beer bread

Is there anything better than fresh baked bread? Some of my favorite childhood memories are of opening the front door and smelling yeast, flour, honey. Watching my mom pound down dough and then setting it above the wood fireplace for its second rising. Straight from the oven and slathered in butter, it was heaven.

A few years ago I went through a short lived phase where I was baking all our bread. It was a high caloric dream indulgence of fresh baked slices with butter and jam at night and then piles of french toast every other day (we could not waste any bread!). Oh, and BLTs, lots of BLTs- anything to let the bread shine. It was wonderful but very time consuming.

Now when I want fresh bread from the oven, I make this: beer bread. It is laughably easy but so satisfying: just a quick whisk of dry ingredients then fold in the beer and it is ready to bake. The beer helps serve as the leavening agent for the bread. It is dense and full of nuttiness from the oats and hops from the beer.

I love to have this with soup- it is easily mixed together and while the soup simmers, the bread bakes and is ready to eat for a simple super. I also think it is too perfect for breakfast. I have a real crush on this bread.

It is lovely from the oven and but also very good toasted the next day. I do confess, that by the third day, it is done. But that is okay because there are rarely any leftovers that remain that long. This recipe is from The Joy of Cooking.

Beer Bread

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups light or dark beer (but not stout), cold or at room temperature but not flat

1) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.

2) Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl all the dry ingredients

3) Add the beer. Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. (please be careful to not over mix). Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center and all the way to the bottom of the pan comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

chocolate sorbet

As summer days give way to back to school shopping and eventually thoughts of fall, I want to offer up one more frozen treat recipe. I really love my ice cream maker and will make ice cream and sorbet year round but, naturally, this is the season when I crave it. I am also including some pictures of my ice cream maker because, frankly, it is too adorable!

 My husband bought it for me as a 2nd anniversary present and I was so thrilled. I like it's cheery red color. But I love any kitchen appliances. Do you remember the scene from "Father of The Bride" where the whole wedding is almost called off because the groom buys the bride a blender? I first saw that as a kid and even back then I thought she was crazy.

I have learned many things from The Barefoot Contessa and one of them is to be conscious of flavor- for example, that chocolate things should really taste like chocolate. I know that sounds a bit silly, but think about it, haven't there been times when you've tasted something supposedly "chocolate" only to taste just sugar? Ina Garten talks about "turning up the volume" in her cooking and I think this sorbet is a great example of that. It does not have any cream in it but the cinnamon and espresso give a rich full roundness to the chocolate. The result, I feel, is more refreshing than chocolate ice cream. Do not panic, I still love chocolate ice cream, but I feel strongly in giving this sorbet a try.
Also, there is little to match the magic of pulling homemade sorbet out of the freezer to offer a friend (or yourself).

Chocolate Sorbet

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup very good cocoa powder (Ina recommends Pernigotti)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup brewed espresso (1 shot)
1 1/2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (Ina recommends Tia Maria, I have a bottle of Starbucks coffee liqueur that only sees the light of day when I am making this)

 1) In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in 2 cups of water and the espresso. Cook over low heat until the ingredients are dissolved.

2) Off the heat, stir in the coffee liqueur. Transfer to plastic containers and refrigerate until very cold.

3) Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. The sorbet will still be soft; place it in a plastic container and freeze for 1 hour or overnight, until firm enough to scoop.

candied orange peel

I am blessed to have some really amazing friends. Earlier this summer, one of them pulled a group of us together to go see an outdoor Shakespeare production. It was a perfect June evening and a brilliant production. At intermission, light refreshments were served. To me, they were an example of a simple thing done very, very well. There was a small variety of crackers (water crackers, oat biscuits), a couple of cheeses (blue cheese, brie), dried cranberries and blueberries, glazed pecans, and candied orange peel. This was all served with little glasses of champagne or lemonade. It was just a perfect assortment of things to nibble and the orange peel was a fun zingy sweet surprise. Our little gang of friends had fun coming up with "perfect bite" combination's (my favorite is oat biscuit, brie and orange peel). I decided that I had to steal the idea.
The recipe below is from Martha Stewart. I confess, it is a bit fiddly, but not at all difficult. It is also something that could be completed far in advance.
I intended to take pictures of the orange peel with brie and crackers (as I first had it) but I'll be frank, in my hungry greed I piled it on whatever I had around. This turned out to be some shortbread cookies and creme fraiche. It is certainly not a terrible idea.

Candied Orange Peel

makes 1/2 cup

3 oranges
1 cup sugar

1) Using a citrus zester or vegetable peeler, shred long strips of orange peel. (I found it helpful here to use a vegetable peeler to strip off the peel and then a small knife to julienne it.)

2) Place strips in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain; repeat two more times with fresh water.

