eat Archives | Page 5 of 12 | butter loves company

homemade cheese crackers

December 16, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

A few weeks ago, my best friend became my *fiancé*—what a word and what a whirlwind! I really can’t imagine having anyone else by my side to laugh with for life. Supergreg, as you know him via this site, is the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met. I’m one lucky girl!

Despite all of the many things we’ve been through together since we’ve met, and how much we’ve learned and changed personally, there is one thing that still rings true. Greg can demolish a box of Cheez-It crackers in one sitting (Love you boo!).

This recipe for homemade cheese crackers is my personal gift to Greg. A cracker honoring the great Cheez-It that we can from this point forward make at home. These are your adult Cheez-Its: deeply cheesy, salt-forward with a smoky undertone thanks to paprika and cayenne. Sharp cheddar cheese leads the way with Gouda by its side. If you can find aged Gouda—I used 3-year aged—it is wonderful for adding a funky-in-a-good-way cheesy stink. I’m really selling it, huh? If you can’t find aged Gouda, a smoked Gouda could be substituted for a slightly smokier alternative.

These homemade cheesy crackers teeter on the cookie line, since they don’t shatter like some crackers as they meet your teeth, but if you roll them thin, you’ll achieve that cracker-y crunch. They also pair perfectly with wine or beer as a cocktail hour snack.

Go on and enjoy the marriage of cheeses!

drizzled chocolate peppermint cookies

December 12, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

I’m very aware that the “chocolate with mint” camp is a divided one. On the one side, there are those who treasure the combination of rich chocolate with refreshingly herbaceous mint and leap at the opportunity to lick mint chocolate chip ice cream or crunch on a Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint. On the other side, there are those who believe mint should be reserved for things like toothpaste and gum—adding the fragrant herb is simply not something they cannot get behind.

That said, while these chocolate peppermint cookies are mainly for those who appreciate the flavor combination, I think naysayers would be pleasantly surprised with the subtly of the peppermint as a complement to this cookie’s rich chocolate flavor.

With melted bittersweet chocolate in the batter, along with chocolate chips, followed by chocolate drizzle on top, these cookies do not lack chocolate. There is just a dash of peppermint extract in the batter (which could actually be omitted) and festive candy cane crumbles on top resulting in just enough peppermint essence to give you a cooling freshness between bites of chocolate, but not too much to be overpowering.

These chocolate peppermint cookies keep well in the freezer (fully baked, sealed tightly, for up to 3 weeks); making them a perfect option for baking ahead around the holidays. They also look beautiful on a holiday dessert table—you may even see your uncle who hates chocolate and mint together grabbing for one.

More for your chocolate lovers:

triple chocolate cookies

homemade oreo cookies

chocolate marble loaf cake

chocolate pecan torte with strawberry buttercream

molasses cookies

December 8, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

If you’re like me, you’ve been humming “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” since the moment the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes were cleared from your Thanksgiving table. The ‘it’s too early for Christmas decorations’ shame flew off, and the holiday jammies and baking mitts went on.

Molasses cookies have long been a favorite of mine because of their warming spiciness and their moist and chewy profile. The perfect molasses cookies, IMHO, are always rolled in granulated sugar before baking, and should be moist (almost wet) in their centers. They should hold their circular shape and have firm edges and crackled tops—the signature sign of flawless crunch to chew ratio.

It has taken me years to develop a molasses cookie recipe that embodied all the characteristics I was looking for. Many attempts resulted in cookies with too much spread and bend (too much moisture), or were too crunchy without that essential chew (too little moisture). This recipe yields a cookie that fits my long molasses cookie wish-list. I hope (and think) it will fit yours too. After all, I did make the list… and checked it twice. 😉

Bonus: baking these cookies will save some burn time on your favorite holiday candle. They fill your home with the most festive aroma!

Bonus Bonus: these cookies should not be limited to the holiday season alone. I’ve declared these cookies as the perfect texture for ice cream cookie sandwiches. If you try that, please let me know how they come out, and what ice cream flavor you chose for the middle!

The cookies don’t have to end there! Here’s a few others you might enjoy:

white chocolate macadamia cookies

triple chocolate cookies

bakery-style sugar cookies

iced brownie thins

perfect white chocolate macadamia cookies

September 15, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Nestled into a tiny nook in the corner of the kitchen of my parents’ house sits a shoddy convection oven. Place a piece of bread inside (potato sandwich bread to be specific), twist the knob to high, and an hour later you may return to find a faintly golden browned toast. And that’s if you’re lucky. Atop the dud electronic, sits a package of cookies. While they are most definitely from Costco, the residual heat from the oven below warmed them up to a faux homemade fresh-from-the-oven temperature.

