i have no idea why this is called a slump, but it’s way better than it sounds! i wanted to make a summery dessert, but i wanted to keep it pretty healthy, and this was perfect. i got the original recipe off martha’s whole living website.

it called for butter and flour, which i substituted with smart balance and whole wheat flour. i also substituted blackberries for the raspberries, but only because my grocery story didn’t have any raspberries! the substitutions all worked out great!

peach-blackberry slump

serves 4

ingredients:

• 3 cups sliced peaches (about 5)
• 3/4 cup blackberries (or raspberries!)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup whole wheat (or all purpose, or a mixture!) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter or buttery spread, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a 9-inch pie pan, stir together the fruit, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the cornstarch, and cinnamon.
3. In a bowl, stir together the flour, 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a fork, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Knead the dough lightly on a work surface and pat lightly until it is about 3/4 inch thick.
5. Drop the dough in 4 mounds over the fruit, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar over the dough, and bake in the middle of the oven until the biscuits are golden and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

this past weekend one of my very best lady friends had her 30th birthday party. she requested chocolate mint cupcakes, and i threw in some cookies for good measure. she also came over while i was making them and played photographer so i could cook without getting my camera dirty! (she’s actually a pro, check her out!)

recipe adapted from martha stewart and heather christo

makes about 18 cupcakes

ingredients:

for the cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 18 oreo halves, with the cream on (plus more for eating)

for the frosting:

• ½ cup butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• the 18 other oreo halves
• a bunch of fresh mint leaves (optional)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Drop half an oreo with the cream in each liner. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, water, and peppermint extract, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth. (The batter will be very liquidy and pourable!)

2. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks, and let cool. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.

3. Simmer the milk in a saucepan with the mint leaves for about 5 minutes. Strain the leaves out and let the milk cool.

4. In a food processor, grind the chocolate cookies to crumbs. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and the powdered sugar. Add the milk and the vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add the cookie crumbs and just beat to combine.

5. Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip. Pipe small mounds on tops of cupcakes.

this is our crew at the birthday girl’s wedding. (she’s the one in the white. ha.) happy birthday annie!

my very best friend’s birthday was on friday. a few of her favorite things are bacon, peanut butter and cookies. so, being the friend that i am, i decided to find a recipe that combines these things. i actually found a couple that i wanted to try, so instead of just choosing one, i made both! i figure, you can never have enough peanut butter and bacon cookies on your birthday!

recipe #1: peanut butter bacon cookies

recipe adapted from joy the baker

makes about 15 cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced*

directions:

1. In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice.  Dice up and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes.
4. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes.  
5. Fold in cooked bacon.  
6. Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the cris-cross pattern.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes.

*note: for these 2 recipes I used a 12 ounce box of center cut bacon. that means i almost doubled the bacon in each recipe. i did so because the comments on both recipes said the bacon flavor wasn’t very strong. the bacon flavor in these STILL wasn’t overwhelming, so i’d definitely recommend using at least 10 slices of bacon!

recipe #2: peanut butter-chocolate chip-bacon cookies

recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

makes 12 cookies (this is what the recipe said, my batch ended up being bigger, closer to 20)

ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of chipotle or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 strips bacon (1/3 pound)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped honey- roasted peanuts
• 1/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside to cool. Crumble the bacon, discarding any chewy bits.
3. Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.
5. Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top. Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

now, for the taste test. the first recipe makes slightly chewier (and gluten free!) cookie. the second one has more of a peanut butter cookie texture, as well as the addition of nuts and chocolate chips. the birthday girl liked the second one better, the husband liked the first. so i think it’s all about preference!

happy birthday, krys!!

which cookie do you think you’d like better?

this past sunday, my baby sister graduated from high school. that means, in a few short months, she’ll be a college student. i feel like it wasn’t so long ago that i was a college student, but we’re 10 years apart.

left: my high school graduation day, with my sisters and uncle; right: lynzi’s high school grad, with just the sisters.

left: lynzi’s first day of school           right: grad day

left: lynz and her bff circa 1999        right: lynz and her bff on grad day

since the graduation was at the local minor league baseball stadium (the only place that would fit a graduating class of almost 1000 plus their families) we decided to tailgate before the ceremony. i made strawberries and cream cupcakes (lynzi’s flavor request) and put little white chocolate graduation caps on top. i also made the new york times best chocolate chip cookies, which is now my go to chocolate chip cookie since they come out so good.

now onto the cupcakes…

yellow buttermilk cupcakes with strawberry frosting

recipe adapted from martha’s website

makes 36 cupcakes

ingredients:

• 3 cups cake flour, (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

after the cupcakes cooled completely, i whipped up some heavy cream, put it in a pastry bag with a large plain round tip, and just stuck it right in the middle of the cupcakes and filled them up! you can also use an apple corer to take out the middle of the cupcakes so that you make sure you have ample room for your whipped cream. i was in a bit of a rush, and i kind of like watching the cupcakes expand with cream!

this is my go to frosting. it is so easy and delicious, and you can make it any flavor you want. i learned how to make it at a class i took at the butter lane cupcake shop in nyc.

vanilla bean frosting

ingredients:

1 lb of butter
4 oz cream cheese
7 cups confectioners sugar
1 vanilla bean 
1 splash of vanilla extract

directions:

this past saturday was my mom’s birthday, and the whole family was together (even my sister and her husband from florida). we went to an awesome farm to table restaurant called henry’s.

the whole fam at dinner…

complete with the boyfriend/husbands.

