{ Foods Category }

Persimmon Cookies

I love persimmon cookies {not a big fan of them raw though; my previous encounter with one left my tongue mentally scarred}. They have the same consistency/taste as pumpkin {drop} cookies, which I also love {since I don’t discriminate cookies}. And even though they might not look visually appealing or spectacular, they definitely taste good. So in honor of me buying some in-season persimmons a couple weeks ago only to forget them until today, I will be baking them in cookies tonight. Cannot wait!

{Too cute!}

{Photo via stutefish}

Acorn Cakelet

What a great + festive way to make some Autumn goodies {corn bread, madeleines, nut bread…}! This acorn cakelet pan from Williams-Sonoma is just too cute.

Candy Corn

There’s no other Halloween candy I detest more than candy corn. I admit, their cute little triangle-shape and cheery tri-color bands make them kind of irresistible, but they are deceiving! They taste neither like candy or corn. This is the one candy {along with Tootsie Rolls} that I will never dole out to trick-or-treaters, I might as well be handing out orange painted pebbles. To quote Lewis Black, “All the candy corn that was ever made, was made in 1914. They never had to make it again; we never eat enough of it. Literally, after Halloween the candy corn company send out their minions and they go from garbage can to garbage can and collect the corn and throw it back in the bag…and it appears next year.”

{However, they are adorably tolerable in glass apothecary jars…}

{Photo from melissan}

Creepy Cookies

Mmm! These look good! Looks like I’ll be doing some baking this week…

{Recipes here and here.}

Brain Cupcakes

What a cute dessert idea for a Halloween get-together! These were first featured in Martha Stewart Kids, but what adult could possibly resist the temptation of cupcakes? Especially if the “brain” were to be made of buttercream frosting? Mmm…cerebral…

{Recipe here}
{Printable version}

Feta Cheese Please

I’m no professional connoisseur of cheese, but I’m definitely a fan, especially of the sharp variety {love me some Whole Foods robusto gouda}.  And now I’ve added crumbled feta to my list of favs. {Honestly, I’m probably the last person to notice the deliciousness of this sharp + grainy goodness}. Feta cheese makes everything taste 110% more awesome. It’s my new “salt + pepper”. Salad too bland? Add feta. Pizza missing something? Add feta. Boring hamburger? ADD FETA! Sigh, like I need another food to be obsessed about!

{Image from wikipedia}

Artisan Bread Made Easy

This book just came in the mail the other day, and I can’t wait to try these easy recipes! {Co-Author, Zoe Francois has a beautiful baking blog.}

Peach Cobbler Success

The other day I made this for dessert, and surprisingly, it turned out great! {Meaning I managed not to ruin this cobbler}. I just added a little bit of cinnamon to the dry ingredients, and some strawberries to the fruit mix. My husband has already requested I make this again.

{RECIPE}

Ingredients

  • FOR THE FILLING
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 pounds peaches, halved, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and cut again in half crosswise (about 4 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • FOR THE TOPPING
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • A dash of cinnamon {optional}

Directions

  1. Make the filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add peaches and lemon juice; toss to combine. Divide filling evenly among four 8-ounce custard cups (I used a 2-quart pyrex baking dish); transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Make the topping and bake: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just until a dough forms. Drop dough onto peaches, using about 1/3 cup dough for each custard cup. Sprinkle dough with remaining teaspoon sugar. Bake until fruit is bubbling and biscuit topping is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes; serve warm.


Yum

Looks like this is what I’ll be making for dinner…with some fresh pico de gallo, and maybe some guacamole. Mmm…

Cookies with Secrets

Right now I’m baking these cookies.

Yum!

Yum!

Hope they turn out just as perfect…

{Secrets: chill dough for 24 - 36 hours; sea salt!}

*Update: Wow! These came out crunchy on the outside and chewy soft on the inside! These are probably the best batch of choco-chip cookies I’ve ever baked (I know, sadly, that’s not saying a whole lot!).