Lamingtons

Happy belated Australia Day! I made Lamingtons for my mom (or should I say mum?) for Australia Day a few days ago and then I forgot to post about them. Whoops. In case you were wondering, my mom immigrated to Australia from Scotland when she was a little girl and then when I was a little girl my family moved from California to Australia. And know I live in Arizona. How did that happen?

Anyways, one of my memories from living in Australia has always been munching on lamingtons. They're these sweet little squares of cake, sometimes with jam sandwiched in between, covered in chocolate then rolled in dessicated coconut. What is there not to love? Unfortunately dessicated coconut is nearly impossible to get in the U.S., especially in Arizona. So when I got my hands on a bag of the stuff thanks to a visiting Aussie, I pounced on the chance to make one of my favorite Australia treats.

Although there was a recipe printed on the back of the dessicated coconut bag, I ended up using Martha Stewart's recipe for lamingtons because I didn't feel like converting the measurements.

Recipe rundown:
Taste: Great balance of flavors; mellow sweetness from the cake, tartness from the jam, richness from the chocolate, and an exotic sweetness from the coconut.
Texture: Gets better the longer the lamingtons sit after being coated and the coconut adds a nice crunch.
Ease: Although there are quite a few steps involved they are all simple.
Appearance: Square and cute, especially if you can see the thin layer of red strawberry jam once bitten into.
Expense: I didn't need to buy a single ingredient for this recipe, everything was in my pantry or fridge.
Pros: Like I said with texture, the longer these sit after being coated the better they taste. Also, if you are crammed for time you can make these with store bought cake or a box mix. I prefer homemade, though.
Cons: The process of spreading the jam, cutting into squares, dipping in chocolate, rolling in coconut, and letting dry can be painstaking (but so worth it).
Would I make this again? Yes :)

Lamingtons
Yield: 24
From Martha Stewart

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 2/3 cups cake flour , (not self-rising), plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup strawberry jam
• 1 pound shredded sweetened coconut (I used the traditional dessicated coconut)
  
• Chocolate Icing (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking pans; line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess; set pans aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time; beat until incorporated.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Place in oven; bake until a cake tester inserted into middles comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks; remove from pans. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.
4. Spread one of the cooled cakes with the jam; place other cake on top. Using a serrated knife, trim edges of sandwiched cakes; cut into 24 two-inch squares.
5. Place the coconut in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the bowl of chocolate icing over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of gently simmering water. Place a jam-filled cake square in the bowl of chocolate icing; using forks to turn the square, coat all sides.
6. Allow excess icing to drip off; transfer square to bowl of coconut (left bottom). Using clean forks to turn square, coat it with coconut. Transfer coated square to wire rack to stand until coating has set, about 15 minutes. Continue until all squares have been coated.

Chocolate Icing

• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1. Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat until butter is melted. Transfer to a medium heat-proof bowl; add the vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir until combined.

Double Crust Apple Pie

I know I'm a little late to be posting a recipe for apple pie considering the holiday season is now behind us. But who cares? Apple pie is always good. And during the holiday season I did make some pies, but I never got a chance to make apple. So here it is: a tender, gooey, warm, spicy, tart, and sweet filling wrapped in a beautiful buttery and flaky homemade crust.

The thought of making a pie, especially the crust, completely from scratch can be a daunting one. But with great baking resources like Martha Stewart's Cooking School, The Art and Soul of Baking, and even YouTube, it doesn't seem so bad.

Recipe rundown:
Taste: Classic apple pie flavors, the perfect amount of sweetness and the perfect amount of spicy warmth.
Texture: Perfect, tender apples floating in a gooey goodness with a delightfully flaky crust.
Ease: The steps can be difficult if its one of your first times making pie from scratch but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easy and just time consuming. So worth it, though.
Appearance: The crimped edges and 4 vent slices add a nice rustic simpleness. Maybe next time I'll use some cute cookie cutters and cut out embellishments with the extra dough.
Expense: The apples were the only thing I needed to buy for this recipe, so it was under $5.
Pros: Stayed delicious for days, held its shape while baking.
Cons: The pie takes a long time to make, only for special occasions.
Would I make this again? Absolutely, this is my go-to apple pie recipe. Its nearly perfect. Thanks Martha!

