Crustless Spinach & Bell Pepper Quiche
Believe it or not, I don’t eat dessert for every meal. You wouldn’t know it just looking at the recipes on this site, but it’s true.
This crustless quiche makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. You can substitute just about any fresh vegetables you have on hand to suit your taste. If you have family members who aren’t big fans of veggies, it’s a good way to sneak some veggies into them. Even the leftovers are great for a quick breakfast or lunch on workdays!
And did I mention you can serve it with bacon?
Crustless Spinach & Bell Pepper Quiche
Adapted from All Recipes
Serves 4-6
Use whatever cheese you have on hand – this time I used 1 cup of swiss and 1 cup of cheddar. Make sure you squeeze the thawed spinach well to remove the excess water. I usually serve with fresh fruit and bacon.
Ingredients
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed to remove water
1/2 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
7 eggs
3 T low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups of shredded cheese
cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round pie pan or quiche dish with cooking spray.
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent. Stir in thawed spinach and bell pepper. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, just until everything is warm. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in 1 3/4 cups of cheese.
Spoon spinach mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pie pan. Pour egg mixture over top of spinach mixture. Stir gently just to make sure egg is incorporated. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool 10 minutes, then serve warm.
Strawberry Cheesecake Tartlets
You should know something about me. Once I get my mind set on something, there’s no going back. I have a teeny bit of Scottish heritage in my genes and I think it all manifested as stubbornness.
Remember when I said a few weeks ago that I really wanted to make these cute cheesecake tartlets, but my plans were foiled by the lack of proper pans? If you thought that would be the end of it, you don’t know me. I immediately ordered some tartlet pans online and when they showed up, I started baking.
These beautiful little tarts were definitely worth the wait. They came together much faster than I expected and they have all the flavor you would expect from a big cheesecake. The cheesecake itself is smooth with a tart hint of lemon, which pairs perfectly with the sweet strawberry glaze and fresh strawberries. Aren’t they cute and impressive looking? These strawberry cheesecake tartlets would be a great make-ahead dessert for any special occasion or gathering!
Strawberry Cheesecake Tartlets
Adapted from Nourish Network
Makes 6 4-inch individual tarts
Cheesecake Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs (or about 9 graham crackers)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
Topping Ingredients
6 ounces (about 1 cup) fresh strawberries,pureed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Set 6 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. If your tart pans aren’t non-stick, give them a spritz of cooking spray.
If using whole graham crackers, break them up into large chunks and place them in a food processor. Pulse until you have uniform crumbs. Add melted better to the food processor and pulse a few more times until the texture resembles wet sand.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs into each tart pan, and using your fingers or the back of a measuring cup, press into the bottom and up the sides of each tart pan.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer or in the food processor, combine sour cream, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, egg, and sugar. Beat on medium high speed (or pulse) until the mixture is smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared tart pans.
Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the centers are still slightly jiggly. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
To make the topping, puree 6 ounces (about 1 cup) of fresh strawberries in a food processor. Combine with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook another 1-2 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
(At this point, you can refrigerate the baked tarts, covered, and the strawberry glaze in an air tight container until ready to serve, up to 1 day. The tartlets are best if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating.)
To assemble the tartlets, spread on a spoonful of strawberry glaze over the top, then layer with thinly sliced strawberries. Garnish with a spring of mint (optional).
Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats. We all know and love them. For many of us, it was the first thing we ever made in the kitchen. You can buy them pre-made in the store these days, but those just aren’t the same as the real, homemade version. It’s one of those foods that with one bite instantly transports you to being a kid again.
Last week I found Toasted Coconut marshmallows at my grocery store. They leaped off the shelf and into my cart. After I got them home and ate half the bag as s’mores (speaking of childhood favorites…), I started imagining ways to better showcase the coconut flavor of the marshmallows.
What would happen if, say, a coconut macaroon hooked up with a Rice Krispie treat and they had delicious little dessert babies?
You’d get Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats. They have all the familiar gooey crunch of the classic treats, but with an additional layer of crunch and tropical flavor from the toasted coconut and a melt in your mouth dark chocolate glaze. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a classic, but in this case I think you’ll agree it’s well worth the mess. (Unless you hate coconut, that is.)
Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats
Makes about 24 squares
I originally intended to use all toasted coconut marshmallows to make these treats, but with only half a bag left I wasn’t able to find any more. I made my batch with half regular and half toasted coconut marshmallows. Use whatever combination of marshmallows you like, so long as it totals 10 ounces. I used 60% Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips for the glaze.
