Posted by: Sherice | May 24, 2012

Browned Butter Peanut Bars

I love the nutty rich flavor of browned butter. It was only a recent discovery, and it adds a whole other layer to the flavor of desserts. The best part is that you can take any ordinary recipe…brown the butter, and viola! A new amazing flavor is discovered! These bar cookies are quick and easy; you can skip browning the butter if pressed for time, but I highly recommend you take the extra five minutes to do so!  I promise you will not be sorry!

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1½ cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but crunchy would work as well)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, slightly chopped
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Over medium heat, melt butter in a small saucepan.  Cook, until the butter begins to brown slightly and particles collect at the bottom of the saucepan.  Remove butter from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Place the brown sugar in a large glass bowl and drizzle with the browned butter.

Whisk the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well incorporated.

Whisk in the peanut butter until combined.

Using a rubber spatula, add the flour mixture, baking powder and salt.  Stir until just incorporated.

Add the peanuts and chocolate chips.  Mix until evenly distributed.

Transfer the batter into a 9×13-inch baking pan lined with foil and coated with cooking spray.  Smooth the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Cool completely on a wire rack for 2 hours. Using the foil, lift the bars from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Posted in Bar Cookies

Posted by: Sherice | May 21, 2012

Top Sirlion Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction

I’ve personally never been a huge fan of steaks cooked indoors (I’m a charcoal bbq type of gal) but this recipe has opened my eyes to how good a pan grilled steak can really be!  Even though the sirloin steak was cooked a little more than intended (closer to medium well than medium like I had hoped) it was still amazingly tender and delicious.  I still think I prefer the flavor that charcoal can provide, but this is a great alternative when it’s really not bbq weather.  The combination of the sauce and mushrooms make for a very rich dish, while still being a very healthy and satisfying dinner!

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 pound top Sirlion Steak, trimmed (two medium sized steaks)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 ounces whole Shitake mushrooms, trimmed
  • 1 large Portabella mushroom, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 3 ounces white button mushrooms, de-stemmed and quartered
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 pound top Sirlion Steak, trimmed (two medium sized steaks)
  • Coarsely cracked black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • 1 6″ sprig rosemary
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 3/4 cup low-salt chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • Hot cooked pasta

Remove steaks from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.  Season both sides of the steaks with salt and cracked pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Melt  remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add steak, garlic, and rosemary to skillet. Cook about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, five minutes per side for medium.

(this is a good time to get the pasta cooking!)

Look at that sear!  Yum!

Transfer steaks to a cutting board. Let rest while preparing sauce.

Discard garlic and rosemary from skillet. Add wine; cook, stirring up bits, until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 3 minutes.

This is the wine that I am using/sipping this evening.  I love anything and everything Bogle…their Petite Syrah is one of my favorites!

Strain; return liquid to skillet. Stir in stock; bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms and 1 tablespoon tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve:  Portion about 3/4 cup of the pasta into the middle of a plate.

Top pasta with 1/2 of the mushroom mixture onto plates. Drizzle with sauce.  Repeat pasta and mushroom plating for second portion.

Thinly slice steak.

Serve over mushrooms. Garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon and additional sauce.

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Posted in Healthy Options, Savory, Entrees

Posted by: Sherice | May 18, 2012

Happy Fish Friday!

So…how’s your Friday been so far?  Mine’s been great!  Pretty much the typical day to day stuff…watered the garden, made a loaf of bread, read a few books to my kid.  And, oh yeah, I made a Rainbow Trout Cake!  Just a typical day!

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, but it didn’t completely match the picture that I had in my head.  I think it might be a bit more of a shark/dolphin/rainbow trout hybrid.  The one thing I can guarantee though is that it will taste delicious.  The chocolate cake recipe I used never disappoints!

There have been some unexpected benefits to making cakes for people that I never expected.  Every cake request has a story to accompany it, and it’s really interesting to hear some of the requests that are made.  I love getting to be a part of the background of a celebration…it never fails to make me smile when the event crew is hollering “the cake lady is here!” upon my arrival to set up the party dessert.  And, so much for cakes just being for birthdays!  I’ve had requests for a cake to celebrate sobriety, cakes to enter into a raffle for fundraising, cupcakes to say thanks to the staff.  It’s really opened my eyes to all the aspects of life to be celebrated…and what better way than with cake!  Well…some might say pie, but we can get into that debate another day.  Today is for cakes!

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Posted in Cakes | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Sherice | May 16, 2012

Happy Anniversary….to Me!

Or would it be Happy Birthday? I’m not quite sure. All I know is that as of today, Confectionist Confessions has officially existed for a whole year! It’s almost like watching a child grown in a way…it seems like I just started this blog the other day, yet it also seems like I’ve been doing it forever. All I know is that I love writing about food and really enjoy sharing recipes with you. I love reading the comments and really love when somebody sends me a picture of something that they have made using a recipe off my blog!

