Author Archives: The Fresh Princess

Coconut Brown Butter Cookies

Posted on by under desserts

We’re getting closer and closer to that glorious time of the year when diet-monitoring is thrown out the window and calories are consumed with reckless abandon. They don’t call this ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ for nothing. So why not brown an ungodly amount of butter and mix it with sugar, white chocolate chips, sea salt and coconut flakes? These cookies are surprisingly light and crispy and they take on a delightful brown color in the oven. With these in tow at your next holiday bash, you are sure to be deemed ‘cookie goddess’ or ‘brown butter savant’ by your friends. And remember, there’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the snow  – it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
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Browned butter kind of looks like a nice ale – avoid chugging it.

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Coconut Brown Butter Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

 

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Sea salt

4 cups dried, unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. You want the butter to melt, foam for a bit and then it will suddenly turn a darker amber color. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour butter into a glass measuring cup. Add in two tablespoons of water. Chill browned butter in the freezer or fridge until solid.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scrape chilled browned butter into a mixing bowl. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed for about a minute. Add egg and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl down and add in vanilla. Add flour a little bit at a time and then add in baking soda. Add coconut chips and white chocolate chips and mix to combine.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and arrange on your cookie sheet leaving a lot of room between each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack.

Blueberry Scones

Posted on by under Breakfast

Guys, I’m bored. I’ve lost my Sunday companion to books. Even the slightest noises – banging spoon loudly against bowl, talking on speakerphone or even discreetly vacuuming can prove to be disruptive to the student. So, I’m quietly trying to keep busy. I went to a spinning class this morning, whipped up eggs benedict, cleaned the sink and then hit a wall. It was only noon! That’s when blueberry scones popped into my brain. I went out to the store to get the ingredients, slaved away baking, aaaand it’s only 1:00 pm. Maybe I’ll hit the farmers market later for more inspiration (activity).

These scones are quite delicious and dare I say healthy? They’re made with whole wheat flour, just 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and some other questionably healthy ingredients…quiet down butter! They’re the perfect summer studying fuel. Antioxidant-rich blueberries (some even call them brain berries) and high-fiber whole wheat flour is just what the mind needs to ace that exam. Eat up, Oliver. This exam will be a piece of cake – or scone.

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Blueberry Scones

From Smitten Kitchen

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup blueberries
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (or packet) sugar in the raw

Heat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, mix flours, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cold butter and mix into the flour mixture until mixture resembles a course meal. Stir in blueberries, then milk, mixing until large clumps form. Knead dough a bit, but not too much.

Place dough on a floured board and shape into a 1-inch tall disc. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges. Place wedges on a large parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush the tops of each with the egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until scones are golden brown on top.

Apricot Galette

Posted on by under desserts

A galette is a rustic free form tart that can be either savory or sweet. She’s pie’s effortlessly chic cousin who jets off to Europe for the weekend. Is she as refined and put together as pie? No. Is she as sweet as pie? Not a chance (only 3 tablespoons of sugar in this whole recipe!). Is she a little flaky? Yes. But, in some ways her simplicity makes her more sophisticated. She’s rough around the edges and gives zero f***’s. Galette, ladies and gentlemen.

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Apricot Galette

From Food52

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 stick cold butter or margarine
1/4 cup ice water
12 apricots, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons sugar plus extra for the crust
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the oven.

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Using two forks, cut in the butter until the mixture becomes course in texture.  Slowly pour in the ice water, a little bit at a time until the dough starts to stick together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and form into a flat round disk. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Mix the apricots in a bowl with the sugar and cornstarch.

Roll out your dough into a 12-inch diameter circle on a piece of parchment paper. Lay the fruit in the center of the dough arranging artfully. Fold the edges toward the center of the galette. Brush edges with milk and sprinkle the sugar on.

Place the galette on the pizza stone and bake for about 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let the galette cool on a rack before slicing.