Three types of cookies line up in rows within the container: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut. Oooh, those white chocolate macadamia cookies. They are so good. They’re sweet from the milkiness of white chocolate, crunchy and nutty from the thick macadamia nuts, and doughy in the centers—the sign they were under-baked to perfection.

This recipe for white chocolate macadamia cookies brings me right back to my parents’ kitchen, nibbling on Costco cookies “fresh” off the top of the convection oven. Though, these are even better than I remember, as homemade most often seems to be. They have crispy edges and soft chewy centers. Buttery and sweet with an even spread from a pre-bake chill. I think it is the addition of a dash of almond extract that makes them reminiscent of birthday cake batter too (Skillet cookie birthday cake, anyone?).

This makes a big batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies, nearly three-dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies. You could save half the dough in the freezer for a future craving if you’re so inclined. Mix up a batch and enjoy fresh from the oven, warmed to perfection, no shoddy convection oven required.

Not a white chocolate fan or craving more cookies? Why not give these triple chocolate cookies a try. Or, my favorite M&M cookies are always a winner.

quick peach compote

September 10, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Growing up in New England, the first few weeks of fall kicked off my favorite time of year. The sweep of crisp air pushes out the summer humidity as colorful leaves crinkle beneath your boots. This meant soccer season, cider doughnuts, apple picking, and holiday events with friends and family. If you’re a holiday season nut like I am, you surely understand the stomach butterflies of excitement that arrive around this time of year.

While autumn in Los Angeles doesn’t quite compare to the fall back east—the summer heat seems to stick around through October here—there is one constant of the fall season no matter where you are: fall baking. The warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg rush in. Apple pie and pumpkin bread are begging to be in your oven, filling your kitchen with an almost tangible comfort and calmness.

While we hold onto the final official moments of summer (and summer produce) and anticipate the beauty of fall, let’s grab a few last peaches from the market and celebrate the two seasons together with this quick peach compote.

This easy recipe uses juicy fresh summer peaches and borrows warm scents of cinnamon and nutmeg from the impending fall to ease you seamlessly from beach days to sweater weather. Simply slice or dice the peaches, simmer, and fifteen minutes later your compote is ready. The result is a terrific sweet, tangy, and spiced topping for morning yogurt bowls or evening ice cream. You could also spread atop toast, perhaps along with some ricotta cheese.

plum hand pies

August 24, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

A few precarious Waze drives across Los Angeles scoping out the neighborhood’s farmers’ market and we’ve finally found our favorite. Just so happens it is right in our Hollywood backyard.

It was love at first sight or, more specifically, love at first sight of the oysters being freshly shucked at the first stall.

Continue up the pavement a few steps, past the casual cool parents with arms around their stylish kids and the effortless beauties holding baskets with flowers fluttering over the wicker edges. Keep going by the chef piling up the freshest ingredients for the night’s service and the person you swear you recognize from Law & Order SVU, and you’ll arrive at a most-colorful stall.

It’s mid- to late-summer and stone fruits are the cream of the crop. Mounds and mounds of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and pluots await you. Each fruit wearing a different jewel toned coat. Who knew there were twelve varieties of plum? From a golden yellow with a soft and sugar sweet flavor to a deep dark indigo with a tart skin and apricot-esque taste, this farm’s stand has it all. Stock up and enjoy with everything. But most importantly, in my opinion, bake!

Is there a better showcase for summer fruit than pie? There’s something about wrapping peaches or plums in a tender buttery crust and letting the oven bring out the fruit’s fresh and tangy juices that feels incredibly homey and effortless. The fresh ingredients really do the work.

So here we are with Plum Hand Pies; a portable version of your favorite summer pie. I always prefer a homemade crust but feel free to use store bought if that is your preference or if you’re tight on time.

mini challah loaves

August 22, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Chewy, eggy, braided mini challah loaves—perfect with butter, for sandwiches or treat them like bagels and smear them with cream cheese. Be sure to use the extras for challah french toast—dreamy!

From my plane ride to Boston, something a little different…

—–

She settles deep into her window seat for the six-hour flight and pops open her book to where she left off. She’s barely a chapter in but she leafs back a few pages—another vivid daydream had taken her away from the words her eyes scanned for the past fifteen minutes. Or, had she fallen asleep? Tough to tell these days.

It takes only a few moments for the lids to weigh down over her brown eyes. Her thoughts drift away to the sounds of twin toddlers giggling in the row in front of her. They’re bouncing in their seats beaming with excitement to be flying across the country, “Mom, look! We’re in the CLOUDS!”

They each wore French braids, just like she had nearly every day of her childhood. In this moment, they epitomize pure happiness. She sighs.

