White Chocolate Toffee Brown Butter Cookies

These are my new favorite cookies to make. I was having a serious craving the other night, after about a month of detox from the holidays, and I wanted to make this exact recipe because it is awesome. Something about the browned butter combined with white chocolate, and how the toffee gets all melty. Yep. Fantastical. 

And I know that's not really a word. But I just couldn't think of anything else to best describe these cookies. So, make these today...yum!

White Chocolate Toffee Brown Butter Cookies
(adapted from Baker By Nature)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted until browned
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 bag white chocolate chips
1 bag chocolate toffee bits

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt butter, whisking constantly, until it reaches a golden brown color; remove from heat at once.
4. Transfer melted butter to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add egg and mix for 30 seconds; the egg will not be totally incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing just until combined.
6. Stir in the white chocolate chips and toffee bits.
7. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon form cookies with the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes, just until they start to brown on the edges.
9. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Sweet Cherry and Apricot Galette

I referenced this yummy dessert in my Instagram the other day. And now, I give you the official recipe post. Oh boy, is this the perfect Summer dessert! One thing I love the most about making a galette, is that it is so incredibly easy. For those who are scared of making a pie, or who don't have a pie plate, this free-form pie is an easy solution.

 I just love the colors that come from the combination of apricots and cherries. The bright orange, the deep red! People always say that you eat first with your eyes and this galette is a perfect example of that fact. Don't these pictures just make you salivate?

You must make this soon. Cherries are only in season for a short while longer and you can't miss out on the wonderful flavors to be had!

Sweet Cherry and Apricot Galette
(adapted from Natasha's Kitchen)

Ingredients:
1 lb. apricots, sliced
2 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 pie crust (store bought or this favorite recipe)
1/4 cup milk
sugar, for sprinkling on crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix the apricots and cherries in a bowl with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract.
3. Roll pie crust out onto parchment paper and place on sheet pan.
4. Pour fruit mixture into middle of pie crust, leaving about a 2 inch border on all sides.
5. Fold pie crust over fruit and pinch to seal. Brush milk on pie crust edges and sprinkle sugar on top.
6. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown and the fruit juices are syrupy. 
7. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving!

Chicken Schnitzel

Remember that one time that I had a baby and people brought lots of food to the house in the first couple weeks of parenthood? Yeah, that was amazing. And this recipe is a result of that time. Our sweet next door neighbors are an elderly couple and the wife (Krista) is from Germany. She's been in the states for decades, but she still has the accent and the fiery personality to boot! She cracks me up.

When it was their night to make us dinner, Krista made us Chicken Schnitzel. Now, I'd never had it before and had always wanted to try it. Oh. my. goodness. 

It was the best thing I believe I've ever eaten. Moist chicken coated in homemade breadcrumbs and fried in a pan. Served with yummy mashed potatoes which most certainly had plenty of butter and pepper in them (a must). Definitely comfort food at its finest. Michael and I wanted to eat the entire pan, but stopped ourselves because we knew leftovers would taste even better. We wanted to continue the yummy-ness for one more day.

After our gracious introduction to the German staple, I decided I was going to learn how to make it, and make it so it tasted just as good (or even better) than our sweet neighbor's recipe. Besides, she didn't have a recipe to share anyway. When I asked her, she said, "Oh, I just put a little of this and a little of that". Typical "good cook" language. You never really measure anything, it's all by feel.

Luckily, schnitzel is a very basic breaded chicken, so as long as you have the ingredients to accomplish a breading and do things in the right order, you're set! It took me a couple tries to get this recipe where I wanted it, and Michael and I both agree...it rivals Krista's very own authentic recipe! Mission accomplished.

Now all we have to do is stop ourselves from wanting to make it every week. It's not the healthiest of meals (nothing fried is), and it does take a good hour once everything is said and done. So, I'd save this for a Sunday meal when you have more time to devote to it and you're not running around with the kids during the weekdays. 

All that said, you won't regret it. I can promise you that.

