Grown-Up Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

 

Peanut butter jelly time. Remember that YouTube sensation? Today I've got the creme-de-la-creme of peanut butter and jelly wonders, the perfect after school snack and a treat to tempt your hungry coworkers with...yes, folks. An adult-ish peanut butter and jelly baked good. Behold Baked NYC's recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars. Though I've visited and loved Baked NYC, I've never tried these bars inside their Brooklyn bakery. But when you live 2,500+ miles away, it's not so bad to bake them up yourself from Baked's wonderful cookbook, BAKED: Explorations.

 

When the BAKED NYC guys said their peanut butter and jelly bars were the perfect lunch substitute I sorta chuckled. This was a dessert after all. But what I didn't realize at the time was that these bars were substantial. Yes they had mounds and mounds of butter and sugar but they were satisfying. And I did find myself eating one to tide me over till dinnertime. I'm not suggesting you'll get the nutritional value you would from say, a salad, but it works and it is dang good.

You begin with a sweet pastry dough crust. Then you make an insanely smooth and delicious peanut butter filling which is very much a faux mousse. Each of these components has a chill factor, so make sure to plan your time accordingly. Last but not least you'll spread your chosen jelly, jam or preserves and sprinkle a rolled oat crumb topping. 

Travel Bug Becky: Wild Maine Blueberries

 

It's about this time of year where I begin counting down to my summer vacation. Nothing is set in stone for us yet, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it requires a passport. I've got the bug. Traveling for me isn't so much about the destination as it is the millions of details in a new-found area. Finding joy in seeing how other live, eat and play and imagining what life would in fact be like if I did have a postal address in the area. As much as I love the popular tourist spots (and I do), I crave small moments with locals where I can spend time hearing stories and savoring these elements of what makes a place home.

Two summers ago, my husband and I took a two-week vacation back to New England. My husband had lived there for two years as he served an LDS mission and he longed for the day when he could share the area with me. As we ventured through Maine, upstate New York, Vermont, Boston and New Hampshire, I instantly fell in love. Never had I seen so many trees in my life! Up until that point I had always dreamed of tasting wild Maine blueberries. After all, wasn't it a hallmark of Maine's summer? When we were on our way to grab a famous lobster roll at Red's Eats we passed a wild blueberry stand. Check mate! We bought a pint and had at it. 

Homemade Meyer Lemon Salt with Edamame

 

Is it possible to be a foodie and food blogger and never have purchased Meyer lemons? I think it is folks. Cause guess who has two thumbs and has never baked or cooked with Meyer lemons? This girl! Sure, I've been to restaurants and bakeries and enjoyed dishes, desserts and pastries with this hybrid citrus. But until recently I have never bought them myself. So when I saw Meyer lemons at my local Harmons I bought two pounds.

 

Sure there were so many different things I could make. I've thought about Meyer lemon cupcakes. Or how about a Spring risotto with Meyer lemons and asparagus or peas? And my friends Becky and Maria recently made a Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake that looked insanely tempting. But nope, I have yet to bake or truly cook with Meyer lemons. Instead what did Domestic Becky do? I juiced them. I decided my first at-home experience with Meyer lemons was going to be in their most natural state. 

So I juiced and then blended up a Meyer lemon slushie. After I juiced the first lemon, I thought to myself. "Holy crap! Why didn't you zest this baby? Hello, Becky! The zest from Meyer lemons are like gold. They are coveted. You fool!" So then I zested every last bit of rind from that pound of Meyer lemons. I wasn't in the mood to make lemon curd and didn't want to try my first experiment with freezing zest so I thought back to my Tahitian vanilla bean days. I'd made vanilla sugar, so surely I could make lemon sugar. But then I stared at my counter and saw my salt. Ah yes, Meyer Lemon Salt! That's what I'll do.

 

And that I did. I grabbed a cute jar from some jam I received last fall and started layering lemon zest and kosher salt. It was so pretty. I thought it would be a good aesthetic thing, that layering. But then I decided I knew better. When I bake with lemon zest I always rub the zest and sugar to extract the optimum amount of lemon oil into the sugar. You know, to enhance flavor. So I dumped my kosher salt-Meyer-lemon combo into a boil and rubbed away. Ah the smell! It was beautiful, I tell you.

