We are nearing the end of May (how is that even possible?!) which also means our big season of birthdays is over. Phew. It starts with mine in March, then we celebrate Gabe in April and both boys in May. Ivy is already counting down the days for her September birthday.

This year we celebrated Baron’s in a big way with a fundraiser for mosquito nets. I think I mentioned this here before or maybe in our newsletter but back in November Baron had the idea of using his birthday as an opportunity to raise money. After reading that the deadliest animal on earth is actually the mosquito he decided to raise money for mosquito nets. Over the course of this fundraiser we had the chance to meet the president of World Concern who told us first hand the life-saving benefits these nets would have on countries who are riddled with mosquito-born illnesses. She looked Baron right in the eye and told him, “you are not just buying mosquito nets, you are saving lives.” Meanwhile, I was a puddle in the corner. We also visited the Institute for Systems Biology to learn about all their incredible research being done as they work tirelessly to find a cure for Malaria.

After his big birthday fundraising bash we managed to raise over 8,000! Which means through World Concern we can purchase 8,267 mosquito nets to be distributed to communities around the world in need. Now that’s how you celebrate an 11th birthday.

We don’t have many traditions around our birthdays but I love the simple ones we do have. A few streamers cascade in the doorway of the birthday boy or girl’s room stealthily hung while they sleep. They each choose a special (read: sugary) cereal to enjoy on the morning of their birthday and they get to plan the menu for their birthday dinner. This year Baron requested Lasagna with caesar salad and a Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat cake for dessert. For his birthday, Roman, who usually goes for Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese, requested sliders (I made Banh Mi sliders) and Billionaire Bars for dessert.

Have you heard of Millionaire Bars? They are basically like homemade Twix bars. But our kicked up version, which we’re calling Billionaire Bars, have a base of chocolate chip cookies in lieu of shortbread. The cookie base is capped with a creamy caramel and topped with bittersweet chocolate and a dusting of flaky salt in an attempt to tame all that sweet. While the family chorus sang happy birthday to Roman I stacked the bars tall on a plate then topped it with a flaming ‘6’ candle and told everyone to tilt their head upside down to imagine the ‘9’ that should have crowned the stack.

Caramel making can induce a bit of stress as it does require precision. Relieve these fears by getting yourself an instant read thermometer. I am a fan of the thermapen but really any will do. In the video you’ll notice that I test the caramel by using a glass of cold water. This is how grandma made candy and it basically gives you a little peak at the caramels constituency once cool but caramel moves through the stages of soft ball to hard ball quickly and continues to cook even after you’ve turned off the heat so again I think the most accurate and easiest way is to use a thermometer.

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Billionaire Bars

Prep 30 mins

Cook 20 mins

Total 50 mins

Author Ashley Rodriguez

Yield 24 bars

Ingredients

Cookie Base:

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or use dark brown sugar)

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

12 ounces (1 bag) chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)

1/2 teaspoon flake salt

Caramel:

8 oz/ 1 cup sugar

6 oz/ 1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (or corn syrup)

1/4 cup water

6 oz/ 3/4 cup heavy cream

2 oz/ 4 tablespoons butter, soft

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate Glaze:

12 ounces chocolate

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon flake salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.

In a small saucepan melt the butter. Continue to simmer until the milk solids rise to the top then gently sink as they caramelize. The butter will shift in color and smell nutty.

In a large bowl combine the sugars and stir in the browned butter. Stir in the eggs, then the flour, baking soda and sea salt until everything is well combined. Stir in the chocolate.

Add the batter to the baking dish then press in with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. If it starts to stick I like to lightly wet my hands with just a touch of water then press in the dough. Finish with the flake salt then bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are deeply golden and the middle is set.

While the base cools prepare the caramel.

Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine then wash off the sides of the pan using water and your clean hands to feel if any sugar remains on the side. If stray bits of sugar fall into the caramel it can cause the caramel to crystallize so it’s important to make sure all the sugar is in the bottom of the pan mixed with the water.

Place the lid on the pan and put over high heat. Having the lid on during the first few minutes of boiling creates condensation that further helps to wash away any sugar that may be left on the sides of the pan. After 5 minutes remove the lid and let the caramel continue to boil until it reaches 300 degrees F. If some of the caramel starts to color you can gently swirl the pot to combine.

Add the cream, butter and salt once it has reached 300 degrees F and then continue to cook until the caramel reaches 248 degrees F. At that point remove the pan from the heat and pour over the chocolate chip cookie base.

Refrigerate to cool.

For the chocolate glaze add the chocolate and the butter to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between each eating, until completely melted. Pour this over the cooled caramel and spread into an even layer. Top with the flake salt. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm then slice and serve.

Courses Dessert

*I’ve partnered with Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker to bring you this bittersweet flourless cake with a torched meringue cap. With only four ingredients in the cake chocolate is the star. I use their 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar for a rich, not-too-sweet, flavor that leaves room for the cool sweetness of the billowy peppermint meringue.

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I cradled Ivy into her sling that hugged my chest and positioned her head in just a way that I could inhale it with every breath. We stepped outside of the car having driven an hour out of the city for the purpose of creating the perfect Christmas tree selecting memory. The air bit our noses as we stepped outside. Baron wore black cowboy boots as he did every day and Roman, with his electric blond hair, was always easy to spot as he eagerly ran off without ever looking back. It didn’t take long for the rain to soak through our layers and the picturesque outing was marred with grumbling, tears and mud covered boots. We quickly picked out our tree and Ivy and I left the boys to saw it down while we sought the car for refuge. Every year since we’ve picked up our tree from our local produce stand five minutes from our front door.

In the early years I forced traditions on us like a chore. Each memory was to be perfectly calculated as if their childhood happiness depended on it. I was the director of the Rodriguez Family Perfect Holiday Fun Fest and I sat back in my director’s chair calling cut and action in a way that made sense for the scene but not for my family.

Ivy is very far from her sling carrying days. Now she’s reading books, losing teeth and painting her fingernails. Baron has long outgrown his cowboy boots and Roman’s hair – still radiant – falls over his eyes in just a way that he shifts his head to the side then gives it a quick flick so that he can see. Without directing and carefully crafted scripts we’ve settled into our own traditions. They don’t always happen with great fanfare but we look forward to them just the same.

It starts with the gift of the advent calendar from Gabe’s mom. It’s the one from Trader Joe’s with the brightly colored graphics and paper doors that open to reveal sweet milk chocolate. We get our tree, as I mentioned, close to home with twinkling lights overhead and rows and rows of trees. It’s a pine scented maze that always leads us to just the right tree. At home we’ll make hot chocolate and the kids will hang ornaments. They are the same ones that hung on the Christmas trees that decorated the space where Gabe and I were married. While the kids are in bed I’ll rearrange the tree so not all the ornaments hang in the lower right hand side.

We’ll drive through the streets with houses covered in lights and holiday music blaring over the speakers. My brothers kids will come over for a Christmas tea complete with a cheese ball shaped like a snowman. There will be cinnamon rolls with tangy vanilla bean flecked frosting and we’ll eat clementines until our mouths hurt. There will be peppermint scented cakes and caramel candies that get stuck in our teeth and those little hard candy storybook sets wrapped in cellophane that I always got in my stocking. Moderation will meet us again in January.

Our traditions began when I stopped forcing them. They are the simple activities that without my noticing get repeated every year. The temptation to orchestrate the so-called-perfect holiday season still creeps in but each year I get better about knowing my intentions. I ask myself, “Am I doing this because I think I SHOULD or because it fills me with JOY?” If the answer is joy I proceed with a giddy grin and soak up the fluttery excitement of the season. Every year there are things that never get crossed off the to-do list and I vow to start “Christmas-ing” in October but every year it is what it is and in making joy, peace and hope the priority it’s always my favorite time of year.

This cake is bound to be a tradition as each bite brings me immense joy. It’s a dense flourless chocolate cake made with Scharffen Berger’s 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate. The chocolate is bright and almost fruity making the cake softly sweet which leaves room for the meringue laced with peppermint. If you feel like getting real fancy a streak of red food coloring laced through the meringue would look oh so festive. The toasting of the almond meal can be skipped but I find the reward of a deep roasty flavor is well worth the ten minutes in the oven.

Chocolate Almond Cake with Peppermint Meringue

Serves 8 - 10

Cake adapted from Joy of Baking

Cake:

4 large eggs, separated

1 cup (100 grams) superfine almond meal

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, divided

6 ounces (170 grams) Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 ounces (12 tablespoons) (170 grams) butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt

Meringue:

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the almond meal to the sheet pan then toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Set this aside to cool.

Butter an 8-inch springform pan then line the bottom with parchment. Butter the parchment.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment begin the beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium high until light in color and tripled in volume.

While the yolks are beating melt together the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot filled with simmering water. Stir until just melted then remove it from the heat.

Add the whipped egg yolks to the melted chocolate and butter and carefully stir until just combined. Add the almond meal  and vanilla then stir to combine.

Clean the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment begin slowly whipping the egg whites. Once frothy add the salt. Increase the speed to medium and slowly start adding the sugar. When working with egg whites every move is gentle, so we start the machine slowly and add the sugar very gradually. Once all the sugar has been added increase the speed once more then beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture until combined then add the rest until no streaks are showing.

Carefully add this batter to the springform pan then bake for 45 - 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have a few fudgy crumbs. The cake will puff and crack and then settle as it cools.

Set the cake aside and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edge and releasing the pan.

Cool completely before adding the meringue.

