Sam’s Amazing Salmon

People always ask me what my favorite meals are and where I like to eat. Although there are a few places I like to go out to, most of my favorite dishes are ones made by friends and family. One of the most memorable things I have had in a long time is this recipe from my Aunt’s friend Sam that he brought to her 4th of July party Like an episode of the Food Network’s “The best thing I ever ate”, I couldn’t stop talking and thinking about this Salmon for weeks after I had it. It was a beautiful whole salmon, steamed over a flavorful liquid and accompanied by a fresh, bright mango salsa. It was plated with a trio of different dipping sauce options and served cool. I ate my weight in salmon that day and even at night, when everyone else had switched to dessert before the fireworks, I was stealing more from the fridge instead of ice cream.

Although I was able to get the recipe from Sam awhile ago, life has been busy and I have yet to share it with you. I decided to share it with you tonight because unfortunately, I found out that Sam has been sick in the hospital and needs to have surgery tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and that say a prayer that he gets better soon and can share more great recipes with us as soon as possible.

Salmon and Mango Salsa – served with Dill, Chipotle Pepper and Honey Mustard dipping sauces

In Sam’s Words exactly:

Select a salmon fillet to suit your taste and of a size to fit your need. If you don’t have a poaching pan ( an asparagus cooker works very well too), you can use a deep frying pan as long as you use a wire rack so the salmon does not rest in the liquid. In the bottom of the pan, place a mix of 1 cup of water to 2 cups of white wine. I prefer Sauvignon Blanc or a similar white wine of full body and taste.

Rub the salmon with salt, white pepper and bit of finely minced tarragon and place on a rack in the pan so the salmon is not resting in the liquid. Over medium heat, cover the pan and steam/poach the salmon fillet.

Once the liquid begins to boil, continue cooking for about 10 minutes, depending on the size and thickness. When cooked through, turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature with the cover on. Place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up to a day to cool completely.

Remove from rack and surround it with mango salsa.

Mango Salsa

2-3 ripe mangoes, diced small

1/2 red onion, finely diced

2-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

the juice of 2-3 limes, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to stand at least one hour or up to a day to allow the flavors to blend.

Note- this also works out very well with using ripe papaya, pineapple or guava.

Dill Sauce

In a bowl, combine 6 oz sour cream with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Finely chop a handful of fresh dill and add to sour cream.  Mix in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Mix by hand rather than in a food processor otherwise it becomes runny. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Chipotle Sauce

In a bowl, combine 6 oz sour cream with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. In a food processor finely chop a chipotle pepper ( canned in adobo sauce ) with 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce from the can. Add to sour cream mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Honey mustard sauce

In a bowl, combine 6 oz sour cream with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Add 5-6 tablespoons Dijon mustard ( smooth, not with mustard seeds) and 3-4 tablespoons honey. Mix in 4 tablespoons freshly squeeze lime juice. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Thank you Sam and get better soon!

Homemade Pierogi

Why Pierogi are awesome:

1. Pierogi is both the singular AND plural form of these delicious Polish dumplings. I know, you were calling them pierogies…me too.

2. They have aliases – They’re also known as varenyky in the Ukraine, taskice in Croatia, koldunai in Russia, pelmeni in Romania, gombac in Hungary and knedle in Czechoslovakia. Basically, they are sooo awesome, everybody has their own version.

3. They float to the top when they are done – Built in timer!

4. They are dumplings made of pasta-like dough, stuffed to the brim with mashed potatoes, enriched with sour cream, laced with creamy cheeses and often FRIED or BATHED in butter! I think we’ve said enough.

You buy your pierogi? From a lovely woman named Mrs. T? Those are great, don’t get me wrong, but these…these are a labor of love…and they are worth it. During my cultural foods class’s Eastern European unit we ( 20 teenagers and one crazed teacher ) make these in two 40 minute periods, you can TOTALLY do this. The first time I taught this, I tried a recipe from a student’s Polish grandma. Unfortunately Grandma recipes are rarely written down in specifics and are hard to replicate. The second year I did it, I found out that Martha Stewart’s mom was quite the perogi expert and Martha’s website features an adorable video of them making them together. Martha’s mom, Mrs. Kostyra, just seems like the type of grandma you can trust and you can, this recipe is pretty straight forward and my students and I were able to pull it off. The original recipe left us with a lot of filling leftover, leaving me to believe that we were probably not skilled enough to stuff them as much as Martha’s mom did. If you find yourself with leftover filling DO NOT DESPAIR! They make AMAZING potato croquettes. Refrigerate, roll into balls or cylinders and bread with flour, egg and then breadcrumbs. Fry or bake until golden brown. Two treats in one. Good deal.

