The Hazel Bloom

Chocolate Chocolate Ice Cream

July is National Ice Cream Month.

Don't get me wrong - celebrating ice cream is an idea I can get behind - but I have to wonder, who comes up with these things? It's the special days that really get me. For instance, today is I Forgot Day. How do you celebrate this (other than with my general absentmindedness that needs no special day)?

"Hey! Frank! Happy... oh crap. I have no idea what I was going to say."

We have holidays to look forward to pretty much every day this summer. You can view the whole schedule here. Want some highlights?

• Tomorrow, July 3 - Compliment Your Mirror Day
• July 10 - Don't Step on a Bee Day
• July 27 - Barbie in a Blender Day (really?!). It's also Take Your Houseplants on a Walk Day and Walk On Stilts Day. Big day!
• August 6 - National Fresh Breath (Halitosis) Day
• August 8 - Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night (I love this one)
• August 10 - National Duran Duran Appreciation Day (nice!)
• September 9 - Wonderful Weirdos Day
• September 19 - Talk Like a Pirate Day (okay, fine, I also love this one)

Back to... what was it again?

Ice cream! Right!

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine's Double Chocolate Ice Cream recipe, this one is chocolatey - an extremely rich ice cream that hits you upside the head. In a good way. The secret addition of a little coffee helps highlight the chocolate flavors even more.

This may just be the perfect dessert for your Fourth of July Celebration, or anytime during Ice Cream Month. Or for National Duran Duran Appreciation Day, even. 

Here's the recipe!

Chocolate Chocolate Ice Cream

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I like 70% or so)
• 3 tablespoons strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the cocoa and sugar.
   
   
    
2. Over medium-low heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the milk along with the egg yolks, and mix well. 
3. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of the half and half (save 1/2 cup of the half and half for later).
4. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and registers 160 degrees on a thermometer. This takes me about 15 minutes.
   
   
    
5. Remove from heat.
6. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the half and half to boiling.
7. Remove the bowl from the microwave and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
   
   
   
   Chocolate is so messy, but so worth it.
    
8. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the pan, along with the coffee and vanilla. Stir well.
9. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
10. Add to ice cream maker (I use my beloved Cuisinart) and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. Serve soft, or place it in the freezer for at least 3 hours for harder ice cream. Garnish with a little chopped chocolate if you really want to send it over the top.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

How did this happen? Suddenly two days until Easter?!

Amazing how, especially when life is crazy, holidays can just sneak up on you. Luckily, I was slightly prepared to create a little something special because of my shopping spree at Bake it Pretty a month or so ago. Along with at least one of just about everything else, I threw some of these Filigree Basket Handles in my overflowing shopping cart, too.

So I churned out some last-minute cupcakes (last-minute cupcakes around here involve boxed cake mix, for shame, I know) and whipped up some little Easter baskets with jelly bean "eggs."

It should be a fun little Easter treat for kids and adults alike. I know I'd like to eat a couple right now, but I'm doing the low-carb thing.

Whimper.

Interested in making some of your own? Here's how I did it. If you don't have the basket handles, wing it! Twisty ties or heck, maybe even some paper strips would probably work great.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

I'm assuming you've made your cupcakes (from a box?! Join me in Home Baker's Detention!) and allowed them to cool.

Whip up a basic frosting - I like Martha Stewart's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting and used it here.

Add some green food coloring. I used my new mint green gel paste food coloring from... you'll never guess... Bake it Pretty! My lord, I need an intervention. 

Stir the same hue of food coloring into about a cup of coconut. I used Bob's Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut. Worked great (and tastes great - it's low carb!) - except if you're using gel food coloring, stir it into about a teaspoon of water and then add to the coconut. Won't disburse otherwise.

Now you're ready to get frosting and decorating!

Just frost the cupcake like you normally would, but try to keep it a little flatter on top and a little more frosting on the sides than usual.

And then roll it - just the sides - in the coconut (a pie plate is perfect for holding the coconut).

Lookin' grassy!

Now add a few egg-looking jelly beans. I used Jelly Belly coconut and french vanilla (with perfect little speckles!)

Aaand then stick the handles in the sides.