Double Crust Apple Pie
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Time: 2 hours
Yield: 10-12 servings
Note: Don't refrigerate the pie after baking, that will only make it soggy. Store at room temperature.

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
• Pie crust (see recipe below)
  
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 3 pounds assorted apples (such as Macoun, Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonagold, and Empire)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter,, cut into small pieces
• Best-quality vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of pie crust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer pan to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; place in chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter.
4. Roll out the remaining disk of pie crust as in step one. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with the egg wash. Place second piece of dough on top, and trim so 1 inch overhangs. Tuck the dough under, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator, and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove pie from the refrigerator, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut four vents in the top, allowing the steam to escape.
6. Bake until crust begins to turn light brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve pie with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Pie Crust
Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts

• 1 cup (about 2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pie plate
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
2. Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you’ve added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
6. Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

I had never had stuffed mushrooms until recently when I ate dinner at a local pizzeria and the waitress recommended the stuffed mushrooms as our appetizer. They were outstanding. I came to realize that the pizzeria itself was outstanding, too. I'm not usually a big fan of mushrooms, I'll eat them if its thrown into a pasta or salad, but never by themselves. However, there's something to be said about a mushroom filled with cheesy goodness, accentuated by the characteristic flavors of Italian sausage, and then baked till the topping is crisp and absolutely mouthwatering. When I took my first bite out of those stuffed mushrooms at that seemingly unpromising pizzeria, I knew I'd be taking many more for as long as that pizzeria was still in business. That is, until I found this gem of a recipe from Ina Garten. Then I knew I'd be taking many more bites of stuffed mushrooms at home, which is even more rewarding.

I had a difficult time at the supermarket finding mushrooms that were big enough to stuff. However, I came to find that having leftover stuffing wasn't a bad thing at all because it provided several mornings of delicious scrambled eggs.

Recipe rundown:
Taste: Beautiful depth of classic Italian flavors. Marinating the mushrooms in wine and olive oil added a deep flavor that stood up to the stuffing.
Texture: Tender mushrooms, gooey filling, crisp topping. Could the texture get any better?
Ease: Very simple steps, only difficulty I had was getting the stuffing into my too-small mushrooms.
Appearance: Anything bite-sized wins the appearance category in my opinion.
Expense: Unfortunately these aren't the cheapest appetizers to make, the wine, sausage, and mascarpone put the cost over $10, and I already had the Marsala.
Pros: Rivals the recipe at one of my favorite restaurants, and leaves extra stuffing to be used for all sorts of goodies, like scrambled eggs.
Cons: I personally have a difficult time finding mushrooms large enough, but that could just be my local supermarkets. Also, the cost.
Would I make this again? Definitely. I've been asked for the recipe, too.


Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Close

Times:

Prep

15 min

Inactive Prep

--

Cook

1 hr 15 min

Total:

1 hr 30 min

nocoupons

• 16 extra-large white mushrooms
• 5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 cup panko crumbs
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes

Remember back around Halloween when I made healthy Pumpkin Pie Muffins? This recipe for Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes wins. I don't care how much sugar or butter this recipe calls for, its worth it. There is something so wonderful about this combination of flavors and textures: the creamy yet nutty, almost smokiness of the icing and the soft, tender, warm sweetness of the cupcake itself. As I'm typing this I'm glad I saved some of these cupcakes in the freezer because I already want to make another batch!

Recipe rundown:
Taste: Comforting depth of fall flavors
Texture: Soft, moist
Ease: Clear instructions, no special equipment or hard to find ingredients. Browning the butter is probably the most difficult part.
Appearance: Its a cupcake, so of course its going to be cute!
Expense: Little, the only thing I had to go out and buy was pumpkin puree and more butter
Pros: The cupcakes can be frozen so if you don't feel like making 15, freeze half and half the icing recipe
Cons: The cupcakes don't last long once iced, the icing turns hard
Would I make this again? Yes!

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart Cupcakes, Makes 15

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for tins
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Brown Butter Icing (Recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sage, if desired, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

4. To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing, then turn over quickly and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed, keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Brown Butter Icing
Makes 1 cup

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour butter into bowl, leaving behind any burned sediment.

2. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to brown butter, stir until smooth. If necessary, add more milk (up to 2 tablespoons) a little at a time, just until icing is spreadable. Use immediately.