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fluffy homemade marshmallows

February 19, 2015 by Butter Loves Company

Have you ever eaten a fresh marshmallow? It’s like a puffy cloud pillow with a soft texture outside and a sticky sweet inside. Dropped into rich hot chocolate, fresh marshmallows are the cure-all for the winter blues. Eaten alone, they are a light, sweet snack. And toasted and smooshed between graham crackers and chocolate, you have one of the best s’mores ever.

As soon as you see how easy it is to make marshmallows at home you’ll be wondering why you haven’t tried it sooner. I’ve made them a few times now and have started experimenting with other flavors like coconut and Crème de Violette.

There are a few things I need to mention before you dive in though. First, you’ll need to have a candy thermometer on hand as you’ll be heating the mixture to exactly 240°F. Second, after you’ve whipped all the ingredients into a thick, bright white, fluffy mixture, you’ll pour/scrape it into a greased and sugar-dusted baking pan. Here’s the key: you will NOT be able to get all of the marshmallow out of your stand mixer’s bowl. It is just too gosh darn sticky. Don’t worry about this and don’t try too hard to scrape out every speck or you will end up looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man covered in all the sticky marshmallow strings.

fluffy homemade marshmallows
recipe from Alton Brown

prep time: 30 minutes
total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (includes time to set)
makes about 9 dozen 1-inch marshmallows

Ingredients:

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Instructions:

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cover and allow mixture to cook without touching it for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook, untouched, until the mixture reaches 240°F, about 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from heat.
Turn the stand mixer on low speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and the outside of your mixing bowl feels lukewarm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla extract during the last minute of whipping. Meanwhile, prepare the pan.
Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Spray a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Generously sprinkle about a third of the sugar and cornstarch mixture onto the pan and shake until it completely coats the bottom and sides. Reserve the remaining confectioners’ sugar mixture for later use.
When the marshmallow mixture is ready, pour/scrape it into the prepared pan using a lightly oiled spatula which will help you spread the top evenly into each corner of the pan (Remember, you will not be able to get all of the mixture out of the bowl!). Dust the top with some of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture, using additional if necessary. Drop some into your hot cocoa or store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

blueberry and lemon cream tart

February 10, 2015 by Butter Loves Company

Easy as pie tart? Yup. This puppy is even easier than pie! You want to know why? You know that part in pie making when you have to roll out the chilled dough and then transport it to the pie dish and, if you’re like me, you want to then slice more dough for a lattice top or try cut-outs, or patterns, or ruffles, or fringe … this is beginning to sound like the E! Grammy’s Fashion Police wrap up! Well, with this tart, you don’t have to do ANY of that! Easy pease, my friends.

Once you prepare the dough, you can just push it right into the pan with your sticky little fingers. It is a tad more crumbly than a pie crust with a texture like that of shortbread. Once you line the pan, you partially bake the dough so it can stand up to all the juicy blueberries and tart, creamy filling you’ll top it with next. The blueberries stay whole and plump up in the oven so you can pop them with your teeth as you devour a slice. Then you’ll pour a lemony Greek yogurt sauce over the sweet blueberries and bake the entire tart until the sauce sets into what is similar to a loose custard. The combination of the buttery crust, sweet blueberries, and tart lemon cream is bright, fresh, and dreamy.

The tart holds well in the fridge for a few days and can be served cool or at room temperature. It can also be served for breakfast when you are snowed-in in Boston. I can attest to that.

blueberry and lemon cream tart
adapted from Gourmet Magazine, July 1990

prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 60 minutes
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus more for chilling dough)
Makes 1 12-Inch Tart in Pan with Removable Bottom

Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) very cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks, beaten with 4 tablespoons ice water
pie weights, dry beans, or raw rice for weighting the shell

For the filling:
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups fresh blueberries (Take a look and remove extra stems or any bluebs that look dried out.)