(Note: It actually takes two hands to get the handles in.This was just how I chose to simulate it in the moment. Not a great choice in hindsight.)

And then... voila... Easter basket cupcakes! 

 

Enjoy.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Carrot Cupcakes, topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, are soooo good. And they're especially perfect for Easter.

Though, I must confess, I'm not usually a carrot cake fan these days. I used to be, but something changed.

When I was younger, certain foods exercised my gag reflex like, I don't know, Richard Simmons sweatin' to the oldies. And others, I loved so much I thought there was nothing better in the world. But over time, there's been a little switcheroo with many foods. Those I loved, I suddenly realize I can't stand 'em anymore. Foods I hated? I've developed a new appreciation.

Take cantaloupe and honeydew. Used to eat them all the time, and loved 'em. Then I realized one day I was choking down a bowl of diced melon, and I thought to myself, "I hate these." Oh! Okay.

Or walnuts. Since I can remember, those durn, dasterdly bitter gag-worthy nuggets just hung out in otherwise perfectly good chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. (Bless my mom, who always cooked up a few walnut-free chocolate chip cookies just for me).

But I must say, I've actually learned to appreciate the dreaded walnut. Candied, and tossed into in a good salad? Yum. Chopped or ground up fine and baked into Pistachio and Walnut Baklava or Secret Kiss Cookies? Actually, yes. 

(Don't get me wrong. I still think it's a sin to desecrate a good chocolate chip cookie with them.)

Today, though, is about carrot cake. I know it's practically un-American to hate carrot cake. I know I risk the wrath of millions (okay, maybe about 100 if enough people read this) by saying it, but I realized a few years ago that I truly hate carrot cake. The only good thing about carrot cake was the cream cheese frosting.

Is it the walnuts? Is it the raisins? Is it the other stuff people cram in there? I have no idea.

But it's Easter time, I had some carrots that needed something done with them plus some adorable cupcake liners from Bake it Pretty and this recipe in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes recipe book called to me. "C'mon! You'll love it! Especially if you leave out the blasted walnuts! And if nothing else, you can lick off the cream cheese frosting..."

Sold.

(Martha is so convincing sometimes!)

So I left out the walnuts, pecans, the raisins, and even some of the carrot - a half pound instead of a full pound.

... and ended up with some cupcakes that I loooved. And, I'm sure, will always love.

I hope.

The cinnamon, ginger, and clove sets off the carrot just right, and the cream cheese frosting adds the right hit of tang and sweetness.

Here's the recipe!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook

Carrot Cupcakes

Makes about 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese (light/neufchatel is tasty too)
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cupcake directions:

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line 18 regular-size muffin tins with cupcake paper liners.
   
   
   Are these fluted flower cupcake liners not the cutest? I'm so obsessed with Bake it Pretty right now.
    
3. In a large bowl, mix together the carrot, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
   
   
   
4. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
   
   
   
5. Mix the flour mixture in with the carrot mixture until well mixed.
6. Pour batter into lined cups. Martha recommends filling the cup about 2/3 cup full. I like to live dangerously and go for a little over 3/4 full - usually a 1/3 cup measuring cup gets me close.
   
   
   We so need new muffin tins.
    
7. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes. They're done when the top springs back when you tap it, or a when a cupcake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on wire racks for about 10 minutes, then pull the cupcakes out of the tins and let them cool on the racks completely before frosting.
   
   

Frosting directions:

1. On medium speed, beat together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. 
2. Reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. I really advise against more than that, because you may find yourself disappearing in a powdered sugar cloud. Not that I'd know, not at all.
3. And finally mix in the vanilla.
   
   
   
4. Try not to eat all of this frosting before you actually have a chance to frost the cupcakes. Because it's pretty dang delicious.

And, frost your cupcakes! I topped mine with a little Demerara sugar for a little extra sparkle.

Enjoy!

Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

Okay, so I've been digressing a little bit. First I gushed a bunch about my dog Lizzie, then I was mean and posted pictures of our (mostly) sunny trip to Arizona. Not really food, home, or garden related, I know. I just couldn't help myself.

But now, I'm back! Behold: Delicious fruit!