 

French Fridays with Dorie: Cocoa Sables

When you find a great cookie recipe you hang on to it. Thankfully I've got a dozens of great cookie recipes and even cookbooks that have many in them to look to. My problem is deciding which cookie to make. And guess what, my problem just got worse, because I found another great cookie recipe. I guess that's a good problem to have, right?

The French Fridays with Dorie group made cocoa sables today. I haven't done a French Friday for quite some time, but when I saw they were making these cookies I had to bake along! Plus, I think I really miss a group to bake with since Tuesdays with Dorie ended in November. More about these cocoa sables.

Travel Bug Becky: Joe's Pizza in NYC

 

Oh my goodness, I love New York City. I know I am not alone in this at all. I mean, come on, it's New York City. For the amount that I love The Big Apple, I know I don't blog about my experiences near enough. Today I want to share with you one of my favorite spots to grab a slice. A slice of pizza, that is. 

Joe's Pizza on Carmine in the village has possibly the best slice in New York City. It's so simple, it's ridiculous. But isn't that usually the case with delicious food? Simple food. Simple list of high-quality ingredients, treated with love, make the best food. I just go for the regular slice of cheese pizza because frankly that's all I need. It's a napoleon-style pizza-lovers dream. The thin crust is fantastic (gotta love the secret ingredient of New York City water). And the sauce is really just crushed tomatoes, now you get the simple ingredient thing, right?

 

Next time you make it to New York City, take the train down to the village and head towards Carmine street. The pizza is delicious and Joe's is honestly an institution full of history. Check it out for yourself. You'll love Joe's pizza and crave it every day for the rest of your trip. I speak the truth, folks. 

Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine St
(between Avenue Of The Americas & Minetta Ln)
New York, NY 10014
Neighborhood: West Village
joespizzanyc.com

The Best Dill Potato Salad Recipe

 

Hey Spring, how are ya? Say hello to your mother for me! 

Seriously, is it really Spring? I was taken aback yesterday when I saw that it was the first day of Spring on Twitter. Can I get a "what the!" Utah is, as usual, confused as to what season it wants to be in. Last week was sunny, my sunroof was down. And then...wham! About a foot of snow, no joke. I don't know why I'm surprised, it's always like this here. I guess it's the hopeful side of me. You know, wanting the weather to coordinate with the season. I don't think it's too much to ask, do you?

I want to be planting my garden and already trimming some fresh herbs. I love herbs and today I'm going to share one my favorite recipes that includes the herb, dill. I made it for the first time last year and almost immediately had recipe requests and was actually asked to make the exact same salad at the next family gathering. How fun is that? This recipe, it's a keeper, I tell ya. I made it several times last summer. And what do you know? I'm craving it now.

  

This dill potato salad is far from ordinary. And it's not just a potato salad that includes the name dill in it, or just sprinkles a tad of dill on top. It is a bona fide, real-deal, true dill potato salad. The recipe includes three ravishing rounds of dill flavor. First you infuse a packet of fresh dill into your boiling potatoes. Second you steep vinegar with minced dill that is later poured directly on the potatoes while they are still warm. And last, you sprinkle a healthy portion of yet more fresh, minced dill on top of your dressed, dill potato salad. It's unreal how dill-licious this potato salad is. Come on, you knew that was coming.

 

Dill Potato Salad
from Cook's Country Magazine June/July 2011 Issue

Serves 8

Use both dill stems and chopped leaves (sometimes called fronds) in the herb sachet. Grey Poupon is Cook's Country favorite brand of Dijon mustard.

Ingredients
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill plus 1/2 cup leaves and stems, chopped coarse
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin

Directions:
1. Combine vinegar and 1 tablespoon minced dill in bowl and microwave until steaming, 30 to 60 seconds. Set at room temperature until cool, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place chopped dill inside disposable coffee filter and tie closed with kitchen twine. Bring potatoes, dill sachet, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes thoroughly, then transfer to large bowl; discard sachet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dill vinegar over hot potatoes and gently toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes, stirring once.
4. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, remaining dill vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together until smooth. Add dressing to cooled potatoes. Stir in scallions and remaining 2 tablespoons minced dill. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Other potato salad recipes you may enjoy:
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Green Onion, Basil, Thyme and Feta by Kalyn's Kitchen
Potato Salad for Your Summer Picnic by The Vintage Mixer
Giada's Lemon-Basil Potatoes on Project Domestication
Potato Salad with Rosemary-Caper Dressing by Cookin' Canuck
Warm Potato Salad with Sausage, Apples and Mustard-Shallot Dressing by Cafe Johnsonia

Corned Beef Hash

It's three days after St. Patrick's Day and chances are you may just have some corned beef and cabbage leftovers still sitting in your fridge. We usually make homemade Reuben sandwiches with our leftovers but this year we decided to make Corned Beef Hash.