For the meringue:

Add the egg whites and sugar to a clean bowl of a stand mixer. Carefully place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (or if you are very carefully - directly over a gas flame set on low) and whisk continuously. Periodically check the temperature of the mixture just with your finger. It should have no remaining sugar granules and it should feel quite hot. Immediately set the bowl on the mixer and begin to whip. Continue to whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir in the salt, vanilla and peppermint extract at the end.

Top the cake with the meringue then caramelize the perky peaks with a kitchen torch or pop it under the broiler until the meringue is toasted in parts.

The cake can be made up to three days in advance. Prepare the meringue just before or a few hours before serving.

Thank you so much for your kind words from the last post. Sharing all of that left me with a bit of a vulnerability hangover but I was so lifted by your comments and reminded of how fortunate I am for this community and that I get the pleasure of sharing my life with you all. I appreciate each and everyone of you who responded with such grace and vulnerability. Now let’s go talk about candy!

About three years ago I started teaching a homemade candy bar class at The Pantry. It’s the sort of class that makes me giddy to get to do the work I do because basically in that moment I’m Willy Wonka. Perhaps a slightly less eccentric version than the characters in both versions of the movie, but maybe not.

My students have to work very hard in the three hours we have together. They whip up batches of peanut butter laced nougat, turn ordinary sugar into copper colored caramel dotted with vanilla bean flecks and beat powdered sugar into peppermint scented dough. All of that work culminates in a chocolate dipping party that spans the length of the 20-foot table. Six bowls line the middle, each filled with either melted milk chocolate or bittersweet. At the end of it all we have dozens of homemade Snickers, Peppermint Patties, Butterfingers, Peanut Butter Cups, Twix Bars and fifteen very happy people. Each one of them walk into that room skeptical of their abilities to turn simple ingredients into childhood favorites and by the end of the night they walk away with a box filled with candies better than the originals.

There are a few candy recipes on this site and one of them is for homemade Twix but in the process of teaching this class I have perfected my recipe and have only recently realized that I’ve not been back to share the new and improved version. Even better still, I went and turned the recipe into a tart so you can just go ahead and skip all the time and mess of dipping the individual bars in chocolate.

If you do want the candy bars it’s a bit of a process but not a hard one. The buttery cookie base includes a touch of finely ground rice. A strange ingredient indeed but it’s a trick I learned from my former Pastry Chef, Sherry Yard, while working at Spago, and I trust that lady with all things butter and sugar. Plain white rice is blitzed in a spice grinder (or blender) – which, by the way, is a perfect way to clean your spice grinder, and then a couple of tablespoons is added to the dough. It adds a pleasant crunch that I just love. The bases are cut and baked then pressed gently into the still warm caramel. Once set you cut along the edge of the cookie so that you have a perfectly formed cookie and caramel layer ready to dip into chocolate. Or, like I said, skip all of that and just make the tart.

Our October newsletter is going to hit your inbox next week and it’s all about candy including a bonus recipe that is always a huge hit in class. Sign up (or leave your email in a comment and I’ll be sure you’re on the list).

Homemade Twix: Bar + Tart

The addition of ground rice to the cookie base adds a great crunch to the sweet candy bar.

Cookie Base

6 oz/ 1 1/2 sticks butter, soft

3 oz/ 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 egg

8 1/2 oz/ 2 cups flour

2 tablespoons ground rice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Caramel

8 oz/ 1 cup sugar

6 oz/ 1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (you can substitute corn syrup here if you'd like)

1/4 cup water

6 oz/ 3/4 cup heavy cream

2 oz/ 4 tablespoons butter, soft

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds milk chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon oil

For the cookie:

Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix until creamy. Add the egg and beat until the color lightens, about 1 minute.

Add the flour, ground rice, vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined.

Form into a flat, rectangular disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375°F. Place dough on a large piece of parchment paper, lightly flour and roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. (Work quickly, because the dough will become difficult to roll as it warms up.) Transfer parchment paper with dough to a baking sheet then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Cut the dough into 3-1/2-by-3/4-inch cookies. You should get at least 24 cookies. Pierce each cookie several times with a fork.

Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, make the caramel.

For the caramel:

Grease a 9x13 pan with soft butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine then wash off the sides of the pan using water and your clean hands to feel if any sugar remains on the side. If stray bits of sugar fall into the caramel it can cause the caramel to crystallize so it’s important to make sure all the sugar is in the bottom of the pan mixed with the water.

Place the lid on the pan and put over high heat. Having the lid on during the first few minutes of boiling creates condensation that further helps to wash away any sugar that may be left on the sides of the pan. After 5 minutes remove the lid and let the caramel continue to boil until it reaches 300 degrees F. If some of the caramel starts to color you can gently swirl the pot to combine.

Add the cream, butter and vanilla seeds once it has reached 300 degrees F and then continue to cook until the caramel reaches 248 degrees F. At that point remove the pan from the heat and pour into the prepared 9x13 pan.

Let the caramel cool for 10 minutes before gently laying the cookie bases down in four rows of six. Continue to let the caramel cool for 40 minutes before thoroughly chilling in the fridge for an additional 40 minutes or until the caramel is firm enough to cut.

Once completely chilled, carefully remove the caramel and cookie bases from the pan and cut along the cookies to create 24 caramel topped bars.

Prepare the chocolate coating by melting the milk chocolate in the microwave or in a bain marie on the stove then stir in the oil.

Dip the bars into the chocolate with the help of a fork and move to a parchment lined sheet tray.

Place the sheet tray in the fridge once all the bars have been dipped. Keep the bars in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for three weeks or in the freezer for two months.

Let the bars sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Twix Tart

Serves 8 to 10

1/2 recipe Twix base

1 recipe Twix caramel

4 ounces / 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

4 ounces / 1/2 cup heavy cream

Flake salt (or vanilla salt!)

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Roll the dough out to 1/4 - inch thick. Carefully roll up the dough around the rolling pin then unfurl it over the tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes.

Let the tart shell cool while you prepare the caramel.

Cool the caramel for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened before pouring into the tart shell.

Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.

Prepare the chocolate glaze. Warm the cream on the stove or in the microwave. Add the chocolate, let it sit for one minute then whisk to combine.

Pour the glaze over the firm caramel then use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate evenly. Top with flake salt.

Refrigerate until firm.

I had no intention of using the blackberries in cupcakes but I was on one of those end-of-the-season grocery store trips where I had this seasonal sense of urgency. “I didn’t eat enough tomatoes!” “There weren’t enough peaches in my diet!” “I promised myself I’d buy a case of apricots and I didn’t.” Somberly I dreamt of all the missed pies and cans of jam that I won’t get to tuck into in on a cold morning in January. Where did summer go?

So into my cart I tucked five pints of various colored cherry tomatoes, bags of soft peaches and fragrant nectarines and a flat of blackberries still dusty from the fields. The stone fruit never aspired to more than snacks for the kids and quite honestly I think the tomatoes had the same fate. But when a spontaneous evening sailing invitation came up and I volunteered to bring dessert to the little party, those blackberries found their calling.

This cake recipe is not new to this site. In fact I’m sure this is the third or quite possibly the fourth time it’s been printed here. It’s made so often in this house I have the recipe hand written and taped to the back of my cupboard for easy access. It’s delightfully easy (only takes one bowl!) and perfectly tender with a hearty chocolate flavor that satisfies my bittersweet cravings. At this point I should have it memorized. But the blackberries stirred carefully into the nearly black batter, now that is new and a very happy discovery. Tart cream cheese frosting and a bit of vanilla flecked salt was going to be the final flourish but a friend (hi, Krissy!) and I decided that a salty caramel would really put these little cakes over the top.

If I have completely missed the mark on sharing this recipe and berry season is well behind you, you’ll be happy to hear that frozen berries work very well and raspberries make a fine blackberry substitute. So regardless of the season these tart, sweet and oh so pretty cupcakes can shine any time of year.

One final word – for those of you who have shared your email address with me over the years you may have noticed a shiny, new surprise email from me! That’s right, I’ve become a big kid and started a newsletter. We’re aiming for this to be a monthly thing and we’ve got plans for all sorts of fun topics to discuss. This month we’re celebrating the in between – you know when the sun still shines but the leaves lose their green for shades of crimson and orange. Where peaches and apples briefly share the same shelf space and we can finally turn on the oven again without fear of overheating. There are a few recipes from the site that are my favorite to cook right now and then there’s a bonus recipe for a pungent Ginger, Pear Bourbon Punch that is perfect early Fall drinking. I’m aiming for a bonus recipe or something else definitely worth your while – so be sure to sign up!

Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese + Caramel

makes 3 8” inch layers or 24 cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar (I’ve used white or brown or a combination of the two and all work well)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil (or other, nearly flavorless oil)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups warm water

4 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)

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Prepare two cupcake pans with liners.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well blended.

Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the berries.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops slowly spring back when gently nudged.

Let cool in the pan for five minutes before finishings the cooling on a rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 (8-ounce) packages / 680 g cream cheese, at room temperature

1⁄2 cup / 115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (depending on the desired amount of sweetness)

1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean

For the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stop the machine and add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla. Turn on low and mix until combined.

Turn up the speed to medium and beat 4 minutes more.

The frosting can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge.

Caramel

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

Flake salt

Combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring a boil and let the sugar caramelize until it’s smoking and deep copper in color. I teeter the edge with my caramel - close to burnt so you get complex flavors rather than a flat, just-sweet, caramel.