Fruit salad is one of those things I don't make nearly enough of. Whenever I do get around to making it, I always think, "Why don't I make this any more than I do?"

Probably my favorite dressing is a simple mix of honey and lime juice, with a little lime zest thrown in for good measure. The honey adds a sweet touch, and the lime brightens it all up. 

Toss a small amount of the dressing with diced mangoes, kiwis, some blueberries, even some chunks of tart Granny Smith apple, and you've got something pretty much perfect. 

For this one, I tossed in a handful of frozen raspberries, too.

Here's the recipe!

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad Dressing

Adapted from Honey-Lime Fruit Salad from FamilyFun.go.com

• Zest and juice of two small limes (or one large) - enough for about 1/4 cup of juice
• 1/3 cup honey

1. Chop up your fruit and place in a big bowl
2. Mix up the dressing
3. Pour it over the salad and lightly toss
4. Serve and enjoy!

Hearty Buttermilk Pancakes with Raspberry-Honey Syrup

These pancakes are not only hearty, they're heart-y!

I know, I know. I'm not only dorky, I'm dork-y!

But I made delicious pancakes with cute hearts in the middle. So there is that.

A perfect choice for V-Day breakfast, these pancakes and their amazing Raspberry-Honey Syrup were adapted from the Five-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes with Raspberry Honey recipe found in the January 2010 issue of the wonderful (oh, so wonderful) Sunset magazine. You can find the original recipe here.

Mine only have four grains, and that's if you count white flour as a grain. And flaxseed as a grain. Oh, forget the grains and just check out the recipe.

(Oh, and my apologies for lack of pictures with the recipe. I'll add them as soon as I can!)

Hearty Buttermilk Pancakes

Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats

Raspberry-Honey Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Instructions:

1. Make the raspberry honey. First, heat the honey in a saucepan over low heat.
2. When the honey is warm, stir in the raspberries. 
3. Stir occasionally while cooking on low, until berries start to fall apart, and set aside.
4. Time to make the pancakes! In a large bowl, mix together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
5. Crack the eggs, placing the whites in a medium bowl of their own, and the yolks in their own medium bowl
6. Whisk together the egg yolks, honey, vanilla, canola oil, and buttermilk.
7. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and whisk together just until blended.
8. Stir in the flaxseed and oats. 
9. Time to whisk the egg whites into a frenzy. Wait. Strike that. For the love of all that is good and holy, please get out your hand mixer and beat them into a frenzy with that. Because, while you can hand-whisk your egg whites (until stiff peaks have formed, please), it can be an arm-numbing experience. 
10. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
11. Scoop in 1/3 cup measures or thereabouts onto a buttered griddle heated to about 325 degrees.
12. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side.
13. When cooked through, move to a flat surface (cutting board or the like).
14. Let cool for just a minute or so, then cut a heart out of the middle with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
15. Flip the heart shape over and stick it back in the pancake, a little askew.
16. Arrange on plate, add butter if desired (how can butter not be desired?!) and pour the raspberry-honey syrup over.
17. And enjoy!

Sour Cream Apple Waffles

I went Christmas shopping a few weeks ago on Black Friday. As is customary on Black Friday, about half the things I buy are for myself. Including, this year, a new waffle maker. Regularly $50, marked down to about $19, plus a $10 mail-in rebate (that I never got around to sending in!) Hey, who can pass up that kind of deal?!

I love waffles, but they're not all that healthy-diet friendly. Here I created a slightly healthier variation than your typical "awful," as my niece used to call 'em: Sour Cream Apple Waffles.

Light sour cream, apples, some whole wheat flour, not quite as much butter as many waffle recipes out there - when you are feeling the desperate need for a waffle (it happens! I've been there!) I think you could do worse than these.

The key to excellent waffle texture, I've learned, is to whip the egg white into a frenzy and fold it into the batter at the last minute. Who knew? Don't answer that. Once again I fear everyone knew that but me. (If you didn't, though, try it - works like a charm).

Oh, and I did not test this on any kids, but I daresay if you add a little peanut butter (these are crazy good with peanut butter), you'll have a fairly healthy breakfast - and something they may just gobble down.