Instructions:

Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Pour in the yolk and water mixture and pulse until the liquid is incorporated and the dough begins coming together. Turn the dough onto a clean surface and, using your hands, gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Grab your tart pan (with removable fluted rim) and remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Grab small chunks of the dough at a time and push into the tart pan with your fingertips. Continue pressing the dough into the pan until you have lined the bottom and sides with dough about 1/4 inch thick. Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, 15 minutes in the freezer, or cover and leave overnight. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the inside of the tart crust with foil, fill the foil with the pie weights, dry beans or rice, and bake the shell in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights carefully, bake the crust for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until it is pale golden, and let it cool in the pan on a rack. Keep the oven heated at 350°F while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: In a blender, food processor, or large bowl with a vigorous hand, blend together the yogurt, cream, yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, vanilla, salt, and flour until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Spread the fresh blueberries evenly over the bottom of the par-baked tart crust. Pour the yogurt and lemon mixture over them. Bake the tart in the middle of the oven at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is just set.
Let the tart cool completely in the pan on a rack. Serve at room temperature or store the tart in the refrigerator and serve chilled. Tart keeps for 4 to 5 days (keep chilled).

sticky bundt (sticky bun bundt cake)

January 27, 2015 by Butter Loves Company

This is a sticky bun/bundt cake hybrid which I’ve aptly named a sticky ‘bun’dt (Get it, get it?). I made a batch of fluffy sticky buns and baked them in a bundt pan literally for the sole purpose of saying sticky bundt all day. Lucky for me, the resulting sticky-sweet, pecan-studded cake tasted amazing, so I’m excited to share the recipe with you while I humbly pat myself on the back. 😉

look at these sweet dough pinwheels getting personal! they love each other!

If you are a fan of sticky buns, you’re definitely open to a bit of butter and sugar. Plenty of pecans adhere to a sticky-sweet—but more of a mature not-too-sweet, sweet—dark brown sugar topping, all of which jumps aboard a nutty, buttery cinnamon roll train. Hopefully, the train is headed for a brunch table near you!

Making sticky buns requires a bit of patience as you’ve got to proof the dough twice; first, right after preparing the yeasted sweet dough, and second, after filling and rolling the dough into pinwheeled buns. I promise you this sticky bun bundt cake cake is worth the extra effort as the bundt is as tasty as it is visually stunning.

There are three main elements to this sticky bun bundt cake: the dough, the filling, and the topping. Broken down into three parts it is totally manageable and you can even prepare and assemble the buns a day ahead of time so you will be able to sleep in and still impress your family and friends at Sunday brunch. Just allow the chilled buns to get to room temperature about an hour and a half before baking in the morning.

the pecan cinnamon rolls will rise up into these layers and you will feel like a superhero for making this happen.

you’ll flip the sticky bundt out of its pan and smell the nuts and sweet butter combined with the warm spices and rich topping.

sticky bundt
Adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2012

prep time: 30–40 minutes (plus time to chill and rise)
cook time: 50 minutes
total time: 5 hours (includes minimum time to chill and rise)
Makes: One 10-inch bundt cake or 10 individual sticky buns prepared in an 8x8x2″ metal baking pan

Ingredients:

Sweet dough:

2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces, room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter for greasing bowl

Topping:

2 cups chopped pecans (I like to keep about 1/2 cup whole to top the bundt, but up to you.)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
2 teaspoons orange liqueur or rum (optional)

Filling/bun assembly:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (for egg washing buns)
Coarse sea salt (such as Maldon) for finishing

Instructions:

Make the sweet dough:

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat milk in microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110–115°F. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs until smooth.
Combine remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk mixture and combine on low speed. With mixer still running, add the room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, incorporating each piece fully before adding the next one. After you’ve added the last piece, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and knead until dough is soft and silky, about 10 minutes.
Brush a medium bowl with melted butter; place dough in bowl. Brush top of dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap and let sit room temperature until about doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill dough for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the topping:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darkened, 10–12 minutes. Let cool completely. Set 1 1/2 cups nuts aside for inside the buns.
Melt butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, cream, honey, salt, orange zest and liqueur, if using. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until glaze is golden brown, glossy, and slightly thickened, 3–4 minutes. Pour a third of the glaze into your bundt pan, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside remaining glaze. Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted pecans over bottom of pan and let cool.