Carefully add the cream (it will bubble up vigorously) then stir to combine.

Let cool.

Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Drizzle on the caramel then top with flake salt.

*This post was created in partnership with Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker because I find chocolate and summer to be a natural pair. I’m partial to Scharffen Berger’s bittersweet varieties (although Ivy argues that milk chocolate is best) as they’re softly sweet, with a nice acidity and deep cocoa flavor, which works perfectly in these ice cream bars.

The air smells of the last of the lilacs and a briny sea scent that the gentle, nearly warm breeze carries in from the Sound below. The sun lights the streets until nearly 10 pm and we lose track of the time we once dictated by the tint of the sky outside. There’s baseball practice that hurries us through dinner and games on Saturdays where the boys litter the grass with salt-licked sunflower seed shells. It’s June. The time of year where summer teases us with the occasional scent of the neighbors firing up the bbq, the kids wandering out of their houses to play in the street after dinner, and the distant chimes of the ice cream truck. We’re counting down the last days of school.

We all overslept this morning. Again. I popped up out of bed, looked at my phone then ran around the house trying to induce the sense of urgency needed to get everyone off to school on time. They didn’t quite get it. And I’ll admit neither did I. It’s hard to encourage the kids to persevere through these last couple of weeks of school, to continue to try their best and push hard when all I want to do is stay in bed with the warmth of the sun on my face then linger outside in the evening until dark, light up the fire to roast marshmallows and eat off paper plates outside.

Their school clothes have holes in the knees and are fraying at the sleeves but I refuse to refresh them at this point. Their lunches are far less thought out than they were in September and I’m trusting them to be getting all their homework done because I feel the shift. The summer shift. I’m trying to set a good example and be their buoy and cheerleader as they try to finish strong. But I’m also pushing back bedtime and dreaming with them about our summer travels to Europe, camping trips and lazy sun-lit mornings and definitely not thinking about third grade math.

Summer, we’re ready for you. Signs of our summer eagerness show up in the kitchen where I toast a pan full of marshmallows under the broiler. Soft interiors and crisp and caramelized outsides that I fold into vanilla bean flecked ice cream. Layered between two soft homemade graham crackers and then dipped in bittersweet chocolate. I would have stopped there but Ivy suggested a few flakes of salt to finish them off. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more proud.

These ice cream bars are a sweet taste of summer, and as if we needed it, are getting us even more excited for warm evenings sitting by a dancing fire, tasting the sweetness of the chocolate with sticky marshmallow fingers. Only 14 more sleeps – but who’s counting?

*This post is sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. As always, the words, photos and recipes are mine.

Scharffen Berger crafts the richest, most flavorful chocolate by sourcing the best cacao in the world, blending it in small batches, and gently processing it to maintain the subtle flavors in the beans.

Be sure to check out their website where you can find a wide variety of baking chocolate as well as bars that need nothing more than a little unwrapping.

Thanks so much for supporting that brands that help keep Not Without Salt running.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches with Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

Makes 1 1/2 dozen bars

I’ve gone ahead and included a recipe for homemade graham crackers, one that I’ve adapted from King Arthur Flour. It’s a lovely soft cinnamon scented cracker that works beautifully here but you know you more than welcome to use store bought graham crackers here too. I assure you, no one would complain.

1 cup Graham Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons whole milk

1 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallow

1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream

9.7 ounces (1 bar) Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon flavorless oil (you can use grapeseed, rice bran, coconut, canola, etc.)

For the graham crackers:

In a large bowl combine the graham flour, all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.

In another bowl whisk together the egg, butter, honey and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined.

Shape the dough in a rough rectangle then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick using a bit of flour if it starts to get a bit sticky.

Cut the cookies into the desired shape (I like the size of a quarter of an actual graham cracker - it’s about 1-inch by 2 1/2-inches)  and prick each cookie with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much.

Set them onto the sheet pans and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake until puffed and golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. For the purpose of using these crackers in an ice cream sandwich I like to keep them a bit softer so I take them out perhaps a bit sooner than you would for a more traditional graham cracker.

Let the cookies cool on the trays.

Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Assemble the ice cream bars:

Line the bottom and sides 9x13 baking dish with two alternating pieces of parchment paper so that there’s a bit of overhang on each side.

Soften the vanilla ice cream by letting it sit out of the freezer for 20 minutes or so.

Set your oven to broil and scatter the marshmallows in a shallow roasting dish. Broil until the caps are copper colored and you can smell caramelized sugar.

Fold the toasted marshmallows into the softened ice cream then add that to the prepared 9x13 dish. Smooth it out to create an even layer of what is now toasted marshmallow ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Once completely firm remove the ice cream from the pan and cut it out to match the shape of the graham crackers. Sandwich a layer of ice cream between the graham crackers then place those on a sheet tray and return to the freezer until firm. If the ice cream melts too quickly in the process simply return it to the freezer for at least 20 minutes then continue.

Melt the chocolate with the oil in a microwave or over a double broiler. If using a microwave heat in 20 second intervals and stir really well between each heat so as not to scorch the chocolate.

Dip the ice cream bars halfway into the chocolate then return to the sheet pan and top with a few pieces of flake salt. Freeze again until firm and then you’re ready to enjoy.

He’s 10 years old. I’ve been a mom for an entire decade. I have to type that and repeat it over and over in my head in order to believe it.

When he was born I knew the sort of mom I wanted to be. I prepped my shoulder for him to cry on, I bought heaps of felt for all the craft projects we were going to do. The glitter and glue guns were at the ready. He was going to be able to prepare a complete meal by the time we was five because he would join me in the kitchen every evening as I prepped dinner. I would read to him every night, be in his classroom every week, play on the floor with him every day. And then reality hit and I did some of those things sometimes but I constantly failed to live up to the expectation I put on the mom I wanted to be.

Then I stopped being her and started being me.

I set aside those expectations of what I thought motherhood was going to be and leaned into what it actually is and how I fit into that. What once I saw as my “failures” became simply a sign of my humanity. And, as you saw in the conversation from last week’s post – I started to take note of the things I was doing right rather than constantly sitting in the muck of how I thought I was messing it all up. You know what happened when I freed myself up enough to say, “hey, this was actually a pretty great mom thing you just did there!” The floodgates of my parenting thumbs up opened wide and suddenly I was able to go through my days and say to myself, “that was good!” “Nice work on that conversation!” “You played catch with him for 30 minutes? I mean, you’re pretty much a saint.” And then sometimes there was, “yikes, did you really need to say that?” And in that moment I remind myself that I’m not perfect, I make mistakes, I own up to them, apologize and we can move on.

Ten years in and I still have a lot to learn but I’m so happy to be here, parenting in a way that fits me, and loving on my boy who is becoming more himself each and every day.

This “cake” of sorts was made at his request. It’s been a go-to for birthdays over the last couple of years and every time it’s requested I get just as eager to eat it as they do. He may not quite know how to prepare an entire meal yet (although his scrambled eggs are perfectly fluffy) he does know the value of brown butter and that’s how we start this cake. The other secret to this towering cereal treat is a good bit of salt to offset the inevitable sweetness that comes when marshmallows are the glue and a frosting that leans more towards bitter than sweet.

Happy birthday, buddy. Thanks for making me a mom and helping me figure out what that even means.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat Cake

Serves 10 - 12

1 cup / 2 sticks butter

2 10 ounce bags marshmallows

8 ounces / 1 cup peanut butter

13 - 14 cups / 1 pound Rice Krispies

Sea salt or flake salt

1 pound chopped, bittersweet chocolate

2 cups / 1 pound sour cream

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the peanut butter rice krispie cake: Butter and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper as well then set those aside.

In a large sauce pan melt the butter. Continue to melt until bubbly and it starts to foam. As the bubbles subside you will notice little brown bits on the bottom of the pan and the butter smells nutty. Turn off the heat then add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Stir in the peanut butter.

Add the Rice Krispie cereal to a very large bowl. Seriously, big. If you don’t have a big enough bowl I suggest mixing this in two batches.

Pour the butter/mallow mixture over the Rice Krispies then stir well to combine. It takes a good bit of stirring but eventually all will be well coated. Sprinkle in a teaspoon or so of flake salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Divide the mixture evenly between the three pans. Press them down firmly then set aside for a couple of hours to firm up.

I like to add a bit more flake salt to the top of the layers.

For the frosting: Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Carefully stir in the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt.

You can use the frosting right away or set aside for later. If it gets too firm simply melt over a double boiler and stir until it reaches the desired consistency.

Spread the frosting between the layers and on the top of the cake.

Finish with sprinkles - or a bit more flake salt.

My grocery list:

Cheese

Crackers

Bread

It was suppose to be a quick stop. I just needed a few things for a cheese platter but what I walked away with was a flat of blackberries, a couple pints of blueberries and raspberries, two bags of cherries, a few pounds of apricots, and some plums for good measure.

“Pick me! I’d be great in a pie.” They all seem to cry.  “Just think how much you’d love me all sweet and turned into jam when you’re slugging through the gray months?” “You’ve waited so long so see me! How could you possibly walk away?”

And with those convincing arguments they were in my cart. They win every time you know, and I’m always glad they do.

On the drive home I scheme grand plans for my haul. First the apricots will be pie; easy on the sugar and heavy on tartness. The blackberries demanded their fate be jam with a bit of cinnamon for warmth. The plums were meant for Gabe: I know he loves them. The cherries; TBD.

