Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Straws

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I'm kind of a nut for pre-meal bread.  The danger is that I fill up on them too quickly and then force myself to eat too much of my meal and then have no room for dessert.  The hidden dangers of eating carbs, I think.  You might say "Well, why just not say no to bread before your meal?" To which I say, shut your mouth when you're talking to me!  The obvious answer is a lighter option.  I found a great recipe in The Essential New York Time Cookbook for cheese straws that are so uncannily like cheez-its, it's ridiculous.  The possibilities are endless for these little gems.


Cheese Straws

• Cheddar Cheese, Grated: 4 oz 
• I used extra sharp cheddar
• 4 oz is half a block of cheese.  Definitely shred it yourself.  It's cheaper and tastes better.
• AP flour: 3/4 C
• Salt: 1/2 t
• Crushed Red Peppers: 1/4-3/4 t
• I found that 3/4 t was too spicy for me.
• Butter, Unsalted, Room Temperature: 4 T, cut into 4 pieces
• Half-and-Half: 1 T

The Butter is Camera Shy

Preheat your oven to 350 and have a ungreased baking sheet ready to go.

Put your cheddar cheese, flour, salt, pepper and butter into your food processor (or you can do it with a pastry cutter) and process for about 30 seconds until it looks like really course bread crumbs.  

Add your half and half and process until the whole thing is rolling around your processor in one big ball.

Lightly dust your counter top with flour and roll your ball out into an 8x10 rectangle (dust your rolling pin and the top of your dough if necessary).  

Cut into strips about 1/4" wide with a very sharp chef's knife and gently transfer onto your baking sheet.  If they're falling apart when you try and move them, use your knife.  Keep each straw about 1/4" away from each other.

Bake for about 14-16 minutes, until the tips of the straws start to brown.

Now Try This!

Cut them into squares, pop a hole in the middle of each one and make your own tasty cheese crackers!

Grown-Up Krispy Treats!

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You'd think after all that money I spent on going to school, learning how to make every little sweet piece under the sun, I'd have some kind of refined palate when it comes to my absolute favorite dessert item.  Not so, because to this day, my absolute favorite, favorite, FAVORITE dessert is still the same: Rice Krispy treats.  I've spent my fair share of time coming up with different combinations and flavors of Krispy treats and I think I may have found my favorite.


Reading through the amazing compilation cookbook, The Essential New York Times Cookbook,  I found the most amazing looking recipe for Caramelized Browned Butter Rice Krispy Treats.  Um, say whaaaaaat?!?!?!  The next day I grabbed everything I needed and went to work.  I've made a few changes to the recipe, that I think improved it, but overall, this is the yummiest Krispy recipe I've ever had.  Be warned, it's a bit more time consuming that your normal recipe, but in the end, it's more than worth it.


Caramelized Browned Butter Rice Krispy Treats

• Crisped Rice Cereal: 9 C
• The original recipe called for an entire 12oz box, and even though I prefer my treats on the dry side, they ended up palate ripping dry.
• Butter, Unsalted: 1 C (2 Sticks)
• Large Marshmallows: One 10 oz package
• Salt: 1/2 t
• Almonds, Chopped or Sliced, Toasted: 1/2 C
• To toast: Preheat oven to 350 °.  Place Almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven.  Keep a close eye on them and toast them to where you prefer them to be.  I like mine a little on the dark side.

Thoroughly butter a 11x17 baking sheet, a 9x13 baking pan, or 2-9" cake rounds, depending on the thickness you like or the shape you want.

Place your butter in an 8qt stock pot and cook on medium-low, stirring often, until your butter starts browning and getting that tasty nutty aroma.  Make sure you keep a close, close eye on your butter so it doesn't scorch.  When it gets to a medium brown (you'll have to push the foam out of the way so you can see it), stir in all of your marshmallows and salt, until the marshmallows are completely melted.  Keep cooking and stirring often until your marshmallows have gotten to a nice, medium golden brown.  Stir in the almonds until just incorporated.

Melty Buttery Marshmallowy Goodness

Remove your pot from the heat, and immediately stir in your rice cereal until completely coated with your marshmallow mixture.  

All Mixed Up

Quickly put into your prepared pan and use either your hands or a silicone spatula to push your mixture down into a nice, even layer.

Let your treats cool completely before slicing, or covering with plastic wrap.

Now Try This!

Why not try to mix in a little honey with your marshmallows (2 Tablespoons should do it).

It's Business Time: Chai Tea Whoopie Pies with Orange Scented Buttercream

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I'm a little obsessed with Cardamom.  It's so delicious and kind of peppery and it's in my favorite drink from Argo AND it pairs with my favorite citrus: Orange.  I should probably warn you that this will not be the last time you see Cardamom and Orange on this blog, but I do promise I'll wait at least a month.


