Baklava

As is customary for Michael, he chose a dessert that I've never made before... this week, it was Baklava!  I am happy to report that Michael claims my Baklava was just as good - if not better - than any he's had.  Wow!  ...beginner's luck, I think.

To my surprise, it wasn't TOO difficult to make, but there are definitely some tricks to the trade.  One of which is to remove it from the pan into cupcake wrappers to prevent it from getting soggy.  More tips are explained in the recipe below.

Baklava
 (makes about 18 pieces)

3/4 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/8 cup honey

Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.  Turn heat to LOW and add vanilla and honey.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, being careful not to let it boil over.  Set aside to cool while preparing the rest.


1/2 pound finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts and pecans)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup sugar

Toss nuts together with cinnamon and sugar.  Set aside.

8 oz roll phyllo dough, thawed
1 stick butter, melted

(TRICK:  Buy a bottle of any margarine spray and dump out the contents.  Rinse the spray bottle and use it for the melted butter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish with butter.  Only when you have everything ready, unroll the phyllo dough (you don't want to be interrupted at this point, or the dough can dry out.  If you do need to pause, cover the dough with plastic wrap and a damp towel).  Gently place one sheet of dough on the bottom of the dish, folding it over to fit.  Place another sheet on top of that, again folding it over (I alternated where the fold went each time).  Spray with the melted butter, then arrange 2 more sheets.  Continue in this manner until you've used a total of 8 sheets.  After spraying, sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp of the nut mixture on top, then place 2 more sheets of dough, and spray again.  Continue layering the nuts, 2 sheets of dough, and butter until you only have 8 sheets of dough left, then go back to layering 2 sheets with butter in between.  After you place the top sheet, DON'T spray it yet, otherwise it's too slippery to cut easily.  Using a sharp knife, cut the stack into squares or triangles being careful to not cut all the way through (if you cut all the way through, your sauce will pool at the bottom instead of seeping into each layer).  Once it is cut, spray the top and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the baklava is golden and crisp.  When finished, remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled sauce over the top.   In a few minutes, use your sharp knife to finish cutting all the way through and remove the pieces to cupcake wrappers so they won't get soggy.  Let cool before serving.  Store uncovered to prevent sogginess.

Homemade Apple Pie

Tonight was Morgan's choice for dessert and he chose Apple Pie with homemade crust... Yum!  Click on the photo to see it bigger... can't you just smell it?!  I hate to admit this, but my family of five can finish off this entire pie in one night.  Funny thing is, if my daddy were here, I think I'd have to make TWO pies!

Apple Pie
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I grind mine fresh!)

Combine the above and set aside.

7 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Double Pie Crust (homemade recipe below)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg white - beat until foamy
1 Tbsp. sugar

Toss the apples with lemon juice.  Add the sugar mixture and toss to coat and pour into the bottom crust.  Dot with butter, place second crust on top, and poke holes to vent.  Brush the top with the foamy egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.  Increase temperature to 400 and bake 10-15 minutes more until golden.

Double Pie Crust
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 sticks cold butter (cringe now, but you'll get over it when you taste the end result!)
6 Tbsp ice water


Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl.  With a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Drizzle 4-6 Tbsp ice water over the flour.  Mix with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.  I use my hands toward the end to incorporate all the flour and knead it into a large ball.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough ball in half and roll the two smaller balls out to form your bottom and top crust.  Below is my technique for rolling out pie crust - it's easy, not messy, and makes a wonderfully thin crust that is very manageable:

Lay out a piece of wax paper on a counter or bread board.  Place the chilled dough-ball in the center and smash lightly with the palm of your hand.  Place another piece of wax paper on top and then begin to roll the dough with a roller.  After a couple of rolls, peel the top paper off, lay it down again, flip it all over, peel the bottom paper off, and lay it back on the dough again.  Then roll a couple more times.  Continue doing this until the crust is thin and large enough to cover your pie plate.  When it's ready, simply remove the top paper, and use the bottom paper to transfer your perfect crust to your pie plate, flip it over onto the plate, and peel off the paper.  Voila!

