Confessions of a Pizzelle Guru

Forget gift shopping, house decorating, feeble attempts at wrapping boxes while stalking the front door on an hourly basis hoping that the UPS man or FedEx man or some man has arrived with all of the freaking items I ordered three weeks ago. And don't even get me started on that crazy-ass Elf on the Shelf/Big Brother who I forget to move EVERY NIGHT. And Christmas cards. I mean really, America. Are we just effing insane?!?

Truth: Baking and cooking are the only holiday chores that do not make my blood pressure rise. So it is with great joy that I have entered the week of creating cookie deliciousness.

Elvis on the stereo, leopard ho-ho-ho hat slightly askew, wine on the side and the kid tucked snug in his bed, visions of trains and Legos dancing in his head. Now, this. This the Jersey Girl can deal with.

So here goes with my pizzelles. If you don't know what a pizzelle is, you've obviously never rocked out Christmas in Jersey. It's a traditional Italian waffle cookie, or as my big boy Evan calls them, snowflake cookies.

According to legend, I mean my very opinionated family, the best pizzelles are thin as paper and are so delicate and crispy that you must handle them with the utmost level of care.

The original recipe can be found on a vanilla-stained, time-worn faded light blue index card that was always stowed away in my Mom's index-card recipe box on the top shelf of her corner kitchen cabinet. The one with the lazy-Susan, above the coffee pot.

As is the case in many of the gems you will find in the box, now located in Florida, the "recipe" is merely a list of ingredients in no particularly important order. But as we know, nothing can be left to chance when baking. It's all about instinct. Precision. A feeling.

Of course, I will share with you my process. But, I must warn you dear readers, your pizzelles won't ever match mine. Not because of my fine baking prowess or stellar kitchen skills. No, sir. You see, when my parents left our childhood home for sunnier skies down south, my Mom would sneak into my house many of her "treasures." Pink Santa Claus circa 1985, harvest gold Tupperware circa 1972 and a pizzelle iron circa older than dirt. It is magical. Truly. I am completely convinced that the only reason my pizzelles are anything to write home about is because they are made on the gadget that I have treasured for my entire life.

Pizzelles
6 extra large eggs at room temperature
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 lb. margarine melted and cooled (2 sticks)
4 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract or anise

Preheat pizzelle iron.

In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.

In a large mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and melted margarine until smooth. One at a time, add eggs and continue beating on medium-low speed. Add vanilla or anise (I use vanilla). Add flour mixture a cup at a time while mixer is beating slowly. Stop occasionally to scrape sides. Continue until flour is all completely added.

When ready to bake, place one teaspoon on each side of pizzelle iron. Press down iron for about 60 seconds. Remove from iron with the help of a fork. Lie flat on paper towels to cool. Once cool, the pizzelles can be piled up to make space for more.

The Cookie of All Cookies

It's not easy staying so svelte and glamorous. Obviously, the Jersey Girl is THE expert on the matter.

Six months since my last hair appointment. Oh yeah.

Five YEARS since I've strutted my stuff in a gym. Who's counting?

And my last full night of beauty sleep uninterrupted by a screaming toddler. Um, I'll get back to you. Ever since the daylight savings switch my day-to-day is hazy.

Truth be told, people REALLY do want to know how the Jersey Girl is able to kick it being extra small what with my love of food, booze and sarcasm. Not to mention my proximity to age 40. I'm not there yet, world. Hold your damn horses!

It's pretty much a failproof five-day-a-week formula: Infrequent eating and never sitting. Add in a bunch of chasing a toddler, cleaning a sizeable house and pretty much being a maniac during all working and non-working hours, and you have yourself down to your fighting weight circa high school junior year.

Look, my job keeps me on my toes: both the paying one and the mom one. And being a one-woman show means that my food intake is usually the lowest priority of my day. Is this wise, healthy or advised? Hell to the no. But, it's the Jersey Girl's reality.

On the plus side, I can totally rock a bikini while kickin' it at the Jersey shore. Yay!

And, if I want a cookie, a cookie I shall have.

But not just ANY morsel of chocolatey goodness will do. No, sir. If you're going to indulge, INDULGE with the best: Nigella!

These are THE best chocolate chip cookies in the whole entire land. 

The recipe claims that this makes 12 monster cookies, but I always get at least 18 monster cookies. I use three lined baking sheets. And I eat one of these with a big glass of red wine and no guilt. Cheers!

Totally Chocolately Chocolate Chip Cookies
From "Nigella Express"
By Nigella Lawson

4 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg, cold from the fridge
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels or dark chocolate chips

(Makes 12)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate.

Measure the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

Cream the butter and two sugars in another bowl with a mixer. Add the melted chocolate and mix together.

Beat in the vanilla extract and a cold egg, and then mix in the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop out 1/4 cup sized mounds - an ice cream scoop and a palette knife are the best tools for the job - and place on a lined baking sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart. Do not flatten them.

Bake for 18 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure they come out semi-clean and not wet with the cake batter. If you pierce a chocolate chip, try again.

Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Summer Summer Summertime

If you want your peeps to bow down at your feet and cascade you with accolades, then this dish, dear lovely, patient readers is for you:

S'mores Bars.

Oh my goodness gracious. Even those crazies in your circle who claim they don't do sweets, will devour more than one of these chocolately marshmallowy graham-crackery delights while you roll your eyes and cackle in your best evil-cartoon-villain/domestic goddess Bwahhhhhhhhh.

Wait. You don't laugh at people who scoff at dessert? Oh well. My bad. I mean really, life is too short to skip dessert and to  not buy those fabulous shoes, so for the love of God, do both. Right?!?!

