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Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Maple Spiced Pepitas
Are you ready for soup season? I admit I really wasn’t, but now that it’s here I’m embracing it fully. Yesterday I went for a glorious hike in the crisp fall air, then came home to make a big pot of this Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup (and a batch of cookies, but more on that in a future post). And it’s a good thing I did – the forecast is looking grey, chilly, and drizzly this week. In other words, perfect soup weather. Simple, Versatile, and Delicious I found this recipe last fall as I was hunting for squash soup recipes online. It’s from Fare Isle, found on the Coyuchi…
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Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
There are so many pies I want to make right now, but I just can’t seem to stop making cookies. These cookies in particular have been on my mind for weeks, and I finally got the chance to bake them. Sometimes a recipe does that – flits around in my head and pesters me until I try it. Call it inspiration, obsession, or what have you, but I don’t feel settled until I pull the final product out of the oven (unless it doesn’t turn out – then I have to keep trying until it does!). Thankfully, these Chai Spice Snickerdoodles turned out great on the first try. Last winter…
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Grandma Rena’s Molasses Cookies
My Great-Aunt Evy passed away this week. Like many of the older women in my family, she was a kind, loving, smart, and spunky lady. I didn’t see her often, but whenever I did she was quick to give me a smile and a hug, and always made me feel so loved. She will definitely be missed. Learning of her death made me think of all of the other great ladies I’ve been lucky enough to have in my life, including my Great-Grandma Rena. I don’t remember much of Grandma Rena, since I was young when she died, but I do remember one thing vividly – sitting at her kitchen…
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Peach Ginger Pie
One last summer recipe before fall begins in earnest, before we give in to all of the pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon flavors of this next season. This Peach Ginger Pie is the best way to use up that last batch of peaches and have one more taste of summer. This is a simple recipe, as all the best fruit pie recipes are – just fruit, sugar, corn starch (to thicken the filling), and ginger. Plus your favorite flaky pie crust. Simple, but heavenly all the same. Pie Crust and Pie Birds For the pie crust, see my Rhubarb Custard Pie recipe for ingredients and instructions (including photos). It makes…
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Apricot Ginger Granola
The air is starting to get crisp here in Northern Minnesota. The days are getting shorter too, and I’ve even seen a few leaves beginning to change. Fall is just around the corner. I love fall – it’s by far my favorite season – but I’m not quite ready to let go of summer yet. I’m not ready to give up hot sunny days, cold drinks on the deck, ice cream cones, BBQs, and fresh summer flavors. To help bridge the gap from summer to fall, I created this Apricot Ginger Granola. It has the bright sweetness of apricots and a bit of tropical flavor from coconut mixed with the…
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Brown Butter Bourbon & Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ok, so I didn’t plan it this way. I started working on this recipe about a month ago, with no concrete idea of when I’d have it ready. And it just so happens that the day I finally post it is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Talk about serendipity! Let’s all give a hearty welcome to Brown Butter Bourbon & Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know I already have a boozy chocolate chip cookie recipe on my site (Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cookies), but can you really have too many recipes for chocolate chip cookies, much less boozy ones?? I don’t think so. This recipe is adapted from Joy the Baker’s…
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Brown Butter
Brown butter. You’ve probably noticed it in recipes and on restaurant menus a lot lately. It’s become a popular ingredient in recent years, and for good reason – it makes everything more delicious. I mean, butter itself makes everything better, so it makes sense that butter, heated until it browns and gives off a deliciously nutty scent, would improve everything it touches. Browning butter is not complicated – all you need is butter, a heavy-bottomed, preferably light-colored saucepan, and a rubber spatula. The only tricky part is making sure your butter turns nicely brown without burning. This, I’ve found, really just takes patience and practice. Steps Melt your butter in…
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Devil’s Food Snack Cake
I’m not sure who first came up with the concept of a “Snack Cake”, but whoever it was was brilliant. It’s cake, but it’s just a “snack”. No big deal. It doesn’t have to be a special event like someone’s birthday or anything – it could just be a random Tuesday and you think, “gee, I’d like some cake”, so you make one. If you like the idea of having cake for no other reason than that you want cake, this Devil’s Food Snack Cake is for you. Now, you could definitely use this cake for a special occasion if you want. It’s rich, chocolatey and delicious, with a fluffy…
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Plum Slab Pie
Ok guys, the time of year has begun where we make ALL THE PIES. For the next 6 months, let’s put everything into flaky, buttery crusts. Deal? If you’re not convinced, let me try to entice you with this Plum Slab Pie. Yep, you read that right – Plum SLAB Pie. It’s pie in slab form. Because why would we want a measly little 9″ round pie when we can have a slab of it instead?? Slab pie is made exactly the same way as regular pie, except you use a half sheet pan instead of a pie pan. It’s great for feeding a crowd. (I bet you have a…
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola
Growing up, I always wanted the sugary cereal for breakfast. Cookie crisp especially. I mean, what kid doesn’t want to eat cookies for breakfast? (Or what adult, for that matter??) Unfortunately for my childhood self, my Mom insisted I eat the healthy cereal (Shredded Wheat, anyone?), and I rarely got to indulge in that sugary goodness. So, this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola is my way of having my Cookie Crisp and eating it too. (Oh, and thanks Mom for trying to keep me healthy – love you!) If you’ve never made your own granola before, you may be surprised at how easy it is to do. If you can…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
