Lemon Bars With Olive Oil and Sea Salt

 For the Crust

1¼cups/155 grams all-purpose flour

¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar

3tablespoons/25 grams confectioners’ sugar

1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

¼teaspoon fine sea salt

10tablespoons/142 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the Curd

4 to 6lemons

1½cups/300 grams sugar

2large eggs plus 3 yolks

1½teaspoons/5 grams cornstarch

Pinch of fine sea salt

4tablespoons/57 grams butter

¼cup/60 milliliters fruity extra-virgin olive oil

Confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Step 1

Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with enough parchment to hang over two of the sides (to be used as handles later to lift the bars out of the pan).

Step 2

To make the shortbread base, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor, or whisk together in a large bowl. Add butter and pulse (or use two knives or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Press dough into prepared pan and bake until shortbread is pale golden all over, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 3

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the lemon curd: Grate ½ tablespoon zest from lemons and set aside. Squeeze lemons to yield ¾ cup juice.

Step 4

In a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch and fine sea salt over medium heat until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. Make sure mixture comes to a boil and stays there for 30 seconds or so; you should see it thicken up before you take it off the heat. But once it boils do not cook for longer than 1 minute or you risk the curd thinning out again. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in butter, olive oil and lemon zest.

Step 5

When the shortbread is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the shortbread base; return the pan to the oven. Bake until topping is just set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt right before serving.

"Fried" Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients

1 container (1.75 quart) vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup butter

3 cups crushed Corn Flakes cereal

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

Chocolate syrup

Caramel sauce

Instructions

Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, to soften.

Melt butter in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add the crushed corn flakes and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Fry mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until cereal is golden-brown. *Be careful not to burn. This may take less than 5 minutes*

Take a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread 1/3 of the corn flakes mixture into the bottom of pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the softened vanilla ice cream and Cool Whip. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Using a spatula, stir and mix well to combine. Spread ice cream mixture evenly over the corn flake mixture.

Spread the remaining corn flake mixture evenly over the ice cream. Drizzle the honey over the top. Cover pan, and place in freezer. Freeze ice cream for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Cut into squares and serve with drizzles of chocolate syrup and caramel sauce (and if you’re feelin’ frisky add some whipped cream and a cherry on top) Enjoy! ♥

Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1.5 1-oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Melt unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Mix together shortening and sugar thoroughly then add egg. Gradually mix in melted chocolate. Add vanilla and mix again. Add in dry ingredients and mix. Gradually pour in milk. 

Dough will be sticky but roll into logs to refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator and slice into slices less than 1/2 inch thick.

Bake 400 degrees for 8-10 min.

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

I adapted this recipe from a recipe shared by Eric Kim at NYT cooking. The original recipe included sugar (which I removed because I wanted a savory version) and I emphasize that you need to brush your biscuits with a beaten egg to get that crispy crust. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup/170 grams cold unsalted butter

3⅓ cups/425 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 tablespoon baking powder

2½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1¾ teaspoons fine sea salt. 1¼ cups/300 ml cold buttermilk

1 egg (for brushing on top before placing them into the oven)

Bake at 375 F for 35 min.

Grate your butter with a micro plane and place in freezer for at least ten minute.  Mix dry ingredients together. I add in my powdered buttermilk in dry ingredients at this point. Next dump half of your liquid in and stir a bit before adding the rest of the liquid. Barely stir together and then fold the dough on to itself 4-5 times to become more kneaded. Flatten dough into a rectangle and cut into 8 pieces. Brush with beaten egg before baking.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended)
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. 
4. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, immediately transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl.  Leaving it in the pan will allow it to continue to cook.
5. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. 
6. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. 
7. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. 
8. Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. 
9. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.
10. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
11. Mold and flatten into discs about 1.5-2" across, they will spread out about another 1/2" in each direction.
12. USE A SILCONE MAT TO PREVENT COOKIES FROM BURNING - (using so much brown butter will make the cookies scorch easily).  Also recommended to use an insulated cookie sheet with the mat.
13. Bake cookies until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft, set timer for 8 min and check, cook 10 min tops, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. 
14. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.
     Yields: 23 normal sized cookies