Make the filling and assemble:

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Set filling aside.
Remove dough from refrigerator and transfer to a floured work surface. Lightly dust top with flour and roll out the dough into a 12×16″ rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over dough with a knife or your hands. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans over the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Beginning with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log. Once you finish rolling, arrange the log seam-side-down on the work surface.
Using a sharp knife (you can wet the knife slightly to help make a clean cut), cut the log crosswise into 10 equal pieces. Don’t worry about making perfect rolls especially if you’ll be putting into a bundt pan. Turn the buns cut-side-up and gently tuck the end of each roll under the bun so it won’t unroll while baking. Place the buns in prepared pan; space them evenly apart. If making the sticky bundt, the buns will touch. If making individual buns in a 8x8x2″ metal baking pan the buns will likely not touch each other. At this point, you can cover and chill buns and remaining glaze separately. Store remaining pecans airtight at room temperature.
Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let buns rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour, or 1 1/2–2 hours if dough has been chilled overnight.
Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Whisk egg with 1/2 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush tops of buns with egg wash. Bake, rotating pan halfway through and tenting with foil if browning too quickly, until buns are golden brown, filling is bubbling, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of buns registers 185°F, about 50 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then invert onto a platter. Spoon remaining glaze over sticky bundt. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Serve sticky bundt warm or at room temperature.

warm, lemony crab dip

November 18, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

Circa late-fall 2002, I was preparing to put on my first ‘cocktail party.’ I was around 15 years old and the ‘cocktail’ menu consisted of childhood staples such as Sunny Delight, Arizona Iced Tea and Surge—the seemingly radioactive green soda that was later banned due to its high caffeine content. I flipped through my mom’s copy of the cookbook, Finger Foods, marking up every page that jumped out at me as perfect for my teen attendees. I most definitely went through an entire stack of Post-its. What can I say? I’m a sucker for bite-sized foods and vehicles for consuming bread.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago, I was planning for another cocktail party—this time for adults—and once again scanned my mom’s cookbook wall for inspiration. The same blue Post-its that were stuck on during the Fall of 2002 jutted out of Finger Foods. Turns out, I hadn’t made all 200 recipes I had marked for that ‘cocktail party’ years ago (shocker). Among those that didn’t make the initial cut was this warm, lemony crab dip. Because crab may very well be the queen of the cocktail party, I decided to test the recipe. I added more crab than the recipe called for because I’m always disappointed by wimpy dips. Oh boy, was it just the perfect bread topper in all its warm, creamy, savory, lump crab-filled glory. Chopped tarragon added a sophisticated can’t-put-my-finger-on-it complement to the citrus and a pinch of cayenne enhanced the creaminess of the heavy base with just enough heat.

Now, my cocktail party attendees must be scratching their heads because they didn’t see this dip last Saturday. It passed the test run with rave reviews and I promise it was absent only because the table had hit its dip quota. Don’t worry though because Finger Foods is still on the kitchen shelf for next time; a Post-it marked “delicious” sticking out of page 17.

warm, lemony crab dip
adapted from Bay Book’s Finger Foods

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 40–45 minutes
makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
14-oz. lump crabmeat (drained if using canned)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons chopped, fresh tarragon
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley

Instructions:

Center a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Grab a small baking dish out and set it aside for later (must fit 2 1/2 cups).
Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots to the saucepan and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, and whipping cream. Bring to a simmer and slowly whisk in the cream cheese, a little bit at a time. When the cream cheese is completely incorporated, whisk in the cheddar and stir constantly over very low heat until smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the crabmeat, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well and then transfer into your small baking dish.
Melt the remaining butter in the microwave in a separate small microwave safe bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and remaining tarragon, and stir until combined. Sprinkle over the crab mixture and bake for 15–20 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Serve warm with toasted bread or crackers.

go-to carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

October 29, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

This carrot cake recipe has been in my family for longer than I can remember. It makes regular appearances at Easter and is often requested in the fall when it seems like just about everyone in my family was born. Let me tell you, it has spoiled many bakery carrot cakes for me. It’s not that the bakery cakes are so bad; it’s just that they aren’t this good. If you’ve ever had a carrot cake that was too dry, too bland, too dense, too light or any of the other “too’s,” you should try this one out. It may be your new go-to.

