Tuesdays with Dorie: White Chocolate Brownies

Never has a recipe surprised me more.




I've heard for months and months about this White Chocolate Brownie inside the best baking cookbook by Dorie Greenspan. A fellow baker, Clara of I heart food for thought has been begging all of us to pick this recipe. Finally Marthe of Culinary Delights selected this recipe for White Chocolate Brownies on pages 110 and 111 of Baking from My Home to Yours.

I like white chocolate (or rather, cocoa butter) but it has to be perfectly balanced with another flavor. Otherwise, it is too much for me. So going into it I was a little nervous.

Then I opened up my baking cookbook and shazam: I saw the picture. Holy cow...these weren't brownies at all! Or were they? I saw beautiful raspberries, I saw a pillowy meringue sitting on top of the white chocolate goodness. Then it got better, I read the recipe to see it also included orange zest (wahoo!) and ground almonds (oh yesss!). I knew I would love this recipe.





Still though, there was a hurdle I would have to overcome before I actually got to enjoy this treat. I had to executive the recipe properly. Thankfully, I read the P&Q post on our group site. It help a lot. The biggest thing for me was making sure to make my meringue properly and also make sure I baked the batter long enough. Many bakers had problems with the middle being goopey.

The results?

I loved this recipe and it turned out well for me, especially considering it was my first attempt. When I make it again, I will bake it longer. Mine was by no means soupy in the middle, but it needed more time.



I thought the taste was beautiful and elegant. The orange zest, white chocolate, ground almonds and fresh raspberries were the perfect combo. I loved the meringue it brought the coolest texture. I really could not get enough of these. My husband loved them as well. And I even brought them into a few coworkers and they loved them (even if they were a day and 1/2 old).



Be sure to check out the LYL post on the official Tuesdays with Dorie blog to see what other bakers made White Chocolate Brownies and how they liked it.

**Oh and excuse the chaos of nasty lighting pictures. Crazy week. Baking at night and then some. ;)


Next week: Tender Shortcakes (I just may be skipping)

Bear Lake Raspberry Shake

Let me introduce you to the most perfect raspberry shake on the planet.



It's a fresh raspberry shake from Quick n' Tasty in Garden City, Utah.

The raspberries grown near Bear Lake are incredible. If you ever visit you will have plenty of choices on where to buy your shake. It's actually quite the to-do, there are even blogs dedicated to finding who makes the best bear lake raspberry shake.

Can't wait to eat one again this summer!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

McMamma's Recipes: Peanut Butter Chews

My childhood would not be the same without peanut butter chews.

I'm not exactly sure when my mother introduced me to them. But man oh man, I bet we've made this recipe hundreds and hundreds of times. I bet the thing she loved about this recipe is that any of her seven kids could make it by themselves and she knew we'd have fun.




Mom always told us never to play with food, well except for peanut butter chews...she encouraged it. I loved rolling this snack into slithering snakes, or pretty braids then around the holidays I can remember making peanut butter chew snowmen. Oh the memories.



It was fun to make these as an adult. I was hoping that I would still adore the snack and I did! I think I had just as much fun making them too. I can't wait to share these with my kiddos. I think I'll also be doing an experiment in the near future with some alternative ingredients like agave and what not.

Enjoy. If you make them, let me know what you shape them into.


PEANUT BUTTER CHEWS

Ingredients:
½ c. peanut butter
½ c. corn syrup
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. (or more) dry milk

Directions:
Mix syrup and peanut butter and gradually add powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Then add dry milk a little at a time and mix well until mixture is stiff enough to handle.

Roll into balls or into a long roll to be cut into pieces. Recipe makes about 30 pieces.

(I roll into balls and get about 28.)

Some chopped peanuts may be added (unless chunky peanut butter is used). You could also roll in mini chocolate chips.

Provo Farmers Market and Basil Ice Cream

I think Spring is really here to stay in Utah. We had a crazy March and April full of rain, sun and snow. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that it is all sun from here on out. Last weekend was full of the fun spring and summer things I like to do, including going to the Provo Farmers Market.

Our market always starts out a bit small due to Utah's growing season but by the end of summer it is great. For the first one of the year I was pretty happy. Here are my finds. I've been enjoying them all week.



