Food In Many Forms

This past fall, I had an urge to make an apple pie, and bought 2 lbs of honeycrisp apples. Then I was surprised with a last minute trip to the UMass experimental apple orchard. I was inundated with apples. This apple pie was wonderfully light, and the cornstarch helped to form a lovely thick applesauce at the bottom. Next year, I will have to try it with a whole wheat crust. Ingredients 1 frozen 9" pie crust 1 1/2 pounds (907 g) Honeycrisp apples, peeled 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar 1/4 cup (53 g) dark brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted 1 1/2 tablespoon (32 g) cider Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the frozen crust on the bottom rack just until the edges barely begin to turn golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely. Use a sharp knife to quarter the apples, then I core...

During Snowzilla, there wasn't much to do except roll around in the snow and bake, a lot. However, only a combination of boredom and a graham cracker shortage at the corner store would cause me to bake graham crackers. That, and the promise of s'mores over a fire pit in a backyard full of more than 2 feet of snow. I don't know if I would make them again (except under similarly desperate circumstances), but it's nice to know that I can. Ingredients : 3 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon 8 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp honey Directions : 1. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl 2. Melt together the butter and honey. Pour this into the dry ingredients. 3. Mix with a fork, then push the dough together with your hands Don't knead or over-mix. Place the dough on a lightly-floured surface, and roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/8" thick. Cut into rectangles approximately 1 1/4...

Happy Valentine's Day from your favorite blogging RD! I melted chocolate in a double boiler and molded them in cupcake liners for the holiday. It was a ton of fun mixing and matching cranberries, walnuts, sprinkles, and white and milk chocolate! For more inspiration, check out these Youtube videos: How to Temper Chocolate How to Pick a Chocolate Mold How to Add Filling to a Chocolate Mold

In case you didn't know, it's National Nutrition Month ! Every year, RD's spend the month of March making posters and handouts, cooking up delicious food for others to sample, and devoting their time to educating the public and their fellow employees through health fairs and lunch and learns.  Please tell me what other health profession invests so much time and effort into helping others during the month they should be celebrated? Ahh.. to be a dietitian .  So naturally, we dietitians will be at the employee health fair next week... our focus will be fiber and we're planning on baking high fiber cupcakes for everyone to try. Because after all who doesn't want to feel full and poop on the regular? I plan to test them this week, so I'll keep y'all posted! Magic Fruit-and-Veggie Cupcakes Ingredients Cooking spray (optional) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon soy flour 2 tablespoons wheat germ 1/2 cu...

... you can dip almost anything into it, including coconut macaroons.  In an effort to use up my shredded coconut leftover from Valentine's Day, one of my good friends from college proposed baking up some coconut macaroons . Right as I was walking out the door on my way to her house, I sent a quick text, "anything else you need before I head over?". "A double boiler ," she replied, "I want to dip the macaroons in chocolate ." It was like music to my ears. Ingredients 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 5 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough o...

... it's delicious. And difficult to do well. Here's what I've learned: 1) Add butter to the melted chocolate to improve the consistency for dipping.  2) Toppings are delicious and add variety (ever seen  Shari's Berries ? Good source of inspiration). Also use different types of chocolate, like dark and white chocolate.  3) Keep your chocolate-dipped creations in the fridge , especially when you are OCD, like me. Just try to keep the moisture level down in the fridge, and wipe off any condensation that appears.  4) Buy twice as many wrappers as you think you need, some will get messed up.  5) White chocolate does not like to cooperate . My white chocolate would not stay melted for more than 15 seconds, and then I had to stir it again vigorously. From all the forums I read, there is a small consensus that Trader Joe's makes the most meltable white chocolate. Also see rule #1.  6) Keep the double boiler dry and free of excess water - any...

For the past couple of years, I have always stayed in and cooked for Valentine's Day. I never wanted to face the crowds or the extra expense, and in college these things just don't seem as important. When I would go to the grocery store on February 14th, I always laughed at the poor husbands and boyfriends struggling to find that last ingredient, or agonizing in front of the spice rack for 20 minutes before finding what they need. I love grocery stores, and learning how to cook new foods.  It will be nice to take a year off and go out to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate, but since I can no longer pretend that my gift is the dinner, I actually had to think of a gift. Luckily, I had an extra night to plan and prepare. I ended up making mostly milk chocolate and dark chocolate strawberries because the white chocolate was not cooperating. I had no idea white chocolate was so difficult to work with!  I'll be sure to post the recipe after I've been thoroughly romanc...