Ingredients
Cooking spray for greasing the pan
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10oz (1 bag) of regular-sized marshmallows, original or toasted coconut flavor (or both)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup toasted shredded coconut*
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
Directions
* To toast coconut, spread shredded coconut in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 300F, stirring every few minutes, for 10-15 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Don’t walk away from the oven! The coconut will brown very quickly, so keep an eye on it. Set aside to cool.
Line a 9×13 inch pan or baking dish with foil, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. Grease the foil very well with cooking spray.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter. Add marshmallows and heat over medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Stir in shredded coconut and coconut extract. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until thoroughly coated.
Spread Rice Krispie mixture into prepared pan. With the back of a buttered spatula or using a sheet of waxed paper, press mixture firmly into an even layer. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and press lightly to adhere to the top of the treats.
In a small, heatproof and microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and return to microwave, heating in 15 second intervals and stirring well between each heating, until chocolate is melted. Drizzle melted chocolate over the treats in the pan.
Cool at room temperature until chocolate hardens. Once cool, lift treats out by the edges of the foil. Cut into squares and enjoy feeling like a kid again.
Vanilla Bean & Bourbon Bundt Cake
Alternately titled The Cheesecake Tartlets That Just Weren’t Meant To Be.
Sometimes I get these ideas for recipes in my head that I want to make just because they will look so cute. This past weekend I found myself with 2lbs of fresh from the farm strawberries that were begging to be featured in a dessert. Then I got an idea. Picture this: Little mini cheesecake tarts with fluted edges, topped with bright red fresh strawberries. Cute, right? Except they just were not meant to be. First, I forgot to buy the tartlet pans when I was in town, only realizing it after I got home 30 minutes away. Ugh. So back in the car I went to make another hour round trip… only to find the store didn’t have the pans in stock anyway! Double ugh.
At that point I resigned myself to making the Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake I’d seen in the April issue of Bon Apetit the night before. (I’m really behind on my magazine reading.) It didn’t sound exciting or cute, but it didn’t require any special pans I didn’t have, so it would do.
Well don’t let the name fool you like it did me. This cake is amazing. Chocolate is and always will be my favorite, but I find myself eating this cake two slices at a time. The warm vanilla aroma with hints of cinnamon is positively heavenly. The crumb is fine but sturdy, tender and moist. Each bite leads to another and another and another. I really can’t think of any cake better suited to accompany farm fresh berries.
This cake may be vanilla, but it is anything but boring!
Vanilla Bean & Bourbon Bundt Cake
Adapted from Bon Apetit, April 2010
Serves 10-12
The vanilla extract is optional. I added it because my vanilla bean was dry and difficult to get the seeds out of. If you have good vanilla beans you can probably skip it. For the bourbon, I used the good stuff – Maker’s Mark.
Cake Ingredients
Baking spray
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup milk
Glaze Ingredients
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons skim milk
2 teaspoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 dashes of cinnamon (optional)
Strawberry Ingredients
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2-3 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray regular 10″ bundt pan with baking spray.
Measure bourbon into a small bowl or shot glass. Slice vanilla bean in half and using the back of a knife, scrape out the seeds. Stir vanilla bean seeds into bourbon and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and milk. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in bourbon vanilla mixture and optional vanilla extract, if using. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until combined, then add sour cream mixture. Once incorporated, add remaining half of flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and using a spatula, smooth top even. Bake at 325°F for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, cream, vanilla and optional cinnamon (if using) in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. If needed, add milk in 1/4 teaspoon increments until glaze is thick but pourable. Place wax paper or aluminum foil under cake still on cooling rack. Drizzle glaze over cake and let stand at room temperate to set, about 15 minutes.
Toss strawberries and sugar in a bowl to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until juices form.
Store cake covered at room temperature. To serve, cut cake into wedges and serve topped with strawberries and fresh mint.
Low-Fat Ranch Dressing
Who doesn’t love Ranch dressing? It’s creamy, herby, cool and delightfully flavorful. It’s one of the few dressing you’re almost guaranteed to find on every salad bar and in every restaurant. But have you ever looked at the nutritional information? Let’s just say it’s not the healthiest thing you could top your salad with. Sure, you could use the reduced fat or lite version, but they never taste the same. I always find they have sort of a weird aftertaste.