Sugar Scrub

My new passion - Sugar Scrub.  It's absolutely heavenly!  Here in the dry Colorado mountains, we constantly struggle to keep our skin nourished.  And with a house full of boys with cracked, calloused hands, I simply MUST keep mine looking feminine!  This is, by far, the most luxurious way I've been able to do just that.   (...and I've witnessed my men using this from time to time as well!)

I have fiddled around with several different styles of scrubs.  Salt scrubs are also popular, but I personally don't like them as much.  And I can't even imagine how they'd feel on a cut!  No, I prefer sugar... just look at this richness...

There are several different ways to make it, but I will share with you my favorite (aren't you lucky?).  Many people on the internet say to just use sugar and olive oil.  Well, I like to step mine up a notch.   Olive oil has a yucky odor that is hard to mask.  If I'm going to pamper myself, why not treat myself to the very best?!  Below you will see the ingredients I like to use.

My local Vitamin Cottage (Natural Grocers) carries this inexpensive brand called "Now".  There are higher priced brands out there, but this is my compromise.  I like to use apricot kernel oil and vegetable glycerin for my oil base.  Then I experiment with different essential oils to add a lovely fragrance.  The green container has Grapefruit and the yellow is Lavender... mmmmmm!  I found these little rubber-sealed crocks at our local kitchen specialty store - the tiny spoons came from there as well.

To use a sugar scrub, start by taking off your rings.  Then wet your hands with warm water and scoop out a small dollop of scrub. 

"Wash" your hands with it as if you were using soap - paying particular attention to the backs of your hands.  Below is my hand with the scrub all rubbed in - yes, this was a tricky photo to take.  :)

Rinse your hands as usual.  See below how the water beads up on my skin?  (click on the photo to make it bigger and then you should see what I mean).  When you reach for the towel, dry your palms as usual (rubbing) because you don't want them slippery, but only PAT the backs of your hands.  You want that oil to have time to soak in and nourish!  Oh, it's divine!!

It's like treating your hands to a spa treatment each time you use it!  ...and if you put some in a plastic, water-tight container, you can keep some in the shower or tub... NOW we're talking!  Below is how I make mine. Experiment - use this as a base and play around with it.  I guarantee you'll love the way it makes you feel!

Sugar Scrub

1/4 cup white sugar (vanilla sugar if you want to go all out!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp apricot oil
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
10-12 drops essential oil

Start by mixing the sugars in a small bowl.  Add the apricot oil and the glycerin.  Stir until well combined and fully coated.  Let it sit for a few minutes to really incorporate.  Even if you think it needs more oil (and it may), you'll be surprised how the oil "settles".  Add essential oils to your liking and stir again.  Scoop it into a pretty covered container and keep it at your sink so you'll remember to use it.  Enjoy!

Bananas Foster

Tonight is Michael's dessert night choice, and as usual, he has chosen something I've never made before!  This time, it's Bananas Foster - and he explicitly mentioned that it MUST include the flambe part.  Because, really, what fun would it be if I did NOT try to catch my kitchen on fire?

Well, I did a test run yesterday, and I am happy to report that I had great success the very first time I tried!!  There were no catastrophes, no spilled alcohol (except that which I spilled in my mouth... kidding!), and the flames were completely contained at all times.

Here are the bananas just after they were placed in the yummy sugar glaze.

...and here they are on FIRE! The picture doesn't show the flame very well, but you can see a glimpse of it on the left side of the photo.  I promise, it was quite spectacular... but I was alone when I did this so no one else can attest to it.  You may question why I was holding a camera instead of a fire extinguisher?  ...well, I was determined to document it regardless of the outcome. :)  Fortunately, it worked just fine.  And it was quite tasty! 

Bananas Foster
Serves 4

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 shot banana liqueur
2 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1 shot dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a skillet.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble - about 5 minutes.  Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.  Cook for 5 minutes, turning once 1/2 way through, until bananas soften and begin to brown.  Carefully add the rum and let it heat for a few seconds.  Use a grill lighter to ignite the surface.  When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place two sections over a scoop of ice cream.  Generously spoon the warm sauce over the top and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pancakes

We were in the mood for something different one morning... so I gave pumpkin pancakes a try!

Just look at this pure yummy-ness!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp vinegar

Mix the above ingredients together and set aside.

