Spencer's Lemon Bars

Sometimes, Spencer comes with me to the grocery store.  He pushes the buggy while I run around matching coupons with sales and tracking down the things on our list.  And trying to stay out of his way so the back of my ankles don't get run into.  :)

A few weeks ago, we were on the baking aisle. { Surprise, surprise. I practically live there. } I returned to the cart with a bag of flour, and Spencer was standing there with his arms outstretched holding a box.  He asked, "Maybe one day will you make these for me?" Bless his sweet heart, the man wants lemon bars.  And the reality is, control-freak-me usually makes what I want.

So if the man wants lemon bars, lemon bars he will get.  And not from a box.

I've no idea where I got this recipe.  It's been on a piece of paper in my blue pantry folder for years.  Crust like a shortbread cookie paired with a delightfully tangy topping.  When I made them, Spencer wouldn't let me take them to work.  That's the sign of a sure-fire winner in this house!

Spencer's Lemon Bars

makes 18 bars

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 cup { 2 sticks } cold butter
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• Topping
• 1 1/2 cup plain white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Equipment

• Whisk
• Pastry blender
• Medium and large mixing bowls
• 9"x13" baking pan

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Begin preparing crust.  Whisk flour and confectioner's sugar together in a medium bowl.

• Cut in butter { using a pastry blender or knife and fork } until coarse and crumbly.

{ Cutting the butter into tablespoons will help it blend more easily. }

{ It will still be very dry, so don't worry! }

• Pour mixture into a 9" x 13" pan.

• Press mixture evenly into bottom of pan.

• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

• While crust is baking, prepare topping.  Start by mixing sugar, flour and baking powder in a large bowl.  Then add slightly beaten eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest.

• Mix well and pour over warm baked crust.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• When cool, cut into bars and dust with confectioner's sugar.

• Keep refrigerated.  Serve cool and enjoy!

Cheddar & Scallion Drop Biscuits

Ever read Three Many Cooks?  It's by a lady named Pam Anderson { and no, not that Pam Anderson } and her two daughters.  They post recipes that sound delicious, but usually beyond my culinary ability or bravery.  Until now.

Last week, I conquered my first 3MC recipe.  Drop Biscuits with Cheddar and Scallions.  They were every bit as good as you'd think they'd be.  So good, in fact, that Spencer wouldn't let me take them to the office to get rid of them.  I was traveling, and he wanted them all to himself.  You'll want them all to yourself, too.

Cheddar & Scallion Drop Biscuits

Makes 12 { 3MC says 10, but I easily got 12 }

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powdered
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese { pre-packaged shredded cheese will work, but it won't incorporate as well }
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
• 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen solid
• 1 cup + a few teaspoons cold buttermilk

Equipment

• Medium mixing bowl
• Fork
• Box grater

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450*.  Adjust rack to lower-middle position.
• Using a fork, mix first four ingredients in a medium bowl.

• Coarsely grate frozen butter into bowl using a box grater.

• Working quickly, rub mixture with fingertips to blend.  { You don't want the heat from your hands to melt the butter, just to blend the butter in with the flour mixture. }

• Add cheddar and scallions and toss to coat.

• Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients using a fork until everything just comes together.

{ Basically, just move the dry ingredients over the buttermilk so that they can absorb it. }

{ Not quite there... I had to add a little more buttermilk. }

{ Perfect.  It's already starting to form little biscuit clumps.  Any more liquid and they'd be too sticky. }

• Drop dough into 12 rough rounds on a Silpat-lined or greased cookie sheet.

• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Then sit back, relax and enjoy the cheesy goodness!

Salmon "Steaks"

If Spencer had his way, we'd have steak every night of the week.  But sadly, neither our budget nor our waistlines can handle that.  So we eat a lot of chicken.  But the more ways I can find to prepare things other than steak and chicken... the better.

Up until recently, Brown Sugar Citrus Glazed Salmon was pretty much the only way I knew how to prepare fish. { Scales, eyes, potential stench... I'm still kind of scared of the little creatures. } But in perusing the blogosphere, I came across Pan Seared Salmon Steakettes over at Kevin & Amanda.  Easy and delicious.  My kind of meal!