Not to be Braggy McBraggerson, but The Jersey Girl's family quite digs the S'mores Bars and in my attempt to be a responsible, timely blogger (ha ha ha ha), I am providing this recipe to you well before the official kickoff of summer, since word on the street is that the for reals S'mores snackypoof is supposed to be made by fireside while camping under late-night summer skies. Eek. Camping: Sleeping bags, canteens, bugs, flashlights. The horror...

Fortunately, this dessert can be made under your broiler in the comforts of your air-conditioned home. Leave the campfire for those outdoor aficionado loons.

I recommend letting the bars cool for a good hour. That way they firm up perfectly before cutting. The longer you wait to cut into them, the better.

My last batch was fan-freaking-tastic. I do think these are THE perfect dessert. My niece Sophia concurs.

S'mores Bars
From VeryBestBaking.com

22 whole graham crackers
8 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
5 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat broiler. Butter 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Break graham crackers into small pieces. Combine graham cracker pieces, 4 cups marshmallows and 1/2 cup morsels in large bowl.

Heat remaining marshmallows, remaining morsels, butter and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over graham cracker mixture; toss well to coat. Firmly press mixture into prepared pan.

Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are golden. Cut into bars.

A Pop of Color

Oh my God, yous guys.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin' into my future. And well, I never blog. For reals, the blog is always on my brain but there just are not enough hours in my day. I know, I know. One doesn't REALLY need to be up watching Downton Abbey in marathon form until 1:30 a.m. But at least it's intellectual and British and historical and....

Right. The weather here in Jersey SUCKS. I mean, could it BE more dreary? - said in my best Chandler Bing voice I could possibly muster at this hour all alone on my couch while the Jersey Girl fellas are sleeping soundly - that is snoringly - in their comfy cozy cribs. So in honor of all things springy, summery and just all around more joyful than the dreariness that is February, I bring to you some Key Lime Bar action. Because a burst of vivacious green is what the world needs right now, no?

In a funny twist, one of the most popular posts on my groundbreaking, revolutionary, awe-inspiring blog is my Nigella Lawson Key Lime Pie write-up. Seriously. This gem is blowing up the culinary blogosphere with millions of hits. It's like so totally viral...Not really. But when I scour my blog posts to see if anyone actually stops by here, I am quite struck by how many people really do discover moi by searching Nigella and key and lime and pie.

This Key Lime Bar recipe comes to you thanks to another culinary goddess, Martha Stewart. While lovely Martha doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy inside like my idol Nigella (who I know I will run into when The Husband takes me on our next getaway to London.  A girl can dream, right?), I must say the gal does know a thing or two about making a fab dessert.

I'm sharing  a link to the recipe here, but for all y'all who rock recipes the old school way - like in a cookbook - I highly recommend "Martha Stewart's Cookies" cookbook. It is awesome on many levels, including sharing with a snuggly toddler who wants to point out cookie shapes before saying night nights.

Some deets about the recipe: The bars are super duper low-maintenance. I always find citrusy desserts require mucho prep time due to zesting and squeezing and all that. With the Nigella key lime pie recipe, there's the whole matter of beating up egg whites until your arms fall off. So, comparatively speaking, I think Martha makes an easier go of the key lime variety dessert. And of course, if size matters to you, the bars can feed more peeps simply because there are more portions - 18 vs. 8.

And on to the matter of key limes. The Jersey Girl used your average lime, because key limes were not to be found in my market that day. Curses. I used about 5 limes, but limes are tricky suckers. Sometimes they yield only a teeny tiny bit of juice, so buy at least 8.

The recipe calls for 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs, but it gave no indication as to how many crackers I would need to grind up in the handy dandy food processor. I'm not gonna lie: This kind of annoyed me. Come on, Martha. Help a sista out. Anyway, according to Betty Crocker 21 graham cracker squares yield 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. You're welcome.

These bars are fabulous. You are viewing mine ungarnished. But you must, and I mean MUST, make the whipped cream for them. It balances the sugary sweetness of it all. I always chill a glass bowl and some beaters for a few hours before rocking out my whipped cream.

Key Lime Bars
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

For the crust:
1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 23 key limes total)

For the garnish:
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.

Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make garnish: Cut into 2-inch squares. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime. Ungarnished bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

That's Just How I Roll

Snickerdoodles are filled with cinnamony goodness. Last week, Evan and I bestowed a tin of these old-timey cookies to two of our most fave old-timers in the whole entire universe: Mommom and Poppop Sacco.

Yes, Evan is blessed with four great grandparents still going strong in their 90s. God bless. Even better, three of his great grandparents live five minutes away right here in H’town while his Great Poppop Ed lives about 30 minutes from our town. Visits bring many smiles to the young and the old, so we love stopping by for a little catching up.

While they say toddlers and seniors need their routines, the Jersey Girl decided to shake things up a bit with my recent visit to Casa di Mommom and Poppop. Oftentimes, Mommom and Poppop get one of my fabulous Sour Cream Coffee Cakes, but this go-around, I thought some Snickerdoodle action was in order. Cinnamon is involved in both treats, so I reasoned, “What’s the worst that could happen?” It’s not like I’m changing Mommom’s program or moving Poppop’s newspaper.

Thankfully, my gambling gal ways paid off: The Snickerdoodles were a hit with the gramps. Mommom, one of my lifelong inspirers of being a fab baker/cook, was fascinated with the perfect circular shape of my Snickerdoodles. She thought for sure that I sliced the dough into exact same-size rounds, meticulously measuring each one, when in fact I rolled the chilled dough into balls and then swished them around in a bowl of cinnamon sugar completely and totally eyeballing the situation. It ain’t rocket science.

Don’t get me wrong: Baking is totally based on rhyme, reason and order. Accuracy is my first, middle and last name when it comes to measuring. But baking also requires a sense of patience and calm and joy, which is why I SO love rocking out with my cake tins and such.  That sense of urgency which takes over our lives during the day-to-day goes out the window when baking.