One of the keys to this recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook is that the carrots are cooked and puréed before they are mixed into the batter. The result is an extremely moist cake that is sturdy and rich but not too dense. The cake is sweet with a cinnamon spice and textured with coconut and walnuts (if you desire, which I always do). I doubled the cream cheese frosting recipe from the original recipe, because…just because. It can never hurt to have a little extra, but not having enough would be sinful. Put cream cheese frosting on anything and you won’t make any enemies.

We’ve eaten this twice in the last month; the first for my brother’s birthday and more recently for my grandmother’s. Because my grandmother doesn’t care for coconut, I made hers—the one pictured— without it. You’ll see notes about my adjustments following the recipe.

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some people definitely only like carrot cake for the cream cheese frosting…and that’s okay.

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pardon the poor lighting, but that’s a face that likes this cake!

go-to carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
From the Silver Palate Cookbook

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 35–50 minutes
total time: 1 hour, plus another 2 for cooling
makes one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 3-layer 8-inch cake

Ingredients:

CAKE:
Butter, for greasing the pan
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-1⁄2 cups canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut*
1-1/3 cups puréed cooked carrots (to cook: Chop peeled carrots into chunks and boil in water until a knife can cut through a chunk with little resistance)
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (2 standard packages)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and then grease the top of the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Add the oil and vanilla followed by the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. With the mixer on low speed add the walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple (fold them in gently if you are not using a stand mixer).
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until the edges have pulled away from the sides and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes for 9-inch cakes and 35–40 minutes for 8-inch cakes. Cool on a cake rack for 2 hours. Fill and frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting (recipe below).
Make cream cheese frosting by creaming together the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl, or the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly sift in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until fully incorporate. Slowly is the key word here, unless you want to be wearing a LOT of confectioner’s sugar. Once the sugar has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Stir in the vanilla, and lemon juice (if using).

*To make the cake with no coconut: Omit shredded coconut and up the amount of pureed cooked carrots from 1-1/3 cups to 2 cups. That’s it!

**You can make the cake layers two days in advance. Let cook completely and then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. The assembled cake also keeps well in the refrigerator for a solid few days (I can vouch for at least 5).

apple pie buttermilk biscuits

September 17, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

If you’ve ever found yourself craving apple pie for breakfast, these biscuits are for you. These fluffy treats are portable, completely 8am acceptable versions of apple pie with a sweet cinnamon apple filling folded into two fluffy, buttery buttermilk biscuit layers. Shopping for and making this recipe is extremely easy as it requires just one apple, one spice and no electric mixer of any sort. Let’s consider this our simple stepping stone into the various apple-ly pies and treats we make in the coming months. Prepare to have a super awesome smelling kitchen!

I made these last Sunday as part two of the Joy the Baker and King Arthur Flour Baking Boot Camp series. The concept of the series is simple: four recipe challenges using four different King Arthur Flours + photos + Instagram #bakingbootcamp = a chance to win awesome baking prizes. If you’re interested in participating you can find out more details on Joy’s blog. Also, if you have an Instagram account, I would love to see your results. I’m @butterlc. Let’s be web buds!

This challenge featured self-rising flour, which I learned is made using soft wheat flour rather than the hard wheat flour that goes into all-purpose flour. This causes it to have a lower protein content (8.5%) than all-purpose flour (11.7%) which aids in making the flour light, and resulting tender and fluffy biscuits. Apparently, this type of flour also already contains non-aluminum baking powder and a dash of salt. Whoop, whoop! Cheers to learning! Love this stuff.