I'm no stranger to pepper jelly. And Cally's Homemade Jalapeno Jelly was there to represent on Saturday. I remembered her from last year. This time I opted for her new sugar-free version. She makes it with xylitol but I'm hoping she'll do some with Agave soon.




I wasn't surprised to find cupcakes at the market this year. These carrot cupcakes are from a company run by two sisters I think and it starts with a D. (Help me remember, please.) The thing that makes these cupcakes unique is that they included carrot puree and juice. I enjoyed it. It was nice and small. A bit bread-like but still very nice, especially with the cream cheese frosting.



Oh and there wasn't just one vendor selling cupcakes. There were two. I also spotted Sugar Daisy out of Provo. Look how beautiful these cupcakes are...and the baker was super nice with some fun friends. Half the fun of farmers markets for me is just getting to chat with interesting people.



I don't expect to be buying lots of produce until the end of June. But I did find these radishes. The poor little things got a bit wilted by the hot sun but that didn't stop me from buying them. My salads have been screaming from more color in the form of bright radishes.




Prickly Rock Honey. This company was new to me. I loved how they had various honeys that came from different hives all around Utah. I really enjoyed the Duchesane County a lot but decided to purchase the Wildflower Honey. I think it was taken from hives in Kamas. Yum.

Now the best for last.

I've decided that each time I write about the Provo Farmers Market I will feature a food photo, recipe or tip that includes something I purchased. This week (among many other things) I made this Basil Ice Cream found in David Lebovitz's genius of a cookbook, The Perfect Scoop. I used these beautiful local eggs.


I wish I could remember the name of these egg farmers or their company name. Funny enough, when I asked them what their company name was they just chuckled and said their first names. It was cute. They were so casual, I loved it. The eggs were just beautiful. And I don't think I'd ever seen yolks so shiny and golden. I almost didn't want to whisk them because they were such a sight to see.


Beautiful fresh eggs made the best custard-based ice cream. The recipe was absolutely delicious. It was simple, aromatic, fresh and a bit spicy. The recipe included fresh basil, lemon zest, heavy cream, whole milk, sugar and salt. The basil brought such a pungent clove and anise-like flavor which I really enjoy. But how would it play out in a dessert dish? It was so fresh and delicious. It was mellowed out by the sugar and heavy cream. The touch of lemon zest balanced everything out perfectly.

I'm not posting the recipe because I honestly think anyone interested in making ice cream should own this book.



David suggests you pair the basil ice cream with his recipe for Strawberries in Lemon Syrup. Basically you make a simple syrup that includes lemon zest, then you macerate hulled and quartered strawberries in the syrup for a few hours.

I couldn't have discovered a better pairing for this ice cream. Every flavor played off the other. I imagine this dessert as the perfect ending to a beautiful outdoor meal. This wasn't the case because neither me or my husband had the patience to wait till dinner was over.

I hope you get the chance to attend your local farmers market this summer. I have so much fun attending the event and supporting local businesses. I'm also hoping to attend the Salt Lake City and Park City markets. If you have any posts about your favorite farmers market leave the links here. I'd love to see them.


Provo Farmers Market
Every Saturday
9 am - 2pm
Pioneer Park (500 West Center Street)
May 15th through October 30th.
Blog site: http://provofarmersmarket.blogspot.com/
pfarmersmarket@gmail.com

Tuesdays with Dorie: Apple-Apple Bread Pudding

I loved everything about this Apple-Apple Bread Pudding chosen by Elizabeth of the blog Cake or Death.



I love bread pudding. It's homey and comforting.
I love custard. Because...well it's smooth and filling.
I love baked apples. They remind me of my mom's apple pie.
I love apple butter. Because I have never used it and I love exploring and using new ingredients.
I love challah bread. Mostly because I love saying challah.
I love cutting bread into triangles. It makes me feel like I'm a child again.
I love that my family loved this dessert.





