Tomato, Zucchini and Fresh Corn Soup

I know it's 1,000 degrees out with a humidity level that is absurd, but this soup recipe is so necessary right now for the amazing tomatoes, zucchini, basil and corn that are rocking it in Jersey markets or in your garden. And, I'm holding out hope for some cool summer nights on the horizon, no?

Tomato, Zucchini and Fresh Corn Soup features roasted zucchini as the star, with corn, tomatoes and basil as the secondary players. All come together in a marvelous act. You will definitely want encore bowls of this yumminess.

You can also make the soup with just a can of chopped tomatoes or a bag of frozen corn if that's what you got. But when you have your hands on the good stuff - out right now - this soup is your everything.

It totally freezes beautifully, too.

Tomato, Zucchini & Fresh Corn Soup

From "Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day"

By Kate McMillan

2 zucchini, trimmed, halved and sliced

3 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l.) vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup (6 oz./180 g.) corn kernels (from about 2 ears)

1/3 cup (1/2 oz./15 g.) chopped basil

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Puree half of the soup in a blender. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Return the soup to a boil, add the corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir in the basil. Serve. Serves 4-6.

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.

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.

Something Savory

When I popped these babies out of the oven, it was clear that they were made of awesomeness.

My Onion and Shallot Muffins accompanied a summer salad that I rocked out for dinner, but I envision me and The Husband enjoying them with a wonderful, warm chowder or soup when the weather gets chilly willy.

I love the fall. I can’t wait to cook for the fall. Yes, I’m crazy like that.

So, the recipe comes from “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book.” If you love to bake, I so highly recommend it. The pictures are gorgeous, and all the recipes I’ve made so far are fab.

The key to successful muffin making is to not overmix. You don’t need to touch your KitchenAid mixer or hand-held beaters. All you need is a wooden spoon, and a light touch. As soon as the wet ingredients moisten the dry ingredients, you are finito.

Onion and Shallot Muffins
From the “Williams-Sonoma Baking Book”
Makes 11 muffins

5 Tbsp. (3 fl. oz/80 mil) olive oil
¼ cup (1 ½ oz/45 g) finely chopped red onion
1 medium to large shallot, minced
3 cups (15 oz/ 470 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/3 cups (5 ½ oz/170 g) grated Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
3 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
4 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. crumbled dried oregano or marjoram
½ tsp. celery seed
2 large eggs
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Grease 11 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cup one-third full with water to prevent warping.

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat 3 Tbsp. of the oil. Add the onion and shallot and sauté until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) of the cheese, the parsley, baking powder, salt, oregano and celery seed.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and milk until blended. Add the cooled onions, along with any oil left in the pan. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the onion mixture just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim. Sprinkle each muffin with some of the remaining 1/3 cup (1 ½ oz/45 g) cheese.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Please note: The Jersey Girl bakes with 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.

The Weekend House Guest

I’m not a big fan of the sleepover.


Perhaps it’s the control freak in me, because honestly I felt this way even during my childhood days when little girls lived for sleepovers, staying up all night giggling with friends, watching horror movies and eating junk food.

The Jersey Girl needs to be in her own bed with fav blankies and pillow, huge glass of water by her side, ceiling fan on second setting, complete silence in her surroundings. And even under these conditions, a good night’s sleep is NOT guaranteed.

But, if you are having me over for the weekend, you can pretty much guarantee that homemade baked goods will greet you upon my arrival. It’s my way of shouting out, “thank you for putting up with my high-maintenance self.”

Such was the case on Memorial Day weekend, when The Husband and moi headed down the Shore. (That’s how we Jersey folks say, “going to the beach.”) My rockin’ in-laws live in Stone Harbor, and they have an open-door policy for The Hubs and me.

Yay!

The weather was way gorg on Sunday. And we had a great time with the fam.

My father-in-law grooves on blackberries, so I took an awesome recipe for Raspberry-Sour Cream Coffee Cake from my new fav cookbook, “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book” and swapped out the raspberries for blackberries. The cake was amazing. If I wasn’t prego and if it wasn’t 100 degrees out when I made the cake, a nice cup of tea would have been fabulous as an accompaniment. The buttery topping is just heavenly and decadent all at once. How ironic, right?

Blackberries are more tart than sweet. If you haven’t had them, you may want to taste them first. Or, just stick with the raspberries, which should be berry berry sweet.

Raspberry (Or Blackberry)-Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Makes one 10-inch cake
From “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book”

For the topping:
1 cup (5 oz/155 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (5 oz/155 g) granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the cake:
1 ¾ cups (9 oz/280 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) sour cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups (8 oz/250 g) fresh raspberries
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ (icing) sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease and flour a 10-inch (25-cm) round springform pan. To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and zest. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sour cream mixture. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Cover evenly with the raspberries. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the berries.