Here's the recipe!

Apple Sour Cream Waffles

Makes about 4 waffles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 egg, separated (beat egg white separately)
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup 2% or nonfat milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup finely diced apples (I like Granny Smith) (peel them if you want - I don't bother)

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients - flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon - in a large bowl.
   
   
    
2. Chop up the apple. I find about half a medium apple makes about one cup of diced apple.
   
   
    
3. Separate the egg - yolk in a medium bowl, white in another medium bowl.
4. Add the sour cream, milk, and melted butter to the yolk, and whisk it all together well.
5. Mix the yolk mixture with the dry ingredients, just until well incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
6. Fold the apples into the batter.
   
   
7. With a wire whisk, whip the egg white into a frothy frenzy.
   
   
8. Carefully fold the egg white into the batter.
9. Ladle batter into your waffle maker, and cook according to your particular waffle maker's instructions (a good guideline, also, is to cook them until the steam stops).
   
   
    
   
10. Serve each waffle as soon as it's done, or keep in a 250 degree oven until they're all ready to serve at once.
11. And, of course, enjoy!

Pine Bark

This easy, delicious, candy slash cookie is made with... you ready? Saltine crackers! Yup.

With the whole salted caramel mania these past couple of years, it's sort of understandable. Pine Bark is basically caramel over saltine crackers, slathered with chocolate. The crackers add a crazy good texture and a perfect hit of salt. I know, crackers, it's a little weird (almost as weird as Ritz crackers dipped in mint chocolate, which is also delicious and which I should probably also share). But you must trust me on this.

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen. So many delicious foods come from Paula Deen. So many fattening foods. I'll be seeing less of Paula after the first of the year. I'll miss her.

Pine Bark (I have no idea how it got its name) is another must-make holiday treat for me. And people dig it. I suggest a double batch.

Here's the recipe!

Pine Bark

Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe on foodnetwork.com

Makes about 40 pieces

Ingredients:

• One sleeve saltine crackers (about 35 crackers)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate, whichever you prefer)
  
  
  

Instructions:

1. Turn oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with sides) with foil. Spray well with Pam.
3. Lay crackers salt side up in a single layer in the pan.
   
   
   
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
5. Add brown sugar.
6. Leave heat on medium low and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a full boil.
7. Once the mixture comes to a full boil, cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. (It should look like this when you start timing. If you don't cook it long enough, the brown sugar may not dissolve, and you end up with grainy pine bark. Not nearly as delicious.)
   
   
   
8. Remove brown sugar and butter from heat, and stir in the almond extract.
9. Pour over the saltine crackers.
   
   
   
10. Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes. It'll be all bubbly when you pull it out.
    
    
    
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
12. Let chocolate chips get all melty (it'll take a couple of minutes), then spread evenly with a spatula.
    
    
    
13. Let cool until you can touch the chocolate (this may take an hour or more) - but not all the way.  If you let the Pine Bark cool 100% on the foil, you may have a hard time getting it off of the foil. So let it cool somewhat, then transfer to some wax paper or parchment paper to cool the rest of the way. You may also want to refrigerate it to get it nice and hard.
    
    
    
14. Then, cut into pieces and serve. I like to store mine in the refrigerator, but it generally keeps fine at room temp, too.

Yet another addicting treat that I have to limit to holidays only. I have SO MUCH exercising to do come January.

Dolly Parton's Sugar Cookie Recipe

I have no idea if this recipe truly originates from Dolly, but if it did, thank you Dolly! Not only are you a super cool chick, but you gave me my go-to recipe for sugar cookies for going on probably 10 years now.

I happened across this fab recipe while googling - heck, maybe I was using Netscape (remember when Netscape was a search engine and not a defunct ISP? Or am I alone?!) at that time. Anyway, I searched for a sugar cookie recipe, and found this one. Intrigued, I tried it out.

It was perfect.

Since then, when I make sugar cookies, this is the only recipe I use. I'm convinced there is no better. The taste (with just a little bit of lemon zest) is out of this world. The dough rolls and keeps its shape when cooking beautifully. And they taste amazing. Did I mention they're delicious? (The dough is yummy, too).