Combine the following ingredients in a separate bowl:

2 cups flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just enough to combine.  Cook on a hot griddle, and enjoy with butter and real maple syrup (none of that fake junk!).

Pumpkin Bread

Last night was MY dessert night... and I chose Pumpkin Bread!  Yum, yum!  (Everyone else in the house heartily approved of my choice).

It was another opportunity to use a new gadget that I love... my nutmeg grinder!  I have seen these at state fairs for a few years now, and I finally purchased one while we were at the stock show a couple months ago.  It's great for grinding nutmeg (as shown below), ginger root, and Parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Bread

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6 Tbsp. butter                                  ¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar                                     ½ tsp. baking soda

1 egg                                               ½ tsp. nutmeg (freshly ground!)

1 cup canned pumpkin                    ½ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. cinnamon                              1 cup flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325.  Mix butter and sugar together until well blended.  Add egg.  Mix until light and fluffy.  Beat in pumpkin.  Stir in spices, then add flour.  Spoon into greased pan.  

I actually double this recipe and put it in a pan that makes 4 small loaves, and I cook it for about 20-30 minutes - until a toothpick comes out clean.

Making Soap

We're getting low on our soap supply, so it's time to make some more!  Wanna watch?  This will be a BRIEF description of how it is done... if you are serious about wanting to try this yourself, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to give you more information and even some tricks of the trade.

Step 1:
Line the mold with freezer paper.  My wonderful dad built this mold for me and it has served me very well.  You can use other things for molds - like plastic bins and such - but in my personal experience, those don't work as well as this.

Step 2:
Measure out the oils.   Start with 1 lb. 8 oz. of coconut oil and then 2 lb. 6 oz. of Crisco. 

 Put both of these in a big metal pot on the stove and turn the heat to low for the oils to melt.  Below, you will see that these oils are almost all melted.

Step 3:
While waiting for the oils to melt, measure out 2 lbs. (just over 3 cups) of cold water into a large glass bowl. 

At this point, rubber gloves are necessary because this next step is caustic.  CAREFULLY measure out 12 oz. of powdered lye into a separate glass container.

Take the water and the lye OUTSIDE.  Stirring constantly, and keeping your face out of the way of the fumes, slowly pour the lye into the water. 

Continue stirring until all the lye is dissolved.  Hang a thermometer on the side of the bowl in order to continually monitor the temperature... it gets very hot.

Step 4:
Back at the stove, when the oils in the pot have melted, turn off the heat and add 1 lb. 8 oz. of olive oil (sorry, no picture).

Step 5: 
Wait.  ...and wait.  This is the boring part, but you have to wait until both liquids (the lye/water outside and the oils in the pot) are each at about 98 degrees.  This may require turning the heat back on low if the oils have cooled too quickly, or a cold water bath if they aren't cooling fast enough.  The temperature of the lye/water is what drives this process - hard to heat that back up. 

Step 6:
When both of the liquids have reached between 98 and 100 degrees, slowly pour the lye/water into the oils.

Stir constantly for while the saponification process takes place.  This only takes a few minutes.  You are watching for the "trace point"... this is where you can see the lines on the surface of the soap when you dribble it off of the spoon (or whatever you're mixing with). 

Notice that I switched my immersion whisk with an immersion blade... I do this because the blade makes my soap reach trace way too fast... I like to be sure things are mixed up well with the whisk before I switch to the blade.  Also notice how the mixture got lighter in color.  The consistency becomes similar to pudding.  (Note:  just before trace occurs is when essential oils or colorants would be added, but I never add anything.  I prefer my soap as natural as possible.)

Step 7:
When trace occurs, immediately pour the soap into the prepared mold.

Below, you can see what I mean by trace... the dribbles stay on the surface.
 

Step 8:
Place the filled mold in a warm place and cover with towels or blankets.  This prevents the mixture from cooling down too quickly, which will ruin the soap.  It will stay like this for 18 hours. (Mine goes down in the utility room - the warmest room in the house - and I put a couple more towels on top of this one).

Step 9:
After 18 hours, remove the blankets and let the soap sit uncovered for another 8-10 hours.

Step 10:
Remove the soap from the mold and slice into bars.  My wonderful dad also built this slicer for me - isn't he the best?!