Potato Pierogi – adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Recipes

http://www.marthastewart.com/339781/potato-pierogi

For the dough:

• 1 large egg ( scramble and divide)
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the filling:

• 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted – Plus 3 tablespoons for frying
• ½ cup cheddar cheese grated
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• cornmeal

Directions

Make the dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add 2 ½ cups flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and work in remaining 1/4 cup flour as you knead. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, the dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while you prepare filling.

Make the filling:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and the cheeses and continue to mash until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay a clean linen towel on your counter, and evenly distribute cornmeal on it to prevent sticking.

To roll, cut and fill dough:

On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a glass or cookie cutter measuring 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out about 30 circles. Gather dough scraps together, rolling them out again, and continue cutting.

Form filling into 1- 1/2-inch balls, and place a ball in the center of each dough circle. Holding a circle in your hand, fold dough over filling, and pinch the edges, forming a well-sealed crescent. Transfer to linen towel. Continue this process until all dough circles are filled.

To cook pierogi:

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Place pierogi in boiling water in batches. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the top. Once they rise, let them cook for about a minute more. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons of butter. Sauté boiled pierogi until golden brown and crisp on the edges. Serve immediately.

Tags: easterneuropeandumpling, marthastewartpierogi, pierogi, pirogi, potatodumpling

Home Canning – Fruit Preserves and Scones

At some point during the day, no matter how crazy the day is, I realize how lucky I am to be able to teach what I love.  Not only am I lucky enough to teach cooking at a school with a wonderfully supported program, I am also surrounded by equally food obsessed colleagues that are talented chefs in their own right. Besides the several food competitions for charity and amazing luncheons with homemade items that co-workers run, there are people who bake and cook for no reason, often for the whole staff. Last week, two very talented cooks provided scones and homemade jams for the staff to sample.  It was such a beautiful spread of colorful fruits, it was hard to pick just one. I ate mine like a tasting flight, a little of each on a plate with a bite of scone.

The scones were provided by Patti, one of the most amazing bakers I have ever met. Every pay day, in addition to every holiday or teacher appreciation day, the 100 plus mailboxes are filled with some sort of amazing treat, everything from homemade caramel corn to giant cookies. I’ve heard she’s got a double oven and a pretty nice counter set-up at home but I cannot understand how she pulls it off. I do this professionally and I still can’t understand how she whips up hundreds of biscotti, muffins, cupcakes or brownies every other week in a home kitchen, by herself. Not to mention the time, money and care that goes into it. Ellen, another talented co-worker, was responsible for the preserves. Since the second I saw them I’ve had extreme jam envy! This stuff is seriously delicious and the way she packages them is so adorable and clever, they were just screaming out for a photo shoot. 

 

Of the strawberry, raspberry, plum, peach, blueberry and orange marmalade varieties I tried, I couldn’t tell you which was my favorite. They were all equally delicious with different textures and tartness. I got to take home a special jar of pear, which I can’t wait to try. Although I’ve had all the jars and supplies for canning for years now, I use them all to freeze my garden goodies instead of really canning them. Seeing Ellen’s gorgeous jams has given me the caning bug again and this summer, I think I’m going to give it a try. Between my u-pick obsession and my backyard container garden, it’s going to be a busy Spring. Here’s a recipe from Ellen to get you started, I will be posting Patti’s scones next week. The preserves are the perfect excuse to eat 3-4 scones in one sitting!

Ellen recommends following any canning recipe exactly and to be very careful to keep your cooking equipment and area sterile to ensure safety.

SURE.JELL Peach Jam – Kraft Foods

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-peach-jam-53003.aspx

4 cups prepared fruit (about 3 lb. fully ripe peaches)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. EVER-FRESH Fruit Protector (optional)

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)

5-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (See tip below.)