I don’t know about you but I had five types of flour on hand, but self-rising was not one of them. Luckily, you can make your own using this easy formula: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk this mixture together until thoroughly combined. You will need a double batch of this for the recipe below.

Aside from having these on a casual Sunday, I can picture serving them with brunch on a crisp fall day, or even into the Thanksgiving holiday season.

*Truthfully, if you find yourself craving apple pie for breakfast, please also feel free to eat the stinkin’ pie. I know I have. That’s the beauty of being an “adult.”

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buttermilk lava!

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your dough will start coming together.

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roll out the dough

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add your sweet apple filling

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cut and place on a cookie sheet pan

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sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar, because that can only make things better

biscuits.

I love how the apple peeks out!

apple pie buttermilk biscuits
Joy the Baker

prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 12–14 minutes
total time: 30–40 minutes
makes 12 biscuits

Ingredients:

For the Apples:
1 Fuji or other baking apple of choice, peeled, cored and sliced very thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (I was generous with this)
For the Biscuits:
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour, or your own self-rising flour mixture (directions above)
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 to 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
For the Topping:
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the apples: Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Toss the apples until the sugar is melted and the mixture on the apples is warm and glossy. The apples will be coated but won’t be cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Prepare the biscuit dough: Place flour in a medium bowl. I used a baking dish with a nice flat bottom and wide top so I could get my hands in easily. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingers to quickly break the butter down into the flour until some of the butter bits are oat-sized and others pea-sized. Stir in the granulated sugar.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 2/3 cup buttermilk. Stir the mixture together until it is well moistened and holds together if you gently gather it together into a ball. Add the remaining buttermilk as needed. If you’re using your own homemade self-rising flour, you’ll want to add the full 3/4 cup of buttermilk.
Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour. Gently gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to the floured surface. Pat it into a small rectangle.
Assemble: Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a rectangle 1/2-inch thick, about 7-inches x 10-inches. Arrange the cooled apples in a single layer over one half of the rolled-out biscuit dough. Fold the empty side of the dough over the apples and gently seal in the apples by pressing the edges of the dough together. You can use your hands to pat the dough into a 6-inch x 8-inch rectangle and smooth the edges.
Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 12 squares. Use a spatula to place each biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar for topping, cinnamon and salt.
Brush each biscuit top with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the biscuits are risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm, or cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Biscuits are best enjoyed within two days of baking.

spiced pumpkin muffins

September 8, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

If someone asked you what your favorite season was, what would you say? I would most definitely shout FALL!!! Here’s the short list of reasons why:

A Break from Humidity: Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate humidity. Autumn brings a welcome reprieve from summer’s oppressive and unattractive face dew (aka sweat). Holding a cell phone to your ear while walking casually should not leave you sweaty. It just shouldn’t. Am I right?

Boots: Love, love, love ’em. Comfortable, cute, practical—as soon as Labor Day passes, I am so like, ‘Bring on the Booties!’ Boots > Flip Flops, any day.

Apple Picking: Did you know people come to New England to look at the leaves fall off the trees? Leaf peeping is a real thing! As a Boston native, I think I sometimes under-appreciate the beauty of nature’s red and orange hues. One thing I always appreciate though is apple picking. I turn into a total kid when it comes to plucking these sweet little beauties from the orchard trees. I especially love climbing up the trees to find that perfect apple (boots on, obviously). As a couple of added bonuses, apple picking usually means cider donuts and always means apple desserts made fresh with your bounty.

Football: My family and boyfriend are probably rolling their eyes right now, but I would say my love of the start of football season is actually a love of game day foods. A day of cooking and eating with friends in cozy clothes sounds amazing to me. Don’t ask me the score. I’m too busy stuffing my face with nachos.

All Things Pumpkin (except the latte—don’t throw tomatoes at me fellow Fall lovers): I love fall baking because of the aforementioned fresh apples, but I also love it for the pumpkin! Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves take center stage with recipes featuring this orange squash. Baking with pumpkin always guarantees delicious, moist results. Let me prove it with these moist, fluffy yet chewy, pumpkin-rich muffins . . .