Bake until the topping is golden brown, 38-42 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 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust with the confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Good Morning, Sunshine

A plate of perfection awaits The Husband.

What’s better than waking up to a home-cooked breakfast?

I’m sure The Husband can tell you all about it.

Because that lucky son-of-a-gun awoke one fine morning to the scent of fluffy chocolate chip pancakes, sizzling and perfectly browned sausage, fresh sweet strawberries and a just-brewed pot of coffee, courtesy of his Cooking Sugar Momma known as me or Doll, as The Husband says.

His timing was so perfect, too. He literally appeared all scruffy and sleepy-eyed in our sun-filled kitchen as soon as yours truly flipped off the oven and poured him a cup of brew.

Timing is everything, right?

The Husband does get major points for helping a sista out with cleanup. (He pretty much did 90 percent of that, well maybe 75 percent.)

So my chocolate chip pancakes rock. They rock the Casbah, actually.

I basically take the pancake recipe of my favorite cooking goddess in the entire land known as Nigella Lawson, and throw in some mini chocolate chips for good and sweet measure. The pancake recipe appears in her book, “How to be a Domestic Goddess.” In a twist of fate perfect for the universe, this book was betrothed to me by my beloved Husband (then The Deliriously Head-Over-Heels-in-Love Boyfriend) on Valentine’s Day. It is my favorite cookbook of all time, and girlfriend has a bajillion cookbooks.

I suppose you could make pancakes in the old average Americana way – with a box of Bisquick or other said mix or you can drive your lazy bootie to IHOP or Denny’s. But, the homemade style. Yeah, it’s so worth your time.

So you need to measure a few things. Is that really so painful?

I will give you a heads up that I am providing you with the recipe verbatim from the cookbook. If you are not used to Nigella’s recipe writing style, this may throw you for a loop. And upon, re-reading it at the moment, I realize she doesn’t really explain everything specifically.

First of all, put all the dry ingredients in a bowl (I use the awesome mixing bowls from William-Sonoma that have a spout, so it’s easy to pour the batter onto the griddle). Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients and beat together with a wooden spoon.

When you are ready to fry up the pancakes, melt a dollop of butter in your pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Once it’s melted and sizzling, pour your batter onto the griddle.

(After a minute, sprinkle the pancakes with chocolate chips. Once the batter bubbles a bit, you may flip your pancake over.)

And you of course may serve the pancakes with powdered sugar and/or maple syrup. Actually, that's a requirement.

American Breakfast Pancakes
From “How to be a Domestic Goddess”
By Nigella Lawson

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cup milk
Butter for frying

The easiest way to make these is to put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz. But if you do mix up the batter by hand in a bowl, make a well in the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, beat in the eggs, melted butter, and milk and transfer to a pitcher: it’s much easier to pour the batter into the pan than to spoon it. I like to leave the batter for 20 minutes before using it; and you may want to add more milk to the mixture if you’re frying in the blini pan, so that it runs right to the edges.

When you cook the pancakes, all you need to remember is that when the upper side of the pancake is blistering and bubbling it’s time to cook the second side, and this needs only about 1 minute if that.

I get 11 blini-pan-sized pancakes out of this, maybe 16 silver-dollar-sized ones on the griddle.

Please Note: The Jersey Girl adds mini chocolate chips after pouring the batter into pancakes on the griddle and before she flips them over to brown the other side. She also uses extra-large eggs.

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.

Shop Til You Drop

It's the dead of winter, dear readers. And that means one thing and one thing only: Major sales on kitcheny thangs, bells and baubles.

But,  I'm trying to be a good little Susan and Not Shop. So, these past few weeks you can find me in my spare time: exercising my bootie off, reading a good book or two or three..., organizing my house like the crazy husband in "Sleeping With the Enemy," or watching reruns of "The Office" and/or "South Park."

In a previous life, I worked retail. Each summer and holiday break from my college days at Carnegie Mellon University, I would come back to glamourous South Jersey and hawk things at Macy's. In those days, I worked the juniors department. At Christmas they would put me wherever they needed me - usually perfume (Oy!), or men's (where I have to say I was pretty clueless) or hosiery (which was just so god awful, OMG.) They never put me in housewares. I think in my late teens, early 20s the housewares department would have sent me into convulsions.

Upon graduating college, I got my first real job as a gritty, nose-to-the-grind journalist. But the peeps at Macy's encouraged me to stay on. And at the time, I was in the department that had won over my soul - SHOES. And the pathetic, sad reality is: I made more money working 15 hours a week selling shoes to South  Jersey broads then I did working 40-plus hours a week as a newspaper copy editor. If only they told me THESE details in my college journalism classes. So, for a few years I was a shoe sales gal by day, copy editor by night. I was also really skinny and exhausted from never eating or sleeping. Awesome!