At home the plans quickly vanish as my children descend on my haul like fruit flies. Without haste I stash a couple of pounds of apricots for pie (it’s my favorite) and tuck one the bags of cherries deep into the fridge, out of the reach of little hands.

No jam is made, just happy berry-stained faces enjoying one of the many sweet perks of summer.

After their feasting, I return to the kitchen, quietly pluck my hidden bag of cherries from the fridge and dream of ice cream.

I want something tart, easy, and loaded with chunks of sweet cherries. For the tartness I add sour cream and fresh lemon. For the ease I opt for a yolk-less base remembering a recipe I recently saw where Nigella used sweetened condensed milk in the base which added thickness, richness and sweetness, of course.

With ice being the enemy of ice cream I cook the cherries with a bit of sugar, vanilla and lemon to let the vanilla infuse the mixture and to boil out most of the water in the fruit so they don’t ice over in the freezer.

The base is thick and as you would imagine; quite creamy. It’s tangy and sweet but that sweetness mellows in the freezer. I added a splash of Amaretto for good measure. Kirsch would be lovely here too.

It’s so thick in fact, I wonder if churning is even necessary. Or perhaps this a great base for semifreddo. If you’re up for a bit of recipe testing report back and let me know how it goes. I’d make the recipe again but we’re out of cherries.

Our first round we sandwiched between Muscovado sugar cookies but with the next scoop I wanted chocolate so a simple chocolate sauce was made and round two became an afternoon sundae. After all that we went out for pizza because it’s summer and sometimes that means all your kitchen energy is used up making ice cream.

Sour Cream Cherry Ice Cream

1 pound pitted and quartered cherries

1 vanilla bean, seed scraped

scant 1 cup/ 6 ounces sugar 

Juice from 1 lemon

Pinch salt 

2 tablespoons Amaretto

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 16 ounce container sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan combine the cherries, vanilla seeds and pod, sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it gently boil for 10 minutes. The cherries will soften and the vanilla will permeate the mixture. The boiling will remove some of the water from the fruit and intensify the flavor.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Amaretto. Remove the vanilla pod.

Let this mixture cool for about 10 minutes before mixing it, in a large bowl, with the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and heavy cream.

Thoroughly chill the ice cream base before churning according to your manufacturers instructions.

Once churned place the ice cream in the freezer to completely set-up, at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, water, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking constantly. 

Let the sauce gently simmer until everything is well combined. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Cover and refrigerate or use right away.

After refrigeration you’ll need to warm the sauce gently before serving.

I sit in my office doing the internet version of twiddling my thumbs; bouncing from Facebook to Instagram scrolling through the feeds until my thumb aches and my mind is overwhelmed with images and updates that leave me feeling depleted. I have only a couple more hours to work and yet I can’t focus and am losing motivation in the midst of the scrolling.

“That’s it.” I say to myself. “I need to get out of here.”

So I jump in the car with a simple plan of going to the market and seeing where that leads me. Once there I see crate after crate overflowing with stone fruit. Nearly black plums with a hint of red underneath which tells me they are perfect; mostly sweet with a good sour bite. Next to them, small Italian plums covered in a soft dust that wipes off easily to reveal a deep purple skin. And apricots the color of a late evening sun and the star of so many of my favorite summer recipes.

Immediately I grab several pounds of plums because two days before I heard a lovely story on NPR about a pastry chef who stood at her stove sobbing at the site of this German Plum Cake. It was the first time she had made it since her mom died and just the site of it; familiar like a dear friend, made her lose it in her kitchen leaving her staff a little clueless as to why chef was looking at the stove dripping tears into a plum studded cake (that’s actually a bit more tart than cake). I needed to make this.

Then I grab the Italian plums and my mind turns to stewed prunes. The resulting dish is actually much more appetizing than the name suggests. They are so good in fact that I keep my oven on for an entire day in the midst of a crazy heat wave just to dry out the plums so I can make the very best version of stewed prunes when a winter’s evening demands a taste of summer.

Finally I reach for apricots. My usual response to apricots is pie or jam but today I dust off the ice cream maker and decide to roast a batch for ice cream. I need something cold to counter  the temperature in the house after the oven has been on all day.

I roast the apricots with a bit of sugar because it’s only after roasting that apricots reveal their magic. They succumb easily to a gentle pressing with my spatula to turn into a sort of puree, intentionally left a bit rustic as I imagine the pleasure of biting into a piece of apricot on top of an ice cream cone. The puree turns the creamy base into a pinkish orange hue, enough to catch the attention of Ivy who is immediately drawn to anything pink. While it churns I melt a bit of chocolate and drizzle that in to the ice cream just as it looks like soft serve. Ivy licks the chocolate bowl clean.

The result is a sweet ice cream, softly tart and rich with speckles of bittersweet chocolate and more importantly for me, an end to my twiddling of thumbs and an awakening to the day in front of me with all its possibilities.

Roasted Apricot Stracciatella

base recipe from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

1 pound apricots, halved and pitted

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 + 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2  tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped)

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Place the apricots in a cast iron skillet or small baking dish along with 1/3 cup sugar. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Remove the apricots from the oven and gently smash them with a rubber spatula to make a craggy and rough puree.

Set aside while you prepare the base. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside.

In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture.

Fold in the apricot puree and lemon juice. Set a bowl inside of another bowl that is filled with ice water. Pour the base into the top bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very cold.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions.

While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil (quick 15 second bursts in a microwave, stirring in between heatings, until melted) until smooth.

When the ice cream looks like soft serve, slowly drizzle in the chocolate and let the process of the churning break up the chocolate into small bits.

Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

Homemade Snickers

It’s a multi-step process but completely worth it. In it you’ll master both nougat and caramel and be left with dozens of little peanut-laden candy bars. If you choose to share this bounty you’ll be met with high praise and life-long admiration for your efforts.

makes 3 dozen (depending on desired finished size)

For the peanut nougat:

3/4 cup / 160 g sugar

1/4 cup / 75 g light corn syrup

2 tablespoons / 40 g honey

1/4 cup / water

1 large egg white

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup / 130 g smooth peanut butter

Caramel

8 oz/ 1 cup / 228 g sugar

6 oz/ 1/2 cup / 170 g Lyle’s Golden Syrup

1/4 cup water

6 oz/ 3/4 cup / 170 g heavy cream

2 oz/ 4 tablespoons / 57 g butter, soft

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups roasted and salted peanuts

1 1/2 pounds milk chocolate

1 tablespoon oil

peanut nougat:

Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan then line it with parchment paper so that a few inches are left hanging over the side. Set aside.

In a saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey and water. Stir gently then wash down the sides of the pan with water. Cover the pot with a lid and set over medium high heat. Remove the lid after 5 minutes then continue to cook until the sugar reaches 275 degrees F.

While the sugar syrup is boiling place the egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start the machine on low, add the salt and beat until frothy. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form.

Drizzle in the hot syrup down the side of the stand mixer while it is running. Try to avoid pouring the syrup over the whisk so the hot syrup doesn’t splatter. Continue to beat the nougat until it cools slightly and starts to pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This entire process should take 3-4 minutes.

Butter a spatula then stir in the the creamy peanut butter until well mixed. Add the nougat to the prepared, spreading evenly with the buttered spatula.

Set aside and let stand while you prepare the caramel.

caramel:

Combine the sugar, golden syrup and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine then wash off the sides of the pan using water and your clean hands to feel if any sugar remains on the side. If stray bits of sugar fall into the caramel it can cause the caramel to crystallize so it’s important to make sure all the sugar is in the bottom of the pan mixed with the water.

Place the lid on the pan and put over high heat. Having the lid on during the first few minutes of boiling creates condensation that further helps to wash away any sugar that may be left on the sides of the pan. After 5 minutes remove the lid and let the caramel continue to boil until it reaches 300 degrees F. If some of the caramel starts to color you can gently swirl the pot to combine.

Add the cream, butter and vanilla seeds once it has reached 300 degrees F and then continue to cook until the caramel reaches 248 degrees F. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Pour the caramel over the nougat. Let sit at room temperature for 40 minutes then refrigerated until completely firm, about 30 minutes.

optional: add some flake salt to the caramel layer before covering them in chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a bain marie on the stove. Stir in the oil.

Cut the candy bar into 1 inch squares and dip into the melted chocolate.

Set aside on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Place the candy bars in the refrigerator to set up.

These candy bars will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator or two months in the freezer.

*There have been a number of people having a hard time with the consistency of the caramel. You really need an accurate thermometer for this. The ChefAlarm from Thermoworks is my current favorite. It's fast, easy to read, works for both candy and meat and clips onto the pan so you don't have to burn your hand while holding it in the pot.

“Roman, tomorrow is your birthday. We can do anything you want. We can go get ice cream? I can make you a special dinner? Anything.” Roman sat there thinking while I bombarded him with questions marveling that I was about to watch my number two turn 5.

“I want a chocolate cake and I want it to say, ‘Baron, Roman love Mama’ and have the Lone Ranger with a gun, kicking his leg like this.” He proceeded to show me exactly what he wanted the Lone Ranger to be doing by shaping his lego Lone Ranger into the perfect position.

Chocolate cake it is. I’ll worry about the details later.