Chicken Schnitzel
(adapted from Serious Eats)

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half, about 8 ounces each
6 slices sandwich bread
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. In an oven pre-heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, place bread on sheet pan and toast until golden brown. Tear toasted bread into large pieces, transfer to a food processor, and pulse until bread is broken down into medium-fine crumbs. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large shallow dish.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place one chicken breast half in a resealable plastic bag. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin, pound chicken breast into an even thickness about 1/4-inch in height. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
3. Set wire rack on a sheet pan. Place flour in a large shallow dish. Place egg in another large shallow dish and beat until well mixed. Coat one chicken cutlet in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer chicken cutlet to egg wash and coat evenly, letting any excess run off. Transfer to bread crumbs and coat evenly, pressing lightly to ensure bread crumbs stick.
4. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Place one chicken cutlet in oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, flipping as needed if bread crumbs begin to darken too much. 
5. Transfer schnitzel to wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with mashed potatoes.

Notes
- You can use sandwich bread from the shelf for the breadcrumbs, or I like to get bread from the "day old" section at our grocery store, as sometimes you can find really good stuff there and it's already a bit dry.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on how much you need to make. With 2 chicken breasts, we make enough for 4 full servings (or 2 servings and leftovers for the both of us the next day).

BBQ Chicken and Blue Cheese Pizza

 This is another recipe that I've been meaning to blog about for a long time. We've made this pizza multiple times but I never get a chance to take pictures because 1) it's too late and dark outside, and 2) we eat it so quickly that I can never wait to take pictures. Salivation and starvation usually take over and end up winning. A lot.

Anybody who knows us, knows that we love to make homemade pizza. We basically make it once a week, and usually on Fridays. This particular version was created back when we lived with Michael's parents, as we were searching for our home (over 2 years ago, where does the time go?). It totally tastes like a gourmet slice that you'd get at a nice pizza restaurant. Favorite BBQ sauce, chicken, sliced red onions, blue cheese, and topped with fresh parsley and cilantro after it's finished baking. An amazing combo.

 For the crust, we've slightly adapted Mike's Pizza Crust over the years. We've found that we prefer a thinner and crispier crust, so to accomplish that, we use more oil and less flour, resulting in a wetter and stickier dough. Also, we turned down the oven temperature and bake the pizza for a longer time. And the crust turned out PERFECT this time. Michael and I both commented on how wonderful the texture of it was against all the toppings. I think we've officially ironed out all the kinks in and found our perfect pizza crust!

So, make this tonight, or on Friday (as is our tradition), and enjoy a slice while watching a movie!

BBQ Chicken and Blue Cheese Pizza

Crust
(slightly adapted from Mike's Pizza Crust)
Ingredients:
1 cup hot water (from the hottest setting on the tap)
1 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, sugar, and yeast together and let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to germinate (until you see bubbles). 
2. Add the salt and vegetable oil and mix. 
3. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, with the mixer on low. Once all the flour is added, knead with the dough hook for about 6-7 minutes. 
4. Spray bowl with cooking spray and coat all sides of dough with it, to prevent sticking. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and set in warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 30-45 minutes).
5. As the dough is almost finished with rising, preheat oven and pizza stone to 400 degrees. 
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to the size of your pizza stone. Sprinkle corn meal on the stone and transfer dough to stone, then cover with all your favorite toppings. 
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust start to brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Toppings
Ingredients:
about 1 cup Favorite BBQ Sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked and diced
blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Top pizza crust with first 4 ingredients, in order listed.
2. Add fresh parsley and cilantro AFTER pizza comes out of the oven.
3. Let pizza cool about 10 minutes, slice, the enjoy!

Honey Walnut Shrimp

 Once again, we're on the Asian takeout craze! This is one of our Panda Express favorites, and a fairly new one for me. Usually, I get my order of Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef, but a while back I decided to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp and I've since become an addict. I always get it and then alter between the other two options as my second entrée. 

I love the sweet flavor combined with the candied walnuts. You really can't beat the texture too. Now if I can only discover how to make chow mein like Panda, I'll never have to go out for Asian food ever again! Now that's a thought...

