Homemade Pizza

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***

Every year I’m fascinated with Valentine’s Day. You know why?

So many people hate it.
Huh? Somebody fill me in. I was always under the impression that people liked love. They love love–they’re absolutely crazy about it. They listen to songs about love, and they watch movies where people fall in love, and they think and dream about the person they love, and they’re even fascinated by the love lives of all their friends.
Our entire society is completely saturated with romance, and always has been. A huge chunk of the art, literature, and music of the Western tradition for centuries past has all revolved around the subject of romance. Romance, romance, romance. Well, and religion makes a pretty big showing too, if we’re going for historical accuracy here.
But dedicate a single day out of the year to romance? Heavens, no! Horrors!
If you happen to be one of these romance-averse people, at least bury your aversion in a good, homemade pizza this Valentine’s Day. You can’t go wrong there. And you might even find yourself falling in love.

Homemade Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
3 to 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 cup lukewarm water
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1-1/2 cups of the flour with all the other ingredients, on medium speed, until completely smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough, and knead until it’s elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm (75-80 degrees F) place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll out into a 14-inch circle, and transfer to a pizza pan or stone. Top with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings.
Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 13-14 minutes.
(**Note: If you’re using active dry yeast rather than instant yeast, dissolve the yeast in the water before mixing with the other ingredients.)

Posted on February 11th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  2 Comments »

Sparkly Molasses Cookies

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***

It’s raining outside today. The sky is grayish-whitish. Sounds are muted, and colors are vibrant. The mountains look all misty and mysterious, like I’m living next to the set for Lord of the Rings. Everything seems to move in slow motion. The air is clean and you can smell the wet concrete. The earth is beautiful and clean again.

This is one of those mornings when I wish I could stop the clock, drop everything that’s calling for my attention, turn off all the lights in the house, and sit by a window, just watching the rain fall. I’d probably crack it open a bit and let the smell of the rain drift over my face. And then I’d most likely fall into a coma of ecstasy.
I’m not a “hot and sunny weather” type of girl. I love the rain.
*sigh* Now you all know I’m strange. Let’s talk about food.
Molasses cookies. They’ve got a pretty sweet setup going on.
To begin with, they’re soft and chewy, and let’s be honest–that alone wins them a blue ribbon.

Second, they’re filled with cinnamon and ginger and cloves. My love affair with rainy days is strikingly similar to my love affair with cinnamon and ginger and cloves. In fact, if I could bake up a rainy day into a cookie, I believe it would incorporate cinnamon and ginger and cloves. I do.

Third, the turbinado sugar. That sweet, nutty crunch in every single bite. Divine.

And last but not least, the molasses. Someday if I get to heaven, I’m going to find the person who first decided to put molasses into a cookie (because he’ll certainly be there), and I’m going to march right up to him and give him a big kiss.


Sparkly Molasses Cookies
adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or safflower oil
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup turbinado sugar (for covering the cookie balls before baking)

Directions:

In a medium bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the oil, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Beat in the flour mixture mixture until well incorporated. Cover and chill the batter until firm (about 2 hours or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place about 1 cup of turbinado sugar in a medium sized bowl.

When the dough has chilled sufficiently, roll into 1 inch balls. Then roll the balls of dough into the sugar, coating them thoroughly. Place on the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart and, with the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly.

Bake for about 9-10 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies have crinkles yet are barely dry. (They will look a little underdone.) Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Posted on February 6th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  9 Comments »