Enough about me, let's talk about whoopie.  At my job, recently, we've been making all kinds of wacky changes and really trying to embrace house-made and not just house-decorated bakery items.  I went crazy!  I'm researching, I'm testing.  I'm making.  It's awesome.  Then I got this awesome book, Whoopie Pies, on my Kindle and BAM, my whole world opens up.  I'd never, ever had a whoopie pie before.  Delicious!


This particular recipe is based off of the vanilla and vanilla recipes from this book, but I put my own, personal spin on them.  These whoopie pies are deliciously sweet, but not too sweet, and they have the wonderful bite of the orange mixed in with the vanilla filling.  You'll love them for their adult flavors, and you'll probably be able to get your kids to eat them, too!


Chai Tea Whoopie Pies

• AP Flour: 2 1/4 C 
• Chai Spice: 3 T
• You can also use a combination of ground Cardamom, Clove, Ginger and Cinnamon
• Baking Powder: 1 1/2 t
• Salt: 1/2 t
• Butter, Unsalted (room temperature): 4 T (Half a stick)
• Shortening (room temperature): 4 T
• Granulated Sugar: 1/2 C
• Light Brown Sugar: 1/2 C
• Eggs: 2 Large
• Baking Soda: 1 t
• White Vinegar: 1 t
• Milk: 2 T
• Vanilla Extract: 1 t
• Buttermilk: 1/2 C
• You can also use 1/2 a cup of milk and 1 1/2 t of vinegar

Preheat your oven to 375° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  You can also use a whoopie pie pan, if you're into that kind of thing.


The first thing I'll say is that I recommend having all of your ingredients at room temperature.  Leaving them out at room temperature (covered!) should get everything to where it needs to be.  Place your butter, shortening, and sugar into your mixing bowl together and beat them together with a paddle on medium speed for about two to three minutes, or until it's light, fluffy and light, light yellow.  Start off slower, until things start coming together so they don't fling out of the bowl at you, then go up to medium, or four on a Kitchen-Aid.


Add your eggs one at a time, beating till they're incorporate, and scraping down the sides after each addition.  In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, vinegar (remember those volcanoes from elementary school projects?), milk and the vanilla and stir until they're combined.  Add to the mixing bowl and mix until incorporated.  Don't forget to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl!

Stop Mixing Here!

Sift together your AP Flour, Chai Spice, baking powder and salt over a piece of parchment or wax paper.  Pour a third of your dry ingredients into the bowl, on low speed, until the center is completely moistened.  The edges will still have some obviously dry ingredients, and that's alright!  Now, add half of your buttermilk and mix until everything is just moist.  Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.  Repeat the same process, again, with a third of your dry and the rest of the buttermilk, then finally mixing in the last of your dry.  Mix until almost everything is moistened, but stop while there is still some dry ingredients on the outside of your bowl.  Mix the rest of the dry ingredients by hand with a spatula.

Fold It In

Use an ice cream scoop (I use a very small ice cream scoop, which you can find at any home good store) to scoop out nice and even half orbs onto your parchment paper, leaving at least two inches of room between each, and more if you're making larger pies.  


Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just firm when pressed on their tops.  Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, before you move them onto a wire rack.  Let them cool completely before you ice them.  If you're in a hurry, you can always put them in the refrigerator after they're no longer hot.

Orange Scented Buttercream

• Powdered Sugar: 3 C, Sifted
• Butter, Unsalted: 8 T (One Stick), at room temperature
• Orange Zest: 1 T 
• I use Minced, Dehydrated Orange Zest because it's so much easier than buying an orange every time I need orange zest, and it's tasty!
• Heavy Cream: 3-4 T
• Vanilla Extract: 1 t
• Salt: 1/8 t

Mise En Place

Put your butter and orange zest into your mixing bowl and beat for one minute on medium speed to really infuse the orange flavor right into the butter.  Add your powered sugar and beat into the butter until completely combined.  Scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl.  Add your heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium to incorporate, and then on high for up to three minutes, until it's super fluffy!

Delicious Fluffy Filling Goodness

Put'n It All Together

The rest is so easy!  Depending on what you have at your disposal, there are a few different ways you can do it.

• Spread the butter cream on one pie, then place it's match on top.
• Use the same ice cream scoop you used to scoop the pies, and scoop the butter cream on one half, then smoosh the second half on.
• Use a pastry bag with a medium sized tip and pipe a 1/2-1 cm layer of butter cream on one pie half and top with the second half.

There you have it!  These are tasty and easy just to have around, and they're a great bribe.  I gave them to my leasing office at my apartment building and now I'm resident number one.  

Enjoy!