Honey Walnut Shrimp
(adapted from use real butter)

Ingredients:

Glazed Walnuts
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnut halves

Sauce
3 tbs. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbs. honey
1 1/2 tbs. condensed milk
1 tbs. lemon juice

Shrimp
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir, constantly, until golden and thickened. Add walnuts and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined plate. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey, condensed milk, and lemon juice; set aside. 
3. Heat about 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dip the shrimp into the egg, then dredge in the cornstarch, pressing to coat. 
4. Working in batches, add the shrimp to the skillet, 8-10 at a time, and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. 
5. In a large bowl, combine shrimp, honey sauce, and walnuts. 
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 Oh, and this chunky little girl decided to come and visit while I was photographing this post. She (and daddy) were drooling over the food :)

Lemony Shrimp Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

I have made this recipe several times over the last few months and every time it's a hit. Now that I'm a mom, easy and fast weeknight meals have become even more important for our household. So we can avoid the nights where we don't eat until late after putting baby girl to sleep, dinner that takes a very short amount of time to put together makes evenings all the better!

 As is my favorite, this meal is very customizable. It's pretty much a shrimp scampi, so if you like the lemon sauce, you can remove the tomatoes and spinach to make it more true to a scampi. Who needs Olive Garden when you can make something even better at home?

Lemony Shrimp Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
(adapted from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. linguine
4 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup spinach
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, just until golden and fragrant!
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook until they start to break down, then distribute shrimp evenly around the pan. 
4. Salt and pepper the shrimp and flip them over once you start to see them turning pink on the bottom.
5. Once shrimp are flipped, add the spinach to the pan and stir just until it starts to wilt and shrimp are fully pink and opaque. 
6. Remove pan from heat, add the lemon juice and zest, and stir to combine. Serve over cooked linguine with a little freshly grated parmesan on top!

Mongolian Beef

Michael and I have really been working hard at perfecting our "Asian" cooking lately. And by that I mean, getting better at making take-out quality foods to satisfy such cravings so we don't have to order takeout so often. We LOVE any type of Asian foods and tend to crave them fairly often as they are just so darn good. I'm not gonna lie...we're pretty big fans of Panda Express. But, who needs to spend all that money when the same type of dishes can be made at home for less money and the assurance that MSG is not included?

This recipe is just one example of such a meal for a weeknight dinner. The process may seem laborious at first, but once you get the whole coat-meat-in-cornstarch-then fry-in-oil thing down, it's actually a pretty fast process and you can have a yummy dinner on your table in no time.

We really love the flavor of the beef, especially as the sauce is so simple and just requires a few ingredients mixed together beforehand. This is actually a copycat recipe for P.F. Chang's, so if you're a fan of that restaurant (and I am), then you'll be pleasantly surprised with the taste. Enjoy!

Mongolian Beef
(adapted from Six Sisters Stuff)

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. ginger, minced

1 tbs. garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce
 (low-sodium)
1/2 cup water

3/4  cup dark brown sugar

vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)

1 lb. flank steak (or steak of your choice)

1/4 cup cornstarch

Directions:

Sauce:


1. Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. 
2. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
 
3. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce. 
4. Then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5. Remove it from the heat and set aside.

Beef:


1. Slice the steak against the grain into bite-size pieces and dip into cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to all sides. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.  
2. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok or deep skillet (you want the beef to be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. 
3. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
4. Remove beef from skillet and place onto paper towel lined plate.  Dab excess oil off meat with  the paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it.  
5. Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice.

Notes
- We really prefer low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe as it is just too salty when made with the regular soy sauce.
- You can top the finished beef with sliced green onions, for some extra flavor and color.

Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 Here's a perfect and VERY EASY go-to recipe for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Who doesn't love some good barbecue, especially when it involves as little work as possible? Thank you slow cookers for helping people all around the country spend less time in the kitchen, so they can enjoy more time with family!

These pulled pork sandwiches are so yummy! I know I use that word a lot, but it's true. I've made pulled pork before with just using a basic BBQ sauce, but adding all the extra spices really changed the flavor and added so much depth to the final product. You definitely get a little kick from the paprika and chili powder, which contrasts the bit of sweet from the brown sugar.

I had some sauce dripping down my chin and I MAY or may not have licked it off with my tongue. 

It tastes that good.

So, make these this weekend and serve them alongside some homemade sweet potato fries, a grilled salad, banana pudding, and ice cream. Sounds like a perfect way to enjoy the nice weather and a fun holiday!

Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
(adapted from How Sweet Eats)

Ingredients:
1 (5 to 6 pound) pork roast

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (we used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle)

Directions:

1. Place pork roast into a slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour over pork roast.
3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours, or until meat falls apart between two forks.
4. Serve on top of your favorite hamburger-style buns!

Stacked Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Can I just say, once again, how much I love my camera? I feel like a real food photographer with the quality of photos I'm getting out of it! It's so much fun :) 

On to the recipe...

This was a Pinterest success. And we all know how many Pinterest fails there are out there, so it is such a relief when things go well. The original recipe called for filling and rolling the enchiladas, but I'm kinda lazy sometimes and prefer the stacked method. It's faster and just looks so darn pretty in all the layers!

 

You'll love how easy and yummy this recipe is for a weeknight dinner. I'm a huge fan of the corn tortillas, as I feel like they hold up better and don't get as soggy as flour tortillas in this instance. Also, this recipe is completely adaptable to whatever you want to throw in or take out. I'm currently on the outs with onions as a result of baby gassiness and nursing, so I eliminated those. But feel free to customize to your whims!

Stacked Sweet Potato Enchiladas
(adapted from Damn Delicious)

Ingredients:
1 can green enchilada sauce
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4.5-ounce) can green chiles
3 tbs. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
24 6-inch corn tortillas
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
Sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour 1/2 can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook sweet potatoes until tender, about 12-15 minutes; drain well.
3. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, black beans, green chiles, cilantro, chili and garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, to taste.
4. To assemble the enchiladas, lay about 8 tortillas on bottom of pan, overlapping one another. Spoon 1/2 sweet potato mixture on top, then sprinkle with about 1/3 the shredded cheese. Repeat with one more layer, then top with more tortillas, and the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
5. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, and topped with sour cream, if desired.

Yields: about 6 servings

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Last weekend was Michael's father's 60th birthday party, and it had a dessert theme. All of us kids made different desserts for one yummy spread at the evening party. There were homemade Oreo cookies, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake, German chocolate cake, brownies, other cookies, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, and some assorted fruit. Needless to say, we were covered in the chocolate area. I figured I would make something fruity and different for the occasion in case people were "chocolate-d out". In came these bars.

I have always wanted to make crumb bars because they are basically cobbler or crumble in a handheld, easy-to-eat form! I was very pleased to find a very simple recipe that yielded great tasting results. Who says yummy things need to be complicated? Everybody must've really liked them because there were only 8 bars left at the end of the party. I'd say that's a success.

Blueberry Crumb Bars
(adapted from smitten kitchen)

Ingredients:

For the crust
1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 egg

1/4 tsp. salt

Zest and juice of one lemon

4 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries


For the berries
1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl or food processor, mix together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Then blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes about 30-36 small rectangles

Notes
- This could be easily adapted for whatever time of year and whichever fruit is in season (peaches, cranberries, plums, etc.)
- I'd also replace the lemon with orange for some interesting flavor combos.

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

 I've been making these scones since last fall, when I first discovered them on this blog, while looking for something fall-themed to bake. I had some extra pumpkin left over from a few other things and I really wanted something different. I am such a big scone fan, because of the bread and cake-like consistency, I knew I had to make them ASAP. Well, needless to say, the recipe has stuck with me and I brought it back out this year when the weather started to cool down!

 They have easily become a favorite and I figured it was time to blog about "my" version. It was Michael's idea this time to put some toffee bits on top of a few of them (you can see the one in the left of the pictures). The toffee bits were pretty good, but I prefer my scones with just the simple spice glaze. But, to each their own!

You should make these today. They are a bit labor intensive, but don't be afraid. Every time I've made them, they come out perfectly. And you can't beat those fall spices mixed with pumpkin. Brings the season right into your home!