So next time you feel like you’re going to flip your lid, try baking these puppies:

Snickerdoodles

From “Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook”

Makes 36 cookies

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a small mixing bowl combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. 
Roll balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. 

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 36 cookies.


Please note: The Jersey Girl uses extra-large eggs.


Here are links to more of my fave cookie recipes:


Chocolate Thumbprints - These are magnificently awesome!!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - These are the William-Sonoma ones. The Nigella ones are AWESOME. I'll have to post them for all y'all.

Ricotta Cookies - A staple at all Jersey Girl Family Functions.

Fa La La La La

I’ve officially joined the ranks of a group of person I vowed never to become: Those who send Christmas cards of their offspring.

This phenomenon part fascinates me/part annoys me. Why do we think all of our friends and acquaintances want pictures of our little childrens and then big childrens? Are we all THAT self-absorbed?

Now, don’t get me wrong: I love receiving pics of my fab nieces and nephews and the children of close friends and family and my piano students. They always bring a smile to my face. And, I save the pics for years upon years upon years.

But doesn’t it crack you up when you get Christmas cards from people 10 times removed from your life? No? This is just my hangup?

Thank God the whole check-out-my-awesome-kid-in-reindeer-sweater motif wasn’t a trend when I was a child because if my Mom and Dad wanted to put my mug on a Christmas card, I would no doubt answer with a, “Bitch, please.” Or, at least I would have said that inside my truck driver-language filled head.

I asked my sister Monica what the age cutoff is with kiddies in Christmas cards. She had no idea. Do I mortify my son throughout his entire life or just the pre-10 years? Does this madness stop in high school? College? During post-graduate studies? Anyone? Bueller?

Meanwhile, The Husband dropped a major bombshell on me: He wants us to send out a family portrait for next’s year’s Christmas card.

Seriously.

So, here’s my hypocritical blog shot of Baby Evan decked out in Ho Ho hat. No, this is not The Christmas Card Photo, but it is from the holiday photo shoot and it came in a close second. And, well, I quite love this photo. It is so cute I can’t stand it. I did post it on my Facebook page, and now I’m sharing it with my blog peeps.

And, please do not call Child Protective Services on me due to my bambino’s nakedness: There was warm and snuggly blanket on hand to cover him up in between takes.

Love.

Yesterday, Baby Evan let his Momma get on with her Christmas baking. You know, if it wasn’t Christmas time, I would feel quite normal. It’s just that getting all the Christmasy stuff done – including sending Christmas cards – is quite overwhelming immediately after having a super cute and cuddly baby, because all I want to do is stare and hold my cute and cuddly baby.

But, Christmas baking is my most fav thing of all the holiday chores. Shopping, too. Wrapping and card sending, well, I could do without.

I’m sharing with you a recipe for Crisp Chocolate Bites. I love these for Christmas because they are covered in powdered sugar, which resembles snow in my humble opinion. Perhaps, you can tell from my photo, which pales in comparison to the shots taken by The Husband.

My rules for Christmas baking are as follows: The Christmas tree must be all aglow and Elvis’ holiday tunes must be pumping through your veins. Plus, have all your ingredients out and clean up as you go along. Oh, wait those are the cooking rules set by my seventh grade home ec teacher. (Yes, I went to school when they actually had home ec.) I explained all of this to Baby Evan, who most likely cooed or drooled in response, and then dozed off to the sounds of “Blue Christmas.”

Crisp Chocolate Bites
From Williams-Sonoma Cookies

6 Tbsp. (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract (essence)
¾ cup (4 oz/125 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ cup (3/4 oz/20 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup (2 oz/60 g) confectioners’ icing sugar

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the butter and chocolate. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until they are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the granulated sugar until evenly moistened. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Gradually add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Shape the dough into ¾-inch (2 cm) balls and roll in the confectioners’ sugar to coat completely. place the balls about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) apart on the prepared sheets. Bake the cookies until puffed and cracked on top, about 12 minutes. They may appear underdone in the center but will turn crisp as they cool. Let cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 ½ dozen cookies.

Cozy up with a Muffin

The good news is Baby Evan lets his Momma get her groove on in the kitchen.


The bad news is Baby Evan’s Momma is often so tired she limits her cooking to really easy dishes that require few brain cells and/or energy.

This past weekend I rocked out some chocolate chip muffins. They are really loaded up with chocolate chips. And they’re super awesome. And they’re way easy.

I like mine with a cup of tea, preferably Harney and Son’s Paris Tea, which is my fav. I reviewed it here last year. It’s pricier than your standard grocery store teas, but it’s sooooooooooo worth it. So are these muffins. You could totally buy some chocolate chip muffins, but these babies take 10-15 minutes to mix up and they make your house smell all cozy and yummy.

I’m so thankful that Baby Evan let me get some baking in because whisking flour and baking soda with eggs and sugar makes the Jersey Girl very happy. As does good music and shopping. Me and The Husband were able to get out and about on Saturday, thanks to my Moms and Pops offering to babysit their grandson. We went out to din and we did some shopping, which was so liberating. Oh, J. Crew and Banana Republic, how I’ve missed you so.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
From “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book”

½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (12 fl oz/375 ml) buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
¾ cup (6 oz/185 g) sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
½ tsp. salt
2 cups (12 oz/375 g) semisweet (plain) chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter flavored nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the buttermilk mixture, and beat until smooth and well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a large silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Words of wisdom given to the Jersey Girl, who is patiently and at times not so patiently awaiting the arrival of her Jersey Baby, over the past two weeks include the following:

Go take a ride on a bumpy road.