I remember very clearly writing my first post. I had no idea what to say; I really had no idea quite where I was going with this project. What style did I want to convey? Is the name too racy? Are people going to be disappointed at the G rating of my world when they stumble across it? I was so nervous the first time I pressed that publish button…I’m pretty sure I was even shaking a little.  Re-reading that first post makes me giggle a little bit, could I be any more enthusiastic?  I’m like the cheerleader of the blogging world over here already.  But, my enthusiasm has maintained itself over the past year.  I will confess that there have been a few moments where blogging feels like a chore, but more than anything it has been a way to encourage my creativity in the kitchen.  I’ve also learned so much about food photography (and the wonders of natural lighting)…which was certainly an aspect I didn’t even consider when I got this thing rolling.

It’s fun/embarrassing/slightly bewildering to go back through my early posts to see what was on my mind.  There are some that I am so proud of, especially since I was such a newbie, and there are others that make me wonder “what was I thinking!?!” (JT on SNL, really Sherice?  That’s the best you could come up with?)  This blog has also become more of a tool than I ever anticipated.  Often, instead of grabbing my sticky, unorganized, disaster of a recipe binder to find what I want to make for dinner/dessert/just for fun; I grab my laptop and find what I’m after in a much more organized fashion.  Granted this has led to a bit of flour on the keyboard, but oh well!  And seeing the pictures from when I made something previously really takes me back to that moment.  I recently made my first batch of Oatmeal Strawberry Muffins this season, and enjoyed remembering creating that recipe (and the two or three batches of muffins that I had to toss while trying to get it right).

So, on this anniversary/birthday I just really want to say a huge thank you to those out there who have supported me so much through this process.  It’s fun to feel creative, and I don’t know if I would have ever started a food blog without a bit of a push from a few of you out there (you know who you are!)  I certainly wasn’t my idea, but I am so glad that I finally started this endeavor because it’s become a huge part of my life.  I’m not quite sure where the next year will take me, but I can’t wait to find out.  I just wish I’d gotten myself a present of some sort…maybe a makeover is in order!

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Posted in Tidbits

Posted by: Sherice | May 14, 2012

Chewy Almond Granola Bars

Ever since the arrival of my son, I’ve been working very hard to reduce the amount of processed food that enters into this house.  I see nothing wrong with him enjoying a cookie or other treat, but I have the hardest time thinking about his little growing body ingesting all those chemicals and preservatives found in most packaged foods.  I’m certainly not perfect (and have moments where I fall off the wagon while yelling “pizza for everyone!”) but ensuring his health has also had a very positive effect on the way that I eat and how I perceive food.  However, I am the biggest sucker for granola bars!  I love them chewy, crispy, nutty, fruity, sweet or salty.  Basically, I’ve never met a granola bar that I didn’t like!  But I am really beginning to think that they might just be candy masquerading as a “healthy treat”.  Time to figure out how to make my own so I really know what’s going on!  This is just the first recipe that I was playing with…there might be more to come because as I was making these I was already thinking about other ways to play with the flavor (a little cocoa powder, coconut, roasted peanuts? hmmmmmmm!?!)

  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit ( I used cranberries, raisins, and diced apple)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup natural almond butter, unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small saucepan, combine oil, brown sugar,almond butter, and water.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in salt and cinnamon.

Set aside almond butter mixture to cool slightly.  While almond butter is cooling  combine oats, dried fruit, and sliced almonds in a medium sized bowl.

Whisk or stir egg white into cooled almond butter mixture.

Pour almond butter mixture over oats and stir well.

Line an 8×8 pan with two crisscrossed strips of parchment paper leaving an overhang on all sides.  Pour oat mixture into the pan.

Spread oat mixture evenly in pan and pat down.

Bake at 300° until top is firm and browned, about 35 – 40 minutes.  Let cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.

Lift granola out of pan using the parchment paper as handles. Cool completely and cut into bars.

By the way…these are to die for!  They turned out so much yummier than I expected.  They are sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, and filling enough that I can manage to just eat one without wanting half the pan.  They are not going to last long though, I can promise you that much!

And, instead of just telling you…I’m going to show you how good these are!  Oh yeah, I’m spelling things with my food.   Feeling pretty enthusiastic right about now!

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Posted in Breakfast, Healthy Options | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Sherice | May 11, 2012

White Wine Mustard

If you know me at all, there are three aspects of my personality that should be very clear.  First, my kid means the world to me (see here, here, and here), wine is just divine (sorry…couldn’t avoid using the rhyme!), and everything tastes better with a little mustard (as noted here)!  After a little research I realized that mustard really isn’t that difficult to make, and it was time to give it a try!  There are tons of recipe options out there, but I decided to go for a more standard, yellow mustard.  I must say that I am very pleased with the flavor, and I have a feeling that like a good wine, the flavors will become even more complex with time!