Dutch Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

Ingredients

1 Marie Calender Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shell

For the apple filling

4 very large Fuji apples

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon vanilla

For the sugar crumble

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; use a little less if using table salt

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

Instructions

Crust

1. Heat a pizza stone in the oven for 30 minutes

2. Pull the crust directly from the freezer and cook frozen (which will help it stay flaky)

3. Cook the empty pie crust at 400F on the stone until golden brown, about 10 minutes. It will likely need to have the bottom pieced during this time to eliminate air bubbles.

Pie Filling

4. Peel, core, then slice the apples into 1/8-inch thick pieces

5. Place in a 12" pan and set it on medium heat on the stove.

6. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir and cook gently so you don't break all the apples.

7. Once apples are evenly coated, set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover with a lid, but don't walk away. Stick around and stir the mixture every 3 minutes or so, replacing the lid each time. The sugar mixture will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch.

8. Cook until the apples are fork-tender but still hold their shape. The apples will not soften more while baking in the oven. So have a taste and see if you want to cook for a longer or shorter time.

9. If your apples start to stick to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of water (plus more as needed); use sparingly.

10. Remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

11. Transfer the apple pie filling to the crust.

12. Cool the apple pie by placing it in the fridge or the freezer. If you put it in the freezer, it only takes 30 minutes or so.

Sugar crumble:

13. In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients for the crumble: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less for table salt). Whisk together.

14. In a small bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter (1 stick). Pour the butter over the dry ingredients and stir together gently. You should end up with a pretty wet, sandy mixture with some large clumps. See photos. Let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

15. When the apple pie filling in the freezer is completely cooled, use your hands or a fork to break the crumble into smaller bite-size pieces. Top the pie with about a cup or two of the sugar crumble, just enough to cover all the apples; we are not piling it on. (That's for later.) 

16. Place the remaining crumble back in the fridge to chill.

Bake the pie

17. Place the chilled pie onto the pizza stone in the oven and let bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 F. The crust on the edge should be turning light brown, the crumble top will start to have dark brown spots.

18. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. 

19. Bake at 350 for an additional 10 minutes.

20. Remove the pie from the oven.

Optional, double layer of crumble

21. Sprinkle the remaining chilled crumble all over the top of the pie. Break up large pieces with your fingers.

22. Place the foil on top of the pie crust (the center of the pie should be exposed). Loosely crimp it around the crust on the edge. This will protect the edges from burning.

23. Place the pie back on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350 for about 10 more minutes. 

24. You will know the pie is done when the edges of the crust are brown, and the crumble is turning a light golden brown in the center. If you want your crust and crumble to brown a little more, remove the foil shield and bake another 5-10 minutes.

25. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 4 hours (about 1.5 hours on a granite counter). 

Store the pie on the counter for up to 2 days, covered with plastic wrap or foil. After that, transfer it to the fridge.

Spudnuts (Glazed Yeast Doughnuts)

Dough:

• 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (120-130°F)
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (warm, not hot)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

 

1. Combine the yeast, water, potato, sugar, shortening, eggs and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and continue to add flour and mix until the dough forms into a ball and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead the dough for 5-7 minutes and the dough is satiny and smooth. Remove the dough from the bowl, spray the bowl with non stick spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Gently remove the dough from the bowl. Roll the dough into a large circle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Using a doughnut cutter, or a cup (and a smaller lid for the inside circle) cut the doughnuts out of the dough. Place on a greased pan or counter top, cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is light and airy.
3. Cook the doughnuts in oil that has been heated to 350-375°F. You’ll need to watch the temperature and adjust as needed. The doughnuts should cook and become golden brown on each side within 30-45 seconds each. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until smooth.
5. Dip the warm doughnuts in the bowl of glaze and then set them on cooling rack until the glaze sets.