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Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries + Cookbook Giveaway!

May 9, 2013 by 19 Comments

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyAs I mentioned earlier this week, I recently had the opportunity to travel to southern Vermont and spend a couple of days at King Arthur Flour’s headquarters.  Not only was King Arthur Flour amazing, but I also got to experience Vermont…which is now one of my favorite states!  I was due to arrive on early Sunday afternoon, so I spent Sunday morning driving across this beautiful state.  The views were amazing, and I totally get why Vermont is nicknamed “The Green Mountain State.”  As I drove in and out of picturesque small towns and villages, I was struck by the number of local farms and farmer’s markets.  It is clear that the folks in Vermont believe in the importance of locally-sourced food.  The farm-to-table movement in Vermont is more than a fad…its a way of life!

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyDuring my trip, I got a copy of Tracey Medeiros’ new book, “The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook.”  And let me tell you, this book is far more than just a cookbook.  Tracey somehow took the entire state of Vermont, complete with its farm-centered way of life, and shrunk it into a single book.  In addition to the 150 Vermont-inspired recipes, Tracey includes personal stories and descriptions of dozens of the farms that dot the Vermont landscape.  So whether you live near Vermont or on the other side of the world, this book will definitely make you feel like you are driving through the green mountains and valleys, stopping at the numerous roadside markets, and enjoying the best of the local food movement.

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyI got in the kitchen earlier this week and made the Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries recipe that Tracey shares in the Desserts section of her book.  I was intrigued by combining the sweetness of the honey with the brightness of the strawberries…and so I decided I needed some of this delicious-sounding frozen treat.  And it didn’t disappoint!  This recipe was well-written and quite easy to make, and I am certain that it will become a summer staple in my household!

VTFarmTable_cvr smI am excited to announce that I will be giving away a copy of Tracey’s book to one lucky Spiced reader!  Fill out the entry form below and good luck!  Even if you don’t win, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.  Whether it’s for yourself or a gift for a fellow foodie, this book will not disappoint!

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Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Vermont honey
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

  1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer.
  2. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually add the hot milk to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Gently stir in the honey.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats a wooden spoon.
  4. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate overnight.
  5. Pour the ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Scoop the ice cream into bowls and top each serving with 1/3 cup sliced strawberries.
http://spicedblog.com/honey-ice-cream-with-fresh-strawberries-cookbook-giveaway.html

Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided to me at no charge, but all opinions are entirely my own.  (Seriously, this book is awesome!)

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Mini Margarita Cheesecakes

May 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

Margarita Cheesecake from spicedblog.com. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo! #cincodemayo #margarita #tequila #limeI don’t know about you, but I’ve had a serious craving for Mexican food all week.  Maybe it’s all of the delicious Cinco de Mayo posts that I see my fellow bloggers posting, or maybe it’s the warmer weather and the thought of getting out the grill and eating on the back deck again.  Either way, I need Mexican food.  Stat.  And what drink goes perfectly with Mexican food?  Margaritas, of course!  In preparation for looks to be another awesome weekend spent hanging out outside, I decided to make a Margarita Cheesecake.  I mean, you can’t have a delicious Mexican food feast without an appropriate dessert, right?  So whether you drink your margarita or eat it (or both), I hope you enjoy this cheesecake!

Margarita Cheesecake from spicedblog.com. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo! #cincodemayo #margarita #tequila #limeSo I often hear people wondering why their cheesecake cracked.  Has this ever happened to you?  You make this amazing looking cheesecake only to open the oven and see a huge crack right down the center.  Or worse, it looks great out of the oven, but then a crack shows up when it cools.  Well, I’ll share a couple of secret cheesecake tips that I learned a few years ago.

  • First, make sure to bake your cheesecake in a water bath.  I simply wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of my springform pan.  Then I set this pan in a cookie sheet in the oven.  Then I quickly fill the cookie sheet with boiling water and shut the door.  (A teapot with a long spout is a great tool for this job.)
  • Don’t open the oven to peak at your cheesecake every 5 minutes.  The water you poured into the baking sheet evaporates and creates a very humid environment in the oven.  You want to keep that humidity in the oven.  Every time you open the oven, that moisture escapes.
  • Bake the cheesecake until most of it is firm.  Try to leave a small circle (maybe 1″ in diameter) in the middle of the cake where the batter is less firm.  When you remove the cake from the oven, it will continue to bake for a bit longer, and if the cake gets overbaked, then cracks are sure to show up.
  • And finally, I like to make my cheesecakes the day before and then freeze them overnight.  Once I pull the pan out of the oven, I let it cool for a few minutes and then wrap it fully (pan and all) in plastic wrap.  (Basically, wrap it as soon as it isn’t too hot to touch!)  Then put the whole thing in the freezer overnight.  The next day, you can easily pop open the springform pan and remove the hard cheesecake.  It’s easy to handle the cheesecake and transfer to a serving plate when it’s frozen, too.  (Just allow yourself an extra couple of hours to let the cheesecake thaw in the refrigerator before serving!