 

BRING boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PEEL and pit peaches. Finely chop fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Add lemon juice and fruit protector; stir until well blended. Stir in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

STIR in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Measure Precisely

To get exact level cup measures of sugar, spoon sugar into dry metal or plastic measuring cups, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with a straight-edged knife.

Altitude Chart

At altitudes above 1,000 feet, increase processing time as indicated: 1,001 to 3,000 feet – increase processing time by 5 minutes; 3,001 to 6,000 feet –

 

Tags: balljars, blueberrypreserves, canningpreserves, diyjam, fruitpreserves, homecanning, jarringfood, peachjam, raspberryjam, strawberryjam

Real Bagels

As a New Yorker, I feel privileged to be able to enjoy the best bagels in the world, anytime I want. (Is it wrong to say “in the world” even though I can’t back that up?) I guess if you have never had the real thing, you probably don’t mind a frozen supermarket bagel, but once you’ve have a New York bagel, I’m pretty sure you’ll be disappointed by everything else forever. With a bagel store available 5 minutes in every direction of any town here on Long Island, there has never been a need or desire to make my own bagels. But when I saw the recipe for “Real Bagels” in last month’s Cooking Light magazine, I saw it as a challenge. Real bagels? That’s quite a claim…what do the people at Cooking Light consider a “real bagel”? Could this super simple, one page recipe even come close to being anything like a good bagel? But just like any true Southerner knows how  to make their own fried chicken or how every Maryland chef  has their own secret crab cake recipe, shouldn’t I, a proud Long Islander, have a recipe for true New York bagels in my repertoire?

I made them immediately, even though it was 9:30 at night. The folks over at Cooking Light don’t lie. This wasn’t a roll masquerading itself as a bagel, it was truly the real thing… chewy, dense, crusty on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. I don’t think I have ever been so amazed at the authenticity of something I made. I really expected the recipe to fail on some level…. how could it be that easy? If it was that easy, why, when I take a road trip to another state, are the bagels so bad different? Maybe it’s the water. Maybe you have to be born here to be able to do it. I don’t how it happened, but once it did, I made sure everyone I could get my hands on tried one. I challenged them, “Eat this bagel, I MADE it. It tastes like a bagel. Really.” They were equally amazed. “You MADE a bagel…? ( Bite ) This is a real bagel…it tastes just like a really good bagel.”  This went on, pretty much word for word, with each of the 11 people I gave them to. As the recipe describes, “these are a revelation”. As a teacher, my favorite thing is seeing the excitement of my students when they create something amazing that they never thought they could make at home. I knew I had to make them with my classes but I had to find a shorter way to break the time up, so the second time I made them, I made the dough and popped it in the refrigerator overnight. I am glad to say it was a success. This dough is perfect for making Saturday night and then rolling, boiling and baking fresh on Sunday morning. My fellow New Yorkers, I challenge you, for the sake of your heritage, to make these immediately. For those of you who live elsewhere, you now have a way to enjoy something wonderfully authentic and awesome.

No 1 rule to follow with this recipe: Weigh your flour, don’t measure it. When I weighed it, it came out to about 4 cups rather than the 6 1/4 stated. I did not have barley malt syrup, which the recipe said could easily be omitted, so I left it out. The bagels were perfect, but I ordered the stuff on Amazon just to see if they could become any more perfect, just in case.

Real Bagels – adapted from Cooking Light Magazine – November 2011 issue

For the bagel dough:

2 cups warm water- 100- 110F

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

28.5 ounces bread flour – divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 Tablespoon barley malt syrup ( can be omitted )

To Boil in:

12 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

To Sprinkle on top: ( Optional )

Sesame seeds, dehydrated onion, garlic salt, sea salt, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, oatmeal etc.

Directions:

Combine the warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Proof the yeast by stirring it together and waiting for bubbles to form to see if the yeast is alive. ( Both times I didn’t get bubbles but the yeast was alive. My kitchen was cold and with no sugar to feed the small amount of yeast I didn’t see much bubble action)

Weigh 28.13 ounces of bread flour into a separate bowl and stir in salt. Add flour mixture and malt syrup ( if using) into yeast mixture.