Wash your windows.

Eat spicy food.

Take a long, brisk walk.

Keep moving.

Stop cleaning and go lay down.

Rest now because you will never rest again.

Observations made to the Jersey Girl regarding the fact that she is still insanely prego:

We thought for sure you’d go over the weekend.

You’re all baby.

The baby must be really comfy in there.

You must be due any day now.

You look lower.

You don’t look lower

You look ready.

You don’t look ready.

How do you feel?

Yes, pregnancy means the whole world is your own personal peanut gallery. I know all my fam, friends and that random lady in the grocery store mean well, but when your baby is past his due date, these conversations get old.

I guess you could say I’m just really ready for the Jersey Baby to get his cute bootie here. His lateness is driving me and his Daddy loco.

Each night we think this is The Night, and we’re always totally wrong. I’ve been rockin the Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks now. Awesome. But they never lead to much more than a tossing and turning and groaning and sometimes cursing Susan who wakes up every hour.

I am 2 centimeters dilated. Hurray!

But yeah. We have a Friday morning appointment to get our induced labor on. I’m sure I’m going to sleep so soundly Thursday night. Ha ha.

When trying to stay calm, I love to bake. I’m sharing with you a recipe I made in September or October. I don’t even remember, and I don’t know what I was trying to calm down about. Apples are the star of the show, so you can still make it now and get a super yum yum result.

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake is featured in “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book.” I know, I know. You’re thinking, “This cookbook? Again? Really?”

Yes, I totally pimp out “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book,” but I have to say it rocks. Seriously. If you have anyone near and dear to your heart who loves to bake, you should totally gift them this cookbook. Its awesomeness revolves around the gorgeous pictures, clear and concise recipe instructions and helpful baking tips. All the things I look for in a baking cookbook. So, that’s why it has the Jersey Girl’s heart.

The cake is very fall. I did substitute all-spice for the cardamom that was called for in the recipe. The reasons are as follows: 1. Cardamom was not to be found in my house. 2. I did locate the spice in a local grocery store, but that cat cost 20 smackaroos for a teeny, tiny container. No thanks, McCormick. I’m all for spending dollas dollas on good quality ingredients and cooking items, but for a spice that I’m going to use once, I don’t think so.

Anyways, all-spice works fab in spiced cakes and desserts, so that’s the way this cake went down in the Jersey Girl’s house.

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm.) cake

1 ¼ cups (9oz/280 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup (2 ½ oz/75 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb (500 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped, then tossed in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (pippin, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith)
½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (12 oz/375 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows cake recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease and flour a 9-inch (230cm) round springform pan or square baking pan or baking dish. If using a glass baking dish, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the apples and toss to coat.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat well until smooth. Using a large spatula, gently fold in the apples just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown, 60-70 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan, if using, and place the cake on a wire rack set over a piece of waxed paper to catch any drips. Drizzle with the glaze Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges or squares to serve.

Vanilla Glaze
To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup (3 oz/90 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar, sifted; 2 Tbsp condensed skim milk, warmed; and ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more milk, a few drops at a time, if necessary.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used all-spice instead of cardamom. She also bakes with extra large eggs. In the Vanilla Glaze, she used regular milk instead of condensed skim milk. She made the cake in a 9-inch square baking pan.

You are My Obsession

So, the final weeks of pregnancy can really bring out the OCD qualities in a gal.

The thing that’s making me extremely loco is that I stopped teaching the last week in October. Up until this point, I could focus on mentoring my budding maestros and worry if they’re practicing enough.

Consequently, for the past eight days all I can think about is the bun in the oven.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve filled up my hours with activities. But there’s only so much compulsive cleaning, organizing, early Christmas shopping and Suduko puzzle solving a girl can do. I’ve also been working diligently on two Mozart sonatas and cooking up a storm. Meanwhile, I over analyze every twinge and pang that takes over my achy bod by referring to books, Web sites, sisters, friends in the hopes that they will confirm that I am finally entering a major stage of labor.

And yesterday, I had The Husband take me to lunch and DSW, where I bought a fierce pair of flat boots that I will be rocking post-baby.

(Listen, my fashion is ALWAYS a priority, no matter how prego I am. And in a bit of divine intervention, my feet did not swell at all during my nine months. Yay!)

I’m well aware that the lesson learned here is: Good things come to those who wait. And we are over the moon that the Jersey Baby is thisclose to being here. But, he’s officially past his due date, which is today. Doesn’t he know that his Mom and Pop are two journalists. The Deadline is not to be toyed with.

Kidding.

Today, I’m sharing with you a delish chocolate muffin recipe courtesy of Anne Byrn, aka the Cake Mix Doctor.

These are called Triple-Chocolate To-Live-For Muffins.

They are super fabulous. They are great for bake sales because they pack up well. There’s no frosting involved. So, they are also your kind of treat if sweet, sugary icing is not your thang.

I made them to thank a friend for a favor. And, there were some left over for The Husband and moi.

So, back to the Cake Mix Doctor.

I dig this broad. Sure, she’s all about the boxed cake mix. But, I must admit, every thing I make from her cookbooks rocks. Her philosophy is: Take a cake mix, doctor it up with some fabulous baking ingredients, make a from-scratch frosting and the result is perfection on a cake stand.

If you’re a beginning baker, I highly recommend Anne Byrn’s books. She offers lots of tips on how to get the best cake performance. And she has tons of yum yum frosting recipes.

You can check out her Web site, by clicking here.

Triple-Chocolate To-Live-For Muffins
From “Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor”
By Anne Byrn


Makes 24 muffins (2 ½ inches each)

24 paper liners for muffin pans (2 1/2 –inch size)
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each liner three quarters of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the muffins until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.