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Margarita Cheesecake

Serving Size: 3 5" cheesecakes or 24 mini-cheesecakes

Ingredients

  • 3.5 ounces (~6.5 whole crackers) graham crackers
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 20 ounces (2.5 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp King Arthur all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 ounces tequila
  • pinch of salt
  • zest of 1/2 lime
  • juice of 1/2 lime

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease the inside of springform pans.
  2. Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely crumbled and no large pieces remain.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and light brown sugar. Stir until fully mixed.
  4. Press crust mixture evenly into the bottom of each pan. Set pans aside.
  5. In a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, cream the cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add sugar and continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes. Scrape the inside of the bowl to make sure mixture is fully mixed.
  7. Add flour and mix for another minute on medium speed.
  8. Add eggs and additional yolk one at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition for ~30 seconds, or until each addition is fully absorbed.
  9. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Take care to not overmix the batter!
  10. Add the tequila, salt, lime zest, and lime juice and mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
  11. Pour batter into prepared pans. Gently tap the pan to release any air bubbles
  12. Bake in a hot water bath at 325 degrees until the centers of the cakes are just barely set. The mini cheesecakes should take about 37-40 minutes to bake, and the 5" cakes about 50 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes!
  13. Cool the cakes completely in the pans. Wrap each cake, in the pan, in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze overnight.

Notes

This recipe should be doubled if using a 9" springform pan.

http://spicedblog.com/mini-margarita-cheesecakes.html

 

Snickerdoodle Cookie Mania!

April 15, 2013 by 2 Comments

How to make the Perfect Snickerdoodle Cookie from spicedblog.com #snickerdoodle #cinnamon #sugar #cookieI don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it on the blog, but in addition to running Spiced, I also teach high-school Latin.  And I love it!  You may remember my post a while back where I talked about taking Latin myself.  Check out the Campenelle + Italian Sausage, Peas, and Pamigiano Reggiano Cream Sauce post! How many of you took Latin at some point in high school?  If so, I bet you have fond memories of farmers standing in the fields talking to their daughters.  As if the Romans never did anything else!  But I digress…and you are probably wondering what Latin has to do with a food blog.  Well one of my student had a birthday recently, so I made a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies for the class.  Hey, if I get my pick of what cookies to make, then you can bet they will involve cinnamon somehow!

How to make the Perfect Snickerdoodle Cookie from spicedblog.com #snickerdoodle #cinnamon #sugar #cookieThese cookies are incredible!  I love Snickerdoodles, and I’ve certainly eaten my fair share of them.  But sometimes they are too “bready” or don’t have enough flavor.  This recipe solves those problems!  The hardest part is letting the cookies cool before eating them.  One of the tricks I used when I creating this recipe was rolling the ball of cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar in addition to putting cinnamon and sugar in the dough itself.  And needless to say, these bad boys are loaded with flavor!  So next time you’re in the mood for cookies and want something a bit different than the standard chocolate chip…then remember this post and make some Snickerdoodles!

How to make the Perfect Snickerdoodle Cookie from spicedblog.com #snickerdoodle #cinnamon #sugar #cookie

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Snickerdoodle Cookie Mania!