So I’ve decided to take my salad’s fate into my own hands. I made my own Ranch dressing. Most recipes call for a mixture of buttermilk and mayonnaise, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of using all that mayo. (At least, not for this. Let’s be honest. I love mayo.) So I cut the mayo way back, added Greek yogurt, and threw in some herbs fresh from my garden. Call my version low-fat, lite, or reduced fat, whatever you call it, it’s just plain better for you. It tastes just as good (or better!) than the original and it takes next to no time to make. What are you waiting for? Give it a try!
Low-Fat Ranch Dressing
Makes about 3/4 cup
There’s no amount listed for the herbs because you can add as much or as little as you like! This dressing tastes bests when given a few hours for the flavors to come together in the fridge, but you can eat it right away if you’d like. It makes a great dip too – just omit about 2 tablespoons of milk or buttermilk for a thicker consistency.
Ingredients
1/2 cup low or non-fat Greek Yogurt (I use 0% Chobani)
1 Tablespoon low-fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon mayo
3-4 Tablespoons low-fat milk or buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small clove of garlic, minced and mashed into a paste
Fresh dill, parsley and chives, as much as you like, minced
Directions
Combine yogurt, sour cream, mayo, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl. Stir until combined. Add salt, lemon juice, garlic paste and herbs, stirring to combine. Add remaining milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Boston Cream Pie (from scratch)
As I’ve come to enjoy baking more and more, my family seems to have taken notice. For birthdays, holidays and other celebrations, family members place early dessert orders so that I have ample time to come up with something good. My dad’s birthday was mid-April, and the order was placed: something chocolate and maybe ice cream? With strawberries?
You know me. I’m always looking for an excuse to make something chocolate. At the time, I happened to have Boston Cream Pie on the brain and it occurred to me that, hey, if Boston Cream Pie is so good, wouldn’t it be even better if it had more chocolate? It just so happens that Boston Cream Pie is one of my dad’s favorites (and mine too), so that was settled.
The only problem was that I couldn’t find a suitable recipe for Chocolate Boston Cream Pie. Everything I found used boxed cake mix and boxed pudding mix. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but it takes some of the fun out of it for me. I like to bake from scratch when I can and this special occasion called for some extra effort. So I took a bunch of completely different recipes, mixed and matched, made some tweaks, and ta-da! A recipe for Chocolate Boston Cream Pie.
Was it worth the effort? Oh yes. The cake is light and fluffy, but holds up well to slicing. The chocolate glaze is fudge-y and decadent. And the chocolate pastry cream… oh, the chocolate pastry cream. I would have eloped with it if that were even remotely possible. As it was, I licked the bowl clean and ate quite a few spoonfuls out of the container before the final cake was made. (Sorry Dad.)
The final product is a chocolate-y delight suitable for any special occasion that isn’t so rich you can’t have a second piece… which I did. (Sorry, no pictures of the sliced cake because I was obviously too busy stuffing cake in my face.)
Chocolate Boston Cream Pie
Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch cake, Serves 8-12
Wait! Don’t let the length of this recipe scare you. It can be divided into fairly simple make-ahead tasks over several days. Bake the cakes the first day, and once cooled to room temperature, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer. Make the pastry cream the second day and store in the fridge. Remove cake layers from the freezer the morning of your event. Assemble and glaze the cake about 1 hour before you are ready to serve. See? That’s not so bad!
Cake Assembly: Set the bottom Chocolate Sponge Cake (recipe below) layer on a cake plate, dish, or other serving platter. Top with a thick layer of Chocolate Pastry Cream (recipe below), spreading smooth into an even layer. Top with the remaining cake layer. Pour Chocolate Glaze (recipe below) in the center of the top of the cake, and using a spatula, work toward the edges until it spills over the sides. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour, until glaze is firm. Serve immediately, or store covered in the fridge until ready to eat.
Chocolate Sponge Cake
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs , room temperature
6 tablespoons + 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baker’s spray and set aside.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl (or sift onto waxed paper). Heat milk and butter in a small bowl at 30 second intervals in the microwave until butter melts. Add vanilla, cover with plastic wrap and keep warm.
Separate three eggs, putting the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and reserving the three yolks in a small bowl. Add remaining 2 whole eggs to the bowl of yolks.
Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Slowly add 6 tablespoons of sugar, continuing to beat until whites form soft, moist peaks. (Do not over beat!) Transfer egg whites to a large bowl.