Last year, my guy, his buddy, and I were snowed in for days. It was a weird, wonderful, memorable time - I'd never seen anything like it in all my years in Seattle.

One day, we spent an entire afternoon frosting sugar cookies and drinking hot buttered rum. The guys totally got into it - cabin fever, I guess - and we had a blast. They may have gotten a little creative with the gingerbread shapes (again: cabin fever!) - please skip past the top right part of the following photo if your sensibilities are, well... sensitive. I added some "censored" bars just to be extra safe.

The baby blue Beetle convertible with a black top is a testament to the kind of fun car I would love to have. Maybe someday.

Here's another view:

I was very proud of my Bumble (even though the chest and belly button action are a bit much) and my attempt at the bundled up little brother from A Christmas Story (shame on me, I forgot the scarf!). My guy made a fishbowl with Swedish Fish. So creative!

And when I broke one of the poor cars while frosting it, I just borrowed a tree and a snowman and made a little scene out of several cookies.

Gotta go with the flow!

This year, my Christmas sugar cookies are frosty-looking snowflakes shaped with round- and flower-shaped cookie cutters. I frosted them various shades of blue and dusted them with sparkly sugar sprinkles.

Far less creative than last year - but if we get snowed in again, another batch will be in order, so stay tuned!

I also used the recipe as a base for Lemon Sandwich Cookies, which are also terrific - watch for that story tomorrow!

Meanwhile, today...

Dolly Parton's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened (yep, that's four cubes. It's the holidays, it's okay!)
• 2 egg yolks
• The zest of one medium lemon (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
  
  
  

Instructions:

1. Cream sugar and butter together in a large bowl, beating until well incorporated. 
2. Add the egg yolks and lemon zest. Beat until well mixed.
   
   
   
3. Sift the flour over the wet ingredients, and mix just until combined.
4. Knead together very gently until it forms enough of a ball to plop onto a piece of Saran Wrap. Work the dough just enough to get it to stick together, but be careful not to overdo it. Honestly, I get so paranoid about overworking the dough that I pile the crumbs onto the Saran Wrap, fold it up around the mound, and press it together that way.
   
   
   
   Sometimes, if you're lucky, an alert dog will be standing by to help clean the floor should an errant crumb drop.
    
5. Wrap the dough.
   
   
   
6. Chill dough for three hours.
   ---
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Roll out dough - I go as thin as 1/8 inch, but I prefer about 1/4 inch thick - and cut into shapes, adding additional flour as necessary to avoid sticking.
   
   
   
9. Place cookie shapes on a cookie sheet (no need to grease) and bake for about 8 minutes, just until the cookies start to turn a tinge of beige.
   
   Raw:
   
   
   
   Done:
   
   
   Please don't worry, these cookies did not shape shift! I just chose to photograph different batches to demonstrate before and after for some silly reason. I blame all the dough I was nibbling on. Sugar high.
    
   
10. Let cool slightly then move to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Eat plain or frost! (My very favorite sugar cookie icing recipe is below.)

Sugar Cookie Icing

This is a terrific sugar cookie icing recipe. It's easy to frost the cookies with it, and it hardens nicely for easy storage and travel.

From Junebug on Recipezaar.com

• 1/2 cup powdered (or confectioners) sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Food coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients well and use immediately. If the frosting is too thick, add more corn syrup until you get your desired consistency. If it's too thin, use more powdered sugar.

If you're adding sprinkles or Swedish Fish or you name it, add them right away, before the frosting hardens.

And, most of all, enjoy!

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Ever

I can say this is the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever because it's not really my recipe. I tweaked it a tiny bit - basically made it even more fattening - but otherwise, it's someone else's. It's from someone named Bev, who posted her recipe on Recipezaar and to whom I am eternally grateful. 

See, macaroni and cheese is pretty much my all-time favorite food. Always has been. Cases in point:

1. One of my first-ever memories is of sitting down in front of the TV with a bowl full of macaroni and cheese and watching Emergency! - and feeling pure bliss.
2. Not long after that was when I realized that a single macaroni and cheese noodle was actually not called a "macaroni and chee." Major epiphany.
3. Every birthday, my wonderful Gran actually used to wrap up boxes of Kraft dinner for me. Best presents ever! 