If you don't follow Amanda, I highly recommend it.  She makes adorable fonts { and gives them away free! }, takes beautiful pictures and clearly posts good recipes.  And she lives right here in the south, to boot.  Amanda even re-tweeted me once.  She'd gone to see Water for Elephants and I told her about hanging out with Tai the elephant.  She seems like the kind of person I'd want to be friends with.. : )

Anyway, the salmon.  Enjoy!

Salmon "Steaks"

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets { I go for the skinless variety }
• Dale's Steak Seasoning or soy sauce
• Weber Steak 'N Chop Seasoning or other dry steak seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Equipment

• Shallow container or plastic bag for marinating
• Large, heavy skillet

Instructions

• In plastic bag or shallow dish, marinate fillets in Dale's for at least 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

• Warm skillet over high heat.
• Season both sides of each fillet with Weber seasoning and pepper.

• When skillet is hot, add oil and butter.  Heat until butter is melted and reduce to medium-high.
• Add fillets to skillet and cook until the lower portion of meat is opaque { about 5 minutes }.

• Turn fillets and continue to cook another 3-5 minutes until desired doneness is reached.

• Serve and enjoy!

{ And yes, I think that's The Office on TV in the background.  Told you this was a good weeknight dinner! }

Melted Ice Cream Cake

I love cake.  I love ice cream.  I love ice cream with cake.  If you fall into any of these categories, you'll love this.  { And if you don't, well... I'd like to know how you resist. }

This post is based on a very simple formula:

White Cake Mix + 2 Cups Melted Ice Cream + 3 Eggs = Melted Ice Cream Cake

I don't even think you can even call this a recipe.  It works with any flavor (try Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia!), but for my sister-in-law's birthday I went with Cookies & Cream.  Coupled with my favorite butter cream cheese frosting, I'd venture to say that this is the best Oreo cake I've ever had!

Cookies & Cream Melted Ice Cream Cake

Adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor

Ingredients

• 1 box White Cake Mix { I like Duncan Hines }
• 2 cups melted super premium Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
• 1 frozen pint should get you what you need
• I don't recommend whipped or low fat varieties... they have too much air and won't yield 2 cups melted from 1 pint
• 3 eggs
• 1 18-ounce package Oreo Sandwich Cookies
• Butter Cream Cheese Frosting { double batch }

Special Equipment

• Food Chopper { or plastic bag and mallet for crushing cookies }
• Stand Mixer

Instructions

• Set ice cream out approximately 30 minutes ahead of time to soften and begin to melt.
• Preheat oven to 350*.

• If you're using an ice cream package larger than 1 pint { and clearly don't want to melt it all }, just spoon some out into a measuring cup.

• Count out ten Oreos from the package.  Eat one.  Then pop the rest into your food chopper.

• Don't have a food chopper?  Don't fret.  Just grab a big zip-top plastic bag and a mallet or heavy soup can.  Pound away your frustrations. : )
• Pulse the chopper until cookies are roughly chopped.  You want the them about in fourths.

• Transfer chopped Oreos to a bowl.
• Then, grab 12 more Oreos.  Pop these in the food chopper and pulse until finely crumbled. Place the crumbles in a separate bowl.  { Pictured in front below. }

• Check and see if your ice cream is a consistency about like the below.  It's okay if it's not entirely liquid, the mixer will take care of the rest.

• Using a stand mixer, combine melted ice cream, cake mix and eggs on low speed until just incorporated.  Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula if necessary.
• Increase speed to medium and mix for two minutes.

• Notice that all of those yummy cookie pieces are pulverized.  Let's fix that.  Remove bowl from mixer { let someone lick the beater! } and fold in the Oreo chunks.  These are the larger pieces from the food chopper.

• Divide batter evenly between two greased and floured { or greased and lined! } 9" round cake pans.

• Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

• Cool in pans for ten minutes.
• Then transfer cakes to wire racks and cool completely. { If you used the liner method, remove the wax paper immediately after inverting.  Otherwise, it traps heat and will take longer to cool. }

• While cakes cool, make a double batch of Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Spoon out about 1/3 of frosting into a separate bowl.

• Fold remaining cookie crumbles into the smaller bowl of frosting.

• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake round, dome side up.  Using an offset spatula, spread cookie/frosting mixer evenly on top.

• Invert second cake domed side down to stack cakes.

• Spread a thin layer of plain frosting around the entire cake - top, sides and all.  It needn't be pretty or perfect. { This is what's called a crumb coat.  It'll keep crumbs out of your top layer of frosting! }
• Then pop the cake into the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  It's a good chance to do the dishes. 

