Typically, I roast brussel sprouts but this salad was intriguing. I sliced the brussel sprouts very thinly with my food processor and the flavor and texture were perfect. The sweetness of the apples, the crunchiness of the almonds, and of course the saltiness of the bacon, make this a declicious salad. I served it alongside pulled pork sandwiches. The leftover were still good for 1-2 days after making it. A new favorite salad!
Apple Bacon Brussel Sprouts Salad
INGREDIENTS:
4 slices bacon
8oz brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
1/4 cup Fisher Naturals whole almonds, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoons shallot
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (could use red wine vinegar)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 red apple, chopped (I like Pink Lady apples)
DIRECTIONS:
Crisp bacon in a large skillet over medium heat then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reserve 3 Tablespoons bacon grease in skillet (add extra virgin olive oil if there’s not enough.) Chop or crumble bacon when cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, use the grating blade attachment on a food processor, mandolin, or very sharp knife to slice brussels sprouts very thin. Add to a large bowl with almonds and bacon then set aside.
To the bacon grease, still over medium heat, add shallots then saute until tender, 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat then whisk in vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper (be careful, vinegar may spatter a bit.) Return skillet to heat then whisk until dressing is combined, 30 seconds. Pour over brussels sprouts mixture then toss well to coat. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add chopped apple then toss again to mix, and then serve. Serves 2-3 as an entree, 5-6 as a side.
If you have a plethora of basil in your garden and aren’t sure what to do with it, try Basil Salt. I shared this recipe with my daughter, Megan, who had SO much basil. She made the salt and it is delicious!
Basil Salt
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups basil
1 cup sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
Wash and dry the basil leaves.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Blend the dry basil leaves and salt until well blended.
Spread the salt mixture on parchment paper in a baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Once cool, break it up and blend the mixture again.
Store in an air-tight container. Keeps well for a year.
What a delicious summer salad! I love a salad with fresh fruit, nuts and cheese and this one did not disappoint. I took a few liberties with the recipe using endive instead of salad greens and fig goat cheese instead of feta. That’s the beauty of a salad, you can make it your own! I served this with a grilled steak and it was delicious!
Salad with Peaches, Blackberries & Basil Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
Basil Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Salad:
10 ounces salad greens (I used endive)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or any blue cheese (I used fig goat cheese)
1/2 cup pecans (halves or pieces)
1/2 pint fresh blackberries
3 peaches, sliced and tossed with citus/water mixture
DIRECTIONS:
Shake all ingredients in tightly closed jar, or whisk in bowl until emulsified.
Peel peaches, if desired.
Slice peaches and let sit in a bowl with water and about 2 tablespoons of any type citrus juice (lemon, orange, etc.) while preparing the rest of the salad. (I skipped this step since the salad would be immediately consumed).
Toss greens, blackberries, and pecans together. Top with peach slices and cheese.
St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be complete without corned beef and cabbage accompanied by Irish Soda Bread. I’ve made Irish Soda Bread in years past, but decided to try Ina Garten’s recipe. The texture was wonderful and the taste was sweeter than the past versions with the addition of orange peel and raisins. It is wonderful toasted the next day for breakfast.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Optional: I buttered the top of the warm bread when it came out of the oven.
These cookies are amazing! I’m not familiar with Crave’s cookies, but this recipe was intriguing with the addition of crushed pretzels. I’ve never made cookies this big but follow the recipe for the best results. I baked for the full 15 minutes and would stop at 13 minutes next time. They do continue to book on the sheet and you don’t want them to cook too long and dry out. Make sure you let them rest for the full 20 minutes to set up. Then grab a glass of milk or a cup of coffee and enjoy!
Crave’s Rockstar Cookie Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
3/4 cup crushed pretzels
3/4 cup toffee bits
1 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
sea salt for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Measure out the milk chocolate chips, semi sweet chunks, pretzels and toffee bits into a bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, light in color and fluffy. This will take a few mintues.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix in the egg add vanilla.
Once completely combined, stop the mixer and add in the flour, baking soda and salt.
Start mixing slowly, once the flour mixture is about half way incorporated into the dough, pour the chocolate chips, pretzels and toffee bits into the mixer and allow everything to mix together.
Stop the mixer as soon as the flour is completely incorporated. Avoid over mixing.
Measure out the dough into generous 1/3 cup portions or weigh out 6 oz of cookie dough for each cookie. Loosely gather the dough together in a tall ‘ball’ leaving the top jagged, for texture. Avoid packing the dough together tightly.
