Lemon Bars

I am a die-hard lemon bar fan and, to me, most lemon bars served at bakeries and restaurants taste more like sugar than they do lemon. Either that, or the crust takes over the entire dessert. Don't get me wrong, lemon bars should be sweet, but not more so than they are lemony. And I'm not saying they shouldn't have a crust. They need a crust, but it should be soft and flaky, and serve to balance the richness of the filling, rather than overpower it. This recipe is the perfect version of a great lemon bar, and a generous coating of powdered sugar over the top balances the intensity of the lemon.

crust:
1 1/2 sticks frozen butter
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt

filling:
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup whole milk
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Grate the butter on a cheese grater with large holes and set aside. Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined and crumbly. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and press evenly onto the bottom with your hands. Freeze the crust for about 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden, 16-18 minutes. Leave the oven on.
While the crust is baking, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and milk. When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the mixture over the hot crust and return to the oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is set (no longer jiggles when the pan is gently moved), about 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. When cool, lift the edges of the aluminum foil to pull the bars out of the pan. Cut into squared and dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe from: Martha Stewart's Cookies.

Oatmeal Raisin Bars

This version of a dried fruit bar is more rustic than other traditional recipes. They have a crumbly oat and brown sugar streusel-like topping that is pressed onto the bars before they bake. The original recipe says to puree the raisins and sugar before you cook them over the stove. However, when I tried to do that in my food processor, the mixture just spun around. It neither combined nor processed. So, in my version, I processed the raisin mixture AFTER it was cooked over the stove- creating a rich, gooey, and smooth filling.

filling:
2 cups raisins (about 13 oz)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup apple cider**

dough:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10 by 15-inch rimmed baking sheet (or a jelly-roll pan) with parchment paper.
Mix the raisins and sugar together in a saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into the cold water, then whisk into the raisin mixture. Stir in cider. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let it cook until the mixture has thickened and the sugar has dissolved, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Let the mixture cool completely. When cool, puree the raisin mixture in a food processor until it has a smooth consistency and can be evenly spread. Put back into the bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Put shortening in a bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar and cream the mixture until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. With a large plastic spoon, stir in the flour mixture in 2 parts. Mix until just combined. Then add the oats and mix with your hands to make sure the it is thoroughly incorporated (and to keep your spoon from breaking- the mixture is thick!).
Press half the dough into the prepared baking sheet- making sure to cover the whole pan. Spoon the raisin filling over the top of the dough. Crumble the rest of the dough over the top with your fingers, gently pressing down so that topping covers and sticks to the filling. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and enjoy!

**If you don't have apple cider on hand, just mix 1/2 cup apple juice with a pinch each of: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg. Nobody will know the difference!

Recipe from: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns have been a traditional Easter treat for generations; and for good reason! They are light, fluffy, and have a little bite of sweetness from the raisins and icing. The secret to keeping the hot cross buns light and fluffy is making sure you let it rest and rise for enough time. If you don't, gluten in the bread will form and make the dough tough.
Hot Cross Buns are delicious along side morning coffee as well as after dinner. Since the recipe below makes 6 dozen buns, I made 1/4 of the recipe and still had enough to give away!

4 ( 1/4 oz. each) packages active dry yeast
3 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees)
2 cups canola oil
8 eggs
4 eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups
4 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp salt
2 tsp cardamom
13-15 cups flour
2 2/3 cup raisins
2 tsp water

icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
4-5 tbsp milk


In a very large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk. Add the oil, eggs, egg yolks from separated eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and 10 cups of the flour. Beat until combined and smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a firm dough, then stir in the raisins. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Then, place in a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Punch the dough dough and turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 72 pieces and shape each into a ball. Place them two inches apart in four buttered 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Combine egg whites and water; brush over rols.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from pans and cool completely in wire racks.
For icing, combine powdered sugar, butter, and enough milk to make your desired consistency. Pipe an "X" on the top of each bun.