Run a dinner knife around the edges of the muffin liners, lift the muffins up from the bottom of the pan using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

*Store the muffins, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw muffins overnight on the counter before serving.

Coffee Cake Tawk

The Jersey Girl can’t get down with coffee for seven more weeks, but she can totally have her coffee cake and eat it, too.


And, it’s not just any coffee cake, dear amazing fabulous readers. It’s chocolate coffee cake.

Holla.

So, I made a huge pan of Chocolate Coffee Cake from the Williams-Sonoma Baking Book a few weeks ago.

(My up-to-date blogging has been pathetic, to say the least. The whole preparing-for-baby stage of life has taken over my world.)

Let’s just say, this cake is filled with yumminess.

Of course, a portion went to me and The Husband and the Most Awesome Baby in my Belly Ever. Another piece headed down to Stone Harbor for the in-laws. And yet another hunk went to Uncle Frank for helping my Baby Daddy put together the crib.

So, right. This cake could feed an army. It’s quite gi-hugic.

Now is the perfect time to bake it, when the nights get cooler and you just want to have a slice of chocolately heaven with your cup of tea. Oh, English Breakfast, how I miss thee.

I know. There’s always decaf. But it ain’t the same. I don’t care what you say. There is a major difference in taste.

In my fantasy world, my first post-pregnancy meal would be: A ton of sushi, a bottle of red wine and a nice cup of coffee. But, who am I kidding? I’m doing the nursing thang and this most likely will not occur. A girl, I mean Baby Mamma can dream, right?

Chocolate Coffee Cake
Makes one 9-by-13-inch (22-by-33-cm) cake
From the Williams-Sonoma Baking Book

For the Streusel:
2/3 cup (4 oz/125 g) all-purpose plain flour
½ cup (3 ½ oz/105 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp. (3 oz/90 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup (4 ½ oz/140 g) chocolate chips (see Notes)

For the Cake:
1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz/235 g) all-purpose plain flour
½ cup (2 oz/60 g) cake soft-wheat flour
2/3 cup (2 oz/60 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (10 oz/315 g) sour cream
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease and flour a 9-by-13 inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan or dish. If using a glass baking dish, set the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

To make the streusel, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 2 or 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Using the mixer on low speed, beat the batter until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Pour the battered into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake until the topping is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

NOTES: Semisweet (plain) or bittersweet chocolate chips can be used in this coffee cake recipe. To intensify the chocolate flavor, add 1 ½ tsp. pure chocolate extract when beating in the sour cream and vanilla.

Cookie Time

A cookie makes the moment so much better.

And if you make these Chocolate Thumbprints, you will have many happy times.

The recipe comes from “Martha Stewart’s Cookies” Cookbook.

In theory, Martha Stewart scares me. Her prim and proper way. Her perfect enunciation. Her navy blue wardrobe. She’s not exactly warm and cuddly.

But, I’ve grown to appreciate her fabulousness. My Dad always sweated Martha. Back when she had her first program on PBS, he would watch her religiously and compare all of my Mom’s cooking techniques to those of Martha.

“Martha would do it this way,” he would say, while carving my Mom’s roast.

I remember Dad marveling over an episode during which Martha was out back in her vast New England garden collecting leaves and greenery for Thanksgiving dinner. My unimpressed full-time working mother of three with no staff exclaimed, “Give me a break,” while shaking her head. There were probably some explicative peppering this outburst.

Although dried leafery did not make it onto our holiday table, the meal of course rocked.

I totally get my Mom’s point regarding Martha. Who can really live up to that level of perfection? It seems so daunting. Perhaps this is why my cooking idols, I mean the ones who are close to my soul, are more along the lines of Nigella Lawson and Lydia Bastianich and my Mommom Sacco, who has never had her own TV program, but probably should.

Anyways, I’ve made a few recipes from Martha’s cookbook. And they’ve all been stellar. My father-in-law raved about the Chocolate Thumbprints while eating a bundle. The cookie merges simple shortbread with a dark chocolate filling. The rich chocolate melts into the tender shortbread. It’s a glorious thing.

They go perfectly with a tall glass of milk.

And they surely will impress those with whom you are sharing.

Chocolate Thumbprints
From “Martha Stewart’s Cookies”
By Martha Stewart
Makes 4 1/2 dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, the confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium until combined.

Form balls using 2 tsp. of dough for each; place balls 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into cookies to make deep, wide indentations. Rotate pan, and return to oven; bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. (If the indentations begin to lose definition, remove cookies from oven and press again.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine chocolate, the remaining 3 Tbsp. butter, and the corn syrup in a small heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool a bit until slightly thickened. Fill thumbprints with the chocolate mixture, and set aside to firm up. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Please note: It is recommended to have a bowl of ice water ready to cool off your thumb while pressing into the hot dough to make thumbprints.

I Scream for Ice Cream

One bowl of Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream coming up.

This whole pregnancy situation has my eating habits turned upside down.

Among the crazy things going on with my food cravings is the insatiable desire for yummy frozen treats.

This is where my awesome Kitchen Aid attachment ice cream maker comes in super handy. Yes, it was a total non-necessity and I love it.

Let’s be real, I’d much rather eat my homemade ice cream than the stuff bought at the store.

But, truth be told, making ice cream takes up a good chunk of your day. After all the stirring, there is a whole lot of waiting going on. And sometimes, a girl just needs her ice cream fix and she needs her ice cream fix NOW.

Consequently, I have been financially supporting Breyer’s and Turkey Hill when times get a bit desperate or I don’t have enough hours in my day to make a batch of chocolate chip or in today’s case, double chocolate chip.

I still can’t believe I made something that tastes this amazingly AWESOME. Haagen-Dazs, step off!