And by working retail you learn some things about  how The Consumer works. After the Christmas clearance sales are finito, many shoppers focus on their home. And so, come late January and February, kitchen steals and deals are everywhere.

So, here's what's going on this week at some of my fav shops. I will start with Macy's.

More Wusthof...

MANUFACTURER'S CLOSEOUT! Wusthof Cutlery, Grand Prix II 8 Piece Set

Orig. $552.00
Now $199.99

That's an awesome price for Wusthof knives. These knives are amazingly fab.

More OXO...

The OXO 10-Piece Pop Container Set isn't on sale, but it seems necessary as part of my organization quest. Cost is $99.

Williams-Sonoma is offering free shipping on many, many items, according to an e-mail I received this a.m. Williams-Sonoma and free shipping are a rare combination.

Many items are on sale, too. My picks:

More Williams-Sonoma...

Williams-Sonoma Nonstick Goldtouch™ 4-Piece Bakeware Set is on sale for $84. It's available online only. This is not something I need, but for those who want a starter baking set, this may be for you. The Williams-Sonoma bakeware line is pricey, but awesome!

More Cuisinart...

Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast 16-Cup Food Processor. On sale for $299.95. My cousin Blair, who is a mac daddy cook, LOVES this piece. When he bought it this past fall, he raved about it. The reviews are really great on the Williams-Sonoma Web site as well.

Happy shopping!

Cookie Time is Here

Take a whole lotta this:

Stir in a pinch of this:

Add a dash of that:

And what you have, dear readers, is the perfect day for baking Christmas cookies.

So yeah. The Jersey Girl has been snowed in for days now. That’s because I live in the backstreets of a rural town and drive a Mustang, so girlfriend isn’t going very far. And, it snowed like 300 inches this weekend in my neck of the woods. I guess it’s kind of cool. I always thought snowfall at Christmas only happened in the movies or in places way up there like Chicago, Boston, Canada, the North Pole.

But alas, it really actually truly snowed in South Jersey just days before Christmas.

And now I’m stuck here. Forevas. Please, dear town, plow my road. Please!

Fortunately, I stocked up on milk, eggs and butter so my time has been well spent getting the Christmas baking done.

Although, I must admit this is getting ridonkulous. The stir-crazy feelings are settling in. I’m going to start doing something drastic like buying random shoes and sweaters on the Internets or calling psychic hotlines.

Last night, I watched “The Nanny” until 1 a.m.

Who am I?

(OK. I admit, I dig “The Nanny.”)

Anyhoo, Day 1 of my Cookie Baking Extravaganza included Pizzelles, Scotch Shortbread and Chocolate Chip Biscotti.

To properly bake Christmas cookies, the following things need to be in place:

1. The tunes. You must have good Christmas music going on. My faves are Elvis (natch), Harry Conick Jr. (Love him!) and the Rat Pack (Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin.)

2. The Christmas tree must be all aglow.

3. Your butter and eggs need to be room temp.

4. Warm, fuzzy slippers are the choice footwear of the day.

5. Don't rush things. Baking takes much patience.

My pizzelle recipe comes by way of my Mommom. But, her recipe is literally just a list of ingredients. So, I’m sharing it with you with my personal instructions.

I make the pizzelles with my Mom’s older-than-dirt pizzelle iron.

It seriously is at least 40 years old. You can purchase a shiny new pizzelle iron at Sur la Table.
I should probably do so as well, but I love this pizzelle iron. It reminds me of childhood and my dog Murry, who always sat patiently waiting for the reject pizzelles, that surely will form during your first couple rounds. I know when I make pizzelles for Christmas and Easter, Murry is looking down on me from Doggie Heaven begging for some crumbs.

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

In a mixer, beat together melted margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Beat on medium speed. Add vanilla. Beat for 30 more seconds.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, beating on medium-low speed after each addition. The batter should be runny.

To make pizzelles, preheat your pizzelle iron according to the package instructions.

Add a teaspoon of batter to each side of the iron and press down the top part of the iron, according to the package instructions. Timing of this varies. I hold mine down for about 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the cookies from the iron with a fork. Place flat on paper towels to cool. Cookies should be delicate and crispy.

The Scotch Shortbread straight out of the oven.

Scotch Shortbread
From the Williams-Sonoma book, “Cookies”

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup confectioners’ (icing) sugar aka powdered sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp. for sprinkling the top
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cup all-purpose plain flour
¼ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Farenheit. Have ready an ungreased 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the ¼ cup granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your finger and thumb. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.

Using floured fingertips, press the dough evenly into the pan. Sprinkle evenly with the 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar.

Bake the shortbread until the edges are golden, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use a thin sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3 inches by 1 inch. Use a toothpick or the tines of a fork to decorate the shortbread with a pattern of dots. Let the strips cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before transferring them to the rack to cool completely.