my mom (as you can probably tell from the picture above) is very much into keeping herself healthy, so she doesn’t eat too many sweets. one thing i do know she loves is the combo of chocolate and almonds. so, for her birthday, i decided to make some chocolate almond bark. if you’ve never made bark, it is the easiest thing to make, and so so good.

this recipe can be changed in so many ways, using whatever type of chocolate and additions you want.

i used one bag of white chocolate chips, and two bags of bittersweet chocolate. if you want to start out easy, just use one type of chocolate. instead of layering, like i did above, the chocolate can also be swirled together. just plop one kind on top of the other after you’ve spread it, then use a knife to swirl it together. i’ve even used food coloring on white chocolate to give the candy a bit of color.

chocolate almond bark

ingredients:

• 1 bag of white chocolate
• 2 bags of bittersweet chocolate
• 2 cups of almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups rice cereal
• splash of almond extract
• sprinkle of course sea salt

directions:

1. melt the white chocolate in a double burner or in the microwave, being careful not to burn. spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or plastic wrap. put in the freezer to cool and harden.
2. melt both bags of the chocolate in a double burner or in the microwave. once melted, add a splash of almond extract, the cereal and half the almonds. spread the chocolate mixture out over the white chocolate (as i said, the white chocolate later could be omitted or swirled in with the dark chocolate!).
3. sprinkle the remaining almonds and some sea salt over the chocolate. put the pan in the freezer for at least an hour or so. the chocolate has to be completely hard.
4. break up the chocolate into large pieces. i use my meat tenderizer, which makes bits of bark fly all over the kitchen and is probably super annoying for my downstairs neighbors, but it’s better than using my hands! the best way to do it is to pick up one side of the big block and slam something into it to make it break. repeat. it’s not really a very refined method. :)

that’s it! you can use any kind of chocolate; dark, white or milk. add any kind of candy, nuts, fruit, cookies…the possibilities are endless. i like putting the rice cereal in it because it gives it that nice crunch that reminds me of my early childhood love of nestle crunch bars (or my teenage love of buncha crunch). anyhow, it really is one of the easiest pretty and delicious gifts you can make!

happy birthday mom!!

the real this time, not just the cookies! this is probably one of my favorite things.

the strawberries have been HUGE lately. they’re fun to look at, but i actually like the tiny ones better. (i know, i know, that’s what she said.)

recipe from martha’s website

serves 8

ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds (6 cups) strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form, 25 to 30 times.

3. Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

4. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.

5. Slice biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.

ps: i added to my plethora of cooking scars battle wounds while baking the shortcakes. i took the baking sheets out of the oven, put them on the stove, and bent over to reach down to pick something up. my upper arm hit the baking pan, and i almost heard a sizzle. i now have a nice puffy burn across my arm. i didn’t think it looked too bad until my boss asked me if i got in a knife fight. below is a picture i took on my crappy cell phone camera. nice, right?

mmmm berries. one of my favorite summer desserts is this trifle. to make it, you’ll need angel food cake, one box each of jello and vanilla pudding, whatever fresh fruit you want, and whipped cream. obviously, it would be easier to buy angel food cake than make your own, but the store i go to never seems to have it, so fresh angel food cake it is!

start by making the jello in your trifle bowl (any large, clear bowl would work) and then break up the angel food cake and put a layer right in the jello. put it in the fridge and let the jello firm up. i usually do this either the night before or in the morning. when the jello has firmed up, pour your layer of vanilla putting right on top of the angel food cake. then add your layer of berries, and on top of it all your layer of whipped cream. it’s a perfect, light and cool summer dessert!

these cupcakes are pretty intense, both in prep and in eating! they’re messy but delicious. they’re a bit more complicated to make than your average cupcake, but worth it!

s’mores cupcakes! from the martha website

makes 2 dozen cupcakes

ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Marshmallow Frosting

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.

3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.

4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.

5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.

6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

7. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

these were a hit on senior day! congrats to lynzi and all of the other seniors on the arlington softball team!

my senior day 10 (ahh!) years ago:

wow, time flies!

my grandma’s favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie, so for mother’s day i decided to give it a twist and make lemon meringue cupcakes.

lucky for me, i have a wonderful sister who torched the tops for me. actually, she burned them with a lighter, because there’s no kitchen torch at mom’s house. the girl has some patience! she also beat egg whites for me since there’s also no kitchenaid at mom’s house. gotta love her!

we baked some lemon cupcakes using buttermilk and lemon zest, which is my favorite way to do it.

then spread some lemon curd on top of each cupcake. i had some that i’d already made, which sped up the cupcake making process quite a bit!

if you’re at my mom’s house, you’d use a plastic ziplock back with a hole cut in it to dollop some frosting on these babies. if you’re in your own well stocked kitchen, you’d make them nice and pretty using a big star tip.

they’d probably be great just like this if you don’t want to go through the torching process, but i think the bit of burn makes them meringue.

so then you get your sister to individually light your cupcakes on fire. if you’re lucky like me, she may even think it’s a fun job. if you’re not so lucky, you can throw them under the broiler for about a minute, that will do the trick! just keep a close eye…i may have possibly one day set them on fire.

no matter what your method, they’ll be so pretty and even more tasty. recipe below!

recipe from martha!

makes about 24 cupcakes

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Lemon Curd
• Seven-Minute Frosting

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 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, spread 1 tablespoon lemon curd onto middle of each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Ateco #828 or Wilton #8B) with frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip slightly and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Hold a small kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over. Serve immediately.