OK, girl. Enough patting yourself on the back.

My first try at chocolate ice cream was not a success. But, I learned from that experience to produce the creamy straight-from-heaven concoction that I am sharing with you below.

I basically took the recipe from “The Joy of Cooking” for chocolate chip ice cream and added some mini chocolate chips. Cocoa is key to chocolate ice cream, in my opinion. The first recipe I tried just called for melted baking chocolate and it didn’t work at all. For one thing, the chocolate flavor was whimpy. That’s no fun. And, there were flecks of chocolate all throughout my ice cream. Straining the mixture is also very important. Again, lesson learned.

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
5 cups
Based on the Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe from "The Joy of Cooking"

Combine in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar:
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar

Combine and whisk in a medium bowl:
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup sugar

Whisk in:
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

Slowly pour about half the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Refrigerate until cold. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze as directed.

Transfer ice cream to a container. Stir in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips before placing in the freezer to firm up.

Key Lime Pie? Yes, Please

Baking – and booze - bribery work wonders when you need to get things done around the house.

The Husband recruited his good friend Tom to swing on down to H’town over the weekend in the hopes of a much-needed assist during The Official Transfer of Furniture to Make Way for our Baby in his Nursery.

We coerced Tom into doing the job with the promise of homemade meatballs and gravy, cavatelli, garlic bread, salad, beer and the finishing touch – Key Lime Pie.

I know that last sentence is prompting several exclamations from you:

1. Whadda ya mean gravy? It’s sauce. - Listen, I’m not even getting into this debate because there is enough room in the world for the sauce people and the gravy people to co-mingle. Can’t we all just get along, or get over it?

2. Speaking of gravy, Miss Thang. Where the heck is the recipe? - Yeah. So, there are some recipes and secrets that will remain locked inside the Jersey Girl vault, and Mommom’s Meatballs and Gravy recipe is one of them. Sorry. You need to marry in or be born into the family.

3. Beer? With pasta? - I KNOW?!?!?!? (I’m shouting this at you in major Monica Gellar voice.) First of all, I’ve been off the vino for five months now due to my pregnant state of mind. I had half a glass over July Fourth weekend (don’t judge me.) So, our guest and major helper of the night grooves on beer and that’s what he got. The Husband also took part in this travesty of a food and beverage pairing. If you want more information, you need to talk to the Mens. I was merely an observer.

4. Key Lime Pie? In July? In New Jersey? In the land of blueberries during blueberry season? – Seriously peeps, I eat like a pint of blueberries a day. They are super yummy delicious, and I can’t control my cravings. That said, a change will do you good, and Key Lime Pie freakin’ rocks.

So, can we talk Key Lime Pie?

It is so cool and refreshing. Quite heavenly, actually. And this comes from a gal who believes dessert equates to chocolate.

I must admit my limes are not of the key variety. There are rare instances when I can find key limes in my sophisticated town of Hammonton, but this past weekend was not one of those times.

So regular old limes it is.

The recipe I use is from my girl Nigella Lawson. (Love her.) It is made in a springform pan, which is typically used for cheesecakes.

The crust is made of graham crackers and butter. Even the biggest dummy ever – or Top Chef contestant who fears making pies - could successfully make this pie crust.

The most grueling exercise in the recipe is beating the egg whites into soft, fluffy meringue submission. Sure, I could have used some electric beaters, but my pregnant bod needs as much exercise as it can get.

If you are not sure how to go about making meringue, I’m providing step-by-step photos to show you what the egg whites should look like at each stage of the game. And please make sure your bowl and beaters are super duper crazy clean. Leftover grease will not lead to successful egg-white beating.

Here’s the how-to on meringue:

Step 1: When you begin whisking vigorously, the egg whites
will froth up a bit.

Hang in there, you have a long way to go.

Step 2: After several minutes of whisking, your clear egg whites,

will start to turn opaque. You're getting close!

Step 3: Finally, your egg whites form gorgeous peaks of white cloudy goodness. Congratulations, you've reached your destination.

Here’s the (Key) Lime Pie recipe by Nigella Lawson. Please note I am writing it verbatim from her cookbook, “How to be a Domestic Goddess.” I will list my own notes at the end. And, although Nigella doesn't advise this, the Jersey Girl totally does: Key Lime Pie is brought to extraordinary levels with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. To make a batch: Chill a glass bowl and beaters from a hand mixer. When ready to serve the pie, pour 1 cup of heavy whipping cream into the bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat away until you have whipped cream.

(Key) Lime Pie
From “How to be a Domestic Goddess”
By Nigella Lawson

For the crust:
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. or 7 ounces graham crackers
scant ¼ cup softened, unsalted butter
9-inch springform pan

For the filling:
5 large egg yolks
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Zest of 3 limes
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. lime juice (of 4-5 limes)
3 large egg whites

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and put in a baking sheet.

Put the graham crackers and butter into the food processor and blitz till all’s reduced to oily crumbs. Press these into the pan, lining the bottom and going a little way up the sides, and chill while you get on with the rest.

You need an electric mixer for this. I always use my KitchenAid, but a hand-held one is fine. Beat the egg yolks until thick, add the can of condensed milk, grated zest and the lime juice. Whisk the egg whites separately until soft peaks form, then fold gently into the yolk mixture. Pour into the lined pan and cook for 25 minutes, when the filling should be firm. It may puff up and then, on cooling, fall, but that’s the deal.

Leave to cool on a rack before unmolding, and chill well.

Serves 6-8.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses extra large eggs. For a better idea of the graham cracker measurement – one sleeve of graham cracker squares (not rectangular shape) equals about 8 ounces. You may need more than the recommended 4-5 limes for the amount of juice necessary for the recipe.