 

And here they are... 36 bars of wonderful, natural soap!  They will need to cure for at least 3 weeks before using, otherwise, they are too soft and won't last long in the shower.

That's it!  Not too hard, eh?

Strawberry Ice Cream

I promise to show some "footage" from our ski vacation last week, but I'm still working on a video clip.  In the meantime, tonight was Mason's dessert night... he chose homemade strawberry ice cream.  This recipe is our absolute favorite - every bit as good as (if not better than) Blue Bell (which we DO finally have up here)... but since we can make it at home, who needs Blue Bell?!

I will say that there are certainly easier ice cream recipes out there - ones where you just dump ingredients in the ice cream maker and turn it on... where you don't have to cook anything.  But in our experience, those always leave a filmy aftertaste on the roof of our mouths.  Yuck.  This one takes a little longer but it is SOOOOOOO worth it!  I'm a firm believer that taking the shortcut on many recipes greatly sacrifices both the nutritional value and the taste... okay, so there's not much nutritional value in ice cream, but you get my point.  We like to keep things as natural as we can around here... as if you haven't noticed that already.  :) 

Strawberry Ice Cream
(Note:  our White Mountain electric ice-cream maker can handle 1-1/2 times this amount, but this was the original recipe.  You may want to start with these amounts until you know for sure whether yours can take more.)

1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup half-and-half
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in half-and-half.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture simmers.  Cook 1 minute longer.  Remove from heat.  Slowly stir half of this hot mixture into beaten eggs.  Stirring constantly, pour egg mixture into remaining hot mixture; return pan to heat.  Cook and stir over low heat about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Stir in corn syrup;  cool.

In a blender or food processor, process strawberries until almost smooth.  Add strawberries and whipping cream to egg mixture.  Pour into an ice-cream canister and freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.  When it is completed, it is best to let it sit in the freezer for a few hours to firm up... if you can wait that long.  ;)

Rice Pudding

Tonight was Michael's choice for dessert... and as I stated last week, he chose Rice Pudding!  I have never made it, nor have I ever tried it, but it turned out to be a very tasty success... and simple to make!

I suppose I am posting a lot of articles on cooking.  I'm not sure if anyone really WANTS my recipes, but with 4 men in my house, cooking is a major part of who I am.  And this blog is all about giving you a little taste (pun intended) of our life... so enjoy!  :)

Rice Pudding

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

In another saucepan [I'm not sure why it didn't indicate you could use the same pan?], combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy - 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg.  Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.  Serve warm sprinkled with cinnamon (optional).

Nuts, Anyone?

Here's another yummy recipe for you!  Cinnamon & Sugar Roasted Almonds.... Mmmmmm!
They remind us of what you get on street corners... and this recipe lasted us about a week.  Perfect for taking in your purse for a little snack - for us, it was our fuel for ski days!

Cinnamon & Sugar Roasted Almonds

5 cups whole almonds
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly until just frothy.  Add vanilla and melted butter and stir.  Add almonds and stir until well coated.  In a separate small bowl, mix the white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Add to the nuts and stir until coated.  Pour into the pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O

Tonight was my dessert night choice.  It almost didn't happen... I had a busy day and didn't have time to get it made, BUT... I managed to pull it off and made myself (and whomever else wanted any) some strawberry pretzel jello.  For those of you who have never had it before, I'm sure it sounds quite disgusting.  Who, in their right mind, would put pretzels in jello??  Well, that's not exactly how it works.  The pretzels (mixed with butter and sugar) make a yummy crust.  Then, on top of that, is a savory layer of cream cheese, sugar, & whipped topping (I never use that nasty cool whip stuff).  Then the final layer is vibrant red jello with strawberries.  All together, it makes one heck of a dessert!!

The best part is that Mason and I are really the only two in the house who love it, so all the more for us!  I was a good girl, however, and halved the recipe so Mason and I wouldn't gorge ourselves on a huge 9x13 pan of it.  :)

I have a challenge coming next week - Michael has selected Rice Pudding.  I've never made it.  We'll see how it goes!

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Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O

9 oz. bag of pretzels, broken into small pieces

3 Tbsp sugar

1 ½ sticks butter, melted

Mix and press into 9x13 pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 350 and let cool completely.