Orange Spice Pound Cake

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***
For whatever ridiculous reason that I can’t figure out, I’ve always had a kind of totally unjustified prejudice against pound cake: I always assume it’s going to be dry and hard and bland.
Maybe my mom made a really dry, bland pound cake once?
Maybe it’s subconsciously connected with a traumatic experience from my childhood, like that one day when we went swimming, and I tried to follow my older sister as she swam across the deep end, but I couldn’t make it and the life guard had to jump in and pull me out, and she banished me to the kiddie pool for the rest of the afternoon. That day. Maybe we went home and… ate dry, bland pound cake… for some reason.
So, psychoanalysis aside — this aversion is entirely unreasonable, as I’ve loved pretty much every bite of homemade pound cake which I’ve encountered, for as long as I can remember. But my eyebrow still raised a bit as I pulled up this recipe on Epicurious. I coaxed myself into hitting the print button, repeating over and over that this cake would be soft and moist and flavorful, and that I wouldn’t repent the day I created it. And I was right.
This cake is one of those that gives the house a captivating aroma that you wish you could package up and send to the candle factory so that you can have it around your house every day. There was more than once, while it was baking, when I had to resist the urge to call up my husband at work to say, “Hey! Get a load of this smell!” And then I realized, oh yeah. It just doesn’t work that way. Heh.
Orange Spice Pound Cake
adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon orange juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a fluted tube (bundt) pan. Stir cake flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, orange peel, and spices until light and creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk in 3 additions.
Spoon batter into pan. Smooth top. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Turn out onto platter (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature).
For glaze:
Mix powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle or brush glaze over cake. Let stand until glaze sets, about 30 minutes.

Posted on January 29th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  4 Comments »

Dreamy Fudge Brownies

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***

I wish I could preface these fabulous brownies with some clever little personal anecdote or insight, but that seems unfair. You know, to the brownies.

Kind of like that amazing concert in the park that I went to on the fourth of July, that was, unfortunately, opened by some local Elvis impersonator in his sixties, who was sadly unlike Elvis in both looks and singing ability, although I’m sure he’s a very nice man.
Aside from a few baby boomers who were wildly enthusiastic, the crowd was not at all happy about having to sit through all of his iffy renditions of all the songs Elvis ever sang. Why? Because we really came to hear this other group — the main attraction. And we had to wait and listen to this other Elvis guy first.
And you came to find these perfectly dreamy brownies. Sorry I made you wait, inadvertently sharing my little personal Elvis anecdote. I’m done.

These brownies are about as basic and simple as you can get. But in my little humble opinion, there is beauty in simplicity. So, so so much beauty.
You know what else is in simplicity? Divine moistness and density, that slightly cracked layer on top, and a perfectly glorious chocolate flavor that you’d sell your grandmother for. You think I’m joking.
Dreamy Fudge Brownies
adapted from BHG New Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat lightly by hand just till combined. Stir in flour and nuts.
Spread batter into a greased 8×8x2-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Posted on January 26th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  3 Comments »

Chocolate Pudding

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***

Right now I’m reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Unabridged. I know that smacks of insanity, but it’s a good insanity–one that makes me happy. It’s a ridiculously long book, weighing in at a hefty 1462 pages. I’m currently on page 1367, which can only mean one thing:

I’ve got Monte Cristo on the brain.
Today I was making some oh-so-delightful chocolate pudding from Joy the Baker, and my brain was in, not pudding mode, but Monte Cristo mode. I just finished a portion of the book where there’s a lot of poison flying around, and people dying, and other people being really paranoid about the poison flying around.
So, I’m very innocently making pudding this morning, and I suddenly find myself feeling a little nervous. Gosh, what if some evil person in a cloak sneaks into my kitchen while I’m out (at the opera?), and empties a little crystal vial of arsenic into my pudding while it’s chilling in the fridge? Will my husband track down the assassin and challenge him to a duel? Will he avenge my death?
I realized I have nothing to worry about, as my husband happens to be a black belt in karate. That, and I always lock the door whenever I go out to the opera.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
from Joy the Baker, who got it from Gourmet Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 cups whole milk
1 large egg
4 ounces good semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Directions:
Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking, until pudding is thick, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Immediately beat eggs lightly in a medium heat proof bowl, then very gradually add hot pudding to the egg, whisking constantly. Whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth.
Pour pudding into ramekins or custard cups and cover surface each with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate, covered, until cool, at least 2 hours.
Serve pudding with toasted marshmallows or whipped cream!

Posted on January 19th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  No Comments »

Lemon Graham Squares

***This is me just being a little nit-picky. You can probably tell the formatting is wonky in this post. That’s because I imported it from Blogger, and the Blogger Fairies did something weird to the fonts that I haven’t been able to fix. Okay, I’m done.***

Let’s talk about Lemon.