Now for some more thoughts. I've really been trying to write my first impressions (along with my husband's) on each recipe page of the cookbook... when I make it and as we eat it. Thankfully I did with this bread pudding recipe. Here we go:

Becky's Thoughts: Delicious, warm and homey. I loved that it didn't have spices. The custard and bread were really the stars. It was nice not to have any distractions. It had a good amount of moistness and was perfect with a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

Adam's Thoughts: (He was oblivious that I was writing down his reactions :) ) The custard was delicious. It had a great, spongy texture and just enough apple flavor. It was good at room temperature or warm.



So there you have it friends. You really should give this a try. It was simple and would make a great dessert for a gathering of friends and family. You can find the recipe on Elizabeth's blog.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie baker's blogs to see how they liked this recipe.

Whole Wheat Fig & Date Bars {Homemade Fig Newtons!}

I usually gain weight when I travel. Ugh! Don't we all? (Someone please say yes... ;) I traveled 15 out of the 31 days in March this year. It was crazy, hectic and most of all fun. I went to Las Vegas, Southern California and Houston, Texas. There was only one place I didn't gain weight...and in fact, I lost weight --- it was Houston.

I credit this to my older sister. Every time I visit her she inspires me to live a healthier and super-active lifestyle...even on vacation. We eat well and exercise together. It is so fun. Erika loves to bake too, but is more apt to find healthier options. So while I was visiting she introduced me to these fig and date bars she created.



The recipe uses whole wheat flour, figs and dates...I'm not saying it's going to make you lose weight but it is a more wholesome treat.

I grew up loving Fig Newtons, my mom would pack them in my brown bag lunch almost daily and really, I could never get enough! Let me tell you, I would take these {fresh out of the oven} any day over those packaged "cookies." You can mix and match the fig to date ratio or even add in some different dried fruit, but Erika and I love this combination.

Give this recipe a try. It is delicious!


Whole Wheat Fig and Date Bars

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 oz. moist dried figs
6 oz. dried dates
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


Finely chop dried fruit and place in a saucepan. Add sugar, water and lemon juice. Place over medium heat. Cook for10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick and jam-like. Remove from heat. Cool, chill and set aside.

With mixer beat eggs and vanilla until well blended. Mix flour, salt and baking soda. Stir into first mixture (dough will be stiff). Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least three hours. (I really like to chill dough, when we made this though we only chilled for 30 minutes…)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9x9 baking dish with butter. Lightly pat ½ the dough into the pan. Spoon all fruit filling over dough and spread evenly with a spatula. Be careful to leave a quarter inch border so dough to keep filling inside bars.

Place remaining dough on top of fruit filling. I like to do this real casually and just make randomly place chunks of dough. (I like to fold over the border that I created so the jam is nicely tucked inside the bar.)

Bake bar for 12-18 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. Remove to cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Bars should keep for 3 days in an airtight container.


**I know the bake time has a huge spread. Check as early as 10 minutes. I think mine was done around 14 minutes. I also baked these at sea level so I’m not sure what they are at my local Utah altitude.

Pancakes - Bacon Banana & Strawberry {Shirley J Wednesday}

Saying my husband loves pancakes, bacon and eggs on a Saturday is an understatement.

He always surprises me with a new pancake or cool breakfast on the weekend. He loves it! I'm usually happy to go with my Kashi cereal or steel cut oats, but Adam loves a big breakfast. And well...I'm cool with that, especially because I don't have to make it.

Though he has a great from-scratch buttermilk pancake recipe {which I adore} sometimes he goes for the Shirley J pancake mix that we always have in the pantry. Most recently he made these two pancakes: bacon banana pancakes and strawberry. Both were delicious!



These strawberry buttermilk pancakes were my favorite in weeks. I loved the fresh strawberries. I think this picture has maple syrup, but I usually top mine with agave, cinnamon and a dollop of peanut butter. Wait! I do spot some peanut butter! See it?



Adam loves bacon, so he had a lot of fun with this one. Bacon and banana are a great combo and really worked well in the pancake. I loved finding little crispy nuggets of bacon in each bite. The bacon along with the banana was delicious with maple syrup.

I love the Shirley J Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix. It makes such a nice, flavorful and fluffy yet very substantial pancake! We just add water, any fun mix-in (or leave it plain cause it's got a great flavor) and are done!

What's your favorite pancake mix? And what mix-ins do you like to add?