In the morning, Roman chose Fruity Pebbles from the store as it’s tradition in our house that the birthday child gets to choose any kind of cereal, even the sugary, unnaturally bright colored types that we never keep in the house unless it’s someone’s birthday. This tradition continues from my husband’s childhood and it’s one we all love and benefit from. Because yes, I totally indulged in a bowl of crackly, sort of fruit flavored pebbles that morning and also, I stole a few bits of the shells mac & cheese that the birthday boy requested for dinner. You know, the boxed kind with the fluorescent cheese powder. That box exists in our house too. And each time I rip into that box I feel a little guilty. The same guilt that I feel when I walk out the front door and my daughter says, “I want you to stay and snuggle with me.” It’s the “am I reading too little to them? Should they be taking more vitamins? I should have scratched their backs longer last night. Why did I say that and in THAT tone?” It’s that sort of guilt that piles on my shoulders weighing me down and whispering thoughts of inadequacy all throughout the day. This guilt that builds my defense before I need to defend a thing. This shame that makes me feel unworthy, unloved and constantly attacked even by my sweet children.

Lately I’ve become fed up with those feelings. What am I so afraid of that I’d burden myself with all this guilt? That my children won’t feel loved enough? Impossible. If it were attainable and if it’d prove anything to them I’d run to the moon and back for my kids. I have no question of my love for them so why then do I assume they will question it? If I’m operating out of that never ending source of love for them then they will feel loved by me, even if they want me to read another book, or scratch their backs longer or wish that I could stay home and snuggle all day.

That’s now where I’m trying to parent from – knowing full well that I love them completely. When they aren’t completely satisfied I remind them of my love, remind them that I’m human, apologize when I’ve been selfish, and walk confidently in my love for them. Because when I’m confident in that love then they are too.

And if I they ever need a reminder of my love for them I’ll tell them about their 7th and 5th birthday parties when we played games for hours under neon lights, surrounded by dozens of candy-crazed kids running around and ate fabricated pizza at Chuck E. Cheese. That’s right. We partied with Chuck E. and I got to say it was so nice walking away and not having to worry about clean up. Initially I felt guilty for going along with this plan. I’m the mom who throws epic lego/pirate parties and THEY want Chuck E. Cheese. But I love them and they loved the party.

I did, however, bring in my own cake because I draw the line somewhere. It was the same one that Roman requested on his actual birthday. The same one that I had made four times in three weeks during “the great birthday season of 2013” which brings about one cake after the other. It’s this simple chocolate cake with a tangy and bittersweet chocolate frosting, in particular, and it is always in the mood to celebrate.

This cake has been on the blog before but I really do think it’s worth mentioning again. For one thing it’s made all in one bowl, for another all the ingredients are pantry staples and finally, and most importantly, the flavor is richly chocolate, the texture is soft and springy and strong enough to hold the frosting which is loaded with bittersweet chocolate and sour cream. Although the texture and flavor of the cake really improves after a day’s rest, it can, if need be, be made and frosted in a matter of a couple hours when the birthday boy wants chocolate cake even though the to do list doesn’t allow for much room in the day, you make it happen. Not because you feel obligated too or would feel guilty if you didn’t but because you love him and that’s enough.

Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Sour Cream Frosting

This cake has been called “magic cake” and “dump and stir cake” which is how Regan Daley in “In the Sweet Kitchen” refers to it. Since discovering this recipe it’s been my go-to chocolate cake. I used it often when I made wedding cakes for a living. I only deviate to another recipe on occasion when I’m lured in by the addition sour cream or buttermilk in the batter but this simple recipe never fails. It’s a wonderful tasting cake that just so happens to be vegan and doesn’t have you messing with melting chocolate. It also makes fantastic cupcakes.

makes 3 8” inch layers or 24 cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar (I’ve used white or brown or a combination of the two and all work well)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil (or other, nearly flavorless oil)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup coffee (you can use instant espresso granules instead, 1 tablespoon mixed with 1 cup water)

1 cup water

Prepare three  8 inch cake pans with butter and parchment on the bottom.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until everything is well blended.

Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Evenly divide the batter between the three pans and bake until the top springs back gently when pushed, 20-25 minutes.

After 5 minutes out of the oven, cool the cakes on a wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Essentially we’re making a ganache frosting but instead of cream we’re using sour cream so we’ll get a thick, creamy and tangy frosting which quite beautifully pairs with bittersweet chocolate. 

4 cups /1 lb 6 ounces chopped, bittersweet chocolate

2 1/2 cups / 1 lb 6 ounces sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a large pot of simmering water. Once completely melted turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the pot of water. Stir in the sour cream until well combined. If some of the chocolate firms up, turn the heat back on to melt through. Stir until everything is well mixed and no little clumps remain.

Carefully stir in the powdered sugar and salt. Taste and adjust to your preference. It is a very tangy frosting but if you’d prefer less tang you can add a bit more sugar.

Let the frosting sit off the heat until you can easily spread it on the cake layers, for an hour or so.

Assembling the cake

Sometimes if I’m feeling up to it I’ll put a layer of jam on the cakes or a flavored simple syrup (whiskey is nice here). Simply brush the layers with the syrup or jam just to moisten and then proceed to frost.

To keep clean up easier, I put down layers of parchment to cover the cake plate, then I slide them out when I’ve finished frosting to reveal a clean plate. Because this cake is so moist, sometimes the bottom layer sticks to the parchment so I’d recommend buttering or spraying the parchment to prevent sticking.

Due to the frantic state in which I was baking the cake the layers turned out very uneven. I didn’t want to bother with trimming the layers (I get very lazy in my cake baking) so I used the frosting to help even out the layers.

Start with one layer of cake and put about 1 cup of frosting in the middle. Spread around the first layer and push any excess frosting to the sides of the cake.

Top with an additional layer and repeat the process. Take a step back to see how straight the cake is and adjust if need be.

Finish with the final cake layer. Put a large amount of frosting on the top and push the excess over the sides and frost the sides.

In leu of a crumb coat I just usually put a thick amount of frosting on to hide any crumbs. But if you’d like you could cover the cake in a light layer of frosting, which glues the crumbs to the cake, then refrigerate and frost with an additional layer of frosting once the first layer has set.

Don’t forget to top the cake with the Lone Ranger as I did.

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.”

– Alfred Tennyson

And in this garden of mine we would picnic everyday, as we did the other night. There would always be stiff Manhattans in the flask, sweet strawberry cupcakes in hand and rich chocolate pudding capped with bourbon whipped cream.

You’d pick me a flower just as two more would pop up next to us.

I could live in this ever-growing garden always, as long as you were there with me.

Strawberry Cupcakes // Chocolate Pudding

Strawberry Cupcakes
adapted from Look, I made that
makes 16-18 cupcakes

Strawberries are definitely not in season here and yet I needed these cupcakes. I imagine the flavor to be much more strawberry-like if the berries are used were ruby red throughout. I’ll try again in June. But regardless we ate them happily. These we topped with brown sugar buttercream and while delicious we decided that lightly sweetened whipped cream and sliced berry on top would have been wonderful too.

2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tea vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean (optional)
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
1 cup pureed strawberries
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 tea rose water (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Combine the vanilla seeds (if using), sugar and butter and beat until well combined. Add the eggs in a slow stream, beating well after each addition. Beat for 1 minute at medium speed. Gradually add the buttermilk mixture and beat for 1 minute at medium speed.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in the pureed strawberries and the orange zest.
Spoon into the prepared cake pans and bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center, about 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Cool completely before frosting.

Brown Sugar Buttercream

4 large egg whites
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt.

Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch.

Transfer to the clean bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy and cooled, about 15 minutes.

Raise speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and whisk to combine.

Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 6
This really is the perfect classic pudding. The creamy texture is reminiscent of the boxed variety I remember and crave. And really, it's no more difficult to make. Unless you use the instant pack - that's way too easy and a little odd how it firms up so quickly. 
I used dark brown sugar instead of the white which added more richness and depth to the pudding but I imagine white is the more classic choice. I’ll leave it up to your pudding discretion.

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar (see note)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups whole milk
7 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 60% chips)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Whisk well to remove any lumps.
In a large saucepan bring the milk to a boil to a simmer. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and whisk together for one minute, or until thick. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and everything is well combined.
Transfer the pudding to a bowl, or individual bowls, and place wax paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerated until cold and set.

Bourbon Whipped Cream

There's no recipe except to add as much bourbon as you think necessary to a bit of whipped cream. I added nearly 2 tablespoons to about 1 1/2 cups of already whipped cream.

Still half asleep I instinctively rolled over to check the time, fumbling for my phone with my eyes still closed. My near slumber state was rudely interrupted as the numbers on my phone flashed 7:30 am.

In an instant the morning had begun. In a matter of 15 minutes we would have to feed three kids breakfast, find and pack a backpack, select the perfect snack for the day, dress, brush, wash, and put on shoes. If you are a parent you’ll know that sometimes just the act of putting on shoes takes 15 minutes.

Although we typically like to allow for more time in the morning this scenario is not unlike five of the seven days in our week. The topic of weekend breakfasts starts being discussed around Wednesday as we debate pancakes or waffles and what, if any, additions will be present. By Saturday morning we are all relieved to not have to rush through our morning routine.

The way this week has already begun I think it is going to take more than simple pancakes and waffles to ease us into the weekend. It seems this week needs to be capped with something over the top. Like perhaps two slices of thick cut Challah dipped in a French toast-like batter then spread with creamy Mascarpone, topped with pleasantly tart plumped dried apricots and in case that may not be enough, a fine grating of dark chocolate floats on top. Then maybe it’s capped with another piece of bread before hitting a hot gril. When the bread has cooked through and is crisp on top, the cheese has melted and the chocolate succumbs to the heat holding it all together a drift of powder sugar descends and finishes it off.

Yes, I think that would do the weekend quite nicely.