Mix on low speed for 6 minutes. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Add remaining ( .37 ounces)  of flour if mixture is too sticky. ( I didn’t measure that part out, I just sprinkled a little down on work surface and my hands as needed.)

Place in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm ( 85 F) spot for 30 minutes. ( Or overnight in the refrigerator) Test to see if two fingers inserted in the center leave an imprint. If it springs back, let it continue to rise.

If dough was refrigerated overnight, let it come to room temperature. Turn out onto a floured work surface and and divide dough into 12 equal portions.They make smaller bagels than compared to the over sized ones seen more often. For larger bagels make 10 instead of 12.

Pinch dough together at the bottom and roll each section into a smooth ball. Cover with a towel to prevent drying.

Using both hands, gently stretch a 1 1/2 inch hole in the center of  each ball of dough to form the bagel shape. If hole is too small it will close up completely when cooked.

Set bagels on a lightly greased sheet pan and cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place for 10 -15 minutes. Bagels will only rise slightly.

While the bagels rise, pre-heat oven to 45oF. Prepare two greased cooling racks set over a sheet pans to place the bagels on after boiling. gather any toppings for the bagels and prepare another two sheet pans with parchment paper for baking the bagels.

Bring 12 cups of water and sugar  to a boil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot.

Gently lower 3 risen bagels at a time into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds, gently bobbing them under the water occasionally.

Remove and place on greased cooling racks. Sprinkle with any toppings at this point.

Transfer boiled bagels to lined sheet pans and bake for 7 minutes. Rotate pans and bake another 7 minutes.

Make sure you are out of your pajamas by now because once you are finished you will be so proud and excited that you will knock on your neighbors doors and get in the car to deliver them to people. They are amazing right out of the oven but if that’s not possible make sure to heat them in the oven before sharing. DON’T MICROWAVE a bagel, that’s a sin, and remember to check your teeth before you head out…

Tags: authenticbagels, bagels, everythingbagels, homemadebagels, howtoboilbagels, realbagels.newyorkbagels, yeastbagels

Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

I have been known to take things very literally and therefore sometimes I am misled and disappointed. Like, for example, the first time I went wine tasting. Descriptions of red wines that poetically described sweet blackberries with hints of cocoa and white wines as crisp peaches with notes of bright citrus were completely misleading to me. I thought I would be receiving an alcoholic fruit punch of sorts and what I got was wine. I don’t like wine.  Then there was the Big Cippolini Let Down of 2009.  I had excitedly made reservations at a new Italian restaurant named “Cippolini” because of my love for the squat, sweet little Italian onions and was seriously bummed when I arrived and they were nowhere to be found on the menu. If the name of your restaurant is Taco Joe’s, do you not carry tacos? Anyway, I was duped again last week when I bought a Long Island cheese pumpkin at the farmer’s market. I clumsily carried the giant pumpkin back to my car with visions of cheesy pumpkin creations that would soon be bubbling away in my kitchen. After a quick google search for cheese pumpkin recipes, I found out they are called cheese pumpkins because of their shape, not because they taste like cheese. What do they taste like? They taste like pumpkins. Just like wine tastes like wine.   The good thing is, this pumpkin can still be used in those delicious, savory, cheesy applications as well as sweet ones, which is good because I have 10 mason jars of fresh pumpkin puree in my freezer. Who doesn’t love a plate of pumpkin ravioli followed by some delicious pie?

Back on the Fourth of July, after I posted a recipe for strawberry mousse pie, I promised you this, “ I also tried it with pumpkin and added some spices but I’ll save that one for you until October.” October came and went. I apologize. I know you have all been waiting by the computer counting down the days. I know all too well how it feels to be misled. I may have missed Halloween but I am in time for Thanksgiving. Enjoy. You can take the title literally. It tastes like pumpkin, spices and graham crackers.

Barely Adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/352652/raspberry-mousse-pie

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 7 graham crackers, plus 2 or 3 for crumbling garnish
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin (from one 1/4-ounce packet)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups cold heavy cream

Directions

1.  Coat a 9-inch square metal baking pan ( alternately an 18 inch for a double batch which is pictured below) with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
2. Arrange graham crackers in 1 layer in pan, breaking them to fit if necessary.