I should probably stop there. I have a sneaking suspicion I'm coming off like a total freak.

So back to Bev. Bev posted a recipe that will forever be my go-to recipe for homemade mac and cheese. Before that, I had only experienced dry homemade mac and cheese. Goes into the oven wet, comes out dry. So annoying! But no more. I love you Bev!

Bev is probably totally creeped out now too.

I'm a total freakfest today. I guess I'll just post the recipe. Mac and cheese lovers, come hither - this is the real thing!

Oh - and this recipe is great with many noodles other than macaroni (like penne, yum!) My most recent discovery is a wonderful pasta called "conchiglie." It's like giant macaroni noodles and it holds the sauce in the middle and oh. my. God. you just have to try it.

Okay, I'm shutting up now.

(Conchiglie pasta - this organic Montebello stuff is out of this world:)

Here's the recipe!

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Ever

Adapted from the Bev's Macaroni and Cheese recipe on Recipezaar

Serves 5 - 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz. to 10 oz. macaroni or other pasta (like conchiglie!)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika plus more for sprinkling on top
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside. (Mix in a little butter to keep the noodles from sticking if it's going to be awhile before you make the sauce)
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. Over medium heat, melt the butter.
4. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
   
   
   
5. Stir in the milk.
6. Keeping on medium heat, whisk constantly for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
7. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese, stirring until melted.
   
   
   
8. Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and toss gently until all noodles are covered.
   
   
   
   Oh yes.
   
   
   
9. Add half the noodles to a two quart casserole dish. 
10. Sprinkle on half the cheese.
    
    
    
11. Add the rest of the noodles.
12. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, and dust lightly with the smoked paprika.
    
    
    
13. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until it starts getting a slightly dry and a tiny bit brown on top (here's the photo again!)
    
    

Serving suggestion: Top with bacon pieces if you are anything like my guy and just can't help yourself. :)

Gingerbread Pancakes

It's Friday! We're so close to the weekend, we can practically touch it. Not that it would be possible to physically touch a weekend. That's actually kind of weird.

But weekends rock, anyway. No more work for two whole days! No alarm clocks for two whole days! Two whole lazy mornings with lots of time for fun breakfasts!

How about some pancakes with a little holiday twist? Please don't fret, by "holiday" I only mean fall, harvest, Thanksgiving time.

That's not to say these wouldn't be perfect for Christmas time, too - especially with some red and green sprinkles.

Sorry! Sorry! I know it's early yet. I'm not ready either. Just pretend the sprinkles didn't happen.

Anyway, here's the recipe. Oh, and these are great with syrup, but we also love them with the harvest peach jam I made all the way back in August. Oh summer, I miss you.

But holiday time - and especially the weekends - are nice in their very own way, too.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Makes 7-8 four-inch pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or just use 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons dark molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients - flours, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices - together in a large bowl.
2. In a separate medium bowl, beat together the wet ingredients - milk, molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Helpful hint: Spray your measuring spoon with a quick hit of nonstick cooking spray before measuring out the molasses. It'll slip right out of the spoon, instead of clinging for dear life.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the wet into the dry. Mix just until the wet and dry are incorporated. I know, awfully brown for pancake batter, isn't it? I love it.
   
   
   
4. Heat your griddle to 350 degrees (or medium heat). You know it's ready for pancakes when you sprinkle a drop of water on the surface and it jumps around.
5. Add some butter or nonstick cooking spray to your griddle to ensure the pancakes don't stick.
6. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup (or 1/2 cup measuring cup for slightly bigger pancakes), pour scoops of batter onto the hot griddle.
7. They're ready to turn over when the sides start looking dry and bubbly, and you can easily slip your spatula underneath and see that they're getting brown.
8. Flip and cook the other side until brown.
   
   
   
9. I tend to flip them back over and cook 'em a little more on each side for good measure, but that's probably overkill.
10. Top with butter, syrup or jam, and (very important!) a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle a little cinnamon over all for a fancier (and yummier) look.