It seems like lately I’ve been letting the decadent sweets basque in every bit of glory, it’s high time to let some of the savory players take to the field.
BBQ Chicken Wrap, you’re in the game. And bring along your buddy, Sweet Corn Salsa.
Move over pumpkin spice, there’s another fall flavor in town. And his name is Salted Caramel Apple.
I grew up in Upstate NY where apples are serious business. When I was a kid, every weekend during Fall, we would go to the local produce grower and load up bushel baskets with freshly picked McIntosh, Red and Golden Delicious, sample freshly pressed cider and DROOL over the hand-dipped caramel apples. Good old fashioned, tart Granny Smiths dipped in warm, gooey caramel then rolled in crushed salted peanuts.
What goes good with mac n’ cheese?
How about bacon? Wrapped around a jalapeño? Smoked? Then sauteed with pulled roasted chicken?
Uh, yes.
It’s a chewy-ful world we live in. A sweet delicious place. Chewyful candies everywhere. The way they chew and taste. Makes me want to say…
IT’S A CHEWY-FUL WORLD. For you, so chew, so chew.
Now I can only hope at least one of you is a Devo fan and caught on to that song reference.
Eat, drink and be merry… all in one cool little treat.
We have a cute little Mexican Lime tree in our backyard that supplies us with an abundance of teeny, tiny little limes throughout the summer. They’re a tad bit too small to provide enough juice for baking, but they sure do come in handy when we get thirsty.
Pizza + Cookie = Delicious.
And it happens to be one of two reasons we frequent Oregano’s, a locally owned Italian joint that is rightfully famous for it’s pizza cookie dessert, described as “A 1/2 pound of cookie dough slightly baked in a 6″ pizza pan and topped with three scoops of ice cream.”
Unfortunately, both of my kids have been sick with various ‘bugs’ for what feels like two solid months, which means we haven’t gotten out much. Which also means no pizza cookies for mommy.
So, to combat a 3 year old’s stir-craziness and my selfish craving for a warm, gooey pizzookie, Picky Eater and I decided to whip up our own version at home.
A little spicy, a little sweet.
No, I’m not talking about Baby Daddy. I’m talking about this:
Apparently fruit salsas are the next big thing. They’re the food world’s Twilight Saga… maybe even Magic Mike. Yes, I went there.
Earlier this week I seriously had a dream about a candy creation that mimics the old “Mallo Cups.” Except it was the size of a cupcake and had layers of creamy milk chocolate, gooey marshmallow and salty sweet peanut butter. And it was heavenly. Since it’s not very often I get the chance to turn an actual dream into reality, I had to jump on this one.
The next morning I was iChatting with one of my Copywriter friends and asked him what he would name a candy cup filled with marshmallow and peanut butter. His immediate response was “The Original Fluffer.” Yes, he’s a perv. But, it seemed fitting. And so, it was.
There really is no other opening commentary needed for these. Other than, make them. Eat them. Make more of them. Eat more of them. They’re. That. Good.
I don’t know how you celebrate holidays, but at our house they’re pretty much an excuse to eat non-stop from sun-up until sun-down.
Father’s Day is no exception.
In all honesty, it’s probably one of our more gluttonous days of the year. Baby Daddy has the highest metabolism of any living-creature. Not a scientific fact, but if you ever met him you’d wonder how it’s physically possible for someone who eats that much to be that ‘fit.’ So on his special day we treat him and his metabolism to whatever tickles their fancies.
Here’s a little recap.
6:30 am: Hostess Chocolate Dipped Devil’s Food Donettes (with a glass of milk)
7:30 am: Iced coffee with Bailey’s
9:00 am: Three Rolo Blondies, fresh from the oven. (Stay tuned for that gem of a recipe later this week.)
10:00 am: One Red Velvet Cupcake
11:30 am: Celebratory OJ with Vodka at The Vig Uptown
12:00 pm: 8 – 10 Thai Sweet Chili wings (stopped counting at 6)
1:00 pm: Giant Cheeseburger with Peppered Bacon, Smoked Gouda, Arugula & Red Onion on a Pretzel Bun
1:00 pm: Sweet Potato Fries AND Onion Rings
3:00 – 5:00 Could be anything really. I stopped paying attention for a few hours while I was working on these:
Peaches & cream, I eat it ’cause you know I’m a fiend. And apparently I’m also a nerd.
But I can’t help it, this pie made me want to sing along with boy band rappers, 112, about peaches and cream being better when it’s with ice cream. Different context completely, but fitting none-the-less.
Isn’t it pretty? Note to self: match up some pantone colors and have Baby Daddy make something using the same palette. A mono-silk pie print. Larger than life.
Peaches & Mascarpone Cream Pie
makes one 9″ pie
1 uncooked pie crust (again, not gonna lie. I use pillsbury refrigerated out of sheer laziness.)
6 medium to large ripe peaches
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
finely grated zest of one lemon
2 tbsp heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9″ pie plate with the chilled pie crust, flute the edges and poke the bottom with a fork multiple times. Line the unbaked pie crust with a square of parchment paper and weigh down with dry beans or other pie weight. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 18 minutes (until light golden brown.) Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees. Let the crust cool a bit, take out the beans/weight and parchment then set the crust aside while you make the filling.
Wash, quarter and pit the peaches, but do not peel them. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the peach quarters with the 3 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt, toss to coat and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in 1/2 of the mascarpone and mix to blend, add the egg and continue mixing then add remaining mascarpone, vanilla and lemon zest. Add in heavy cream and mix until light, fluffy soft peaks begin to form.
Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture on bottom of crust. Arrange peach quarters on top of cheese layer then dot with remaining mascarpone mixture. You’ll be tempted to just eat it like this.
Hell, I know I was. But trust me, you should bake it. Put the pie back in the 375 degree oven and bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the top turns a buttery, golden hue.
The mascarpone cheese blend will rise up and surround the peaches like a cushiony pillow of buttery, creamy, delicious clouds. Like this:
Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack then transfer to the refrigerator to set completely before cutting.
Who can resist peaches & cream on a hot summer day? Apparently not boy band rappers. Definitely not this broad.
OMFG. SO GOOD.