  • 1/3 cup drinking-quality white wine
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • Pinch ground allspice
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 5 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

In a glass bowl (or other non-reactive bowl…don’t use anything metal!), combine wine and vinegar.  Add allspice, salt, and pepper; whisk to combine.

Stir in mustard seeds and shallot.  Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for eight hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Confession:  I was having the worst time finding shallots at the store.  After visiting two stores where I had previously purchased shallots, I gave up and used just the white parts of two scallions.

Transfer the mustard mixture to a blender or food processor.

Process until mustard has obtained the desired texture and thickness; it is equally delicious whether you leave it chunky or smooth.

Store in an airtight, non-reactive container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Posted in Condiments | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Sherice | May 10, 2012

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Up until recently I had never made a Red Velvet Cake.  Then, a friend requested one for a birthday cake and now I am hooked!  I love the rich flavor the that buttermilk provides and the slight, light chocolate flavor.  I’ve been playing with the batter a bit, and actually prefer a little more cocoa than most recipes call for…like three times as much!  But, it just tastes so great and creates an even better shade of red.  Red Velvet Cake is traditionally served with cream cheese frosting, but a buttercream would be just as tasty if you aren’t a fan of cream cheese.  The cake is also amazing topped with raspberries, blueberries, or just a slight dusting of powdered sugar.

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Or, if you are like me and like to avoid too many dirty dishes, sift over a large piece of tinfoil. Set aside.

Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a 2 cup measure until well combined. What a lovely shade of pink we have created!

Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended.

Beat in eggs 1 at a time scraping down sides after each addition.

Beat in dry ingredients in four additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in three additions.  Scrape down sides and ensure batter is evenly blended.

I usually remove the bowl from a mixer and lightly stir batter with a spatula before portioning into the muffin cups.  This ensures that all the cupcakes will be an even shade of red .

Line two eight cup muffin tins with muffin cups. Divide dough evenly between cups.

Confession: this is definitely a recipe where you do not want to get carried away filling the cupcake tins too full. I usually have the best success filling them about half full, as this batter really grows thanks to the vinegar and baking soda combo!

Bake cupcakes in a 350 degree oven for 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Gently remove cupcakes from muffin tin and place on wire rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling prepare cream cheese frosting as described here.

Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  I prefer to use a pastry bag, but a knife works just as well.  Decorate cupcakes as desired.

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Posted by: Sherice | May 7, 2012

Ready, Set….Grow!

It’s been a busy past couple of weeks around this household, but the garden is finally planted! What seemed to start off as a somewhat small project managed to span two weekends, many hours, and lots of dinosaurs in buckets of water (I know it sounds weird but it kept the three-year old occupied, so hurrah!). This year we are focusing again on tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and a few herbs…a slight variation on the salsa garden we had last year but keeping the salsa theme going!

This is part of the reason the garden planting took so long. I knew that we needed to get the raspberries off the ground and trained to be upright because I was tired of feeling like I was providing a snail buffet last year. It seems like getting a post in the ground shouldn’t be that difficult task, but the wonderful treat of digging a hole in our backyard is next to impossible. After about an inch of topsoil all you find are rocks, rocks, and more rocks! Right after moving into the house I went out a bought a huge bag of Gladiolus bulbs planning to line the fences with beautiful flowers. Four hours and three tiny holes later I was done with that project! Sorry…little gardening tangent there! Anyway…the raspberries are finally taken care of and I can’t wait to come up with some new, fun raspberry recipes for you this summer!

This pot contains a super special heirloom tomato that Grandma gave us. She started it as a seedling, and passed it along recently for us to add to the garden. I have no idea quite what it is going to provide us, but I love surprises!

The other tomatoes we are growing this year are Roma, Early Girl, and a Cherry Tomato. The Early Girl and Roma we had last year did great, so they were both definite must haves. The Cherry is new this year, but I’ve really been enjoying snacking on them so we had to give one a try!

This is the tomatillo bed, two plants again this year. The tomatillo was a very pleasant surprise last year, and was amazing for salsa and homemade chili verde. The middle plant is Borage, and herb that is supposed to attract pollinators and detract the munchy beasts.

The really large plants that you are seeing is the oregano planted last year.  It went crazy over the winter, and we just decided to let it do it’s thing.  When it came time to turn the beds, we decided to leave them another year.  We’ve already used the oregano in sauces, marinades, and an herbed chutney, so it’s really nice to have a mature plant to enjoy already.