 

Spiced Pumpkin Scones
(adapted from Inspired Taste)

Ingredients:
For Scones
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla

For Spiced Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tbs. pumpkin puree
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit then line a large baking sheet or two small baking sheets with parchment paper (you can also spray with non-stick cooking spray if you do not have parchment paper).
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices together.
3. Then, cut the cold butter into small cubes. Add butter to flour mixture then use a pastry cutter to “cut” the butter into the flour mixture – this should take about 5 minutes by hand. By the end, the mixture should look like coarse cornmeal or crumbs. (You could also use a food processor for this – if using, add flour mixture to bowl of a food processor then add the cold butter cubes. Pulse three to four times until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal or crumbs).
4. Now, in another medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract and egg until blended. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour and butter mixture with a spoon just until a soft dough forms.
5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface then knead it three to four times until it comes together. Then, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10 inch by 7 inch rectangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the rectangle in half lengthwise then cut into 4 even pieces crosswise, making eight rectangles. Now, cut each rectangle into two triangles.
6. Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheets then bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. While scones are cooling, make the glaze. Combine sifted powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, spices, and then add heavy cream. Stir and check consistency. Glaze should be thin enough that it will slowly drizzle back into the bowl when picked up with a spoon. 
8. Drizzle onto top of scones or dip scones into glaze. Wait about 15 minutes until the glaze has set then enjoy!

Yields 16 scones

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

About a month back my cucumber plant exploded and decided to give me WAY more cucumbers than I could or would want to eat fresh throughout the week. Thank goodness I only planted one. I started thinking of what I could do with all this produce, and after giving some away to people I know, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at pickles. I remember as a child when my aunt would bring by some freshly pickled cucumbers each summer and they were amazing!

Now, I still do not have all the equipment for canning and have a few fears about the process (should have paid better attention when my dad canned a bazillion different things each summer), so I looked into refrigerator "canning". This method is a cinch. Basically, all you do is combine the ingredients in the jars and leave them there for a few days to do their thing and then you're done. Sounds like my kind of life. 

You'll love these refrigerator dill pickles. Slightly sweet, with a nice tang from the vinegar and dill combo. And so much better than store bought (no added preservatives or dyes). You just can't get any fresher than this!

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
(recipe adapted from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh dill
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 medium-large cucumbers
3 cups water
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 tbs. kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Add 1 minced or pressed clove of garlic and a few springs of dill to the bottom of each jar (don’t stress over exact amounts, you can add more if you like).
2. Cut the cucumbers into spears or whatever shape you like. 
3. Add the spears to the jars, packing in as many as you can without having to force them in.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Heat over low heat, stirring well, just until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool the mixture. 
5. Once mixture has cooled, pour into each jar over the cucumber spears so they are completely covered. Top with an additional few sprigs of dill, if desired.  
6. Screw on or close the lids of the jars.  Repeat with remaining cucumbers, making additional brine as needed. 
7. Refrigerate for two (agonizing) days. Enjoy! Continue to store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 3-4 16 oz. jars or 2 IKEA KORKEN 34 oz. jars

Instagramming Food

I figured since I've been making quite a few yummy things lately and haven't taken the time to do proper blog posts about them, that to remedy the situation, I'd just use my instagram photos and link you to the sources for my awesome culinary creations.

And you're supposed to pronounce that "Keew-lin-ehry Kree-ay-shuns". But roll your "r"s. It makes it sound super cool.

 Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

A new take on my Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies. These were made for a neighborhood Christmas Cookie Exchange. Oh what a night that was!

 Crème Brûlée

Simple and easy recipe from Allrecipes. Just make sure to follow the "most helpful review" written by a professional pastry chef. This recipe made me giddy like a little kid. I can now say that I own a blow torch and I know how to use it. :)

Open-Faced Garlicky Shrimp Avocado Sandwiches

Bless you annieseats. That woman knows how to make tasty food that is also incredibly beautiful. 

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

A knock-off of Starbucks. I've made these twice already. And they are gone by the end of the evening. They are THAT good. Definitely inspires me to try my hand at making a bunch of different types of scones in the future.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Here's another recipe for your classic holiday dinners. This Thanksgiving was also my first time making homemade cranberry sauce. Even though I love the canned stuff, especially the jelly kind that slides out just like the shape of the can (I know, I'm weird), I think I've found something that will become a tradition in our house for the foreseeable future. 

It's that good. 

In my research for a recipe, I found many that called for just cranberries, sugar, and water. I knew that I wanted something more and when I happened upon a recipe with classic holiday spices and an orange, I knew that's what I wanted to try. It did not disappoint.

And Michael's family (who are not usually fans of cranberry sauce) all tried it and liked it very much. I'll say that's proof of how great it is. So, try it for yourself! 

Happy "Start to the Holiday Season"!

