one to fit.

Spread the remaining fudge over the sandwiches. Spread a thick layer of Cool Whip over the fudge (there will be some left over). Top Cool Whip with more peanut/candy mixture (if you have some left over, save it for future sundaes). Cover cake with foil and freeze for a minimum of two hours. Cut into squares and serve!

Her bestie since she was three years old is moving to a different neighborhood.  Of course it doesn’t mean they can’t still be friends – getting together just won’t be as simple as it is now.  There won’t be anymore hopping on her bike with an American Girl doll hanging precariously off the front handlebars, and zipping down the street for playdate.  Hanging out will now involve phone calls and being organized and four-wheeled transportation.  I’ve assured her this won’t be a problem.

Looming larger than logistics in her mind is the horrible thought that her friend will find a brand new bestie in her brand new neighborhood.  ”What if she forgets me, mom?  What if she doesn’t remember we’re best friends?”  What if, what if, what if.  I’ve assured her none of these ‘what ifs’ will happen.  They will always be friends.

I tucked her in last night and her eyes were bright red, swollen, and burning from crying the evening away.  Through dinner, homework, and brushing her teeth, the tears and sobs kept coming.  Is there anything worse than seeing your kid so sad?  I could’ve wept right along with her.

The weather today matches my mood.

This surely calls for cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH BUTTERMILK ICING
SERVES:  12
Source:  Cooking Light Magazine, April 2011.  Recipe by Kathy Kitchens Downie, RD.  p. 172

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
2 c. grated carrot  (Sweet Vidalia Carrots are on sale)

1 c. granulated sugar (C&H Brand Sugar is on sale)
1/2 c. brown sugar
6 T. butter, softened (Shur Fresh Butter is on sale)
3 large eggs (Sparboe Eggs are on sale)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray

Icing:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add grated carrot, tossing to combine.

Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Spread batter into a bundt pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.  Cool cake slightly in pan, then invert on a cooling rack.  Cool an additional 10 minutes.

I’ve made toffee before – the real deal, too.  It’s impressive and fabulous, but making it is kinda stressful.  You reaaaaallly have to pay attention, see.  There’s no walking away from the stove to update your Facebook status, or to text your bff to share the latest newsie news.  No siree.  You need to be vigilant lest you burn your caramel – a mistake that will only lead to untold sadness, disappointment, and quite possibly a trip to Marshall’s to replace your ruined pan.

Today’s recipe is a perfectly acceptable, less stressful, and equally delicious compromise.  I feel quite sure that no one is gonna call for your expulsion from your cookie exchange for bringing this version – you might get shown the door for bringing other dumbed-down holiday treats  – like those lame faux turtles?  The ones that are nothing but a melted Rolo inside a pretzel ring?  I’m sorry, but you’d have it coming…I couldn’t even take up for you, and I don’t give a care how cute you packaged them.

You don’t have to tell anyone how easy this is to make….it’ll be our little secret!  I can nearly guarantee they’ll secure your spot in the cookie exchange again next year.

Enjoy!

IRRESISTIBLE TOFFEE CRUNCH
Serves 1  (kidding)
Adapted and morphed from allrecipes and Food & Wine Magazine

7-8 graham cracker sheets, broken in half (Honey Maid Grahams are on sale)
¾ c. butter
¾ c. brown sugar (C & H Brand is on sale)
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 c. finely chopped roasted, salted almonds, divided in half
2 c. chocolate chips (Nestle Brand are on sale)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.  Set graham cracker halves side by side on the baking sheet.  Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan and place pan over medium heat.  Whisk the mixture until it is blended.  Bring up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 – 6 minutes, whisking constantly (I let mine reach 220 on my thermometer).  Remove from heat.  Add half a cup of the chopped almonds, the vanilla, and the salt and mix well.  Working quickly, pour the mixture over the graham crackers, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula.  Quickly spread the caramel mixture all the way to the edges of the graham crackers so that they are all covered.  Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the hot caramel layer.  Allow to stand for five minutes, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the caramel layer.  Top evenly with remaining half cup of chopped almonds.  Refrigerate for at least two hours, or until fully chilled. Break or cut toffee into pieces and serve.

“MOM, I can’t find my (lost item)!!  I think (name of younger sibling) took it again!  (He/She) is always taking my stuff!”  You then assist in an exhaustive search, and discover that the ‘missing’ item has been in the accuser’s own bedroom all along, and had he/she picked up his/her clothing and bath towel that morning (as you had requested), the lost item never would have gone missing in the first place.

My middle child ‘lost’ both a swimsuit coverup and a cellphone in one 45 minute period yesterday afternoon.  She accused her younger sister of absconding with these items.  The coverup was found in the child’s very own bedroom, and the phone was found in her pool bag.  “Well……well..…well!” was all she could sputter.

Yesterday morning I went out into the garage to fetch the canister part of my ice cream maker.  Haven’t seen it in years, but I decided I wanted to take advantage of sale strawberries and whip up some homemade gelato.  I keep the canister on a shelf by the freezer in the garage, and yesterday it wasn’t there.  And because I’m not above such baseless accusations myself, I said (loudly and to no one in particular), “WHAT DID HE DO WITH MY ICE CREAM MAKER?  He probably threw it away! I’ll bet he tossed it in the trash the last time he purged the garage!  Uggghhhh!”

You can probably guess where this is going.

I spent 15 minutes angrily tossing the steaming hot garage, and found the canister exactly where I had left it: on the shelf, in the garage.  I had nested it inside my crockpot to save space, never thinking I would outsmart myself by being so organized.    Oooops.