Aunt Dolly's Blueberry Tea Cake

Yeah. You read it right. I have an Aunt Dolly. Unfortunately, this awesome lady passed away many years ago. She was my Mommom Sacco’s sister. And, Aunt Dolly was known for her baking prowess.

Each year around this time when the blueberries are in full effect in my parts of Jersey, me and my fam are known to make a bazillion Blueberry Tea Cakes in honor of Aunt Dolly.

(Hammonton is coined the Blueberry Capital of the World. Just beyond my back yard are acres upon acres of blueberry fields. My first paid job was packing blueberries at age 12. Do you get the blueberry-hued picture here?)

One of the reasons we make the cake all the time – aside from it being majorly awesome – is that my brother-in-law Bob is a mac daddy produce broker and he bestows upon us many ginormous flats of delish blueberries throughout June and July. So, you gotta do something with the blueberries besides putting them on your cereal or eating them as a snacky-poof.

If you’re not familiar with Hammonton, I will give you a heads up: When you visit Hammonton folk who happen to grow blueberries or other awesome produce-type goods, they will give you their seasonal goods to enjoy. Don’t try to protest. My people will also force-feed you, and in the fall bottles of homemade wine or packages of freshly hunted deer meat may appear on your doorstep (but not in a spooky Godfather-kind of way.)

For some reason, Hammonton speaks in food and in giving. Which is probably one of the reasons I still live here and convinced my darling Husband that he really, truly wants to live here.

(Actually, he loves calling H’town home. I think at first he thought my parents would be up our grill 24/7 in a very “Everybody Loves Raymond” kind of way, but they are SO not like that. At all. (OK. So I talk to my Mom and sisters five times a day. That could happen if we lived anywhere.)

Anyway, onto the Blueberry Tea Cake. First off all, blueberries are the star of the show but the crumb topping really makes the cake stand out. The cake is fab with your coffee or tea. But, I’ve been known to have a piece with a glass of delish wine (oh, how I miss my vino) or a healthier glass of milk. Whatever your pleasure.

The cake is made in a good ol’ square Pyrex dish. The recipe calls for two cups of blueberries, but since you’re my peoples I will give you a few Jersey Girl tips: Throw in a few extra handfuls of blueberries and always use the biggest blueberries you can find.

Aunt Dolly’s Blueberry Tea Cake

2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
¼ cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
½ cup milk, at room temperature
2 cups blueberries, plus a handful

Crumb topping

¼ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup butter or margarine, at room temperature

Mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter to form coarse crumb.

To make the cake:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar. Add egg and milk. Beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients. Fold in blueberries. Spread batter in greased and floured 8 or 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake in hot oven at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses extra large eggs.

The Joy of Baking

I bake, therefore I am.

Oh yes. The Jersey Girl is getting philosophical.

Can you stand it?

So, when the world feels sad and lonely or I want to bang my head up against a wall, chances are I will take to the kitchen and bake to my little heart’s content.

Other times when stressy or nervy and wiggin’ out, you will find me at the piano playing for hours upon hours.

And if things are really bad, look for me in a shoe department.

These days, the Jersey Girl is pretty calm. Ever since quitting my morning/afternoon/night job of being a slave for a newspaper, my daily grind isn’t really so grinding.

It’s pretty awesome, actually. Play piano with kiddies and adults. That’s my day. And currently, Miss Susan and her lovely 41 students, are on hiatus.

So, there’s no worry going on except when I really start thinking about childbirth.

Often, the fam requests that I bake somethin’ somethin’ for various events, simply because they know poppin’ some sweet stuff into the oven brings me happiness.

And, many peeps in my fam loathe baking. Exceptions are my grandmothers, who I totally take after, and my godmother Aunt Karen and her no. 3 son Blair, who is a pie-making genius.

But you so should not harbor fear over your oven or that bundt pan, dear readers. Embrace them!

You CAN bake. It’s not that challenging. And I always declare, “If I’m going to eat a cookie, I’d rather it come from me than a factory.”

Which leads me to my latest foray into the “Williams Sonoma Baking Book” – Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oh hell’s yeah. They’re really fab. You bake them a bit long for a cookie – 15 minutes – which puts them onto the crunchy side. They are fab with a glass of milk, which is good for babies growing inside of you. And chocolate does wonders for soon-to-be-mommies who are off coffee and wine. Eek.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the “Williams-Sonoma Baking Book”
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 oz (30 g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (4 ½ oz/140 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
2/3 cup (5 1/3 oz/165 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (2 oz/60 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz/ 185 g) bittersweet or semisweet (plain) chocolate chips
½ cup (2 oz/60 g) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment (baking) paper.

Put the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt, stirring occasionally over barely simmering water. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until blended.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon, beat together the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended and fluffy. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Add the chocolate chips and the nuts, if using, and continue stirring until just blended.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until they are puffed but still look moist on top, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses extra-large eggs. She omitted the pecans/walnuts due to a food allergy.

Ain't it Sweet?

This is a fabu chocolate chip cake. It bakes in an 8-inch square pan, so it’s perfect to make for no reason at all other than you want a piece of cake with your cup of tea. And maybe you're trying to butter up your main squeeze, AKA The Husband.


The Husband loves Chocolate Chip Cake. His moms makes an awesome one, but it is double the size of this one. So, I tend to make the cake listed below more frequently. But, I always eat a piece of the MIL’s whenever she bakes it. It’s kind of a tradition with the in-laws. It appears frequently at holidays and birthdays and such.

The recipe I’m sharing with you comes from the magazine, “Every Day with Rachael Ray.” I am a former subscriber of the mag. It’s gotten a little hokey for me so I ixnayed the subscription. Or as my sister Monica says, "I get it every month and never make anything in it."