8 oz. pkg cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 cups whipped cream

Cream well and spread over pretzel mixture.  Seal edges of pan.

6 oz. box of Strawberry Jell-O dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water

(2) 10 oz. boxes of frozen strawberries, thawed

Mix and allow to partially set.  Pour over cream cheese.  Chill well.

Cheesecake

We have a tradition in the Force house that on Sunday evening, we enjoy a home cooked dessert after dinner.  We take turns choosing what that dessert will be, and I've had some wonderful requests over the last several months.  Consequently, I have learned how to make many things I have never attempted before:  key lime pie, bread pudding, coconut cream pie - just to name a few.   But it's always a night that we look forward to simply because it's the only night we're allowed to have dessert!  (okay, so we don't always stick to that rule, but we try).

I thought it would be fun to start sharing our dessert nights with all of you!  Tonight is Mason's choice, and he selected one of his favorites - CHEESECAKE!

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New York Cheesecake

 

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Crust:       2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs         3 Tbsp. butter, melted

                 2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 2 small spring form pans with cooking spray.  Mix above ingredients and press firmly into bottom and ¾ up sides of pans.  Bake for 6 minutes.  Set aside.

Filling:     8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.       ½ tsp. grated lemon rind

                 1/4 cup sugar                                     1 Tbsp. cornstarch

                 1 egg                                                  ½ cup sour cream

                 1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, beat together cream cheese & sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, vanilla, lemon rind & cornstarch until thoroughly mixed.  Stir in sour cream until well blended.  Pour into prepared crust (marble with 2 pureed strawberries, if desired) and bake on cookie sheet 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool in the oven with door slightly ajar for 45 minutes.  Cool on rack and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Homemade Pasta!

Many of you know I love to make things from scratch... bread, soap, etc.  Well, here's my newest passion - PASTA!  For Christmas, I got a couple of attachments for my Kitchen Aid mixer to help... and oh, how easy they make it!

Just in case any of you are game to give it a try, here is a step-by-step tutorial!  It's super easy, I promise!

Start by putting 1 1/2 cups of flour in a bowl, make a well in the middle and add 2 eggs (the ratio is 3/4 cup of flour to each egg in case you need to make more or less).

Begin mixing the eggs with a fork, gradually adding in the flour.

Continue mixing until most of the flour is incorporated.

When it gets to the point where you really can't stir it any more, turn it out onto a bread board (or clean counter).  Continue mixing - a pastry scraper helps.

I usually add a couple teaspoons of water as it's a bit dry here in the mountains.

Eventually, you'll incorporate all of the flour.  Keep in mind that this dough is quite a bit more stiff than a bread dough.

 Knead the dough for 2 or 3 minutes, and you'll end up with a nice ball like this.  It shouldn't be sticky or dry.

 Wrap the dough ball in floured plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes.

After it has rested, cut it into pieces about the size of your palm using the pastry scraper.

Gently flatten one piece just a little bit, and then run it through the pasta rollers, set on the widest setting (1).
 

 Fold the flattened strip into thirds, and run it through again.  *NOTE* Folded dough should only be run through at the widest setting... and I sometimes skip this part if the dough looks a bit dry or doesn't come through the first press nicely.

Narrow the rollers to the next setting (2) and run the dough through again (withOUT folding!).  Continue to narrow the rollers and run the dough through until you've run it through on setting 5.  As it gets thinner, sprinkle a little flour on it to prevent it from sticking to the rollers. If you find that the rollers are getting messy, then your dough is too wet.  Your rollers should look clean when you are finished (which is a good thing, because these attachments are not intended to be washed!)

 The dough strips get very long, so you may want to cut them in half or thirds as you go.  Here they are all laid out to dry for a couple minutes before cutting.
  

Place the cutter attachment of your choice into the mixer (I'm using the fettuccine cutter) and run the strips through.  Voila!

Place the cut noodles on a tray and toss with some flour to prevent them from sticking.  

 Here is the whole batch, all cut and ready to cook!  You can cover them with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.  I usually make the noodles in the morning and prepare that evening, but I've heard you can even do them the night before.  Be careful, though - you don't want them to dry out!

To cook, place them in boiling water with a little salt for about 4 minutes (2 minutes for spaghetti noodles).  Drain, and ENJOY!