I count myself lucky that I don't have any allergies, don't have to "count carbs" or "watch my salt". And even though I will try anything once, there are a handful of foods I won't be trying twice. For whatever reason they just don't agree with me.  During my internship, the hospital where I worked had an Au Bon Pain, and my partner and I would often split a pastry after a long day. It was so interesting to me how both of us would have GI symptoms with the same certain pastries. I have noticed that processed foods, saturated fats and hydrogenated oils in particular, are more likely to cause problems. Just one more reason to  eat healthy, fresh foods !  Unfortunately, these  lemon poppy seed bars  are in the second category of "never again", however delicious they might be. My friend actually used the wrong recipe when she went  grocery shopping , and I thought we could go ahead and make it since we had the ingredients. But now that...

It's my birthday this Saturday, but everyone wins when there are funfetti cupcakes! I've been  baking for the last three hours, and I'm bringing the extra into work tomorrow to celebrate my last day of trauma. Staff relief here I come! There are so many reasons to celebrate! Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes Yield: 42 large cupcakes Ingredients: 10 large egg whites at room temperature 1 1/2 cup 1% milk, at room temperature 4 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 5 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted 3 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 24 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes 1 cup rainbow sprinkles Method 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease cupcake pans or line with cupcake liners. 2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/2 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside. 3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients ...

When St. Patrick's Day comes along, I feel obligated to produce baked goods involving either green food, green food dye, or beer . This year, pinterest led me to this lovely recipe: http://squarebakery.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-ones-dedicated-to-shamrock-shake.html Green Food Dye it is!  A lot of reviewers complained of the intense minty flavor , and at first I wondered what they were talking about. Then I realized, I used peppermint extract, instead of peppermint oil.  The substitution is:  1/4 teaspoon oil = 1 teaspoon extract So basically, I only used a quarter of the amount of peppermint called for in the recipe. I'm sure I would have complained too, if I used that much peppermint! I used 3 teaspoons of peppermint extract , and I was happy with the results, but I'll post the original recipe below: Mint Meltaway Cookie Recipe  Makes 24 cookies You will need: 1 cup unsalted organic butter 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar 2 teaspo...

Persian Ghotab, Almond-Filled Cakes I always love to try new foods, and these cakes/pastries/cookies were certainly fun to make. My old college roommate is Persian, and she loves to make Ghotab with her mom for parties and family get-togethers . It's wonderful how food can remind you of so many traditions and memories. Although, she admitted to me that this recipe from the internet, is better than her mom's. I plan to reproduce this recipe in my own kitchen some day. But until then, I have no way of knowing exactly how much of any ingredient we added (The dough was too moist so we added more flour then the recipe called for). This makes it pretty much impossible for me to do a nutritional analysis . So, for the time being, I can live in ignorance, and actually enjoy this indulgent, fried dessert! Ingredients:  2 egg yolks ½ cup butter ½ cup yogurt 1½ cups flour 2 cups vegetable oil 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt Filling: ½...

I finally brought some of my cook books from home when I came back from winter break, and the Pioneer Woman Cooks was first on my list. Just out of sheer luck, one of my friends mentioned he loved pineapple upside down cake, so when I found this recipe, I had to make it for him.  Unlike Ree Drummond, I don't happen to own a cast iron skillet, so I had to adapt a little and transfer my caramelized pineapple into a cake pan, and drizzle the buttery brown sugar on top. On the plus side, I didn't have to pour the entire half-stick of butter in. The cake portion was super moist and the pineapple looked great (even though they stuck to the bottom of the pan at first).  Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 stick  (3/4 cup) butter 1 1/2 cups milk 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract One 20 oz can sliced pineapple, 2 Tablespoons juice reserved 1 1/2 cups ...

Peppermint Bark reminds me of Christmas. Well,  I could say that about a lot of sweets really.... but it seems as though one of the other dietitians at my internship agrees and brought in an identical-looking batch of dark and white chocolate peppermint bark just last week. Happy coincidence, since my stash had just about run out!  Ingredients: 8 ounces Nestle dark chocolate morsels 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided 8 ounces Nestle premier white morsels 25 peppermint candies, crushed Directions: Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and line with waxed paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside. Place the semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the p...