Repeat this with all of the cookie dough.
Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookie dough has spread and the edges are turning golden brown.
Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use the back of a metal spoon and push the edges of the cookie towards the center, creating a perfect circle.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes.*
Serve warm.
*The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan, so it is okay if the center of the cookies still look slightly underbaked when you take them out of the oven.
Oh, the memory of high tea in England with delicious scones, pastries, and tiny sandwiches. The Peach Scone recipe sounded delicious and I had to try it. They were as yummy as I thought they would be and I didn’t even eat with clotted cream and jam (although that would also be delicious).
Peach Scones
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sliced peaches, thawed if frozen (I used fresh)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing on the scones
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
For the scones: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grate the frozen butter into a bowl using a box grater. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the peaches and toss in the flour to coat. Add the butter and toss to combine.
Stir together the heavy cream, sour cream, egg, vanilla and almond extracts in a medium bowl. Slowly add the cream mixture to the flour mixture, and mix just until a dough comes together. (Make sure not to overwork).
Turn the dough out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9-inch disc, about 1 inch thick. Score the dough into 8 wedges, using a knife to cut into but not all the way through the dough. Brush the tops of the scones with cream. Bake until the scones are cooked through and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges, then remove to a wire rack to cool until warm. (Note: I had to bake a bit longer until they were golden brown).
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, almond extract and salt in a small bowl. Spoon the glaze over the scones before serving.
Daughter, Megan, made the Cookies n Creme Cookies for our June garage as well as the Chocolate Chip Cookies on Steroids that I posted last week. These were also out of this world and sold well, of course who wouldn’t buy from 4 adorable grandchildren who were yelling on the street corner to buy cookies and lemonade!
Cookies n Creme Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup COLD butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 package Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp baking soda
10-15 Oreo cookies, crushed to consistency of crumbs and chunks
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Place cold butter and sugars in mixer and beat until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and Oreo Cookies and Cream Pudding Mix. Beat until fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine flour, white chocolate chips, baking soda, and Oreo cookies.
Slow mixer and slowly add flour mixture until just combined.
Bake until slightly brown on the top. Let them cool to reach their max potential.
Optional: top with additional crushed Oreo cookies
Daughter Megan did it again with this light, delicious no-bake cheesecake with homemade lemon curd and fresh strawberries. We had family in town for a visit and this dessert was a big hit with everyone. I’ll admit I do not care for traditional cheesecake since it so heavy, but not this version. And who makes their own lemon curd? Yes indeed, Megan does. Perhaps she needs to pursue her dream of a bake shop!
Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake with Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS:
Graham Cracker Crust
2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Cheesecake
three 8-ounce blocks (680g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Make the crust: Stir the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan and pack in very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. You can watch me do this in the video above. Freeze for 10–20 minutes as you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
Serve cheesecake with desired toppings. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS:
4 large egg yolks(for thicker lemon curd, see Note on eggs)
2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 6 pieces
DIRECTIONS:
Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1–2 inches of water. (Or use the DIY double boiler method listed in the notes.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk, whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk the sliced butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. (This prevents a skin from forming on top.) The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed.
Rhubarb dishes bring back wonderful memories of my Mother’s baking and cooking. My first harvest of rhubarb inspired me to try new recipes. This breakfast cake is delicious and could easily be made with other fruit as well. After eating the cake, my daughter and I agreed that you could make and skip the fruit..it’s that good!
Rhubarb Breakfast Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup half and half, cream, or buttermilk
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour, saving out 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
DIRECTIONS:
Set oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9×9 square baking pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so I can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting. That’s optional.
Stir the lemon juice into the half and half and set aside.
Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
Take 1 Tbsp of the flour to the rhubarb and toss well.
Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half and half, and blend in. Finally add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don’t over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
My rhubarb plant finally produced enough fruit to make a dessert and the crumble bars hit the mark. In my rush to make the recipe I forgot to pulse the crust in the food processor but the results were still delicious, although a bit chewier than the original recipe. Delicious topped with whipped cream or ice cream!
Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble Bars
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Fruit Filling:
1 1/4 cups finely chopped strawberries
1 1/4 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to combine. Add butter, pulse until well incorporated. Measure our 1 cup of oat misture and reserve for topping. Transfer remaining dough to prepared baking pan. Press down firmly to form an even crust.
In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and cornstarch. Spread the fruit filling over the crust.
In a small bowl, combine the reserved oat mixture with the chopped pecans. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit filling.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly in spots around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Fork Lore 