Oreo Cheesecake Balls

I made these in my food processor. To make by hand simply put the Oreos in a large ziploc bag and crush to fine crumbs with a rolling pin.

1 pkg Oreos (I used double stuffed, but regular work just fine)
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
Chocolate for dipping

Put entire package of Oreos in food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Add cream cheese and process until combined. With a melon baller or tablespoon scoop into small balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Freeze at least 30 minutes. Dip in whatever chocolate you desire. Freeze until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Serve cold.

*I melted 60% cocoa Ghirardelli chocolate chips in a double boiler and then dipped the balls. I liked the contrast of the slightly bitter chocolate with the sweet center. You do not need to use popsicle sticks, I just liked the look of lollipops, but you can make them like truffles. They are very good, but need to be served cold!*

Homemade Bread

A slice of warm, freshly baked bread has to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Homemade bread also makes a great gift. One night at dinner our friends served the most delicious bread and I loved the bread so much that I apologized for not eating the dinner, but explained that the bread was all I wanted. My cute friend Jill called Bryant later in the week to find out when I would be home so that she could surprise me with a loaf. Not only did she bring me a warm loaf of delicious bread, but also strawberry jam from her grandmother. I later realized that this was the first time anyone, other than my own grandmother, had given me bread. For some reason bread seems like an incredibly personal gift, perhaps because it represents home. Here are two of my favorite bread recipes. The first is a 100% whole wheat bread from King Arthur Flour. The recipe is quick, moist, and only makes 1 loaf which is perfect for Bryant & I. We don't have much freezer space so I would rather make bread more frequently than make 4 loaves at once, especially when the recipe takes so little time. The second recipe is from my friend Jill, and is perfect when you want fresh bread with dinner but don't have time to let it rise.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
1 1/3 c lukewarm water
1/4 c olive oil (or you can use vegetable oil)
1/4 c honey (or you can use maple syrup, but I prefer honey)
3 1/2 c Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 c nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until it becomes smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 hour depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and shape into an 8-inch log. Place in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 to 60 minutes or until it has crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with foil after 20 minutes. Test for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom, it should sound hollow. Remove from oven, turn out of pan, and cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.

Jill's Irish Brown Bread

*I have made this by hand and in my food processor, both work great although the food processor is much faster.*

1 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp cold butter
2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c regular rolled oats
1 1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt

Mix first 5 ingredients and then cut in butter until mixture forms fine crumbs. Stir in whole wheat flour and oats. Add yogurt and stir gently. If mixture is too dry stir in some milk 1 teaspoon at a time just until dough holds together.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 5 times to make a ball. Set on a lightly greased baking sheet and pat into a 7-inch circle. Cut a large X on top of loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees until well browned, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.

What I've Been Baking

Cindee - this post is for you. Here are the photos from last week's baking frenzy. The wedding cake turned out okay, my only concern was with the appearance, because the cake itself was delicious. I need a lot more practice decorating. I can guarantee that it tasted amazing, anything with 8 lbs of butter in the frosting is bound to be fabulous.

The deserts for the baby shower were also delicious. Oreo cheesecake balls dipped in dark chocolate, mini cupcakes (aka leftover wedding cake batter), and cream puffs (technically they are mini eclairs as they have a vanilla custard filling, but I like the sound of cream puffs so much more). That fabulous salad pictured in the back was made by the new mom's sister-in-law and it was outstanding. Cheese tortellini, strawberries, asparagus, and some lemon zest vinaigrette. Weird combination, but so good.

What We've Been Eating

We have homemade pizza on a weekly basis. It is fast (depending on what toppings are used), healthy, and tasty. This is the recipe that I use the most and have found that the secret to a great crust is coating the baking stone or sheet with coarse cornmeal or polenta. This gives the crust an even crisper bottom with great texture and flavor. The dough can be made in under 10 minutes and is ready to use within an hour.

Pizza Dough - Giada De Laurentiis
3/4 c warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 c (or more as needed) all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil

*I have used 1 c whole wheat flour and 1 c all-purpose flour with great results*

Pour water into small bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Mix flour, sugar, and salt by hand or in food processor. Add yeast water and olive oil and process or stir until smooth. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky about 1 minute. Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and let relax 5 to 10 minutes.

When I roll out my dough I dimple it with my fingertips and if I am not using a marinara sauce spread olive oil and minced garlic over the top, and then add my toppings. I bake my pizzas at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. I've also found that the easiest way to slide my pizza on and off of my baking stone is by rolling out the dough on parchment paper that I've sprinkled with cornmeal. Then I transfer it to the back of a baking sheet and slide it onto the baking stone.

This week with had pizza with maple sausage, caramelized onions, and sauteed fennel with pine nuts and pecurino romano fulvi cheese. It was fantastic and I served it with dates that had been stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in bacon, and then grilled. Last week we had pizza with homemade pesto, chopped artichoke hearts, shredded chicken, and goat cheese with a salad with a simple vinaigrette of balsalmic, extra virgin olive oil, and honey. Here are some more topping ideas:

Marinara sauce, fresh slices of mozzarella, and fresh basil

Caramelized onions and butternut squash with garlic and feta cheese (I made this one night when we had another couple over and the husband told me that he hated squash, but had to have the recipe for this pizza. He ate almost all of it!)

Ricotta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan with fresh tomatoes and basil

Get creative. At book club I had an amazing pizza with (I think) asparagus, shrimp, goat cheese and pesto, a combination I would have never thought of myself! Another favorite is with Gorgonzola, pineapple, and caramelized figs.

Everything But The Ketchup Muffins

I have never been able to understand why people say they can't cook. Cooking is simple, you open a book and follow a recipe. Now being a great cook is a completely different matter, and I know that I am not a great cook. Great cooks don't need books and recipes, they simply know what ingredients go together, what ingredients are necessary to produce the desired result, and what cooking methods are appropriate for the given dish. For the most part I still cling to the comfort of a recipe, but every now and then I too create something wonderful. Behold, the muffins:

They don't look like much, but they are delicious. We are going out of town this weekend and had a random collection of foods in our refrigerator that would inevitably spoil, so I decided to make muffins. I am going to include the 'recipe' for these muffins, but not because I expect someone to actually make them. I will most likely never make them again, because I am not going to go out and buy all of the random ingredients that I used today. They were used today simply because they were there. These are all approximate amounts, I didn't actually measure anything.

3/4 c sweet potato puree (from food storage, used a 1/4 of the can earlier) 2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 c cooked steel-cut oats (breakfast leftovers)
1/4 c applesauce (from food storage, already open and almost gone)
1/4 c plain yogurt (bread recipe)
1/4 c sweetened chestnut puree (crepe recipe)
3 egg yolks (lemon curd recipe)
zest of 1 Meyer lemon (lemon curd recipe)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp grade B maple syrup
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground green cardamom (Christmas drink recipe)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 c cornmeal (because I like the texture)
3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour (because I found it in the back of my cupboard)
1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes (from the coconut chicken recipe)
1/3 c chopped walnuts (in my cupboard)

I mixed it all together, put it in a muffin pan, and baked in at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. I was very nervous that they would be terrible, perhaps not sweet enough. Normally I prefer muffins once they have cooled completely but I couldn't wait to try them and I was shocked at how delicious they tasted! What an accomplishment. And now all my empty containers are washed out and waiting to go to recycling. What a good morning.

So here's your homework assignment. I want you to make up a recipe using what you have. Don't go out and buy ingredients (that takes away half of the fun) just use up what leftovers you have, and let me know what you make. Don't over think it, just have fun with it. Happy cooking.