Recipe from: Taste of Home Magazine

Chai: Indian Tea

My family and I love ethnic food, but we have always had a special relationship with Indian food. We love the way spices work together with the flavors of the food to enhance the food itself, rather than overpower it. I have eaten Indian food ever since I can remember, and I have vivid memories my parents drinking Chai. Chai is a kind of Indian tea that is made up of a combination of spices brewed in milk. It is served at nearly every social gathering in India after a meal. I didn't try chai until I was around 8 years old, but when I did, I was so surprised with the combination of spices that make up such a rich and creamy tea. Chai is perfect for warming up cold winter nights, but is also pleasantly refreshing when cooled and served over ice.

2 cups water
1/4 cup loose Darjeeling tea leaves, or 5 tea bags black tea
2 cups whole milk, or 2% milk
1/8 tsp cardamom
2 whole cloves, crushed
2-4 black peppercorns, crushed
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, or more to taste

Heat the water to a rapid boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and add the tea leaves. Let them simmer for 2-4 minutes to blend the flavors. Strain out the tea leaves or bags and return tea to saucepan. Stir in the milk, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium low. Be careful not to let the milk boil over- it will boil up high in the pan. Stir in the condensed milk. Then strain into a teapot and serve hot, or strain into a pitcher and refrigerate, then serve cold over ice.

Recipe from: Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking; Recipe by: Raghavan Iyer

Sawatdee

Supenn Harrison, the owner and creator of Sawatdee, came to Minnesota from Thailand as a student in 1972. Eleven years later, Suepenn opened the first Sawatdee in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sawatdee serves only the freshest authentic Thai cuisine.
"A typical Thai meal consists of lots of jasmine rice served with several different dishes served family-style at the same time. The different flavors and textures contribute to the balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. The complement of dishes might include a soup, a spicy curry, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and fried or steamed fish. The typical desert would be fresh fruit such as papaya, grapes, rumbutan, or mangos, whatever is in season. Each person starts with rice on his or her plate. Then they help themselves to a spoonful of one dish, eat that with rice, then a spoonful of another. This allows people to savor each unique taste and texture" (Sawatdee Cookbook by Supenn Harrison).
Sawatdee offers appetizers like spring rolls, a very spicy papaya salad, egg rolls, cream cheese puffs, and chicken satays. The soups and salads include tofu soup, silver thread noodle soup, Lob Esan, and-my favorite-Toam Yum soup. The entrees are made with fresh, authentic Thai ingredients and fresh meats. They vary from spicy curries to Pad Thai. Almost all entrees can be made with your choice of tofu, chicken, shrimp, or beef, and are made at the spice level you want. Even the desserts pack flavor of Thai cuisine in every bite! This restaurant has 8 different locations across Minnesota- all of which will completely satisfy your cravings for authentic Thai cuisine.

Pictured above: Toam Yum Soup with Chicken.

Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Coconut is one of the best things in the world. It's tropical, sweet, and is so versatile, it can be used in almost anything! Coconut gives macaroons their flavor and an interesting twist to Brazilian Brigageiros. Coconut milk can be used in cakes as well as curries and a lot of Thai food. These vanilla and coconut cupcakes are just one easy way to use this versatile food. The reduced coconut milk keeps these cupcakes super moist and adds a richness to which regular milk could not compare.