Two years ago, during the fall and early winter, there was a shortage of canned pumpkin. I think I only made four batches of pumpkin muffins that season! Literally devastating. Too dramatic? No way. Ever since, I’ve hoarded canned pumpkin like it was gold. You all will get to reap the benefits of this because I’ll share a number of my fall favorites over the next few weeks beginning with these simple to make spiced pumpkin muffins. No complex ingredients here. Just good ol’ pumpkin lovin’ deliciousness. I was also a little heavy handed with the warm spices, but I can’t say I regret it.

spiced pumpkin muffins
adapted from bon appetit, november 1995 via epicurious

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 34-38 minutes
total time: about 45-50 minutes
makes 12 jumbo muffins or 18 regular sized

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
(plain, not spiced)
3 cups all–purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two jumbo holed muffin pans
(six muffins per pan) with non-stick baking spray (or alternatively, butter and flour the pans)*. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and oil on medium speed to blend. Add eggs, mixing after each addition, and then add pumpkin. Mix until combined and smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder. With the stand mixer on low speed, mix the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture in two additions, until just combined.
Divide batter equally between prepared muffin pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the center muffins comes out clean, about 34–38 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire racks to cool completely or for as long as you can resist.

*If using standard muffin pans, you’ll want to follow the recipe exactly and once the muffins are in the oven begin testing them after 18–20 minutes.

6-inch super s’mores cake

August 14, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

Let me start by saying, I cannot eat this s’mores cake without singing my sugar- and butter-laden version of Britney Spears’ Gimme More, aptly retitled, “Gimme S’more.” So far my debut as a pop star has only hit the living room, but I’m considering going on tour. And trust me, if I brought this cake, you’d buy tickets. You. Totally. Would.

S’mores epitomize summer. The ultimate campfire food, these gooey treats are best eaten after a fire-roasted hot dog, on a sticky night and with no shoes on. Three simple ingredients: chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers combine to create the perfect sweet, creamy, crunchy, decadent and airy 4 x 4 inch square. For us city dwellers who still want to have ‘s’more’ summer fun but don’t have grills or fire pits to perfectly roast our marshmallows on, a kitchen torch is truly a game changer. It opens up the door for both regular s’mores and also their haute cuisine big sister, this s’mores cake (brought to you by my Tuesday night baking impulse, and apparent delirium).

To give this cake that true s’mores feel graham crackers are ground up and added to the batter to make sweet cinnamon spiced layers, chocolate chips and ample cocoa powder are used in place of chocolate bars to add depth and crunch to the chocolate layers and a sweet and stretchy marshmallow Fluff filling seals the layers together. Lastly, a light, airy meringue topping coats the entire cake. The BEST, I repeat, BEST part about making this cake is using the kitchen torch to “roast” the topping. Once you start in with the torch, you’ll be amazed that the smell is identical to that of roasting marshmallows around a campfire.

Full disclosure: When I made this cake I used large chocolate chunks and also overcooked the chocolate layer slightly. It was drier than I prefer and I felt the large chunks of chocolate made the cake too hard to cut through (you can tell in the pictures). My updates are reflected in the recipe below and I recommend you check fairly frequently for doneness; which is when the outside edge of the cake is fully set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean (it won’t come out completely clean due to the chocolate chips in the batter). You should not feel like you are inserting the toothpick into jiggly pudding. One thing to remember, the cake will set up a little more as it cools in the pan.

6-inch super s’mores layer cake

graham cracker cake and meringue topping adapted from Deb Perelman’s ‘Smitten Kitchen Cookbook’
brownie cake adapted from Bite Me More
marshmallow Fluff filling adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

prep Time: 45 minutes
cook Time: 60 minutes (if cooking graham and chocolate cakes one after the other)
total Time: Solid 3 hours between prep, cook, speed cooling, and assembling
makes one, three layer, 6-inch cake (two graham layers, one chocolate layer), or if you choose to slice each cake layer in half horizontally, it will make a six layer, 6-inch cake, as pictured.