3. Place water in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin on top. Let  gelatin to soften for 3 minutes.

4. In a saucepan, simmer pumpkin puree, spice mixture and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until bubbles form at edge. Add gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute.  Let cool to room temperature completely otherwise it with melt the whip cream.

5. Beat cream and 2 tablespoons sugar until firm stiff peaks form.

6. With a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cooled pumpkin mixture.

Do you know how to fold?  Folding is the process of gently incorporating something light and airy, like whipped egg whites or cream, into something heavier without deflating it. Start by placing about a 1/3 of the lighter product on top of the heavier product.

Mix that in to lighten it before folding the rest in.

Then place the rest of the lighter product on top. With a rubber spatula, cut down the center of the bowl and come around the side, turning the bowl one half turn.

Bring the heavier product from the bottom and side on top of the lighter product in the middle as you come around with the spatula. Place it on top.

Repeat the process by cutting down the center, coming around the side and down the center again, while turning the bowl  until only a few streaks of the lighter product can be seen.

  The finished mixture should be fairly homogenous.

7. Pour over graham crackers. Smooth top, cover and  refrigerate until set, about 2 hours (or up to overnight).

8. Using parchment, gently lift pie out of pan and cut into pieces with a sharp knife, cleaning it in between cuts. Top each piece with crumbled graham crackers, transfer to a serving platter.

Tags: grahamcrakercrustpumpkin, howtofoldeggwhites, howtofoldwhippedcream, moussepie, pumpkindessert, pumpkinmousse, pumpkinmoussepie, pumpkinpie, pumpkinspice, thanksgivingdessert

3 Pumpkin recipes to share this Fall: Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles and Pumpkin Chai Latte

Food and cooking is about sharing…

It’s why tea cups come in sets of 4.

It’s why a sheet cake feeds 20.

It’s why coffee urns can brew for up to 40.

It’s why a pie is meant for more than 1.

Great recipes are also just as important to share. The way I figure it, the more people who know how to make it, the more there is to eat of it.

This simple, moist, perfectly spiced Pumpkin Bread was given to me by my amazing co-operating teacher, Vanessa, when I was student teaching with her. The first time I made it with her class, it was a disaster. The over zealous new teacher in me had decided to re-type the recipe in a new program and in the process, switched the baking soda amount with the cinnamon. Kind of funny now, not so funny then. The second time we made it, with the correct measurements, it became one of my favorite recipes of all time. I make it each October with my students and it never fails, the kids love it and it has become the number one recipe other teachers come knocking on my classroom door for.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Ingredients:

•    1¾ cups sifted flour
•    1¼ cups sugar
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    ¾ teaspoon salt
•    1½ teaspoon nutmeg
•    1½ teaspoon cinnamon

•    ½ cup oil
•    2 eggs
•    1 cup pumpkin

Directions:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.
2.    Prepare a large loaf pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.
3.    Cut a piece of parchment paper to fix the bottom of the pan.
4.    Line pan with parchment and spray again.
5.    Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
6.    In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin, eggs and oil together.
7.    Make a hole in dry ingredients and pour in the pumpkin mixture.
8.    Mix just until smooth.
9.    Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
10.    Bake loaf 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

This recipe was something Annie, from Annies-eats.com, shared on her beautiful blog. They are my new favorite cookie, a must try.

PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

1.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2.    In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3.    Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla until incorporated.
4.    Add in the dry ingredients and beat just until incorporated.
5.    Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
6.    Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
7.    Spray baking sheets with cooking spray.
8.    Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl.
9.    Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball.
10.    Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.
11.    Flatten the balls of dough slightly with your hand or the back of a glass.
12.    Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
13.    Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In my big crazy family, when its time to see who wants coffee, the hostess asks, “who’s playing grown – up?” I don’t drink coffee, but I like to play grown- up. This is my version of the Chai Tea Latte with Pumpkin Spice Syrup from Starbucks.