It's a great breakfast option that has all the same flavors of your festive corned beef meal but with a breakfast twist and some extra love. That extra love is bacon! Enter the cliche saying, doesn't bacon make everything better? This corned beef has recipe comes from my favorite, all-encompassing cookbook, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. This is my go-to book when I'm not sure what to make for dinner and believe it or not, the most used section of the cookbook is eggs and breakfast. We've had very pleasant and delicious experiences with each recipe.

 

Corned Beef Hash is simple to make and helps you use up that leftover corned beef. When you're shopping for St. Patrick's Day, just add on an extra two pounds of russet potatoes for the hash and you should be good to go. The recipe also has some key ingredients to boost flavor like bay leaves, bacon, onion, garlic, thyme and heavy cream for richness. It even has a kick of Tabasco. After all those ingredients are cooked according to the recipe you top the corned beef has with six eggs and cook until set. This is the perfect egg breakfast! Each bit is flavorful, full of texture and a great way to finish up your St. Patrick's Day corned beef leftovers.

Corned Beef Hash
from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 lbs. russet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
salt
2 bay leaves
4 oz. bacon (4 slices), chopped fine
1 onion, chopped medium
1 lb corned beef, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (I just used dried)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
6 large eggs
pepper

Directions:
1. Bring the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaves and 6 cups of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
2. Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the fat has partially rendered, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook until browned at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the corned beef, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the potatoes and lightly press the mixture into the pan. Pour the cream and Tabasco over the hash and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Using a spatula, invert the hash a portion at a time and lightly repack in to the pan. Repeat this process every few minutes until the hash is partly crisp and the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 8 minutes longer.
3. Make six 2-inch indentations in the hash and crack an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the eggs are just set, about 5 minutes. Cut the hash into 6 wedges around the eggs. Serve and enjoy.

More St. Patrick's Day leftover recipe ideas you may enjoy:
Reuben Pull Bread by Taste and Tell
Leftover Corned Beef Soup with Sauerkraut and Tomatoes by Kalyn's Kitchen
Reuben Dip by Closet Cooking
Reuben Pizza by Shirley J

Martha's Colcannon for St. Patrick's Day

Did you all have a lovely weekend? I can't really remember everything I did but I know it was a nice one. My husband and I had our traditional St. Patrick's Day feast together. He cooked the corned beef and I did the sides and we bought dessert.

Instead of boiling cabbage, carrots, potatoes and onions with our corned beef, I decided I wanted to try a new side this year. So without sacrificing cabbage and potatoes I was able to find a recipe that included both, Calcannon.

Colcannon is a traditional Irish potato dish. Not only does it include that starchy vegetable we know as the potato, but it includes savoy cabbage, leeks, whole milk, fresh nutmeg and butter. Yes butter. What are potatoes without a big slab of butter? If you want the answer, I'll tell you. Bland.

This colcannon we served was far from bland. It was rich, but not heavy and seriously flavored by the leeks, salt, and butter. The freshly grated nutmeg added a nice, unidentifiable quality. And that cabbage, oh man did it add a good flavor, but more so wonderful texture. This side dish is a keeper. We honestly had to take it off the table so we wouldn't eat it all in one sitting. Hope you'll give it a try.

I know St. Patrick's Day is over, but I don't think I'll be putting this recipe away. I'm bound and determined to make colcannon again and soon. You may also see me playing around with the recipe by swapping ingredients in like kale, cauliflower and yes, bacon!

I'll leave you with some other food shots and menu for our 2012 St Patrick's Day feast.
Boiled Corned Beef (according to package purchased at Harmon's)
Colcannon (by Martha Stewart)
American Irish Soda Bread (by King Arthur Flour)
Honey-Glazed Carrots (my recipe, coming soon.)