3) Place sugar in a clean saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the citrus strips to the boiling syrup; reduce heat and simmer until strips are translucent, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let strips cool in syrup, at least 1 hour. Remove from syrup when ready to use.

homemade frozen yogurt

I love frozen yogurt. Growing up my parents had a restaurant that also served frozen yogurt and ice cream. To this day I dream about the New York Blueberry Cheesecake frozen yogurt we used to have there. It was gorgeously purple and tangy creamy sweet.
I think it is that same sour tangy-ness that makes me love this frozen yogurt. It is not overly sugary and the flavor is similar to that of the currently trendy Pinkberry. It is icy, refreshing and has that whole sour sweet thing going on. And honestly, making it could not be more easy. Add a few sliced berries? bliss.
The recipe (if we can call it that, so simple) is from Sunset magazine.

Tart-n-Tangy Fro-Yo

32 ounces (about 4 cups) plain nonfat frozen yogurt
about 3/4 cups sugar

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and sugar until sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if you like.

2) Spoon mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer yogurt to a container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

strawberry love cupcakes

These are pure strawberry love. The batter has berries scattered throughout and the glaze is made from pureed strawberries. I think the best way to describe these is to say they taste like how I expect other strawberry baked goods to taste, and yet so often am disappointed. Not here. No artificial flavors, no scary pink food coloring, just strawberries. Strawberry love. Is it going to far to suggest making these while dancing to Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing"?
These are my husbands absolute favorite. I made a batch for his birthday and I think he ate 7 of them. Me? I happily had several in lieu of dinner. They are light and even unfrosted are just sunshine. I would feel perfectly confident serving them with just a dusting of powdered sugar.
The cupcake recipe is from Martha Stewart. The glaze is from Giada de Larentiis book, Giada's Kitchen. I should say that I have used this glaze method for numerous cakes; substituting blackberries or raspberries in the berry puree. Gorgeous colors result.

Strawberry Cupcakes
makes 34 cupcakes

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped strawberries

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients (both flours, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.

2) Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

3) Reduce speed to low. Mix remaining wet ingredients (milk, vanilla) in a separate bowl (I find a large measuring cup to be perfect). Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filing each 2/3rds full.

4) Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days. 

Strawberry Glaze

1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained (I use fresh)
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1) Puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Sift the confectioners sugar and place in a medium bowl.

2) Pour the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the strawberry glaze. (I don't do this- I just spread the glaze on with a butter knife.) Let the cupcakes sit or a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.

melon, strawberries & mint

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10th Anniversary. I feel very blessed that we continue to be crazy about each other. During our honeymoon, we stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast in Santa Barbara. Breakfast each morning was served in a sun drenched conservatory at the side of the house. There always seemed to be a thin slice of perfectly ripe cantaloupe on each plate. Whenever I have cantaloupe, I always think of those first mornings of our marriage.
Here is my favorite summer fruit salad. Fragrant cantaloupe, gorgeous strawberries, and a bit of mint to sparkle it up. This is less of a recipe and more of an idea: cube up a cantaloupe, slice a pint of washed strawberries, and shred about a tablespoon of mint. Gently toss it all together. To me, it is summer at its best, it is love at its best: unpretentious and sweet. Please share for breakfast with someone you love.

rhubarb cake

I will start off by admitting this cake really isn't much to look at. It is kind of bumpy and awkward. Also, being baked in a 13 inch pan does not glam it up in anyway.
It is, however, complete brown sugar tart rhubarb eggy cake loveliness. I love rhubarb for that sour sugary zing. Last year when I was back home, we went to visit family friends and upon arrival I was greated by an 8 year old boy gnawing on a stalk of rhubarb that had been judiciously dipped in dark brown sugar. He kindly offered me a bite, which I politely declined, but admired his good tastes nonetheless. Lots of people where I grew up have a rhubarb patch and so this cake fills a little homesickness ache in me. Plus, I just think the color of rhubarb is too beautiful.
The premise of the recipe reminds me of a pineapple upside down cake. Although I have never made a pineapple upside down cake, I imagine it is made in a similar way: a buttery brown sugar topping is placed in the bottom of a baking pan, then fruit is scattered, and finally the cake batter is smoothed over all.
This recipe is courtesy of my grandmother who clipped it out of a magazine and passed it on to me. She scribbled my name on the top of it and every time I see her handwriting, I could just cry to think of all the love she has put into feeding me over the years. Recently I misplaced the recipe card for a few weeks and was beside myself. Finding it again, I am determined to share it and in some way extend that love.
The recipe itself was from one of those reader recipe contest, so I can tell you that when you too fall in love with this cake, send out good thoughts to Loraine Meyer of Bend, Oregon.

Rhubarb Dessert Cake

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or my personal favorite, a pool of heavy cream)

1) In a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish, combine butter and brown sugar. Top with rhubarb.

2) In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (please take care to not over mix). Pour over rhubarb.

3) Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.

 I realize that I regularly go on about recipes that can be made ahead. This is not really one of them. It is at it's best about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. It is a very simple recipe, so please do not let timing be a deterrent. I can guarantee your family or dinner guests or whichever lucky people you share this with will happily spare the time to enjoy this while oven warm.