I’m still looking for an amazing cooking magazine. Ever since “Gourmet” kicked the bucket there has been a huge void in my magazine repertoire. If any of my fantabulous readers has a suggestion, please share in the comments. "La Cucina Italiana" is a top contender. And, I may bite the bullet and reup my subscription to "Cooking Light." I always liked that one.

But here is a gem from the Rachael Ray magazine. You can check it out on the Rachael Ray Mag Web site, too:
Janet’s Chocolate Chip Cake
May 2007
“Every Day with Rachael Ray” magazine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (about 6 ounces)
 
 
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon.


Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and remaining 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture, in 2 parts, until just combined. Pour half the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar and half the chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter as evenly as possible over the filling, spreading gently. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Susan.

I must have pissed off some peeps in charge up in the heavens.

Because when the kitchen sink backs up two hours before 20 hungry family members are booked to appear at your casa for Easter brunch, you’re kind of screwed.

And that, dear readers, is totally what happened to the Jersey Girl yesterday.

OMG. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome times.

(I seriously hope you are detecting my sarcasm.)

And it wasn’t just the simple sink backup that some good old Liquid Plumber or Draino can put a fix on.

No sir.

This was major.

Or mega.

Or really bad, actually.

Yes, a plumber needed to be called despite the valiant efforts of The Husband, Dad, Uncle Frank and the Father-in-Law. This A-Team could not get it done. But, they do get props for major effort.

So it’s Monday past 2 p.m., and I’m still waiting for the Professional Mr. Fix It to get his bootie here. He may not get here until tomorrow morning.

Have I mentioned how I’m so great at waiting?

No, that’s a bold-face lie.

And there’s still a pile of dishes that need to be washed. And a dishwasher packed to the gills that can not be turned on.

This situation is making me stabby. But, I’m taking cleansing breaths and wondering what I am to learn from this test of my willpower.

Anyone? Bueller?

On a brighter note, my Easter party rocked. Everybody had a grand time. Fun was had by all. And, nobody knew of my inner angst over my water situation.

Of course, my always-looking-on-the-bright-side family noted this could have been worse: The toilets could have been out of commission.

And really, that’s a total buzz kill.

Anyways, as part of the Easter tradition, the Jersey Girl rocked out my world-famous Ricotta Cookies.

Aren't they pretty? My niece Mia will only eat the pink ones, even though I tried explaining that they all taste the same. I suppose 2-year-olds don't quite get that.

 I am called upon to make these, oh say, a bazillion times a year. These make an appearance at most holidays and religious events.

The recipe is from my Mom’s way vintage Woman’s Civic Club of Hammonton Cookbook.

They’re kind of high-maintenance as far as cookies are concerned because you have to frost them and sprinkle them with pretty sugars. It’s good to have a partner in crime to assist you. Back in the day, Monica would help a sista out with this task.

So have at it.

P.S. – this recipe makes about 70 or so cookies. So, make them for a BIG crowd.

Ricotta Cookies
Rose Marie Ebert
From the “Woman’s Civic Club of Hammonton Cookbook”

½ lb. butter
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp. milk

Cream butter, add sugar and eggs one at a time and beat well. Add cheese and vanilla. Beat one minute. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Drop one teaspoon batter onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Combine confectioner’s sugar and milk and dip cookies, let drip into bowl. Place on waxed paper to cool. If decoration is desired, after dipping cookies into icing, dip into colored sugar jimmies.

Please Note: The Jersey Girl uses Imperial brand margarine instead of butter and extra large eggs. Make sure your butter/margarine, eggs and ricotta are room temperature. In addition, The Jersey Girl uses a spoon to spread the icing on the cookies, rather than dipping them.

Hello, Sweetie

The word “diet” isn’t exactly a part of the Jersey Girl’s vocab.

Actually, it's banned here.

But, since November 2009, I am officially 10 pounds lighter.

Yay, me.

No, I’m not popping Kardashian-endorsed pills or taking part in Gwyneth Paltrow-style fasts/cleanses.

Shudder. Shudder. Shudder.

In addition to exercising my bootie off and not eating seconds come din din time, I’ve pretty much ixnayed baking as a pastime. Doing so has wounded my soul, but a skinny girl’s gotta do what a skinny girl’s gotta do.

That said, there comes a time when enough is enough.

That time was Friday.

So, allow me to introduce you to an Insanely Fabulous Brownie.

This brownie tastes awesome with a really big glass of milk, if you are

The Husband. If you are the fabulous wifey, the brownie in question pairs

perfectly with a tall glass of insane wine that you may have been consuming all night long and a trashy magazine and/or mindless movie.

These brownies are decadent and delightful all rolled into one Pyrex square dish of yumminess. So much better than that nonsense from a box. Eek.

And you can totally make these even if you don’t have a mixer in the house. (I don’t know how you live without a mixer – standing and handheld, but different strokes, for different folk, I s’pose.)

All you need is a pan and a wooden spoon.

And a kick-ass workout routine come Monday morn. (I exercised for an hour on Friday in anticipation of my awesome fantastic brownies and on Saturday, too, so get off my back.)

Brownies are happiness.

So come and getcha some.

The brownies await a sharp knife.

Brownies
From “Cookies” in the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Series

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup cake (soft-wheat) flour, sifted
¾ cup semisweet (plain) chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish or metal pan.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in chips, if using.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly, smoothing the top. Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost completely clean, about 30 minutes, or about 5 minutes longer if using a metal pan. Do not overbake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 2 ½-inch squares.

Makes 9 large bars.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses a glass Pyrex dish and Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. In addition, she uses 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate and 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate, instead of 3 ounces unsweetened; and she always bakes with extra-large eggs instead of large eggs, as called for in the recipe.