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Spiced Turkey Burgers

Posted on by under mains

I love when ingredients inspire a meal. Fluffy pitas caught my eye at the grocery store and in an effort to keep things somewhat healthy I grabbed some ground turkey too. Cinnamon, cumin, chopped garlic, and parsley (mint would have been perfect) lend a Greek flavor to the turkey burgers, which I grilled in my poorly ventilated apartment. “My coat smells like turkey,” Oliver said. Oh well, the sacrifices we make for grilled meat. I served the burgers with a quick pickled slaw, Israeli salad, and tehina. Sour pickles and roasted eggplant would have been good too.

photo 4photo 1 (1)photo 2photo 3Spiced Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and divide into four equal portions. Form patties. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill patties about 4 minutes on each side.

Crepes

Posted on by under Breakfast

When I think of crepes, I don’t think of lunching at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, instead I think of my Bat Mitzvah. That’s right, I had a crepe station at my Bat Mitzvah. No gauche chicken nugget bar or candy table — crepes. My classy roots run deep. Side note: my Bat Mitzvah was an elegant brunchtastic affair in a garden setting. Now back to the crepes. This recipe is surprisingly simple and easy to make — all you need is a nonstick frying pan and a spatula. I decided to go savory and threw in some herbs to the batter and sautéed mushrooms and onions to put inside. Crepes are a great brunch alternative to pancakes or omelets. These will have you saying, “holy crepe, these are good!” all weekend long.

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Crepes

From The New York Times Magazine

3 eggs

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

pinch of salt

handful of chopped herbs (parsley, dill, mint)

Beat eggs and whisk in remaining ingredients. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add a ladleful of batter to the pan, just enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until the edges start to brown, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for about 10 seconds. Stack crepes on a plate and cover with a cloth towel to keep warm until serving.

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Buffalo Wing Popcorn

Posted on by under appetizers

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Last year, I went all out and it was awesome. Wings, chili, cornbread, baked salami, deviled eggs – the spread was ludicrous and I retired from ever hosting a Super Bowl party again. This year, I wanted to keep things simple yet festive, so I decided to make this insanely addicting Buffalo Wing Popcorn. It’s like caramel corn with a spicy zing. And, I just couldn’t resist making my football deviled eggs again. This is a great dish to bring to a party – it’s easy enough and the caramel + buffalo wing flavor is a game-winning combination.

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Buffalo Wing Popcorn

From Bon Appetit

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

8 cups popped plain popcorn (from ½ cup kernels)

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup hot sauce

3 tbs unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp baking soda

tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Lightly coat parchment or foil and a large bowl or large nonstick pot with nonstick spray; add popcorn to bowl or pot.

Bring sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, swirling pan occasionally, until caramel is a deep amber color, 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in hot sauce and butter (mixture will bubble). Return to a boil and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt, baking soda, and cayenne. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and toss to coat. Spread out popcorn on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes. Let cool.

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Spiced Flatbread Burgers

Posted on by under mains

Sometimes you just need red meat.  I eat a lot of vegetarian dishes during the week, because it’s easy, convenient and doesn’t require planning ahead (aka defrosting or purchasing meat). Stanbys include pasta, veggie chili, shakshuka and soup.  But, sometimes I just want a burger. You get that, right? This recipe is not only easy, but effing delicious.  The recipe calls for ground lamb, but I used ground beef. Cumin, coriander and cinnamon flavor the meat which sits between two flatbreads and is then grilled to juicy perfection. The beef cooks inside the flatbread creating a crunchy juicy burger scenario unlike anything you’ve ever tried.   Please make these. They’re effing delicious.

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Spiced Flatbread Burgers

Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 tbs coriander

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

olive oil

3 flatbreads or pitas

Mix the beef, onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper in a large bowl. Heat grill or grill pan to medium heat brush with olive oil.  Cut the flatbread into four triangles and place filling onto flatbread wedges and top with another wedge. I put about an inch of meat. Grill flatbread sandwiches until filling is cooked through and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with Israeli salad.