I might very well be abnormal, but here’s the thing: I’m a little paranoid when making foods whose flavors can be associated with non-foods.
I’ll explain. Lemon is one of those tricky suckers, because if I don’t do it right, I end up with a big pan of something that smacks of, well, dish detergent. Or Lysol. You think I’m weird? Yes. And then I picture myself taking a big bite out of some sort of Palmolive Meringue Pie, and that’s a little disconcerting. It’s kind of like when you’re eating a mint brownie, and you start to wonder if somebody secretly substituted Colgate for the mint icing. Am I the only one who knows what I’m talking about?
That’s not to say I’m not a huge fan of lemon. There’s just a little paranoia there.

My husband loves lemon bars. I love my husband. So yesterday I made him lemon bars. He didn’t say a word about Palmolive, so I’ll count that as a success.
Lemon Graham Squares
adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
6-8 drops yellow food coloring
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice, and food coloring; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until crumbly.
Press half of the crumb mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Pour lemon mixture over the crust; sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack and cut into squares.

Posted on January 15th, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  3 Comments »

Apple Cranberry Bread

Okay everybody, raise your hand if you LOVE January.

. . .

I agree. You know why? Nothing happens in January. The holidays are over. And it’s just cold. Sure, it’s cold in December too, but December cold is purposeful because it’s Christmas time. December cold is fun because you cozy up by the fireplace and sip peppermint cocoa and listen to Bing Crosby sing about the weather. January cold isn’t nearly as picturesque.

No offense to anyone with a January birthday, but January is sort of a boring month. Sort of like August.

Baking in January doesn’t hold quite the same excitement for me, either. It’s the end of seasonal, traditional holiday foods, with pumpkin and cranberries and apples and walnuts and oranges, and those delicious spices that rise from the oven and make your kitchen smell like the North Pole. What do you eat in January? I’m at a loss here.

Well, I’m not entirely at a loss, because I’m being a little rebellious–I’m not ready to let go of my Christmas recipes yet. So I pulled out some fresh cranberries that have been hiding away in my freezer for a day like today, and I put them to good use.

This bread is scrumptious any time of year, providing you’ve got some cranberries on hand. The apple flavor is more of a backdrop than you’d expect–you won’t be hit over the head with apple, but let’s be honest, the cranberries and cinnamon are the real showstoppers here.


Apple Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups peeled and grated tart apple
  • 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter will be very thick.

Mix in the grated apples and the cranberries. The juice from the apples will thin the batter slightly. Stir in nuts if desired.

Pour batter evenly into two prepared 4×8 loaf pans. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm, or wrap overnight to soften.

Posted on January 3rd, 2009 by Sugar Duchess  |  No Comments »

Chocolate chip cookies

I think I may be the last person in the solar system to figure out how to make chocolate chip cookies that aren’t all flat and crispy. But I’ve finally done it. Here is a list of things I’ve learned about the mighty chocolate chip cookie, during my crusade against flatness and crispiness.

Rules for chocolate chip cookies:

  • Never forget to preheat.
  • It’s okay to be OCD about measuring ingredients.
  • Don’t over-mix. The poor flour stiffens if you beat it too much.
  • Altitude matters. It took me the longest time to get this through my skull, and I live at 4500 feet above sea level (for high altitudes, increase the oven temperature by about 15-20 degrees, and decrease baking time slightly. This keeps the cookies from drying out).
  • Take them out of the oven before they look done. This is the hardest one for me. If I see light brown, I know I’m already too late.
  • As soon as they come out, whip out that spatula and take those babies off. They want to hang out on a cooling rack together.
  • Warm cookies straight out of the oven are awesome, but I love the awesomeness that comes from cookies covered in plastic wrap overnight. They will melt in your mouth in the morning, and you will be tempted to eat them all for breakfast. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add half of the flour, with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Beat in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven 8 to 9 minutes. They need to come out before they look done). Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack and let them cool. Makes about 60 cookies.

Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by Sugar Duchess  |  4 Comments »

Newer Entries »