This post was made possible by Wisconsin Cheese. After getting spending way to much time drooling over all the inventive grilled cheese creations on their site we created a video with them (Gabe shot it – they edited) demonstrating how to make this sandwich. Watch it here then enter their contest with your favorite grilled cheese recipe.

Check out the other great grilled cheese recipes from Sara and Kelsey. Of course, leave it to me to add sweetness and chocolate to my grilled cheese. Typical.

Grilled Mascarpone cheese with Apricots and Chocolate

This decadent dish is similar to a stuffed french toast teetering the line of eat-with-your-hands or a fork. Either way it's indulgent and decidedly delicious. Tart, lightly sweet, and showered in dark chocolate - a special way to welcome in those leisurely weekends.

Stewed Apricots

1 cup dried apricots
1 teaspoon orange zest
juice from one large orange
vanilla bean, split down the middle
½ cup water

Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to simmer until most of the liquid is gone.
Use a wooden spoon to smash and break up the apricots just a bit.
Let cool for about 20 minutes, or until just warm.

Bread Dip

3 eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk all the ingredients together in a shallow bowl or pie plate.

For the sandwich you’ll need:

1 loaf Challah or Brioche cut in 1” slices
1 8oz tub Mascarpone
I recipe stewed apricots
1 recipe bread dip
3 oz dark chocolate
Pre-heat an indoor grill or grill pan.
Quickly dip one slice of bread into the bread dip and let the excess drip off.
Add about 2 Tablespoons Mascarpone to the bread. Top with several pieces of stewed apricots and finish with finely shaved dark chocolate.
Top the sandwich with another piece of bread that has been quickly dipped in the bread dip.
Immediately grill until grill marks form, cheese and chocolate are melted and the bread is cooked through - about 5-7 minutes.
Slice, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

The cookies, cakes, candies and chocolate barks are fine indeed. The crusted roasts still pink and tender inside cozied up to potatoes layered with cheese and bathed in cream satisfy deeply. I will never deny a leftover piece of gently spiced pie for breakfast – pumpkin is a vegetable after all, but the holidays offer so much more for our senses than just taste.

The faintest scent of cinnamon and clove instantly stirs in me memories of Christmas’ past. The ones in which I begged to sleep in front of the tree, guarding our dear parcels with as much fury as my little body could muster. The sharp, cooling burst of peppermint reminds me our first Christmas together. That year we went with Gabe’s parents to get our tree. Theirs was majestic and grand, ours was charming, only slightly more lush than Charlie Brown’s and yet perfect for us and our tiny first home.

Of course there are more smells that exist beyond the edible ones; the pungent pine perfume from a newly acquired tree and the sharp contrast of a wood burning fireplace against the chilling breeze that hits the moment you step outside.

This is only the beginning. I have yet to mention the lights that cause an infectious joy in my children, the continuous hum of Christmas music that create the soundtrack of this season, and the touch of Winter’s first snow – a feeling we are still waiting for this year.

Each year I become joyfully overwhelmed with all the projects – cooking and otherwise – that make up my to-do list. Many of them exist for the purpose of building memories and traditions and trying to instill the same excitement that I remember from my childhood.

I wanted to share with you a few things we’ve been doing around our home to awaken our senses to the season.

I get so excited when I come across a project that is both visually appealing and easy enough to get the kids involved. I saw these snowflakes on Pinterest and immediately broke out our popscicle sticks. With a bit of glue and spray paint our windows were suddenly festive.

In the middle of our popsicle flakes I created a photo wreath (again the idea came from Pinterest) using prints from our iPhone and polaroid. I may never take this wreath down. I never grow tired of seeing their smiling faces and sweet memories from the previous year.

To create the wreath I cut out a cardboard frame, attached a string then covered the frame with photos. I carried the same idea into our bedroom with a heart shape frame.

One of my favorite parts of this season is coming home. We all rush inside trying to escape the cold and are welcomed with warmth and the lingering sweet smells of citrus and spices – and quite often butter. A lot of butter moves through the house this time of year.

More often than not you’ll find a simmering pot of citrus slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks sitting on the stove. As if this wasn’t enough I decided to dry some orange slices as well.

1/4″ inch slices line a sheet tray then sit in an oven on its lowest setting. About 4-5 hours the slices are completely dry and ready to be strung as ornaments, laid in a bowl to sweeten a room, or packaged with cinnamon and cloves and given away.

Our craft time turned into snack time as my little “helper” kept eating our project. It’s a good thing I work quickly and a good thing she’s so darn cute.

Then of course there’s hot chocolate. You know by now that this year is the year of hot chocolate for me. I’ve introduced you to my fresh mint version but now there is another.

Maple hot cocoa. While I love the richness that comes from hot chocolate made from a base of ganache (chocolate and cream), there is just something about a cocoa mix that satisfies in a way that no other can.

This is a slightly elevated version of what I drank as a child. While there aren’t any dehydrated mini marshmallows in this mix, the subtle maple sweetness and the rich cocoa flavor make up for it.

I’ve been gifting this mix as well. I love the way the ingredients look layered in the jar especially with a vanilla bean tucked in there just slightly disrupting the perfect layers. With or without a side of marshmallows, this is a perfect holiday gift that can be made in minutes. Just be sure to assign a jar for yourself so you won’t feel guilty when you inevitably break into to one of the gift-destined jars.

I really do encourage you to seek out the maple sugar for this recipe. It’s an ingredient that I haven’t used much and am realizing that I have a lot of lost time to make up for.

It smells of syrup, as it is the crystalized version, but in this application it provides enough sweetness without having to use a lot of sugar. Most hot chocolate mixes call for 1 part cocoa to 2 parts sugar. This is 2:1. The cocoa flavor prevails as you are drinking it but there is a depth that suddenly makes this mix seem more grown up.

Just over one week until Christmas and I have nearly every moment of each day planned with holiday activities. There are more lights to see, more cinnamon to simmer, and more carols to sing to my baby girl as she falls asleep in my arms. All the while making sure to leave plenty of time for hot cocoa drinking, of course.

Supplies:

Weck Jars

Maple Hot Cocoa

You can find maple sugar online or at many grocery stores. It's worth the search, I assure you.

2 cups cocoa

1 cup maple sugar

3 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 vanilla bean (optional)

In a large jar layer the ingredients. Tuck the vanilla bean down the side.

Before preparing a cup of cocoa shake the ingredients together. Add 2 heaping tablespoons mix to 6 ounces hot milk - that is, if you like it good and rich, as I do.

It’s happened several times since that day I decided to bake my way out of self-pity. Things happen, or they don’t, and suddenly I’m swimming in thoughts of doubt and self-loathing. Such a completely unnecessary and useless place to be. Rather than take residence in that spot I reach for the butter. The process is for me – the creaming of sugars, stirring in of eggs and flour, and the folding in of chocolate – but the cookies are not.

Somewhere in that process of taking raw ingredients and combining them in a way that after they meet a hot oven they come out smelling sweetly intoxicating, I forget what got me here in the first place and I am content to have created. I am eager to share and better for the smiles that result from that sharing.

I’ve called it Random Acts of Cookies. I wrote about it before and the response from all of you was so encouraging that I wanted to keep the sweet movement going. And today, along with the help of some very dear friends, I’ve come bringing some tools to entice you to bake with us and share with others.

Sally J Shim of Shim + Sons and her partner Joke Vande Gaer of Tokketok have created stunning gift tags and recipe cards for us. Also, if you head over to their collaborative site, SHIMTOKK you’ll find more fun downloads and ideas on how to package your cookies to give. Pretty great, right?! I couldn’t be more honored and happy to have these ladies a part of our movement.

Crazy big thanks to Sally and Joke for their incredible talents and for their willingness to work with me on this. Also, to you for encouraging me to continue with the movement. Thank you.

Now, let’s bake and share.

I may have added more chocolate to this batch. I’m okay with it if you are.

Click on the links below to download for yourself. The first is the recipe card and the other are tags you can use to package your cookies. Also, I’d LOVE for you to share your Random Acts of Cookies stories. Join me on Facebook and tell us all!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

I requested chocolate chip cookies often as a child and often my mom would respond to such a request with perfectly crisp and toffee-like cookies. On occasion she would skip the scoops and dump the dough straight into a pan and opt for bars in place of cookies. I didn't mind one bit. I took this idea and tweaked it slightly - more brown sugar for even more toffee flavor, cream cheese for a subtle tang, and espresso powder to make that chocolate really pop.

1 stick (4 oz) butter, soft

½ cup (4 oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup white sugar (4 oz )

1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (12 oz )

2  eggs

2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)

3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

12 oz chocolate, chopped or 1 bag chocolate chips (bittersweet, if you can find them).

Spray a 10” square cake pan with pan spray. Line the bottom with parchment then spray again.

Pre-heat the oven to 350*F

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda, powder, and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. When the flour is just about combined add the chocolate. Turn off the machine and finish mixing by hand to prevent over-mixing.

Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes, until the center is just set and the edges are deep golden.

Let cool in the pan.

Growing up Gabe was tagged as “the picky eater,” often refusing to try new things. If it even resembled a tomato he wouldn’t go near it – unless it was salsa. For some reason salsa tomatoes are acceptable.

Our first fight as a young, dating couple revolved around his eating habits. I approached him feeling self-righteous and feisty. I looked down at him from my high horse and told him I thought his eating habits were “gross”.

As you can imagine my sermon wasn’t very well received. We ate separately that night.

