September 23, 2011
You know that Pâte Brisée dough that I made yesterday? Well I used it to make mini quiches last night. I served them with a mixed green salad on the side and we had the perfect French inspired dinner.
I love the fact that each person can have their own personal quiche and they are so cute—you just can’t help but want to eat them up! I also like these a lot because you get more buttery, flaky crust than you would with a larger quiche cut into wedges.
Also, don’t let the length of this recipe scare you. There are a few steps, but each one is pretty easy and the end result is totally worth it (trust me!):
Roll out the dough and cut into 6-inch rounds. Fit and trim the rounds in 4-inch tart pans:
While par-baking the tart shells, make the mushroom and shallot filling:
Make the custard filling, assemble, and bake:
Get the recipe>>
See more: French • Quiche • Vegetables
September 22, 2011
Making your own pie dough can be intimidating if you haven’t done it before (trust me, I’ve been there), but once you get the steps down you’ll be amazed at how easy it is. Also, don’t let the term “pâte brisée” discourage you if you are already intimidated–it just sounds fancy because it’s French.
I make my dough in a food processor, which makes the process super fast and easy, but you can also do it by hand in a regular mixing bowl. [As a side note: if you don't have a food processor, consider getting one. They are life changing!] This is a classic all butter short crust pastry that works well in both sweet and savory pies and tarts and the key to making this is keeping the dough cold throughout the entire process. You can even stick your flour in the fridge if you like! Here’s a step by step tutorial:
Step 1: Pulse 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a food processor until thoroughly mixed.
Step 2: Add 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, cold and cubed.
Step 3: Pulse the mixture until it resembles cornmeal; there should still be some large pieces of butter throughout.
Step 4: Drizzle 1/4 cup of ice water over mixture and pulse until the dough comes together. If the dough is still too dry add an additional tablespoon of ice water at a time (another 1/4 cup max).
Get the recipe>>
See more: Baking Basics • Tutorials
September 21, 2011
Baking with agave nectar is always an experiment. I was hoping these brownies would be wonderfully fudgy and chewy, but they have a consistency that is closer to cake. I’m not complaining though… I love chocolate cake as much as I love brownies. I ate that strip of brownie missing from the picture within a minute of them coming out of the oven (probably should’ve waited until after I took the picture…oops!)
Get the recipe>>
See more: Agave Nectar • Brownies • Chocolate • Whole Grain • Whole Wheat
September 13, 2011
Do you ever have those days where you plan to eat healthy, but then you feel like baking something that is decidedly unhealthy?
Do you ever tell yourself you will eat just 1 cookie even though you’re baking 2-dozen?
Do you ever eat more (perhaps many more) than the 1 cookie and think that it’s totally worth it?
Get the recipe>>
See more: Cookies
September 1, 2011
August 30, 2011
Peanut butter cookies are my weakness. I love them soft, I love them crispy, I love them with chocolate in them, I love them with actual peanuts in them… I love them all. This recipe is one of my favorites because it has oats in them and I love oats too.
My goal was to have the perfect bite sized oatmeal peanut butter cookies and I think this is it. I took a recipe that I already liked and tweaked it to include whole wheat flour, more oats, and more vanilla and voila! Because they are so small they are really addictive. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself eating them by the dozens. You have been warned!
Get the recipe>>
See more: Cookies • Oats • Peanut Butter • Whole Grain • Whole Wheat
August 29, 2011
Have you ever been to Italy? Have you ever heard of a place called Cinque Terre? If you haven’t, do a Google image search and you will probably want to go there.
I visited Cinque Terre about 4 years ago while I was studying abroad and I wish I could have spent more time there. It was absolutely beautiful. It’s known for its breathtaking views, colorful buildings, and hiking trails. On the food side of things, Cinque Terre is known for their pesto and focaccia bread. When I was there, I had both.
I remember getting a big FAT square of focaccia covered in pesto from a little hole in the wall bakery in one of the towns there… best thing I’ve ever eaten. This isn’t exactly the same, but it’s close enough for me until I can go back some day. If bread baking isn’t your thing, I also use the pesto recipe below when I’m making pasta with pesto.
Get the recipe>>
See more: Bread • Italian • Olive Oil • Yeasted Baked Goods
August 27, 2011
Carrots, whole wheat flour, and no sugar or butter… what? These muffins may not seem that appetizing when you look at the ingredients list, but they are delicious. I’ve always been a fan of baked goods with vegetables (carrots, zucchinis, pumpkin…you name it) and I was excited when I stumbled on this recipe because it seems pretty healthy.
Get the recipe>>
See more: Agave Nectar • Breakfast • Carrot • Muffins • Vegetables • Whole Grain • Whole Wheat
August 26, 2011
My good friend, Amanda, was in town last week and we had so much fun together. We went to the pool, had a little road trip to Austin, and ate A LOT of good food. The second night that she was in town we cooked dinner together, which is something we hadn’t done since we lived together in Florence over 4 years ago. When she first suggested that we make dinner, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I wanted her to teach me how to make this eggplant and tomato dip that she made in Florence once. It had made a lasting impression on me and I wanted the recipe! Anyways, long story short, dinner (including the dip) was a success and I now have another recipe to add to my collection.
Even though it’s only been 4 days since Amanda left (7 days since we made the dip together), I decided to make the dip again for dinner tonight while her instructions were still fresh in my memory. Usually the dip is eaten with pita bread or crostini, but when I came across this recipe for Whole Wheat Flatbreads on Joy the Baker, I changed my game plan.
Not only were these flatbreads perfect with the dip, but also they were really easy to make and I imagine that they would go well with just about anything. Plus, making your own bread is pretty impressive (my husband was totally impressed), so I think you should try it too.
Get the recipe>>
See more: Bread • Flatbread • Whole Grain • Whole Wheat • Yeasted Baked Goods
August 22, 2011
If you love granola and aren’t making it yourself, you need to try it. The first time I made granola, I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how much better it tasted than anything store bought. Since my first batch of homemade granola, I’ve experimented with a whole host of recipes. Some include different nuts or dried fruit, some use agave nectar instead of sugar, and some include some type of fat (like canola oil or butter). After all the experimenting, I have finally perfected what I think is the best homemade granola. It’s simple, easy to make, and really delicious. I suggest serving it with a little Greek yogurt and honey or with fresh berries and vanilla yogurt. I’ve also been known to eat it by the handful for a quick snack or in a bowl with milk.
Get the recipe>>
See more: Breakfast • Nuts • Oats • Vegan • Whole Grain