 

Sticky Buns

Posted on by under Breakfast, desserts

Sticky buns are one of my favorite breakfast pastries. What’s not to love? Ooey gooey brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a delectable bun form. This recipe is like baby babka bun’s floozy cousin – easy, sticky, and fun. Frozen puff pastry sheets make this recipe a cinch to throw together – perfect for a brunch or an impromptu weekend visit with friends. Next up on the bun bucket list: cinnamon buns. It’s going to be a fun winter.

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Sticky Buns

Recipe from Ina Garten. Yields 12 buns

12 tbs butter, at room temperaturephoto 4

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

2 tbs melted butter

2/3 cup light brown sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisons

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick baking spray. In a mixer, combine 12 tablespoons butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place a tablespoon of the butter/sugar mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup. Sprinkle pecans evenly on top of the butter/sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a cutting board and unfold puff pastry dough with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with melted butter. Sprinkle on 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 cup raisons. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the pastry up, finishing the roll seam side down. Cut the log into sixths. Place each piece, spiral side up, into each muffin cup. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Bake for 30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then flip over onto a cooling rack. Spoon leftover filling and pecans onto buns with a spoon.

Salted Caramel Bourbon Cheesecake Bites

Posted on by under desserts

This decadent dessert is the perfect treat for a New Year’s Eve party. It’s rich, luxurious, and a fabulous last hurrah bite before you kick off your diet. Unlike New Year’s Eve, this cheesecake bite won’t disappoint and leave you barefoot and full of regret. Perfect for a party, these bites can be topped with whatever you like – fruit, chocolate, or even plain they’re great. Happy 2015!

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Salted Bourbon Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Adapted from this recipe

For the crust:

  • 2/3 cup pecans
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the cheesecake:

  • 2 pounds cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of kosher salt

For the caramel:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the shortbread:

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in middle. Line an 8-by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side.

Combine the pecans, butter, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is looks like a coarse meal. Press the mixture evenly into your baking dish and bake until golden brown on the edges, about 25 minutes.

For the cheesecake:

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a standing mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the processor then add the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until blended.

Pour the mixture over the crust and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean and the center of the cheesecake is just set (it will look like custard), about 40 minutes (mine took closer to an hour) Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the cheesecake cool for 15 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from the oven and set on a rack to cool. Let the cheesecake cool completely, about 1 hour then stick it in the fridge.

For the caramel:

Stir together the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, let the sugar boil for a bit then add the butter. It will turn a nice caramel color, about 5 minutes. Give the pan a few good swirls to make sure it’s evenly cooking, remove from heat, and carefully add the whiskey.  Immediately add the cream, and whisk until the caramel is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, at least out 15 minutes.

Assembly:

Pour the lukewarm caramel over the cooled cheesecake, then place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut into slabs or squares using a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Garnish with sea salt and serve. It can be difficult to cut, but try and stay patient and dip your knife in hot water, it really helps.

 

Latke Night In America (Support the Troops)

Posted on by under appetizers

Chanukah is kind of like the county fair. BBQ beef, the opportunity to win prizes, and a celebration of freedom in the best way we know how- eating fried stuff. On Chanukah, we celebrate the Maccabees beating the Greeks (‘mericans love a good fight), and the Temple menorah burning for eight straight nights (fireworks). In the spirit of the holiday, I decided to heat up my skillet and make you folks some latkes. Latkes are an ambitious undertaking for anyone, especially for those living in under-ventilated apartments. But, one bite of these golden fried latkes will make it all worthwhile. Grab your buds, grab some brews and get ready for a star-spangled fight, cuz it’s Latke Night in America.

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Latkes

Adapted from Bon Appetit photo 1

5 russet potatoes

1 large onion

2 large eggs

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

4 tbs vegetable oil (per fry session)

sour cream

lox

Peel potatoes. Grate the potatoes and onions using the large holes of a box grater or food processor. Using a paper towel ring out the moisture from the potato and onion mixture. Add eggs, baking powder, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat oil over medium high heat. Using a spoon drop a small amount of latke mixture into the pan and flatten slightly with a spatula. Cook for about 2.5-3 minutes per side. Place the latkes on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Top with smoked salmon, sour cream or applesauce. Take a shower.