Beer Battered Fish Tacos from Red Butte Cafe

One of my favorite places to eat in Salt Lake City is the Red Butte Cafe in Foothill Village. I go specifically for these puppies:



Beer Battered Fish Tacos with jalapeno remoulade, roasted salsa and cabbage.



Red Butte Cafe
1414 Foothill Drive Suite C
(801) 581-9498


...PS - one of my favorite cupcake shops is opening up in Foothill Village. Hello Sweet Tooth Fairy!

2 great recipes from 2 local bloggers

Utah has some great bloggers in all genres.

I am always perusing their posts and always find awesome recipes to try and really, just get inspiration for lots of things.

Here are two recipes I recently made.


Asian Chicken Pasta Salad by Kami of No Biggie



Words can't express how grateful I was to find this recipe on Kami's blog! There is a big 'ol long and funny story that goes along with it but I'll spare you all. In a nutshell, I tried a similar salad about two years ago and have NOT been able to get the recipe. Then one day Kami posted it. It was like manna from heaven.

It really is a delicious salad that makes one heckuva meal. I can't wait to make it again and even more so...share it with my family at many bbqs this summer!

Kami has a great blog, check it out. She takes great pictures, seems like such a wonderful mother and loves milk glass!



The second recipe is from Maria of Two Peas and their Pod.



It's Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup!

Holy cow, this was so delicious. I love sweet potatoes and am always looking to use them in a recipe. This recipe had perfect timing for me. I had just returned from a road trip and was so hungry — i wanted something warm, healthy and filling. It was perfect. I topped with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. I was seriously so shocked I had all of the ingredients on hand!

Maria is such a great person. We worked together on the Food Bloggers Bake Sale. You must check out her blog. She develops so many great recipes for healthy dinners, lunches and snacks and she is known for her delicious cookie recipes!

I can't wait to make both of these recipes again. You should give them a try. Both were super easy, inexpensive to make and delicious!


And if you are looking to connect with Utah Food Bloggers, check out our hub: The Utah Hive!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Burnt Sugar Ice Cream {my pick!}

It's a momentous occasion today over here at Project Domestication! Today marks the glorious day when I, Becky Olsen get to pick the recipe that hundreds of fellow baking bloggers will make! Seriously, does it get more exciting than that? I think not!

Before we get to the delicious ice cream recipe that I chose for this week, I want to share a bit of my blog story. Back in 2007 when I was nearing graduation I promised myself that I would always continue to learn. I promised myself that I wouldn't come home from work and become a slump on the couch. I was also a newlywed at the time and felt passionate about developing skills that would help me in my new home.

So...

I decided I would start a new project. I called it Project Domestication. And I would blog about it! So here I am two years later...still learning, loving and blogging along the way. A huge part of this journey has been baking {obviously} and Tuesdays with Dorie.

I can't believe how much I have learned, how many new recipes I have tried that I know I NEVER would have touched, how many friends I've made and how much fun I have had! It's been so fulfilling.

Okay so now on to the fun stuff!

When I first purchased Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan I made a huge list of all the recipes I would pick. One by one they were crossed off, except for Burnt Sugar Ice Cream, which was actually my number one choice! I couldn't believe it!



Doesn't it look delicious? It truly was.

It was consumed the second I completed the recipe. No seriously, my husband and I ate this entire batch of ice cream in under 10 minutes! I barely had enough ice cream to photograph.

In fact, if you look closely you might realize that the glass holding the burnt sugar ice cream is actually a shot glass that stands a mere three-inches tall!




I loved everything about this ice cream. It was 100 percent my style. I love caramel, and the texture was thick and delicious and entirely creamy. The flavor was complex, yet subtle in a curious way.

Since we devoured the recipe as soon as it was ready, we didn't top it with anything. And to be honest, I'd recommend it that way.



Overall I'd say it was a simple recipe. Sure, the caramel seizes when you add the cream, but just keep stirring. It will be smooth and incorporated in no time!

Well you better excuse me cause I think I'll go make another batch!

Here's the recipe. Enjoy--You will love it!

...and thanks to everyone in the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. I can't wait to read how you liked this ice cream.


Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (page 432)

The caramel in this ice cream has a slightly bitter tang, with a touch of sugar's original sweetness. It's a complex, interesting flavor and it's intense, so you can serve this ice cream on its own or with a docile and doting partner. If you're looking for supporting players, consider plain butter or sugar cookies like Grandma's (page 146), Sables (page 131) or Lenox Almond Biscotti (page 141.)

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Stir the sugar and water together in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil, without stirring, until the syrup turns a deep amber color--from time to time, brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirl the pan. (Depending on the size of your pan and the intensity of the heat, it could take about 8 minutes for the caramel to color properly.)

Stand back--things can get a little wild--lower the heat and add the milk and cream. Don't be concerned when everything bubbles and seethes and the caramel hardens; it will calm down and smooth out as you heat and stir. Continue to heat and stir and when the mixture is smooth, remove the pan from the heat.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks and salt together until blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid--this will temper, or warm, the yolks. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. the custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard into a 2-quart liquid measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Stir in vanilla extract.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Makes about 1 1/2 pints.

Serving: If the ice cream is very firm, allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping or warm it in a microwave oven using 5-second spurts of heat.

Storing: Packed tightly in a covered container, the ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Fresh Strawberries with a Balsamic Reduction

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were asked to bring a fruit side to a dinner party. I wanted something fresh, easy and well...unique. I always like to use these opportunities to discover something new and stretch myself as a home cook. I also knew that I had no idea what the likings of the other dinner guests would be -- so I didn't want to go too crazy.

I've got some major perks working for a food products company that has a full-time executive chef on staff. I'm always picking his brain and getting fabulous ideas. After tossing around a few dish ideas, he suggested I buy some fresh strawberries and just make a nice balsamic reduction to top them.

Perfect! So my side dish would be fresh strawberries with a balsamic reduction!



Isn't it beautiful?

So, during my lunch break I headed on over to Williams-Sonoma and bought some really great (in my opinion) balsamic vinegar. I chose a 25-year, barrel-aged balsamic vinegar by Olivier. Oh man, it was seriously delicious and I knew after reducing it that I would have a winner.



Since I chose to go with a high-quality balsamic I didn't have to reduce it down much. The way Chef Brian recommend to reduce it was on a super-low heat for a couple hours. If we were using a cheaper balsamic we would have added a bit of sugar and it would have taken many more hours. The way you know the balsamic is reduced to the right consistency is if it coats a spoon.

Since I only needed a little, we really just poured in a few cups and reduced it to about one cup. (I wanted leftovers.) I have to tell you the results were incredible! This reduction was like candy with its pungent sweetness, but still maintained that acidic tang that I love in a great vinegar!




My husband picked up some nice big strawberries from Costco. I cleaned them and sliced them in half then placed them on fun white platter before I drizzled the balsamic over them. A little goes a long way, so you may want to be conservative.

If I had to do this over again, I would have put the reduction in a trustee squeeze bottle that I like buy at a local restaurant supply store. (That's a latest obsession I need to expound on.)

I'd also wait to do drizzle the glaze at the last minute...if you slice the strawberries. Because the strawberries will obviously start to weep some water and create a fun little pool of strawberry juice and the reduction. And by fun I mean ugly.

***You'll most likely have leftovers of the reduction and you should be excited! I've been using mine on top of salads with a bit of olive oil, I've added it to some chicken and vegetable dishes and so much more. I plan to make a special salad of grilled asparagus, fresh strawberries and feta cheese too! YUM!***

I don't have an exact recipe for this but I'll attempt just so you have some sort of starting point.


Fresh Strawberries with a Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh strawberries (I prefer medium size)
1-2 cups high-quality balsamic vinegar

(if using a lower-grade balsamic you may want to add a bit of sugar around 1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions:
Pour balsamic vinegar into a medium-sized saucepan. Turn heat on lowest possible temperature. If using gas burner this should be just a flicker. Let vinegar reduce for 2-4 hours or until vinegar comes to a thick consistency and coats a spoon.

Clean strawberries and slice them in half. Place on platter. (I prefer to leave the greens on the strawberries for the addition of color, but you can hull them if you prefer.)

Carefully drizzle the balsamic reduction over the strawberries with a fork or spoon. If you have a squeeze bottle use that.

Serve as soon as possible.