She drifts further into memories and transports back to the day she made challah bread for the first time. She had woken early from a nightmare and began to braid the challah dough she had prepared the night before to get her mind off things. It was profoundly therapeutic; rolling and twisting the eggy dough.

The buns had barely hit the cooling rack before she ripped into the puffy loaves, spreading their soft centers with butter and sprinkling with flaky salt. Her boyfriend, now awake to the smell of freshly baked bread, hurried over to grab a bite of his own. Their eyes locked and they both smiled. It was so good. In this moment, she imagined herself as one of those giggling toddlers: she was purely happy. This time trading those braids in the hair for another, much more delicious, braid she could share with everyone around her.

sugared brioche doughnuts

August 11, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Check. Check 1-2. Check 1-2-3-4.

Hello…

it’s me!

I am (honestly) in California dreaming about who we used to be. That is, food friends! Life has been quite busy lately and I’m going to blame my temporary break on the new doughnut in my life. No, I’m not talking about these sugared brioche doughnuts that I hope you’re grabbing for on the screen (they are that good, I promise). I’m referring to the newest member of the Butter Loves Company family, our precious calico kitten—say hello to Nori! She is my new kitchen assistant, contributing mostly by sleeping curled into an adorable doughnut shape. I couldn’t be happier to be her mama.

Cute cats aside, I am bursting with excitement to share this recipe with you. Imagine biting into a sweet, buttery cloud with egg-y richness and a kiss of vanilla. Sounds pretty amazing, right? That’s what you’ll get with this perfect sugared brioche doughnut recipe. As soon as I tried Thomas Keller’s recipe from Bouchon Bakery, it was game over.

If you’re thinking, “Homemade doughnuts? That seems difficult,” let’s take it step-by-step. You’ll prepare a simple dough, which is a mostly hands-off process, allowing your stand mixer to do the heavy lifting. You’ll let the dough proof for an hour and then again overnight in the fridge. You’ll roll out and cut the dough into your doughnut shapes. You’ll heat the oil and fry those pretties for just a couple minutes. Remove from the oil, let cool and toss them in vanilla sugar. Give one to everyone you see around you—well, maybe not the cats!

turkey quinoa poblano chili

January 13, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Warming Turkey Quinoa Poblano Chili is your answer for cold days, game days and all the days you want to curl up with some ‘healthier’ comfort food. Also, it’s perfect for feeding a group!

I’ve made this easy turkey chili recipe a handful of times within the past year and, each time, Greg and I seem to be surprised by how delicious it is. The more I think about it, though, the more I’m surprised that we’re surprised. With tender turkey, mildly spice from the poblanos, and slight nuttiness of quinoa all simmered with the heat of chili powder and cayenne, plus a touch of sweet from cinnamon and cloves, this dish has so many comforting flavors. When topped with creamy avocado, tangy lime and a dollop of cooling Greek yogurt, you really can’t go wrong with this not-surprisingly delicious turkey chili.

While this chili is a great alternative to the traditional beef chili when celebrating game day, you could also make a batch to have for lunch throughout the week. I bet you could even make this one vegetarian if you wanted to sub out the turkey for a variety of different beans and the chicken broth for a vegetable broth.

Depending on your brand of chili powder and the specific poblano peppers you use, the heat level can vary. If you are wary of spice, I would recommend starting with about half of the chili powder and then adding more to taste.

rosemary honey buttermilk biscuits

January 5, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

These rosemary honey buttermilk biscuits are what dreams are made of. From their soft, buttery layered centers and lightly crisp edges to earthy rosemary and sweet honey flavors, these biscuits are the real deal.

Four and a half years ago, I bit into the best biscuit of my life. It was a Monday night, right after Greg and I began dating and we were perched at the bar of one of our favorite Boston restaurants, Island Creek Oyster Bar. We had made it a little tradition to go there for oysters and doughnuts. An odd pairing, yes, but doesn’t a meal that consists of the freshest, most cleanly shucked, perfectly chilled oysters on the planet and piping hot, homemade, seasonal doughnuts sound heavenly? We think so. How could it get better?

Enter: The biscuits. A tip from a fellow diner led us there and, after one bite of the rosemary, honey coated buttermilk beauty, we were in dreamland. With crisp edges that balance the soft, buttery layers within, this is a biscuit you will definitely fall in love with.

Many thanks to Saveur Magazine for sharing our love of “The Biscuit” and getting the Island Creek team to reveal the recipe. I could have sworn there was rosemary inside the biscuits as well as on top, so I adjusted the recipe to meet my memory. The real key here is shredding frozen butter into the dough with a box grater. It will give the biscuits their many layers. Get ready to fall in love.

« Previous Page