I learned two valuable lessons from that fight. 1. There is a right and a wrong way to discuss a point of contention and 2. Gabe is the bigger person. He was the one that sought me out to apologize. I felt horribly for hurting him and I’ve since learned to appreciate our different eating habits and our differences in general- most days.

He didn’t change his ways of eating that night. Not surprisingly. Overtime his appetite has broadened and he will never shy away from trying something new. I no longer call him picky, I think quirky is a better word for it. His list of “dislikes” is still rather long but he never complains, just subtly slides the unmentionables to the side of his plate.

Gabe blames his “quirks” on his heightened taste buds. It’s not his fault he has hyper-active tasters that cause him to grimace at the presence of too much vinegar or wince in sheer agony if his sandwich has come in contact with mayonnaise. He felt vindicated with this theory after I showed him a recent article about “super tasters” – people who have more sensitive taste buds.

He might be right. Gabe can out taste me any day. I try to test his skills by sneaking in a few subtle spices into my loaf cakes. He notices. He’ll give me a curious look upon tasting the soft dusting of nutmeg over our sauteed greens. His morning cup of coffee is subject to the scrutiny of his “heightened taste buds”.

“Ash, tell me what you taste?” He asks as he shoves a cup of coffee under my nose. By his tone I can tell he assumes I’ll know the answer.

“Um. Cherry?” I ask, sheepishly.

“Strawberry jam!” He exclaims with complete certainty.

I taste again. Sure enough. Strawberry jam. He’s right again. Damn him and his taste buds.

Oh how I love his quirks. I do not, however, cater to them. Which is why I did not hesitate to make this intriguing pasta with beets knowing that, according to Gabe, beets “taste like dirt”.

I guess I figure the more he tastes something the more likely it is that he’ll eventually love it. He still pulls the tomatoes out of his burgers even after all the late August Heirloom varieties I’ve nearly shoved down his throat.

The recipes for pasta with beets and Chocolate and Pear cake were sent to me by a dear reader. Tristan and his mom, Janice are my, self-proclaimed, “biggest fans in Ohio”.

Tristan and his friends love to cook. He’ll often use recipes from Not Without Salt to share with his friends. I’m flattered. Truly.

Janice sent me an email with these recipes that Tristan thought I might enjoy. He was right. Thank you Tristan and Janice. While Gabe continues to not appreciate the wondrous beet he did manage to eat a respectable amount while still saving plenty of room for Chocolate and Pear cake.

The recipes appear exactly how they were sent to me.

Pasta with Beets, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

1 pound of whole wheat spaghetti.  We like bow ties.

2 T olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic

2 lbs of beets, peeled and grated

12 oz goats cheese, crumbled

3 T fresh lemon or lime juice

Sea salt… we use Himalayan Salt, which is course brown… very healthy.

Freshly ground black pepper.

3/4  cup of toasted walnuts.

Cook pasta and put in to a large bowl save 1 c. of the pasta water.
In large pan cook garlic and onion until soft, about 5 min.  Add beets and cook 10 minutes.
Add cooking liquid, and goat cheese; cook stirring until cheese softens into sauce.
Add lemon juice, then salt and pepper to taste.
Add to pasta and toss and serve.  Top each serving with toasted walnuts.  This is wonderful served with a salad and home made garlic toast with goat cheese on top.

Chocolate Pear Cake

5 small pears
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, crushed.
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup thickened cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
(8 oz) semi sweet, dark chocolate, chopped
1 Grease 8 or 9 inch pan (we use a spring pan for easy removal.)
2 Peel pears. Using a small knife, remove seeds and core from pear base.
3 Place sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil. Add whole pears. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until pears are tender. Remove pears. Refrigerate until cold. Discard syrup. Using paper towels, dry pears thoroughly.
4 Beat butter and sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in buttermilk and combined sifted flour and cocoa in two batches. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top. Press cold pears into cake mixture.
5 Cook in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 1 hour, or until cooked when tested. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and cool.
6 To make chocolate sauce, stir chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until smooth.  ( For added zip 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of orange flavored liquor)
7 Serve cake cut into wedges with warm chocolate sauce.

*I served this cake with caramel sauce as I happened to have some lying around.

*We made these recipes during one of our weekly date nights. Read the first in the series of posts that explains what “Dating My Husband” is all about.

Pasta with Beets, Walnuts and Goat Cheese // Chocolate Pear Cake

Pasta with Beets, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

1 pound of whole wheat spaghetti.  We like bow ties.

2 T olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic

2 lbs of beets, peeled and grated

12 oz goats cheese, crumbled

3 T fresh lemon or lime juice

Sea salt... we use Himalayan Salt, which is course brown... very healthy.

Freshly ground black pepper.

3/4  cup of toasted walnuts.

Cook pasta and put in to a large bowl save 1 c. of the pasta water.
In large pan cook garlic and onion until soft, about 5 min.  Add beets and cook 10 minutes.
Add cooking liquid, and goat cheese; cook stirring until cheese softens into sauce.
Add lemon juice, then salt and pepper to taste.
Add to pasta and toss and serve.  Top each serving with toasted walnuts.  This is wonderful served with a salad and home made garlic toast with goat cheese on top.

Chocolate Pear Cake

5 small pears
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, crushed.
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup thickened cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
(8 oz) semi sweet, dark chocolate, chopped
1 Grease 8 or 9 inch pan (we use a spring pan for easy removal.)
2 Peel pears. Using a small knife, remove seeds and core from pear base.
3 Place sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil. Add whole pears. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until pears are tender. Remove pears. Refrigerate until cold. Discard syrup. Using paper towels, dry pears thoroughly.
4 Beat butter and sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in buttermilk and combined sifted flour and cocoa in two batches. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top. Press cold pears into cake mixture.
5 Cook in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 1 hour, or until cooked when tested. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and cool.
6 To make chocolate sauce, stir chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until smooth.  ( For added zip 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of orange flavored liquor)
7 Serve cake cut into wedges with warm chocolate sauce.

*I served this cake with caramel sauce as I happened to have some lying around.

*We made these recipes during one of our weekly date nights. Read the first in the series of posts that explains what “Dating My Husband” is all about.

I was both honored and slightly frightened when Shauna (Gluten-Free Girl) asked me to bake a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving recipe. I’ve made a few gluten-free items before but they were completely flour-free. This time I wanted to challenge myself and have fun playing with completely new-to-me flours. I love a good challenge.

Now I understand that you may be confused as to why I chose Biscotti as a Thanksgiving baked good. Well, it may be partially because I happen to be craving Biscotti but also I do think that it is the perfect light breakfast or tea time snack to have when a rather large meal in eminent.

As I mentioned in my last post I don’t do much of the cooking on Thanksgiving. My mom takes care of the bird, my aunts bring the appetizers, others take care of the sides and my Grandma is the pie lady. Not even I can compete with Grandma’s pumpkin pie. It’s the same every year. Perfect.

But what I can bring is a little sweet snack for the busy cooks. And now so can you.

My husband was leery of my biscotti. Not because of its gluten-freeness but because he’s not a fan of the brick-like qualities of many biscotti. Hard to bite unless you let it soak in your coffee leaving you with gloopy biscotti sludge at the end of your cup. Not all bad but not always ideal.

So after biting into my biscotti his once timid and frightened face brightened as the texture was pleasantly softer than most while still maintaining the likable sturdiness associated with this Italian treat.

There was a nice crunch from the coarsely ground almonds that made up the almond flour. The cocoa powder gave a pleasant richness while not being too sweet. Really the perfect accompaniment to a good cup of coffee while taking a brief break from all the joyous cooking. And if you are planning ahead this would also make a lovely little Christmas gift along with some coffee beans perhaps.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Biscotti

1/2 cup almond flour*

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup brown rice flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use kosher, use 1/4 t. if use regular fine salt)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350*. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix to combine then scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

On low speed, carefully add the dry ingredients. When almost all mixed add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Mix to combine. Remove from the mixer and use a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are incorporate. The dough will be very wet.

Dump the dough on the baking sheet and form into a “log”.  About 6 inches wide, 12 inches long and 1 inch thick. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes. Until it is mostly firm with a bit of softness or give in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Carefully transfer the log to a cutting board and cut, using a serrated knife, in bias strips about 1 inch wide. Carefully (they are quite fragile) place biscotti back on the baking sheet with the cut side facing up.

Bake for another 15 minutes until crispy. They will crisp fully once cooled.

Let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 1 dozen biscotti. Keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

*I used about 3/4 sliced almonds. I toasted them until golden. When they cooled I ground them in a food processor until fairly fine. I didn’t sieve it because I wanted some nice almond texture.

And as I’ve said before please check out Shauna and Danny’s book, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, it’s a delight for the eyes and mouth. Even if you do eat gluten you will love this book. The recipes are classic, inventive and drool-inducing.

Shauna and Danny have organized a virtual Thanksgiving feast this year. Be sure to check out all the delicious posts in the round-up and join in the fun to win some incredible prizes. Check out Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef for all the info.

And be sure to have a peak at all the other participants.

More Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dishes

• Andrea’s Recipes | gluten-free pumpkin scones
• Not Without Salt | gluten-free chocolate biscotti
• Zest Bakery | warm pumpkin polenta with goat cheese
• The Mommy Bowl | gluten-free bread
• CakeSpy | turkey meatloaf cupcakes
• Blue Bonnets and Brownies | apple and pear cobbler
• Smith Bites | gluten-free celery root soup with cashew cream
• White on Rice Couple | Turkey Sloppy Joes on Rosemary Rolls
• What’s Gaby Cooking | gluten-free molasses cookies
• Kitchen Gadget Girl | gluten-free pumpkin strata
• Wasabimon! | gluten-free butternut squash pie
• Rookie Moms | chocolate peanut butter brownies
• Tiffin Tales | gluten-free Thanksgiving torte
• Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom | gluten, dairy and egg free crescent rolls and cinnamon rolls
• Eat the Love | Gluten Free Maple Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Gingerbread Bottom
• Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes | gluten-free sourdough rosemary rolls and gluten-free mincemeat cookies
• The Art of Gluten-Free Baking | gluten-free pumpkin pie
• Sophisticated Gourmet | cranberry-almond-coconut macaroons topped with chocolate
• Cook 4 Seasons | gluten-free pumpkin mousse
• Cook It Allergy Free | Cornbread and (Shauna’s) Crusty Bread Stuffing
• Lexie’s Kitchen | dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, no-bake pumpkin pie filling
• Recipe Girl | an entire Thanksgiving menu, gluten-free
• Two Peas and Their Pod | gluten-free apple cranberry crisp
• Gluten-Free for Good | gluten-free cherry cobbler
• My Madeleine | butternut squash soup.
• The Sensitive Pantry | gluten-free brown sugar hand pies
• Art and Lemons | gluten-free rustic squash tarts
• Bellalimento | Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone and Nutella Filling
• Mom Food Project | an entire Thanksgiving, gluten-free
• Gluten-Free Easily | candy carrot coins
• Dish Towel Diaries | kale Caesar slaw.
• A Baking Life | gluten-free gingerbread cake
• Glugle Gluten-Free | gluten-free pumpkin muffins
• Wenderly | sweet and savory prosciutto cups
• Cannelle Et Vanille | sweet potato and crabapple clafoutis
• Food for My Family | gluten-free apple pie cheesecake
• Who Ate My Tomato | gluten-free squash tart
• What’s Cooking with Kids | gluten-free apple crisp
• Blue Bonnets and Brownies | apple and pear cobbler
• CakeSpy | turkey meatloaf cupcakes

I will be attending three Thanksgiving dinners this year. I will be wearing stretchy pants at each meal (and probably a cute little dress to cover up the fact that I’m wearing stretchy pants).

It may surprise you to know that I don’t do a lot of cooking on Thanksgiving. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just that I have so many wonderful cooks in my life that equally enjoy preparing a Thanksgiving feast. Who am I to spoil their fun?

So instead I thought I’d bring the cooks a gift in the form of candy. While they’re mashing the potatoes and basting the bird they’ll need a bit of sustenance in the form of toffee and chocolate.

I found this recipe for “Mock Almond Crunch” in a candy making book from the 70’s with pieces of pastel nougat and divinity adorning the cover. Candy making can be an intimidating business, with it’s thermometers, pots of molten bubbling sugar and the continuous fear of crystallization. The scariest part about this recipe is having these candies lying around the house and resisting the urge to eat every piece.

The season of Holiday parties and gatherings is upon us. I like to keep simple, homemade gifts like these on hand for a thoughtful hostess gift. This batch makes plenty so whatever I don’t give right away I have stashed in an airtight bag in the freezer. That way I have a gift at the ready and out of sight out of mind – which means I won’t be eating candy all day long (in theory).

Mock Almond Crunch

adapted from “Homemade Candy from the food editors of Farm Journal”

8 whole graham crackers

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup + 2 T butter

1/4 teaspoon Fleur de Sel, Maldon, Vanilla salt – or some other fine finishing salt

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60%)

Lightly butter a 10×10 baking dish. Pre-heat your oven to 325*.

Arrange the graham crackers on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and brown sugar and boil for 3 minutes. Pour sugar mixture over the crackers and almonds in a thin even layer. Sprinkle with salt.

Place dish in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the toffee layer is bubbling all over.

Remove from the oven. When the bubbles have subsided sprinkle on the chocolate chips and let the residual heat melt them. With an offset spatula smooth the chocolate layer over the entire surface.

While still warm score the candy with a sharp knife cutting them into your desired shape and size.

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Remove from pan and cut along the scored markings.

Serve immediately or can be sealed in an airtight container for up to one week. Can also be frozen for up to one month.

Grandma always goes overboard at Christmas. With 14 grandchildren and by now I’ve completely lost tract of the number of great-grandchildren – just this year there will be three new babies (ours included), yet she blesses us abundantly. But no Christmas bag is complete without a fresh baked loaf of Grandma’s banana bread.

This year I nearly shed tears as I tore through my bag and found no banana bread. Everyone else proudly held their loaves and some began to devour them, while I was left loaf-less. Quickly grandma realized the tragic mistake and performed  a Christmas miracle by uncovering the missing loaf and giving it to its rightful owner – me.

Grandma graciously shared her recipe with me. Our family has made a few adjustments – like the addition of dark chocolate chunks – however delightful the additions are they aren’t necessary. Grandma’s recipe has been providing Christmas cheer for many years and hopefully many more to come.

Many of the changes I make in recipe are out of laziness. This recipe makes two loaves but rather then searching through my messy baking pan cupboard I blindly reached in and grabbed one loaf pan and a cupcake pan. Laziness pays off sometimes as the banana bread cupcakes were a perfect snack size for my little munchers.

And for frosting? A large smear of butter is just what it wants.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

6 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

4 cups flour

1 bag dark chocolate chips (Ghiradelli 60% chips work nicely)

Mix in order. Fill two greased loaf pans 3/4 full. You can also bake these as cupcakes. Fill the pan 3/4 full and bake about 20 minutes in a pre-heated 350* oven.  The loaves generally take about an hour. For both the cupcakes and the loafs you want a knife or a toothpick to come out clean.

Cool completely. Serve with plenty of butter.

I know a lot of people who are sickened by Valentine’s day. They shrug it off as an attempt for the candy and card industry to make a few bucks. But for me, any excuse to eat chocolate and tell someone you love how much you love them and then to hear it in return (hopefully) is reason enough for me to enjoy this holiday.

Whether you love or hate V-day I know for a fact you will love to sip some chocolate. This sinfully rich dessert is heaven in a cup and can be made in under ten minutes. What’s not to love?

Drinking Chocolate
six servings – if you are willing to share
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces – The best quality you can afford. My personal favorite is Valrhona Guanaja 70%, available from Trader Joe’s.
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp fleur de sel (regular salt is fine in a pinch )
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup heavy whipping cream for serving

Place chocolate in a medium bowl.
Bring milk, cream and salt to a slow boil. Watch this closely as it can scald and boil over very quickly. Add the milk and cream to the chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Add the cinnamon. Whisk the chocolate mixture until completely combined. The resulting liquid should be smooth, creamy and about the thickness of full fat cream. If for some reason the mixture doesn’t come together through it into a blender or food process and blend until completely smooth.

Serve with lightly whipped cream.

In all my years of consuming all things sweet this dessert continues to be number one on my list. This sophisticated dessert can be thrown together in minutes and makes a perfect treat for this time of the year. You can also add to it to make it your own. One of my personal favorite additions is cayenne and cinnamon, giving this chocolate treat a spicy kick the way it was intended to be consumed. I would also encourage you to try peppermint, vanilla and coffee.

(I’m in love with my new Terra Keramik Teapot.)

You better believe me when I tell you that you have just found the last Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe you will ever need. I know. I am not the first person to claim this weighty statement. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that this recipe was spreading as quickly as that nasty stomach virus that infected our entire family over Christmas.

In actuality everyone’s definition of the perfect chocolate chip cookie is different. Asking 20 people what qualities define their perfect cookie and I am sure you are going to get as many different responses. I will say however that I have converted many followers to my recipe. In fact, just recently I was told that I had ruined someone from ever eating another cookie that wasn’t this one. And for that I am not sorry and I am not surprised.

My perfect cookie is varied in texture. The exterior rim, the color of golden brown sugar, is perfectly crisp. Beyond the crunch there lies varying levels of chewy gooey-ness. I remove the cookies from the oven just when the edges start to brown. People think I’m crazy and question my timing as the cookies appear under baked. But I assure them that I am a professional I have done this thousands of times. The cookies continue to bake on the tray and as they cool the gooey center transforms to a perfectly chewy interior. Cookie eaters question no longer.

updated photo

The dough, although perfectly flavored with salt and a high proportion of brown sugar, exists to hold the chunks of chocolate in place. That’s right I said chunks and not chips. The funny, (more sad than funny) thing about chocolate chips is that they are filled with substance similar to wax. I don’t know about you but I don’t really enjoy eating wax. The reason for the wax in the chips is so that they do not melt – they hold their shape, which is quite cute but I’ll take taste over cuteness any day. Using couverture (fancy name for quality chocolate that is used for coating truffles and such) allows the chocolate to melt and pool. If you were to break these cookies in half you would see layers of chocolate and dough – similar to the layers in puff pastry, and you all know how crazy I am about those layers.

Look how much Roman loves cookies (actually he wasn’t eating the cookies he just always looks that happy)

I use large chunks of bittersweet chocolate, lots of brown sugar, a touch of Turbinado sugar, and sprinkle of  salt on top – making these this the last chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need.

THE Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks butter (8 oz)

1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz )

1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz )

1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz )

2  eggs

2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)

3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch)

1/2 teaspoon good quality salt, for sprinkling on top before baking

Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.

If you so choose, and I do recommend that you do, sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt. Fleur de Sel or Murray River Pink Salt are my recommendations.

Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.