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
 (adapted from Alex Guarnaschelli on the Food Network)

Ingredients:
12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, washed and dried
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water. Stir to blend. 
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. 
3. Add the orange juice and zest, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature or refrigerate before serving.

Yields about 2 cups

Pecan (pronounced "puh-kawn") Pie

Pecan Pie. Another recipe I have had on my "to-do" list for a while. There were lots of pies to be made for Thanksgiving at the Blacks this year, and I knew this was my opportunity to finally try my hand at Pecan Pie! Thanks to Pioneer Woman who is a perfect source for a true Southern pie. The recipe was much easier than I anticipated and that even encompassed trying out a new pie crust recipe.

I can assure that it tasted as pretty (and even better) than it looks. I love the little fluted edges I made in the crust, and how pretty it looks in my new pie plate. Courtesy of my in-laws for my birthday. They gave me a Home Goods gift card and I was able to purchase my first (and heavily discounted) piece of Le Creuset. I think this is going to be the start of a very happy friendship. :)

Pecan Pie
(adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
1 whole unbaked pie crust (I used Pâte Brisée from Simply Recipes)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbs. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter (salted)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (heaping) chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. First, whip up your pie crust and place in pie plate.
2. Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
3. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
4. Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.
5. Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

NOTES:
- PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. 
- Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Peach Scones and Life Changes

 Lots of changes have been happening in the Black family this past month, and it seems like the changes seem to coincide with the changing weather and seasons!

We are nearing the end of our time spent living in Michael's parent's basement as we are UNDER CONTRACT with a house!!! I've hesitated to say anything to the general public (especially over the internet) as one never knows what may happen or if things will fall through, but we are very positive and sure that this will be our home. Things have gone smoothly and well throughout the contract phase and we should be in our new home by the end of October!

So, in the spirit of the end of summer and beginning of fall, I'm sharing a recipe that I have had stashed in my repertoire for a very long time and just never had a chance to bake, much less share here.  

Fresh Peach Scones. 'Nuff said.

Fresh Peach Scones
(adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tbs. baking powder

4 tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 cup diced, peeled peaches
4 tbs. heavy cream, for brushing the tops of the scones

2 tbs. cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl or food processor, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Drop the cubes of butter over the flour mixture. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, or pulse the food processor. Work until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour over the flour and butter mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. Place dough in large bowl, and with a spoon or spatula, carefully fold in the chopped peaches.
4. Transfer the dough to a heavily floured surface and gently form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a long rectangle, about 3/4 inches high. Using a pizza cutter, cut scones into triangle wedges and place on a baking sheet.
5. Lightly brush scones with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let scones cool on a wire rack before serving.

Makes about 14 scones

On another sweet note, work is picking up and growing and I'm LOVING it. I have about 10-11 patients right now and it just keeps growing and expanding. Access is definitely using me for marketing purposes, so I'm busy with those kinds of presentations out in the community. I actually never thought that my face would be out there so much as a music therapist for hospice. It's kind of interesting and scary that I am a huge representation of music therapy here in the state of Utah. 

I've had some really cute patient stories as of late and lots of fun experiences with them. What I love about music therapy is that it is an essential service for hospice to offer, as patients need something that is enjoyable and not just a nurse visit with poking and prodding. Music therapy is all about quality of life. I had a patient tell me yesterday, "You just made my day". And I believe it is true. It makes me happy to know that the patients are loving it so much so that they are mentioning it to other IDT members. I receive positive feedback from nurses and social workers at every meeting. 

We are truly blessed right now as my voice students have picked up also. Their styles are varying and I'm loving teaching a folk singer/guitarist, an R&B singer, and a young man who wants to be on the X-Factor. Another student to be coming soon. It is so much fun as I see them grow in their talent and enjoy that growth also!

 It seems like, once again, the Lord is in control and knew what would be the right time for certain things to happen and he made them happen so perfectly for our needs. Looking forward to moving into our home in a couple weeks or so and making it our own. We have some fun remodel plans and can't wait to show them to you on here. Be prepared, you might get bored with all the "house" posts that are forthcoming!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday and those who are watching General Conference are enjoying it and getting answers to your questions and prayers. I love this time of year when spiritual inspiration is so strong and answered through the Lord's mouthpieces!