Add yolk/whole egg mixture and remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar to the mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed (setting 8 on a KitchenAid) until eggs are very thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Pour beaten eggs into the bowl of egg whites.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over beaten eggs and whites. Gently fold flour mixture into eggs with a spatula until about half combined – about 12 to 15 strokes. Make a little well on one side of the bowl and pour in milk mixture. Continue gently folding until batter flour is incorporated and eggs are evenly mixed.
Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes, or until tops are light brown and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert cake on a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Adapted from What’s For Lunch Honey
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2½ tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
Directions
Fill a very large bowl with ice and cold water. Set a (smaller) large bowl inside the ice water to create an ice bath. Set aside.
Place chopped chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on 70% power at 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until almost melted. Continuing stirring until smooth. Set aside.
Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. In the meantime, whisk together yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium bowl.
When the milk has reached a boil, remove from heat. Whisking constantly, slowly add a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture to temper the yolks. Keep whisking, slowly pouring the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
Place a fine mesh strainer over the saucepan and pour mixture through strainer back into the pan to remove any scrambled eggs. Whisk vigorously and constantly over medium heat until the mixture returns to a boil. Continue whisking for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the mixture thickens to a pudding or curd like consistency. Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in the melted chocolate with a spatula.
Transfer the pastry cream into a the large bowl of the ice‐water bath you set aside earlier to stop the cooking process. Continue stirring the mixture so that it remains smooth.
Once the pastry cream has cooled to about 140 F (warm, but not hot) remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Once the butter is completely combined, return the pastry cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. Use (or eat) pastry cream right away, or store in the fridge in an air-tight container with plastic wrap pressed against the surface for 2-3 days.
Chocolate Glaze
Adapted from Joy of Baking
Ingredients
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and butter just to a simmer. In the meantime, place chopped chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl. Once at a simmer, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a 2-3 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool for a few minutes at room temperate, until thickened but still thin enough to pour.
Black-Bottom Coconut Bars
Coconut and chocolate is right up there on my favorite flavor combos list. Last summer, M&Ms came out with a limited edition coconut version that I ran all over the state trying to track down. Finally an awesome friend came to my rescue by sending me a HUGE box full of them! A lifetime supply of coconut M&Ms. Ever since, I’ve been thinking about what I could make with them that didn’t involve just putting them in a cookie. And that’s how I ended up making black bottom coconut bars.
These bars are moist chewy brownies on the bottom, topped with coconut, pecans and M&Ms (or chocolate chips). In other words, divine. The coconut M&Ms didn’t look as pretty as I had hoped, but they tasted great so I didn’t mind. I’m glad I gave away a little more than half the batch, because I seriously could not stop eating them. I took half of the bars with me to my in-laws’ Easter dinner, where they promptly disappeared despite having to compete with a coconut cake, a banana cream cake, and ice cream. They’re that good.
If you like brownies and you like coconut, you really need to try these seriously addictive bars!
Black-Bottom Coconut Bars
Adapted from Martha Stewart and Nestle
Makes about 24 bars
I know it sounds fast and easy, but don’t try chopping the M&Ms in a food processor. It won’t work. A serrated knife and patience works best. Once the bars are out of the pan, a pizza cutter makes quick work of cutting them into bars. I used Hershey’s Natural Unsweetend cocoa powder.
Brownie Base Ingredients
Non-stick baking spray
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coconut Topping Ingredients
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract
1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut, divided
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup (6 oz.) Coconut M&Ms, chopped, or 1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving at least 1-inch overlap on each side. Spray foil with non-stick baking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and flour. Combine melted butter, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Whisk in eggs until completely combined, then whisk in flour mixture. Batter will be thick.
Spread batter into prepared 9×13-inch pan and bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes, until top is set and edges have just begun to pull away from the pan. Do not overbake!
Let brownie layer cool while preparing coconut mixture. Lower oven temperate to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg and extract until well combined. Stir in 1 cup of coconut, pecans, and 1/2 cup of M&Ms or chocolate chips.
Dollop coconut mixture over baked brownies and gently smooth into an even layer with a non-stick spatula. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate pieces and coconut, gently pressing them into the bars.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool for 15-30 minutes in the pan, then using the foil overhang, gently lift the bars out of the pan. Pull the foil away from the sides of the bars and cool completely before cutting into squares.
Easter / Spring Round Up
Spring is here and lots of families will be gathering to celebrate Easter this weekend with elaborate dinners and cozy brunches. I know it’s kind of last minute, but here are some recipes I think would be great for Easter dinner, dessert, or brunch!
