Bake Sale Treats!

A few of the cupcakes I made for the United Way Bakesale at work. Black forest, chocolate with vanilla, and vanilla/vanilla. The shot of the Lemon Cupcakes is out of focus. I really have to buck up and get a new camera!

Also, Oreo Truffles! First time I made them... inspired by the lovely Hannah Higgins' annual truffle and buckeye making.

They are so easy-breasy. Write me for the recipe.

Grilled Red Plums

I had a bag of red plums that was not gonna make it another day. Dinner! Very simple; halve the plums, coat with a little olive oil, then sprinkle on nutmeg and cinnamon. I bet some vanilla sugar would have really put it over the top, given it a little caramel crunch, but I've had enough sugar this weekend. Slap on the grill for 5 minutes and viola!

These are really very ripe, so they stuck a little and got a little sloppy. The color got so vibrant, this beautiful pinky-red, and the smell is SICK. So yummy.

To those that love ice cream (eh) I bet this would be good with it.

Why the olive oil? To help them not stick, and we'll I feel like I got a little talkin' to from Rocco over at Morta Di Fame (http://www.mortadifame.blogspot.com/) for questioning olive oil in dessert making.

15 pounds of frosting...

This is what 10 pounds of buttercream frosting looks like...the 5 other pounds are still in the mixer. i think i'm gonna need a bigger container.

Suuuuugar.

Trail Mix Cookies (aka, let's-see-what-happens-cookies)

Here's last evening's throw-everything-into-the-bowl and see-what-happens-cookies. Basically adapting the Toll House Recipe. They ain't half bad. Semi-sweet chips, almonds, pecans, dried currants, dried strawberries (um. yum!) and spice is key; fresh nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and I threw in a little black pepper.

I used a 1:1 ratio of shortening to butter, i think next time I'll try 1:2, more butter, less shortening. But the shortening does give them a little more tender texture so I wouldn't take it out completely.

Oh! and I threw in a few spoonfuls of oat bran. To kid myself on calling them healthy.

As my very funny friend said, "as lame Cookie-Monster would say...'cookies are a sometimes treat"

Pickle Success!

I gave the pickling of the cucumbers another try this week...and they turned out tasty and delicious, crispy and nutritious. (Nice and garlicky, I don't understand food without garlic.)

Recipe posted earlier, but using regular picking cucumbers!

Fourth of July Cupcakes

Butter-Almond Cupcakes with Butter-Almond Frosting, topped with Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberry Stars

I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself with these.

Death of a Cucumber

I love pickles! I can wreck a jar in minutes. I tried to make my own quick-like. They taste okay, but because I was impatient and couldn't find little gherkins... (i love saying gherrrkins)...I used small English Cukes. Bad idea. They are all, um, flacid. ew.

Here is the inspiration behind me making pickles. Here is my friend Jadzia teaching me how to make pickles, while I was in Poland last week. As you can see hers turned out crisp and delish. I'll hit West Side Market on Friday and get the real-meal-deal-mini-GHERKINS! and try again.

Until then, what the hell do I do with all these rubbery pickles?

RECIPE FOR QUICK PICKLES 

(You don't 'can' these babies, and there is no vinegar)

Clean a big glass jar with hot soapy water and rinse well.

Add tepid water with sea or kosher salt, this is all by taste. If in doubt, add more salt.

Start layering in small, clean, pickles. Nice and snug. Throw in a couple of halved cloves of garlic, fresh dill and whole black peppercorns. All to taste.

Here's the fun part...After the jar is filled up to the top with the salt water, place a slice of white bread on top. Tuck it in to seal around the inside of the top of the jar. Then, place a small plate, or I used a plastic container on top of that, and some sort of weight (i used a small jar full of dried beans). The bread helps the fermentation, as does the exposure to air. So, be sure to not make the seal of the plate airtight with the jar.

Check on your pickles in a day or so, and give em a taste. If you like, slap a tight lid on them, and throw them in the fridge to stop the fermenting. If you like em more sour, let em 'bake' a day or two longer.

These do not last as long as traditional canned pickles, so eat em up!