• Once the crumb coat has set, decorate away with remaining frosting.  I used more Oreo crumbs, a 1M piping tip and a few Oreo halves.

• Slice, share and enjoy!

Pinterest Potatoes

As if I needed another way to eat up time and find a million fun and creative new things to do, I'm newly obsessed with Pinterest { follow me here! }.  Recipes, clothes, ideas for the house... you'll love it.

A few weeks ago I found this baked potato recipe on there and have been dying to make them ever since.  I just think they're beautiful, and sounded pretty easy to boot.  Technically called Hasselback Potatoes, they're Pinterest Potatoes in this house. { Any relation to Elizabeth?  No idea. }

Some of the measurements in the original recipe are kind of weird. { Who actually measures in grams?  I don't even own a kitchen scale! } So here it is in plain English so you can make them, too.

Pinterest { Hasselback } Potatoes

Serves 4-8, depending on size of potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced as thinly as possible
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny cubes
• Seat salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425*.
• Wash each potato well and pat dry.
• One at a time, slice potatoes 3/4 of the way through at even intervals { about 1/8" apart }.  Be careful not to cut all the way through, as you'll want the bottom of the potato to remain intact.

• Insert 1/2 clove worth of garlic slices into each potato, distributing evenly among slits.  { For me, this amounted to about every second or third slit receiving a slice of garlic. }

• Arrange potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Top with butter cubes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

• Bake for 40 minutes or until skins are crisp and flesh is soft.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these are just delicious.  And they look so fancy, I think I'll make them for our next dinner party. { Get excited, Amy & Les! }

Free Knife Sharpening at Sur La Table!

As the scar on my thumb will tell you, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.  Or maybe that says something more along the lines of "don't try to slice that teeny end piece of crostini in half, dummy".

Either way, Sur La Table has a fabulous promotion going on for the month of October.  Grab your two favorite knives and head to the nearest one because they'll professionally sharpen them for free!  { If you're in Atlanta, that would be Perimeter Mall. }

Much safer than sharpening at home!

Penne with Mushrooms, Onions, Roasted Chicken and Sherry

I'm one of those people that tends to get the exact same thing at a restaurant every time I go.  Creature of habit?  Perhaps.  But I know what I like!

At the Cheesecake Factory, that dish for me is Pasta DaVinci.  It's penne, roasted chicken, caramelized red onion and baby portobello mushrooms... all tossed together in this light Madeira wine sauce.  {Why it's named for DaVinci, your guess is as good as mine. }

So when I got Sandra Lee's "Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light" cookbook a few years ago for Christmas and came across a dish that near perfectly resembled Mr. DaVinci's pasta... I about backflipped.  And I've made it probably a hundred times since.

Different enough to seem impressive, easy enough to pull off on a weeknight, this is my go-to meal when a girlfriend is coming for dinner.  { Mostly because Spencer doesn't eat mushrooms.  When I get a chance to make this dish, I'm all over it! }

Sandra's recipe doesn't call for chicken, but I always add it.  She also asks for some random French spice mix that's nearly impossible to find, so I substitute there as well.

Bon appetit!

Penne with Mushrooms, Onions, Roasted Chicken and Sherry

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 8-ounce packages baby portobello mushrooms { though white will work as well }
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons tarragon
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Rotisserie chicken
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Equipment

• Large skillet { I recommend at least 12" }
• Stockpot for boiling pasta

Instructions

• Boil enough salted water to accommodate the desired number of pasta servings.  Cook pasta according to package.  Drain and return to hot pot.  Cover to keep warm.
• Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook for 8-10 minutes or until softened and becoming translucent.

• Add mushrooms and cook another ten minutes until soft.
• While mushrooms and onions cook, carve chicken and pull into bite-sized pieces.  { I usually just use the white meat, then save the rest for salads or something else. }

• Stir sherry and tarragon together in measuring cup { or small bowl }.  Add to skillet, stir and cook until liquid is evaporated.

• Whisk beef broth and sour cream together in a small bowl.  Add to skillet, stir, and cook an additional 5 minutes.

• Add chicken, stir, and cook until heated through.
• Toss sauce mixture with hot cooked pasta.
• Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.  Then close your eyes and pretend you're at the Cheesecake Factory.  Especially if you happen to have one of their cheesecakes in the freezer.  { Thank heaven for Costco! }