Makes 27 bars.

Chocolate Anise Biscotti are toasty and ready to be served.

Chocolate Anise Biscotti
“Giada’s Family Dinners”
Giada De Laurentiis

Makes about 2 dozen.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. ground anise seed
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter and anise seed in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Form the dough into a 16-inch-long, 3-inch-wide log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

After the log cools, slice into cookies.

Place the log on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices.

Arrange biscotti cut side down on the lined baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

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

Pucker Up

My husband’s fam is all about the citrus desserts.


They can’t get enough of Key Lime Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Pound Cake, Orange Chocolate Chip Cake, Lemon Sorbet ….

And on and on the list goes.

So of course when having Mark’s parents over recently, The Husband requested his ultimate fav, Lemon Meringue Pie.

I love my husband with all my heart, but I was so NOT making Lemon Meringue Pie that day.

For one thing, it was raining. It was really, seriously pouring and meringue and precipation are not friends. They sit on opposite sides of the cafeteria, actually.

That’s because for meringue to be meringue the egg whites need to dry out. Damp days don’t help the meringue cause.

The other reason I was not groovin’ on Lemon Meringue Pie is because well, it takes like three hours to make. The zesting, the juicing, the beating. It just never ends.

So, as the case may be in many marriages, a compromise was made: Lemon Bars.

The Husband was pleased.

These cookies are fab. They’re pretty much shortbread with a custardy lemon filling. A dusting of powdered sugar makes them look super pretty.

The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Collection Series book, "Cookies".

I highly recommend this book. The recipes are simple, and the photos are gorgeous. It has all the classic cookies recipes that you want.

Lemon Bars
From “Cookies,” Williams Sonoma Collection Series

For the crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the filling:
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ cup fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a 13 ¾-by-4 ¼-inch oblong tart pan with a removable bottom or an 8-inch square baking pan with bottom and sides lined with aluminum and generously greased.

To make the crust, sift the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt together into a bowl and transfer to a food processor. Add the lemon zest and pulse to blend. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, processing just until the mixture is crumbly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and sides to form the crust.

Bake until the crust is just golden at the edges, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large measuring cup or pitcher, whisk together the flour and lemon juice. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt, and whisk until smooth. When the crust is baked, carefully pull out the oven rack and pour the filling into the crust. Close the oven door and reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Bake until the center is springy to the touch, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place the pan on your outstretched palm and let the rim fall away or, using the sides of the foil as handles, carefully lift the cookie from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the cookie generously with confectioners’ sugar. To make a striped pattern, lay strips of waxed paper across the cookie before dusting, and after dusting carefully remove the paper strips.

With a thin, sharp knife, cut crosswise into thin bars ¾-1 inch wide. Using a small, offset spatula, carefully remove the bars from the foil.

My Current Wishlist

I often imagine what my Dream Kitchen would look like. Six-burner stove in an amazing shade of red. A walk-in pantry. Two ovens. Two refrigerators. Copper pots. Le Creuset everything. Many wooden implements.

Le sigh.

A girl can dream, can't she?

So, feeding my dreams is this month's Williams-Sonoma catalogue.

On my wishlist:

Le Creuset Heritage Oval Cocotte, 4-Qt. This had me at hello when I opened my mailbox. Love it! I don't own any Le Creuset in Flame, so I think I'm about due.  This item is so fabulous, I think it's about all I want.

Product Review: Harney and Sons Fine Tea

Why I love it: This delish tea by Harney and Sons is amazing. It comes in gorgeous silk bags in a variety of flavas. It truly puts other teas to shame. The Paris flavor is my fav.

The back story: I first came across Harney and Sons Tea as a gift from my mother-in-law, natch. She bought me the Le Creuset tea pot in Sonoma green from Williams-Sonoma. So, with it she included some fabulous tea that smelled intoxicating and came wrapped in silk. No joke. The flavor was Hot Cinnamon Spice. We both came across Harney and Sons Tea while out at dinner in Stone Harbor a few years ago. It was there, at Jays on Third, when Harney’s Paris flavor was bestowed upon me. It’s been love ever since. It had me at first sip. Mark/Santa filled my stocking with a tin of the Harney and Sons Paris variety in 2008. It is my absolute favorite, and I’m hoping for a repeat in 2009. Fortunately, I found the Paris flavor at the Marlton, N.J., Williams-Sonoma store this past spring a few weeks before our trip to Paris. I bought three containers. It tastes heavenly. It’s a black tea that is as mesmerizing as the city.

Pros: Tasty, cute tins, great flavors, aromatic, silk satchels.

Cons: Expensive, hard-to-find.

Where to Buy: Harney and Sons

Prices: $8 for 20 tea satchels. Harney also sells loose teas and tea in teabags, so prices vary. They often offer free shipping when your purchase is more than a certain dollar amount.