Speaking of beasts, this is the beast of the garden this year!  We have lots of peppers: Anaheim, Garden Salsa, Fresno, Jalapeno, Habanero, and a Sweet Red mixed in there for fun.  But this pepper is a new voyage into the world of spicy peppers…the Thai Dragon.  It’s supposed to be 10 times as spicy as a jalapeno.  However, last year I discovered that the peppers in our garden seem to be excessively spicy, so I’m seriously scared by this little plant!  I’ll be sure to let you know when this little guy burns off all my taste buds!

We’ve also been greeted by a variety of garden friends this year.  The pair of pigeons who moved in last year, as well as the bluebirds are back this year and fatter than ever.  There are also a few grasshoppers the size of my thumb, ladybugs galore, and…this guy!  This guy also has a buddy who is twice the size that he is…but he was too fast for me to include in the picture.  The girlie side of me is screaming “Eeeeekkkkk….snake!  Kill it now!”  while the rational side of me is like “ok…it’s small, skittish, and not poisonous.  Mice and spiders will hate it so what’s the harm?”  So far the rational side is winning, but it’s a little nerve-racking to know that he could be sliding around out around my flip flop clad feet.  Time to put my brave face on!

So…that’s the garden for now!  Don’t worry…I’m sure there will be lots more updates as things begin to grow and spread.  I swear the tomatillos are already bigger today than they were yesterday!

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Posted in Garden

Posted by: Sherice | May 3, 2012

Baked Mangoes with Sugar and Spice Tortilla Chips

It’s almost Cinco de Mayo! Time to bust out those sombreros and margaritas…or however you prefer to enjoy the holiday. There is one traditional item though that I am attempting to avoid this year, the ever present tres leches cake. Now, don’t get me wrong (and please don’t send me hate mail!) but while tres leches cake may have it’s moments, it’s just really not one of my favorites. I’ve had some great tres leches cake in the past, but most of it has just been so-so. I think it’s because I’m really not a huge fan of bread pudding, and when I try to make tres leches cake it always comes out too gooey, entering the realm of smooshy. So, if you are like me and looking for something festive but a little different then look no further! This dessert is quick, easy, and will make your party guests muy feliz!

For the Mangoes:

  • 4 to 6 ripe mangoes (about 4 pounds total), peeled
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Tortillas:

  • 4 flour tortillas (6-inch)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Peel mangoes using a vegetable peeler.  Slice mangoes into 4 pieces; cut each piece into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Pour melted butter into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Add mango slices and sprinkle with brown sugar; toss to coat.

Arrange mango slices in one layer.

Bake in a 400 degree oven, tossing once halfway through, until mangoes are tender and juice is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes.

While mangoes are baking, prepare tortillas.  Stack tortillas and cut in half. Place tortillas on a large (or two small) rimmed, foil lined baking sheet in a single layer; brush with melted butter on both sides.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle both sides of buttered tortillas with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place in oven while mangoes are still baking, and bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

To Assemble: Divide mango slices among plates.

Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Serve with cinnamon-sugar tortilla halves, broken again in half or crumbled around and over ice cream.

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Posted in Holidays, Ice Cream

Posted by: Sherice | April 30, 2012

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

This recipe has been a work in progress for years! That may seem like a little overkill for a scone recipe, but sometimes there are moments when a scone must be perfect. Like, when your sister decided that instead of wedding cake she wants to serve a twist on individual strawberry shortcakes at her July wedding reception. Needless to say, these scones are amazing with strawberries or a blend of other fresh berries. They are also perfect with a cup of coffee for a quick breakfast!

I have to admit, this is the first time that a recipe has been kinda hard for me to share.  I put a lot of time and effort into tweaking these scones to be what I consider to be the perfect blend of moist and flaky, zesty and sweet.  I’ve not often felt possessive about my creations, but this one…I don’t know…it just seems a little more special.  Perhaps due to the sentimental value associated with my sister’s wedding, perhaps because there are millions of lemon poppyseed scone recipes out there (but none as perfect as mine, in my humble opinion!).  Whatever the reason, I hope you can appreciate this recipe as being something special to me.  I guess that’s why it’s taken me a year to finally expose my secret!

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon peel
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup half and half

Mix flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon peel and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse two or three times to blend.

Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk egg and lemon juice in a small bowl.

With food processor running, add egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Turn off the motor as soon as all the egg has been added.

Transfer the scone batter to a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the half and half to the well, and stir just until dough comes together. Gather dough into a ball. Divide dough in half, and wrap one half in plastic wrap to chill.

Flatten the other dough half into a six inch round, and slice into eight wedges.

Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet alternating the position of the triangle tip of the scone (this helps them bake more evenly).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18 – 20 minutes, or until bottoms begin to brown ever so slightly. The scones will be evenly puffed, but should remain very light in color. Repeat shaping and baking process with remaining dough half.

Allow baked scones to set for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. For an even stronger lemon flavor, brush cooled scones with a light glaze made from 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

Everyone in this house loves a fresh baked scone!

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Posted in Scones, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , ,

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