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

    For the Cookie Dough
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup cinnamon chips (optional)
    • For the Cinnamon Sugar coating
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, beat the shortening and butter until well combined.
  2. Gradually add the granulated and dark brown sugars. Beat until well combined.
  3. Add eggs and beat until absorbed fully.
  4. Add pudding mix and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
  5. In another bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, and cinnamon chips (of using). Stir by hand until well mixed.
  6. In 3 separate additions, add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Beat each addition until well blended before adding next addition.
  7. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix until well combined.
  8. Using approximately 2 Tbsp of dough, shape into round balls.
  9. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the Cinnamon Sugar coating. Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place onto parchment lined sheet pan. Flatten balls slightly by hand or with the back of large spoon. Sprinkle a little of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of each cookie.
  10. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until edges of the cookies begin to turn slightly brown. (Don't overcook or the cookies will be too hard!)
  11. Let cool before eating.
http://spicedblog.com/snickerdoodle-cookie-mania.html

Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

March 28, 2013 by 1 Comment

Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting--click for recipe from Spiced!When I was a kid, I never liked carrot cake.  Well, to be honest, I never tried carrot cake.  I actually loved carrots, and I definitely ate my fair share of cake.  But I didn’t like the idea of carrots being in my cake.  I mean, who in the their right mind would ever put vegetables in a cake?  So I went many, many years without ever trying carrot cake.  Then something amazing happened: I ate a piece of carrot cake and liked it.  I have no idea what came over me, but for some reason I decided to be brave and give it a shot.  And now it’s definitely a top 5 dessert option for me!

Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting--click for recipe from Spiced!This cake is a 2-layer cake with a traditional cream cheese frosting.  (Well, I did put a slight twist on the frosting by adding the brown sugar.)  In fact, the rules for carrot cake are pretty flexible in general.  Most baked goods follow pretty strict guidelines, but carrot cake doesn’t fall into that category.  This recipe is what I consider to be pretty classic, but feel free to change it up a bit.  For instance, you can substitute pecans for the walnuts or add a bit of crushed pineapple to make the cake extra moist.  I’ve even come across recipes with canned pumpkin and chocolate.  (Not saying I would personally make those versions…but the point remains that carrot cakes don’t have to follow many rules!)

Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting--click for recipe from Spiced!One of my absolute favorite parts about this cake is the tiny carrots piped around the outside.  These carrots are super easy to pipe, but they do require a couple of basic frosting tips.  (Craft stores are an excellent place to pick up individual frosting tips.)  Use a medium-sized round tip (I used a #8 tip) to create the carrot.  Start by squeezing a bit harder at the top and then reduce pressure on the piping bag as you pull away.  I definitely recommend practicing this technique a couple times on clean parchment paper.  Once you’ve mastered the carrot shape, just scrape the frosting back into the bag.  Once you have carrots piped around the cake, simple add a leaf to each by using a leaf tip (I used a #352 tip).  Finally, you can dip a toothpick in cocoa powder and drag it across the carrot to create authentic-looking “dirt” lines.  See the picture below for a guide on piping the carrots.  They are quite easy to pipe with just a small amount of practice…and your family and friends will be quite impressed with your cake decorating skills!

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Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

    For the Carrot Cake
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur Flour)
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups carrots, peeled and grated (~4 medium carrots)
  • 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
  • 2/3 cup raisins
    • For the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 4-6 cups powdered sugar
  • orange and green food coloring gel

Instructions

    For the Carrot Cake
  1. In the bowl of a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, add the vegetable oil and sugar. Mix until blended.
  2. Sift the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) together. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the bowl and mix until blended.
  3. Add 2 of the eggs and mix until blended.
  4. Add remaining dry mixture and mix until blended.
  5. Add remaining 2 eggs and mix until blended.
  6. Add carrots, 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, and raisins and mix until blended.
  7. Divide batter evenly into 2 greased 9" cake pans.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  9. Allow cakes to cool before frosting.
    10. For the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
  10. In the bowl of a countertop mixer with the paddle attached, add the cream cheese and butter and cream until blended.
  11. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and blend until smooth.
  12. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired sweetness and consistency is achieved. (I used 5 cups.)
  13. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes.
    14. Assembling the Cake
  14. Toast the remaining chopped walnuts (1 1/2 cups) at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes. (Watch carefully as they will burn quickly!)
  15. Once carrot cakes are cooled, place one layer in the center of a large plate.
  16. Carefully frost the top of that layer and then place second layer on top.
  17. Frost the outer edge of the cake and then the top of the cake. (Reserve about 1 cup of frosting for the carrots!)
  18. Using a cupped hand, carefully push the toasted walnuts into the side of the cake.
  19. Divide the reserved frosting into two bowls and color the frosting orange and green.
  20. Using a pastry bag, pipe the carrots around the top of the cake (I piped 16 carrots as there are 16 slices in a 2-layer 9" round cake.)
http://spicedblog.com/carrot-cake-with-brown-sugar-cream-cheese-frosting.html