Making ice cream, sorbet, or gelato is easy and quite a lot of fun when you remember where you keep your equipment.  You just need a bit of forethought, because the canister part has to be frozen really hard for it to work properly.  Today it’s pouring down rain and my girls were looking for a project, so this is what we came up with.  It’s fresh tasting and sweet, and it’s a bargain to make…give it a go!  Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY GELATO
Makes 4 cups
Source:  epicurious.com

3/4 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. whipping cream
2 1/4 c. fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered (on sale this week, 7/21/10 – 7/27/10)
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Stir sugar and cornstarch in a heavy medium saucepan.  Whisk in milk and cream.  Whisk over medium heat until gelato base thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.  Pour into bowl.  Cool over ice, stirring occasionally.

Pour strawberries into food processor.  Strain strawberries into gelato base (unless the seeds don’t bother you, then skip the straining step).  Mix in lemon juice.  Chill 3 hours.  Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions (for me this was 20 minutes).  Transfer to container.  Cover; freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

But if you want it to be neat, tidy, and mess-free to assemble (jeepers, demanding much?) –- well, I make no promises.  Not to dissuade you from whipping up this delicious dessert, but my hands and white t-shirt are now stained a vivid purple.

Wearing an apron is what I recommend.

Cherry season is finally here … and they’re delicious, plentiful, and ON SALE!

Making a granita is very difficult and confusing as you will see.  Please pay attention as I explain the entire three-step process:

1).  Pit cherries.
2).  Blend pitted cherries.
3).  Freeze blended cherries.

Voila!

Okay, it’s slightly more involved than that.  But not much.  Let’s make a granita!!

CHERRY GRANITA
Serves: 4
Source:  allrecipes.com

1 ½ c. pitted cherries (on sale!)
¾ c. simple syrup – find this in the liquor department by the tonic and club soda, or make your own**
1-2 t. fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt

Place pitted cherries and half of the simple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add in the rest of the simple syrup, the lemon juice, and the salt.  Blend again.  Pour mixture into an 8×8” metal pan and place in the freezer.  Scrape mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until mixture is frozen and resembles shaved ice.  Scoop into dishes and serve!

** Making simple syrup is just how it sounds:  simple.  If it was complicated, it would be called complicated syrup.  But it’s not.  To make it yourself, mix equal parts water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring up to a simmer.  Simmer and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Cool.  See?  Simple!

Because the nightly news, the DJIA, and the Brewers have me feeling like the apocalypse is drawing near.

Because I feel like planet earth is about to implode in an earthquaking, oil-slicked, Icelandic-volcano-ash-plumed ball of flames.

Because if this is the end, I feel strongly we should go out with sticky, gooey faces and happy bellies – and to that end, I give you Molten Brownie Pudding, shown here in a darling yellow bowl atop a charming floral dish towel. Both from the gift department, I couldn’t resist. Depression leaves me weak in the pocketbook.

Here’s a wacky recipe (you’ll see) for an equally wacky world.

Because that’s how I roll.

MOLTEN BROWNIE PUDDING
Serves: One ‘Glass-is-Half-Empty’ Gal – kidding, serves 8.
Source: tastykitchen.com

1 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
7 T. cocoa powder, DIVIDED
1 ¼ c. sugar, DIVIDED
½ c. milk
5 T. butter, melted
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
½ c. brown sugar, packed

1 ½ c. very hot water

Vanilla ice cream
Fresh berries and mint sprigs, optional (fresh raspberries are on sale)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and ¾ cups of the white sugar. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to combine thoroughly. Spread the mixture into an ungreased baking dish (I used a 9” pie plate).

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over everything. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is very nearly set. Let stand for a few minutes. Spoon into shallow dessert bowls, top with ice cream, and garnish with berries if desired.

Please, please make this cake immediately!  Carrots are on sale, people!  They’re an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin A, for pitty’s sake! A big hunk of cake pairs swimmingly with a glass of calcium-rich milk!  And seriously, do you really need a reason?!!

Help, my exclamation mark key seems to be stuck!!

Share this goodness with your family, friends, neighbors, and countrymen.  Heck, save it for the Easter Bunny if you’re so inclined.  Or, do what I did.  Set this cake on a pretty cake stand, then take it with you to the farthest reaches of your house.  A closet is good.  Make sure you also have with you a big fork and large glass of cold milk.  Shut the door.  Dig in.  Be at peace.

Or, don’t be like me.  Have you seen my thighs lately?

Nom, nom, nom……

OLD FASHIONED CARROT CAKE

Serves:  12

Source:  allrecipes.com

• 2 c. sugar
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. flour
• ½ t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1t. baking powder
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 2 c. grated carrot (for me this was one giant one; they’re on sale)

• ½ c. butter, softened
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 2 t. vanilla

• 1 c. toasted pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs until well blended.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Add to the sugar mixture and combine well.  Add in the carrots and stir until just blended.

Choose your pan(s) and spray well with non-stick cooking spray.  I used two 8” rounds; you could use a bundt pan, cupcake tin, or 9×13” pan.  Pour in the cake batter; bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with loose crumbs attached, anywhere from 25-50 minutes, depending on the pan you’ve chosen.

Remove cake to a rack and cool completely.  Make the frosting by creaming together the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat to blend.  Add the pecans if desired.  Alternately, you could top the cake with the chopped pecans as a garnish.