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Cake:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup honey graham cracker crumbs, finely processed to a powder (from about 7 standard graham cracker sheets)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Brownie Cake:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Marshmallow Filling:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup marshmallow cream (Fluff)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4–1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Meringue Topping:

4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

To Make the Graham Cracker Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray two 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and then grease the paper.
In a medium bowl mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl—or the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment—mix butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix a third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then add the milk, then another third of dry mixture, and then the yogurt or sour cream, and lastly, the rest of the dry mixture. Mix completely.
Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on wire rack. Then invert onto rack and remove the cakes. Cool completely.

To Make the Brownie Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray one 6-inch round cake pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease the paper.
In a large bowl—or the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment—mix melted butter, sugar and light brown sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and continue to mix until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips, stirring until flour has become completely mixed in and smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the cake have set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out easily and with minimal batter (it will have some chocolate on it because of the chocolate chips). Cool in pan for 10 minutes on wire rack. Then invert onto rack and remove the cakes. Cool completely.

To Make the Marshmallow Filling:

In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, marshmallow cream, vanilla, and cream on medium speed until completely smooth. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and salt. Mix on low speed to incorporate and then increase speed to high to beat another minute. Add 1/4 cup more powdered sugar if the filling is too runny.

To Make the Meringue Topping:

Fill a medium saucepan part way with water and bring to a simmer. Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk mixture until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine. Best if used right away.

To Fill and Assemble:

Arrange one graham cracker cake layer on the center of a cake stand or serving plate. With a knife or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 the marshmallow filling across the top of the cake. Place the chocolate brownie layer on top of the filling and spread the other half of the marshmallow filling across the top. Top with second graham cracker cake layer.
Now, spread a thin layer of the meringue topping over the top and sides of the assembled cake. Refrigerate cake for 10 minutes to set. Once set, remove the cake from the fridge and generously frost the top and sides with more meringue, reserving some for the top. Fill a piping bag, or zip lock bag with a corner cut off, with the rest of the frosting. Pipe dollops onto top of cake. Torch top with a kitchen torch. I have also heard you can set the cake under the broiler for 5 minutes to brown the top of the merengue; however I have not tried this and, if you do, I would ensure your cake plate is oven safe.

almond apricot olive oil cake

August 10, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

This cake was inspired by a recent trip to Italy. Not by me (Wah!), but by a dear friend of mine. After returning to the States, she told me about an apricot cake that she and her fiancé had loved during their time in Tuscany and was hoping I knew how to make it. I didn’t, but since I’m always up for a challenge I figured, why not give it a shot!

I scoured the Internet for the best olive oil cakes and one kept coming up over and over again—the famous olive oil cake from Maialino NYC. Since this is such a well-respected Italian eatery, I figured it couldn’t be a bad start. Instead of the orange juice and zest accents they add to their cake, I decided I would use apricots and pair them with a flavor I thought would complement their tartness: almond. Three cake trials, a handful of tweaks and a bottle of olive oil later, I had my winner.

I can totally picture you and I ordering a piece of this cake from a tiny family-owned bakery as we stroll the quaint, winding streets of Venice on a bright morning. We’d stop in a Café for a morning cappuccino and talk to the cute Italian grandma behind the counter. She’d tell us that the almond apricot olive oil cake has been in her family for years because of her grandmother’s love of apricots. She’d explain how every time she makes it she cuts each apricot into exactly eight pieces. She’d emphasize how important the quality of the olive oil is to the almost pudding-like texture of the cake and how the best comes from her great-great uncle’s olive oil vineyard. We’d understand maybe half of what she said because of her adorable accent. We’d laugh and hug and she would invite us over for dinner after our romantic gondola ride through the canals. To cap things off we’d sip on Italian table wine and eat cheese and more delicious almond apricot olive oil cake.