Colcannon
via Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 savoy cabbage, trimmed, pale-green leaves finely shredded (4 cups)
1 leek, pale-green and white parts only, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt

Directions

Preheat broiler. Peel and quarter potatoes, and place in a medium saucepan; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Mash with a potato masher or pass through a ricer; cover pan to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine cabbage, leek, milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and nutmeg; season with salt. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage and leek is soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Stir into potatoes.
Spread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish. Make a small well in the center, and place under the broiler until lightly browned on top, about 5 minutes.
Remove from broiler. Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter in well. Serve immediately, spooning melted butter from well onto each serving, if desired.

American Irish Soda Bread

Happy St. Patrick's Day week. Are you in the green n' Irish spirit? Have you figured out your St. Patrick's Day menu? I'll be sticking with our traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage with a few sides. I may even branch out and try Colcannon for the first time. Last year I discovered just how delicious Irish Soda Bread tasted. I couldn't believe I'd been making St. Patrick's Day dinner for nearly seven years and never made this delicious quick bread. It wasn't intimidating at all. In fact, it was rather easy to make and bake.

Irish Soda Bread is wonderfully fragrant, possesses an anise-like spice and are extremely flavorful. Irish Soda Bread is distinct because of two unique and traditional ingredients: caraway seeds and currants. I remember the excitement when I had my first slice last year. The combination of caraway seeds and plump, dried currents in the just-sweet-enough batter was sublime. I wanted to blert out in my best Irish accent, "A delicious soda bread, indeed!" 

I hope you'll consider adding Irish Soda Bread to your St. Patrick's Day menu this year. It was quite easy to make and the delicious results of the bread are far superior. I found the recipe on the King Arthur Flour Blog last year, if you don't follow it, you should. Their bloggers consistently post delicious baking tips and delightful, timely recipes. Head over to their blog and view a step-by-step recipe post to see how easy it is to make their recipe for American Irish Soda Bread.

American Irish Soda Bread

from The King Arthur Flour Blog

Ingredients:

Bread
3 cups Perfect Pastry Blend OR King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
heaping 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup currants or raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, optional
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
4 tablespoons butter, melted
*No buttermilk in the house? Substitute 1 cup milk + 3/4 cup (one 6-ounce container) plain or vanilla yogurt

Topping
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon coarse white sparkling sugar

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the pastry blend or flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants, and caraway seeds.

3) In a separate bowl, or in a measuring cup, whisk together the egg and buttermilk (or milk and yogurt).

4) Quickly and gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

5) Stir in the melted butter.

6) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Draw your finger around the edge of the pan to create a "moat." Drizzle the bread with the 1 tablespoon of milk; the moat will help prevent the milk from running down the sides of the loaf. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

7) Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean; the interior of the bread will measure 200°F to 210° on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the bread from the oven, loosen its edges, and after 5 minutes turn it out onto a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature.

Yield: 1 loaf.

This recipe reprinted from The Baker's Catalogue, Spring through Summer 2001.

Hands-on time: 10 mins. to 12 mins.
Baking time: 50 mins. to 60 mins.
Total time: 60 mins. to 1 hrs 12 mins.
Yield: 1 loaf

Other St. Patrick's Day recipes and posts you may like:
2011 St. Patrick's Day Menu on Project Domestication
White Chocolate-Creme de Menthe Ice Cream by Cafe Johnsonia
Chocolate Mint Cupcakes by Taste and Tell
Lucky Charms Marshmallows by Barbara Bakes
Irish Cream Cheesecake Fudge Brownies by Cookin' Canuck
Mint Chocolate Pudding Dessert Shots by The Vintage Mixer

Utah Local Love: Black Sheep Cafe in Provo

Provonians, if you haven't noticed our local restaurant scene is really growing. And it makes me extremely happy. I feel like I can't keep up with trying all the new places and that's a great problem to have. The newest-to-the-scene-to-me is Black Sheep Cafe on University Avenue near center street in Provo. Black Sheep Cafe serves flavorful dishes influenced by southwestern Native American cuisine. Isn't that cool? I honestly haven't been to a Native American restaurant, period.

The first thing that comes to mind, at least for me, is Navajo tacos. And oh boy do I love them. One of my favorite roommates in college (she was a sweetheart) grew up on the Reservation in New Mexico. One Sunday, her brothers invited us over for Navajo Tacos, you better believe I dropped everything I had to come to that dinner. They were delicious and sadly enough, I don't think I've had Navajo tacos since. Well until last night.

Let me tell you folks, Black Sheep Cafe's Navajo tacos are stunning. Can I say stunning? They were so much more than greasy-frybread topped with lack-luster store-bought salad and beans like I had as a teenager on a road trip passing through New Mexico to Texas.