Low-Fat Lemon Yogurt Cake
Super moist loaf cake with bright lemon flavor. Would be great for dessert or brunch. I like to eat a slice topped with fresh fruit, like these Mixed Berries with Limoncello.
Tomato, Onion & Goat Cheese Tarts
These tarts would be great for a small brunch! If you make the caramelized onions ahead of time, they’ll come together quickly. Pair with a fresh salad.
Perfect Birthday Cupcakes
Ok, I know these were originally birthday cupcakes, but the flavors would be great for any Spring or Easter celebration! A light lemony white cake, filled with raspberry jam and topped with silky smooth buttercream and (optional) coconut.
Baked Pineapple Casserole
Fact: The best side dish for Easter ham that ever existed.
Pineapple Angel Food Cupcakes
Light, airy, with crave-able sweet and sunny pineapple flavor. You can’t go wrong with this dessert!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s the thing: I’m really picky about chocolate chip cookies.
They must be chewy. Crunchy chocolate chip cookies are dead to me. They must be loaded with good chocolate chips and not too sweet. They must have a buttery, nutty flavor. They must be thick and puffy without being cake-y. They must be all of these things or I will not be satisfied. You wouldn’t like me when I’m not satisfied with my chocolate chip cookies.
This recipe was so, so close to being perfect. The cookies are chewy and loaded with chocolate chips. They have a rich, buttery, nutty, toffee-like flavor in the dough, but they’re not too sweet either. My only complaint? They came out flat and thin! I’ve had this problem with every chocolate chip cookie recipe involving melted butter. Do you have this problem? Do you know how to fix it?
We should ponder the answers to these questions over warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Makes about 2 dozen (24) cookies
The original recipe calls for baking these cookies at 375°F, but I found my cookies were browning too fast on the edges at that temperature. I used Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet chocolate chips because they’re my favorite.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 Tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookies sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan or stirring constantly, until the butter (milk solids) turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat and pour browned butter in a large, heatproof bowl.
Add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to browned butter and stir until completely melted. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla to the butter and whisk to incorporate. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until well combined and no lumps remain.
Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat this wait and whisk process two more times, until the mixture is smooth and shiny and almost resembles a thick caramel sauce.
Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop out 8 cookies and space them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time 10-12 minutes at 350°F, or until the edges are browned but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
Pineapple Angel Food Cupcakes
There was a lightly longer delay in sharing this recipe than I originally planned, but here it is now!
So you’ve made your pineapple curd and there’s a little bit left that you haven’t eaten straight out of the container. And then there’s those leftover egg whites. What are you going to do?
You’re going to make Pineapple Angel Food Cupcakes, that’s what.
Beautifully light, fluffy, fat-free angel food cupcakes, filled with pineapple curd and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. These are about as healthy as cupcakes get! They’re best assembled and shared the same day (though leftovers will store in the fridge for a few days), making them a perfect treat to end the first cookout of the year.
Pineapple Angel Food Cupcakes
Adapted from Gastronomy Blog
Makes 12 cupcakes
It’s very important that your egg whites are at room temperature and that there is absolutely no egg yolk in them, or they won’t beat up nicely. If you’re not sure how to beat egg whites to soft / stiff peaks, Baking Bites has a nice guide with pictures. Note: These cupcakes are best frosted just before serving, and once filled should be stored in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 large egg whites, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pineapple Curd (for filling, optional)
Whipped Cream Frosting (below)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl.
Beat egg whites in the large bowl of a stand mixer mixer (or with a hand mixer) until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar slowly, while beating, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in dry ingredients by hand in 2-3 small increments, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.
Divide batter evenly among prepared liners, filling almost to the top, and bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
To fill cupcakes with prepared pineapple curd, cut a cone shaped hole in the top using a small, sharp knife and reserve the removed “cake cone”. Using a pastry bag or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, fill the resulting hole with pineapple curd. Cut the pointy end of the “cake cone” off and replace the “lid”, sealing the hole.
Frost cupcakes with a dollop of whipped cream frosting (below) and top with additional pineapple chunks. Store in the refrigerator.
Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
2 ounces (8-10 chunks) of pineapple chunks
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Chop pineapple chunks in a food processor, pulsing until pineapple is in small bits but stopping before it becomes puree. Drain pineapple bits and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat to stiff peaks. Fold in pineapple.