I can totally picture it and it would be perfect. Let’s go!

almond apricot olive oil cake 
adapted from Maialino NYC’s famous olive oil cake

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 20 minutes (does not include 2 hours cool time)
makes a 9-inch round cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2–2 cups fresh apricots (about 3, pitted and cut into 8 pieces each)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more to coat the apricots
3/4 cup fine almond meal or almond flour (this is best for flavor but if you don’t have it, you can use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
1 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds, for topping

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Oil, butter or coat with cooking spray a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then spray the paper. If your cake pan is less than 2 inches deep, divide between 2 pans and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss the chopped apricots with a little flour—about 1/4 cup—to coat the outsides. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder until combined. In another large bowl—or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment—mix the olive oil, almond milk, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts until completely combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then scatter the floured apricots across the top of the cake. Sprinkle the cake evenly with sliced almonds. Bake the cake for 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake in its pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and then flip it back onto a serving plate. Let the cake cool completely before cutting, about 2 hours. Store at room temperature or in the fridge.

chewy homemade granola bars

July 29, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

Raise your hand if you’re the sleep in until the last minute, get ready quick, eat a grab-and-go breakfast type. Like the “if I wear that thing that needs no ironing, I can stay in bed for exactly 7 minutes more” type. Or even the “eh, shower schmower…I’ll skip for the extra 10 minutes of rest” type. If you’re hand is up, take that hand and go ahead, hit that snooze button one more time. I’ve got you covered with this homemade granola bars recipe.

Granola bar for you, and you, and you, and you! Granola bar for me, for sure!

These chewy, wholesome, customizable, homemade breakfast bars are dreamy. Not only because they’re a cinch to make and also freeze and store well to save you precious Zs for weeks to come. But also, on top of that, they’re delicious and can be studded with any combination of your favorite nuts, fruits, chocolate chips, seeds, sprinkles or candies!

After spending too much money—on my walk to work—on granola bars to satisfy my ‘I-didn’t-have-time-to-eat-breakfast’ appetite—and only half enjoying their taste, no less—I decided I needed to tackle making my own. I was so excited—as I hope you’ll be too—when I realized how easy they were to make and how many different flavor combinations could result from one basic recipe. Think of this more as a guide than a recipe.

As a heads up, these bars do call for butter, but when you think about the amount of butter in the recipe divided across an entire tray, the butter content in one bar is really not that bad. A super-healthy version will come your way soon. Promise.

chewy-homemade-granola-nature-bars-recipe-2

For this batch, I chose to use dried cranberries, golden raisins, lightly chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and shredded coconut.

chewy-homemade-granola-nature-bars-recipe-4

chewy homemade granola bars
adapted from the smitten kitchen recipe which is adapted from king arthur flour

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 35 minutes
total time: 45 minutes (not including cool time after baking)
makes 12 to 16 bars

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups 1-minute rolled oats (aka instant oats; I used old fashion oats for 1/3 cup of this because I had them on hand and was interested in the texture. Feel free to try that combination or use all instant.)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (less for mild sweetness, more for sweeter bars)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, ground into a powdery texture in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups assorted dried fruits, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, sprinkles or candies (pick any of your favorites until they total 10 to 15 ounces)
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Instruction:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ baking pan with a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom and two opposite sides (you are creating “handles” that will help you remove the granola bars later). Lightly grease, with butter or a non-stick spray, the parchment paper and the exposed pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, sugar, oat flour, salt, cinnamon and desired fruits and nuts. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, honey or syrup, corn syrup and water. If using peanut butter, toss that in with the wet ingredients now.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and stir until all of the oats have been coated with the wet ingredients and the mixture starts coming together in chunks. Spread mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly across the top and into all corners and edges. Smooth down the top for a flat, even final product.
Bake the bars for 25 to 35 minutes until they’re brown around the edges and a deep golden color on top. They may seem soft and almost under-baked in the center, but they’ll set completely once fully cooled.
Cool the bars—in the pan—completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper “handles” and then double check that they are totally cool in the middle. If yes, use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares or rectangles—or triangles if you’re so inclined. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container and leave at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The bars will seem hard when you take them right out of the fridge, but they come back to their chewy state in about 10 minutes. Remember, they also freeze well.

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