To make reduced coconut milk:
2 13- to 14-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk


2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean, or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup reduced coconut milk

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk
seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean, or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For reduced coconut milk, bring the coconut milk to a boil in a large deep sauce pan over medium-high heat. Be careful with this because the coconut milk will boil high up in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and boil until it is reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Stir occasionally and let it boil for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in seeds from the vanilla bean and the remaining egg. Add half of the flour mixture and mix together on low speed until blended. Add 1 cup of reduced coconut milk and mix until blended. Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until blended. Divide batter among mini-muffin cups- filling each about 2/3 of the way up.
Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched, about 12-15 minutes. (20 minutes if you are using regular-sized muffin cups) Let the cupcakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let them cool completely on wire racks.
For the frosting, Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, and seeds from the vanilla bean. Beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Fill a large, plastic bag with the frosting- pushing it all down to one bottom corner. Cut the end of the corner off (not more than 1/2 inch, not less than 1/4 inch) and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, top each cupcake with desired amount of frosting. Using a small knife, swirl frosting over the tops of the cupcakes.
Store in airtight containers

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Almond & Honey Cookies

You know when you come home from a hard day of work, practice or rehearsal and your sweet tooth seems to be as big as a semi-truck? I sure do. To me, nothing sounds better than cookies when I come home from a late rehearsal. But I realized that all these cookies I've been eating really aren't doing anything good for me. So I was ecstatic when I came across these Almond and Honey Cookies! The almonds stand in for much of the butter that would be used, and honey is the only sweetener. They contain only 1 gram of saturated fat while having 2 grams of protein. These cookies are so good- and good for you- that you won't need to hesitate before having seconds.

1 cup whole almonds
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup honey
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the almonds on a baking sheet and let them toast for about 7-9 minutes. You should be able to smell their fragrance. It smells a little like almonds and a little like popcorn. Process these almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground. You will have about 1 1/4 cups ground almonds. Transfer to a large bowl and add flours, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined. In another medium bowl, beat honey, oil, and butter in a mixing bowl until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the wet ingredients until the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets and place about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake the cookies until they are set and barely golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes.

Recipe from Eating Well magazine

Orange Angel Food Cake

Angel Food cake is not easy, I know. But this fluffy, decadent dessert is well worth the effort and sure to impress. Try out this orange-infused treat and let it speak for itself. The cake looks so simple and elegant, but eaters will be amazed by the rich flavor it holds in such a light cake.
Make sure not to use a pan with a non stick coating, and don't grease it! The cake is cooled upside down, so it needs to stick to the sides a bit.

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (I recommend Naval oranges)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the powdered sugar, flour and salt 3 times. Then place in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the eggs turn opaque and soft peaks form. Gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until the whites are thick and shiny with fluffy peaks that droop gently. Add the orange peel and vanilla and beat just until they are blended. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture gently over the egg whites. Using a large rubber spatula, gently *FOLD* the flour mixture into the whites. Repeat with the rest of the flour in 3 more additions. Gently transfer batter to an ungreased 10 inch diameter angel food cake pan with a removable bottom and at least 4-inch sides. Smooth the top of the batter with your spatula.
Bake the cake until it is golden with a crackled crust on the top and it springs back to the tough, about 50 minutes. Immediately invert the center tube of the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Cool the cake completely.
Once the cake is cool, cut along the outside of the cake to remove the sides of the pan. Then cut around the bottom of the cake and the center tube to release it from the bottom part of the pan. Invert the cake to a platter so that what was once the bottom of the cake now faces up.
This angel food cake is excellent with fresh fruit or a scoop of ice cream!

**Do NOT stir the batter once the egg whites have been whipped. The key to such a light and fluffy cake is that the egg whites are as fluffy as possible without being too much so. Stirring will deflate the air bubbles. Don't know how to fold? Insert your rubber spatula into the center of the batter and gently bring it around to the bottom and then up the side, to the top- bringing the batter with it. Turn the bowl as you slowly repeat this until the flour is incorporated. The key here is gentle- and not to over mix and deflate!
Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine.