It seems like everyone is in pursuit of the perfect milk substitute these days. Whether you are lactose intolerant, you are looking for something new and different, or you just don't like the taste of regular milk, you have probably tried soy milk, rice milk or almond milk at some point.  Well in case you hadn't noticed, I love almond-flavored baked goods. So any recipe that combines almond milk, almond extract and almond paste takes the cake! Literally! These cupcakes are great because they are not too sweet, sort of like scones. They make me feel very British, like I should be eating them at four o'clock with my afternoon tea.  Check out the almond breeze website for more recipes using almond milk! Almond Cupcakes Courtesy of Almond Board of California 3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup Vanilla Almond Breeze® 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted bu...

One of my favorite snacks is baked apples, sliced up with a sprinkle of sugar or Splenda. But for when you want something a little extra special, this dessert works like a charm. In my mind, just the presentation makes it special, rather than a gloppy mess of brown sugar, oats and shriveled apple slices, you get a beautiful apple bowl overflowing with oats and a little bit of sweetness.  Baked Apple with Crisp Topping Adapted from Sunny Anderson Makes 6 servings Ingredients 3 apples 1 teaspoon lemon juice 6 Tbsp apple or pear butter 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter, cold and diced 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 cup oats, uncooked 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each apple in half along its equator. Using a melon baller, cut out each side of the core, creating a rounded hole. Rub exposed apple flesh with lemon juice. Place 1 tablespoon of jam into each hole. For the topping: in a small bowl mix to...

It was not my idea, but it was a delicious one! Pumpkin cookies are a great way to welcome fall! My roommate thought these would be great with cream cheese frosting, and I'm inclined to agree. One reviewer on allrecipes.com even recommended sandwiching two of these cake-like cookies together with frosting in between. Now I just need a cream cheese frosting recipe... Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup o...

The lemon bars turned out great... just a few minor flaws... 1) I used half the butter (1 stick), and it made the lower crust a little crumbly, no big deal though 2) I used yellow food dye instead of red...oops... it looked red in the bottle! I think I used all the red dye making red velvet cake.... 3) I forgot to share them... I'm going to have to bring them to work tomorrow...

Somehow a search for healthy kid's recipes led me to pink lemonade bars... they certainly are fun... but not so healthy. On second thought, I promised baked goods to a friend I'm visiting this weekend.... yep, Thursday night this is happening. Hands-On Time:  15 minutes Ready In:  1 hour 20 minutes Yield:  Serves 24 Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups flour Pinch of salt 6 large eggs 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup flour Several drops of red food coloring Powdered sugar for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Cream together butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir flour and salt together and add to butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove ...

While working for a group in Baltimore Public Schools, my partner and I had to come up with recipes that could be made with foods found at the corner store and little or no pans or appliances. After doing some research at the local 7-Eleven, this is what we came up with and it has a lot of potential I think. Materials 2 Bananas 6 oz low-fat or fat-free yogurt in the flavor of your choice Two paper plates or plastic container Popsicle sticks, chopsticks (optional) Toppings, such as granola, cereal, crushed pretzels, peanuts, chocolate syrup Directions: Peel the bananas and cut them in half horizontally. Insert popsicle sticks or chopsticks in the bottom of the bananas at this time. Place bananas on the plate or container and spoon yogurt over top, until covered. Sprinkle your favorite toppings over the yogurt. Use your creativity! Cover with second plate or lid and place in freezer until firm (3-4 hours)...

I have a habit of picking up unusual baking supplies at the grocery store, just because I have never seen them before. Almond paste, poppy seed filling, dutch process cocoa, orange and lemon extracts have all caught my eye on one occasion or another. But of course I always forget the essentials . Without baking powder, unsalted butter or confectioner's sugar, I resorted to a lemon sugar cookie to fulfill my sugar craving . Compared to other untested recipes I've tried, this recipe was pretty successful. But I think they would be even better with a lemon icing or a lemon glaze , or even just some colorful icing on top!  Adapted From:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crisp-lemon-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened  1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon sugar  1/2 egg  1-1/2 teaspoons milk  1 teaspoon lemon extract  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1-1/4 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/4 teaspoon baki...