PUMPKIN CHAI LATTE
Ingredients:
•    1 gallon  milk
•    2 1/2 cups sugar
•    5 chai tea bags
•    1 cup pumpkin puree
Directions:
1.
Combine the milk, pumpkin puree and sugar in a heavy bottom pot.
2.    Whisk over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture begins to simmer.
3.    Wrap tea bags in cheesecloth and place into simmering mixture.
4.    Shut the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
5.    Remove tea bags and whisk to bring up any pumpkin from the bottom of the pan.
6.    Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Guest Post from Sixteen Beans – Homemade Vanilla Bean Coconut Peanut Butter

I often read on other food blogs how people attend conferences and workshops and meet new people and develop friendships with fellow bloggers. As much as I would love to meet and attend classes with some of the incredibly talented people I read about so often, I have not yet had the opportunity or time for it. Whenever I receive a comment posted on my blog, I take the time to check out that persons website if they have one. It has been a great way for me to find more wonderful blogs to read and follow. A few weeks back, I received a comment from Kyleen, the author of the Sixteen Beans. Upon visiting the site, I immediately fell in the love with the beautiful photography and chuckled at the “baking bucket list“. As I read on, I was totally stunned to read that Kyleen is only sixteen years old! As a teacher of students who are that exact age, I was incredibly impressed with the writing, photography and professionalism of the site, not to mention the level at which this girl can cook! I can’t imagine how she has the time to try all these challenging recipes, go to school and keep up a food blog.  I immediately wrote to her and asked her for two things. 1 – Can you please move to my school district so I can have someone as amazing as you as a student? And 2 – Will you please guest post on my blog so I can share your work with my readers? Unfortunately she won’t be moving anytime soon but she was able to give us a great post for this delicious Vanilla Bean Coconut Peanut Butter. One of the most amazing things about being a teacher is realizing how much the students can teach you. This sixteen year old can teach me any day.

Hi, I’m Kyleen, the girl behind Sixteen Beans and today I’m guest posting on Lauren’s amazing blog, Lessons in Food.

*          *          *
Last Christmas, my parents bought me a food processor. To other high-school juniors, this might sound like a kitchen appliance masquerading as a gift (how often have you seen your parents buying each other toasters), but I was ecstatic because the acquisition of a food processor meant that I could forgo the box-graters and knives when I baked or cooked.  Enthusiastically, I used the processor to grate carrots for Carrot Cake and to process butter for Thyme, Cheddar, Ham Biscuits.

Besides the odd carrot cake or lasagne, I haven’t used my food processor much, mostly because it’s stored in the bottom of my baking cupboard (yes, there is a whole cupboard devoted exclusively to the storage of baking supplies) and I hate bending down to lug the various parts out. Also, I’ve found that making a pie crust or grating cheese with the processor might require less physical effort up front, but washing the container, lid, push-stick, and blade kind of negates the convenience. I guess I’m a minimalist.

Whether I used to swear by my food processor or not, this Homemade Vanilla Bean Coconut Peanut Butter won me over. I love, love, love peanut butter—I’m the kind of girl who eats peanut butter by the spoonful—so I’ve always wanted to try making my own, long before I owned a processor.

This peanut butter includes coconut oil, which adds even more richness and an undertone of coconut that compliments the nuttiness perfectly. Beautiful specks of black vanilla are suspended throughout the creamy, thick, rich nut butter. What can I say? I’m a convert; homemade peanut butter puts store-bought to shame.

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Homemade Vanilla Bean Coconut Peanut Butter

I found this recipe on Healthy Food For Living. (The other) Lauren isn’t exaggerating when she says that it’s hard to resist eating this peanut butter straight from jar. Heck, I haven’t even tried this on bread yet because it’s been going straight into my mouth.

 

HEAD ON OVER TO SIXTEEN BEANS FOR THE RECIPE AMOUNTS:

 

Directions:

 

In the bowl of a food processor, combine peanuts, salt, and sugar. Process for three to five minutes until the peanuts turn into a smooth butter, scraping down the sides as needed. I was pretty worried that process peanuts into peanut butter would hurt the food processor (because I vaguely remember that that was how our old one broke), but peanuts contain so much oil that it will turn into a paste with ease. Add the coconut oil and vanilla bean seeds to the food processor and process until combined.

This nut butter can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature. Some oil separation may occur; just give it a stir before eating.

Tags: coconutpeanutbutter, homemadepeanutbutter, sixteenbeans, vanillacoconutpeanutbutter, vanillapeanutbutter