Black Sheep's Navajo tacos were clearly homemade, from scratch. And the Navajo frybread was not greasy at all. It was soft with the perfect chew. I couldn't decide between the three variations on their menu, so I got the trio. Best option for a first-timer they told me. The threesome came with a traditional Navajo taco with some of the best pinto beans I've ever had and all the fixins', a tender Green Chili Pork and last but not least, a Red Chili Pork Navajo taco with aged cotija and black olives, that I believe tied everything together. Their sauces tend to be mild so I asked them to kick up the red chili a notch and was glad I did so. Next time I think I'm even going to ask for hot.

But guess what, Navajo tacos are just the surface of what Black Sheep Cafe offers on their menu. Try them, yes. But venture out, friends. The beauty of the Black Sheep menu is that it offers a contemporary twist on traditional Native American cuisine, including soups (I am dying to try the Posole), burgers, salads, creative appetizers and yummy sides like roadside New Mexican corn that I loved. (Check out the new Square Native blog for Jill's review and some lovely food photos. I think I need to start calling my Utah Local Love posts Instagram food reviews or something...you know, since I rarely bring my DSLR around these days.)

Next time you're looking for a new restaurant in Utah County to try, head to the Black Sheep Cafe in Provo. It was deliciously unique and perfectly executed food, all enjoyed in lovely location. It will quickly become a great addition to your restaurant rotation.


The Black Sheep Cafe
19 N University Avenue in Provo, Utah

Blog: http://blacksheepcafe.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @provoblacksheep
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/blacksheepcafehttp://www.facebook.com/blacksheepcafe

Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday-Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Mini Cheesy Meatloaves

 

I remember just about every meal I made in the first two years of marriage as a new wife. It's not because I have an amazing memory, it's because I didn't cook often and the meals we "made" were open-this-pour-that-and-warm-it-up sort of meals. I think I made a from-scratch meal maybe once or twice a month. And no excuses. We were both finishing up our bachelor degrees; student schedules are nuts and our food budget was tight. And not the cool kind of tight.

One of my favorite meals I actually made during those years was this recipe for Little Cheddar Meat Loaves by my neighbor, Katie. She was a few years older than me, had kids and from what I knew, she cooked a lot and had her life super-together. She was always so nice to me. I like nice, friendly neighbors. Don't you? I never got to know Katie as well as I wanted to or should have, we just passed by each other, saw each other in church and made occasional small talk but I have this recipe that I will always remember her and her kindness by.

  

Everyone has their own meatloaf recipe. I've got my mom's, my father-in-law's and more. From my experience many people don't have much interest in trying other or new meatloaf recipes. I say nay! I don't think you can ever have too many meatloaf recipes. And I think the first you should try is this one for Little Cheddar Meat Loaves.

 

Let me tell you why I love this meatloaf recipe so much. First off, I always have the ingredients on hand. Second they are mini and individually-portioned for each member of your family and leftovers. And third there are yummy ingredients in it like lots of cheddar cheese, oatmeal and a delicious brown sugar-ketchup glaze. Yummers. I think you get a lot more glaze because they are individually portioned. Boo-yeah!

This recipe isn't rocket science. It's just good. These ingredients aren't anything new, they are just a wonderful combo. I love it. Plus it comes together pretty quickly and you can always count on everyone loving their individual mini meatloaf.

 

So if you're ready to give a new meatloaf recipe a try and want to make a cute and delicious version of meatloaf, go ahead! Try this recipe for Little Cheddar Meat Loaves (we call 'em Mini Cheesy Meatloaves in our house) and let me know how you like it. Katie if you ever read this, thank you! I hope life is treating you grand and you still enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Katie's Little Cheddar Meat Loaves

Prep Time: 10-15 Minutes

Bake Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 quick cooking oats (I always use old-fashioned since I don't buy quick cooking. It works fine.)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 lb. lean ground beef

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Yields 6-8 servings.

