I have to admit that sun-dried tomatoes have not always been high on my list…mostly because I had never really had them until a few years ago. And now? Love ’em. I always keep a few on hand. They really pack some flavor into so many different recipes. (See below for some ideas.) I like […]

Now I know this whole soaking thing is not brain surgery, but I post this as a reminder to myself. Softening sun-dried tomatoes as well as any dried fruit, is very easy. I like to heat water in a small pot–not to boiling. Then I soak the sun-dried tomatoes for about 20 minutes. After that […]

 This is a quick, refreshing dessert to cool you off on a hot summer day. Coconut Ice Milkoriginal recipe Ingredients:11 oz. can light coconut milk (I like Trader Joe’s, of course)*14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk**2 cups milk Instructions:Whisk all the ingredients together and freeze in an ice cream maker or pour into a large […]

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts by Dorie GreenspanSlightly adapted…… The original recipe for these appeared in Bon Appétit, January 2007(click here for original recipe) I altered this to fit what I had on hand and to my own tastes. PB and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts For brownie: 1 1/2 sticks unsalted […]

Peanut Butter Cookiesadapted from a Better Homes and Garden recipe Ingredients:1/2 cup butter1/2 cup shortening 1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural style)2 cups packed dark brown sugar2 eggs1 tsp. vanilla 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 tsp. baking soda1/2 tsp. salt Instructions: Beat butter, shortening and peanut butter until well combined and creamy.  Add […]

Raspberry Buttermilk Ice Creamoriginal recipe Ingredients:  For berries: 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries1/4-1/2 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) For custard base: 2 cups heavy cream6 egg yolks (4 or 5 will work fine, but no less than 4)3/4 cup sugardash salt1 tsp. vanilla, optional2 cups cold buttermilk Instructions: For berries: Place the berries […]

The next morning, the dough looked like this after I took it out of the fridge. Incorporating the butter: 1. Place the croissant dough on a large, well-floured surface. (The recipe recommends marble–and if you have a slab of marble that big, you are SO lucky. Can I come see it?) 2. Roll dough into […]

The plain and almond croissants and pain au chocolat pictured here were what I wanted mine to look like. Gulp. Would they? Would all my hard work pay off? Almost…… The croissants could have been a little more bronze, the pain au chocolate a little less bronze, maybe. These are the innards. I liked the […]