Jarlesberg Gougeres

Jarlesberg Gougeres- it looks like hieroglyphics. Translation: the perfect cheese puff for an appetizer or dipping in soup.
As I re-read the recipe before I started cooking, I looked over at my mom who was making soup beside me and said, "Mom, I'm scared". They seemed so intimidating at first- cooking a dough over the stove and then adding eggs while it's still hot. I was certain the flour would burn, and the eggs would curdle and I would end up with scrambled eggs. However, neither happened. Not even close. The only product of my work was a perfectly light cheese puff- so light, it seems it could float away with the spring breeze. The outside was golden brown and crisp, but the inside was airy and moist. What most surprised me though, was how amazingly easy these were to make.
Classic Gougeres are made with Gruyere cheese. But, since I couldn't find any at the store today, I substituted Jarlesberg cheese for Gruyere. The flavor of the Jarlesberg is perfectly salty with a slight tang- but all the burst of cheese.

1 cup water
3 tbsp butter, diced
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup packed grated Jarlesberg cheese (approx. 4 oz)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Put one oven rack in the top third and one in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, butter, and salt to a simmer. Whisk the mixture until the butter melts. When it comes to a simmer, add the flour and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs the liquid and forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Stir this vigorously until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough is no longer sticky, 1-2 minutes longer. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool about 3-4 minutes. With an electric mixer, mix in one egg at a time. The mixture will look separated at first, but keep mixing- the eggs will incorporate. Stir in the cheese and pepper.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake the gougeres until golden brown, about 30 minutes depending on their size. Reverse the positions of the sheets halfway through baking. The gougeres are done when the outsides are golden brown and when you pry a knife into the middle, you see a slightly moist center.

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Florida Guacamole

My family and I took spring break to Captiva Island in Florida this week! On our first day there, we took an outing to a small, local grocery store to get food and snacks for the week. As we were walking through the produce section, my brother and I spotted what looked like giant green avocados. After a look at the label, we discovered that they came from the Dominican Republic. These looked just like avocados, except they were lime green, rather than black. They were about the size of a softball, and they were the most perfectly ripe avocados I have ever seen- and not one bit too ripe. Upon spotting them, my brother and I immediately decided to buy one and make a giant batch of guacamole! 

Since I still don't know the real name for these, please drop a comment if you do. Although these Dominican Republic avocados aren't available in Minneapolis (or atleast not that I've noticed), two Haas avocados will do just fine!

1 Dominican Republic avocado

2 Roma tomatoes

2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on size and taste

Salt

1 shallot

1 medium Jalepeno pepper

1 lime

Cut the avocado(s) in half and take the seed out by hitting the center of your knife against the seed, so that it stays. Twist your knife until the seed pops out. Then, using your thumb and forefinger, pinch the knife right behind the seed so that it pops away from the knife. 

Remove the meat from the skin with a spoon and chop into small cubes. Place the small cubes in a large bowl. Then, Remove the top and bottom of the tomato as well as the core, making sure all the seeds come out, too. Dice the tomatoes in about 1/2 inch cubes. Add diced tomatoes to the bowl. Peel and mince the garlic. Add a few teaspoons of salt (depending on amount of garlic) to the minced garlic and smear it with your knife. Repeat until the garlic turns to paste. Add this to the bowl. Peel and mince the shallot, then add that to the bowl as well. Chop the top and the bottom of the Jalepeno pepper off, and then cut in half. Remove the ribs of the jalepeno and seeds and throw them away. Then mince the jalepeno and add it to the bowl. Cut the lime in half and juice it over the bowl, being careful not to let the seeds fall into the guacamole. Then, with a potato masher, mash all of the ingredients together to desired consistency. Be sure all the ingredients are evenly mixed, and enjoy!

The best thing about guacamole is how easy it is to alter and create your own recipe. If you want more tomatoes, just chop up more and add them as you go! Add bell peppers, or take out the jalepeno if you want! If you want spicier guacamole, chop up and add the ribs and seeds of the Jalepeno. If you don't like limes, add lemon juice instead! Big fan of garlic? Go crazy with the garlic paste! The only caution I should give is to start out with less, then add more when you're done. It's super easy to add more of an ingredient to this guacamole, but difficult to balance out the flavors if you add too much.

Recipe is my own.