Other meatloaf recipes to try:

Mom's Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives from Project Domestication
Meatloaf with Gorgonzola by Cafe Johnsonia
Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed Meal (Phase One, Gluten Free) by Kalyn's Kitchen

Green Velvet Whoopie Pies for St. Patrick's Day

 

Holidays give me an excuse to bake. I love it. I like to make at least one festive dessert for each holiday. For St. Patrick's Day this year I decided to give whoopie pies a try. I enjoy the cocoa-y tang of red velvet, but why not go green for St. Patrick's Day? So that's what I did. I made green velvet whoopie pies. It was perfect timing yesterday too, because I had a family get-together with my parents, siblings and my nieces and nephews. I knew the kiddos would love the crazy green and that my siblings would appreciate and enjoy these deliciously, cakey cookies with that smooth cream cheese filling. I love making homemade treats for my family.

 

I got my recipe from the Baked: Explorations cookbook. The authors happen to own one of my favorite NYC bakeries located in Brooklyn. If you get the chance, go. And until then, but the book. We've made lots of the recipes and enjoyed them all very much.I had great success with their recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, so I knew these red (read green) velvet whoopie pies would be great too. I always try to follow the recipe exactly, but for this one I used a dried buttermilk substitute and made them smaller. I got about 28 finished sandwiched whoopies. I also left out the nuts because we have some nut allergies in the family.

The whoopies didn't dome up perfectly like last time, and I suspect it's because of the buttermilk substitute or my size change. I'm not sure. Though, I'm not complaining, these were killer. My family gobbled up and my oldest brother reminded me I should always double recipes when I make them for the family. I love that, it's the best compliment you can get, "WE WANT MORE!"

  

Ideally, I would have rolled these in white jimmies or shamrock sprinkles. But I didn't have any one hand. I think I should have kept the filling white. The green food coloring was getting a little creepy.  I think these green velvet whoopie pies were on the verge of celebrating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rather than St. Patrick's Day. But like I said, they tasted fantastic. And flavor trumps appearance in the end. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Add it to your Irish feast on March 17. It's a festive winner.

Here's the original recipe from Baked: Explorations for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Yield:10-12 large or 15-17 small pies

Ingredients

For the Whoopie Pies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder ( like Valrhona)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red gel food coloring (use green for green velvet whoopies)

For the Cream Cheese Filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cram cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Assembly

1/2 cup toasted walnuts,chopped coarsely

Make the Pies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour,cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil and buttermilk.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the sugars.  Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the red gel food coloring, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds to incorporate.   Do not over mix.

Turn the mixer to low.  Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture until just combined.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl , then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill the batter in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Remove the batter from the refrigerator.  Us a a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.  Bake for 10-20 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean.  Let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth.   Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.  Be careful not to over beat the filling or it will lose structure. (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator.  Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)

Assemble the Whoopie Pies

Spread the walnuts in an even layer on a small plate.

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up)

Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie.  Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling.  Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Turn the whoopie on its side and roll through the walnuts.  Repeat until all the cookies are used.  Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

BAKED NOTES

Be true to the South, do not substitute other nuts for the walnuts-a true Southern Red Velvet cake is always finished with walnuts.

Utah Local Love: Center Street, Old World, New York-Style Deli in Provo, Utah

 

If you're looking for a seriously delicious sandwich, I've found the place for you. It's a new-ish deli located on the west side of Provo's center street. It's called Center Street Old World New York Style Deli, for short, I'll just refer to it as Center Street Deli. 

And people. It is legit.

Honestly, Center Street Deli makes some of the best sandwiches I've ever had in my life. Everything from the type of meat they use (Boar's Head) and to the way they slice it (ultra thin), to the cheese, the great bread and awesome adornments and hand-cut fries. Pair that with some serious sandwich making know-how, killer flavor combos and you've got yourself the best darn deli.

 

Every sandwich on the menu looks amazing. For instance, check out The Tuscan: turkey, pastrami, Genoa salami, Asiago cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers topped with a slice of Serrano ham and served on a baguette. I got the combo and had it with a side of hand-cut fries. I also tried my girlfriend's onion rings and they were delicious too!

I can't wait to try everything on the menu (trying The Aaron Special next) and hopefully I'll remember to bring my DSLR, but for now these iPhone pictures will have to do. So next time you're craving a sandwich make sure you give Center Street Deli in Provo a try, it's a tiny little deli with super nice staff and an unassuming atmosphere. And remember, these sandwiches are for real, people. For real.

Center Street Old World New York Style Deli

centerstreetdeliprovo.com

Facebook.com/centerstreetdeli

Twitter: @walfsun

434 West Center Street Provo

M-F 9am-6pm

Closed Saturday and Sunday (According to their site. Call to double check.)

Check out their menu!