Lemon Slice Bars

Incredible. Thanks for the Donna Hay book oh, so many years ago Todd!

Recipe by Donna Hay

1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/4 cups plain flour
120g butter
1 tablespoon milk
topping
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
2/3 cup cream
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
3/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 330 degrees. Process the sugar, flour, butter and milk in a food processor until the mixer comes together. Press into a 9x12 (I used 8x8 since I like them thick) tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 25 mins or until golden brown.

To make the topping, whisk together the cornflour and 2 tablespoons of the cream until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the remaining cream, then the eggs, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice. Place in a saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking for 6 mins or until mixture thickens slightly. Pour over the base and bake for 5 mins or until the topping is just set. Cool in the tin. Cut into slices. Makes 24 slices.

After it's all set, sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Pan-Glazed Fish with Citrus and Soy

I've been missing fish in my diet and I needed an opportunity to check out Santa Monica Seafood in the new location. I headed out to gape in awe at the selection of fresh fish, bread, and *oysters* at the oyster bar at this unique so-cal fish store. I chose a nice oily black cod for the dish tonight. The recipe was initially given to me by my family but I also found it online at epicurious.com

It turned out fantastic and was really easy to make. I did sides of amaranth (our favorite grainy side dish that has forever replaced rice) and steamed green beans from a frozen Trader Joe's bag. For those of you who haven't tried amaranth, I highly recommend it. It tastes nutty and has a consistency similar to cream of wheat. It is prepared similarly to rice - start with cold water and bring it to a boil with the grain in the pot, simmer for 20 minutes. It's so yummy! I also discovered you can pop it just like popcorn. You can add it to salad dressing or have it for breakfast. The Aztecs used it to make beer. You can add it to bread or cookies. It's really healthy too - high in iron and protein, it has three times the calcium of milk.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Needed to bake tonight. I had this recipe and hadn't tested it yet. Its okay, nothing special. The cookies are moist and bake out flat to a substantial, textured cookie.  I didn't use reduced-fat sour cream either. I probably wouldn't make it again but the reviews on the Cooking Light website are pretty mixed.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients

• 1  cup  whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
• 3/4  cup  regular oats
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2  cups  packed brown sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1/4  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  large egg whites
• 3/4  cup  sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2  cup  semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Place sugar, butter, and sour cream in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until edges of cookies are browned. Cool on pan 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

Sticky Buns

Now *these* are sticky buns! I was reading a entry on a friend's Facebook page about how she made sweetbread in her bread machine...and I had never thought of using it for that. I've made plenty of dough for pizza and lots of bread over the years, but for some reason that use never occurred to me. Well it works pretty damn well. Recipe to follow...

Grandma T's Peanut Butter Cookies

On Easter Sunday I had to work for a few hours, but then we went to our friend's house to celebrate. I had just enough time to pop these into the oven to bring with us.

This is certainly the most baked cookie in our house, and X's favorite (besides the Guinness Brownies). They are dense, peanut-buttery, and not too sweet.


Makes 24

1/2 C CRISCO
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1C peanut butter
1 1/2C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg & vanilla. Add peanut butter. Beat until blended.

2. Sift together flour, soda, & salt. Blend into creamed mixture.

3. Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with fork to flatten (but not too hard).

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove to cooling rack.

Pork Loin Gone Wrong

I was inspired by a friend's mention of a slow cooked pork loin and wanted to make it at home. I had written down some of the ingredients, but since we had been *ahem* drinking when this occurred, I'm sure I got it wrong. So I Googled, found what I thought was it, and made it. I should have just called. The recipe I made was totally different, and I managed to mess it up. It was for a pork loin with cranberries. Many of my slow cooker recipes say "7-8 hours on low, 5-6 hours on high". This one did not. But I only had 6 hours, so I cooked it on high. Mistake. I caramelized the fruit and destroyed the pork. Maybe I'll try again since it really looked good. 

Meanwhile I've called my friend and gotten the correct recipe for her "ginger spiced pork rub".

Below is what I made and messed up. And this photo is not what mine looked like!

Pork Loin with Cranberries

1 1 can whole berry sauce
1/2 C quartered dried apricots
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 C fresh OJ
1 shallot, chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp fresh ginger
2 lb boneless pork loin roast
snipped chives

1. Mix cranberry sauce, apricots, orange peel and juice, shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and ginger in 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add pork and spoon some of cranberry mixture on top. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender.

2. Remove pork to cutting board. Spoon off any fat from top of cranberry mixture in slow cooker. Slice pork into 6 thick slices. Serve topped with sauce. Garnish with chives, if desired.

$5 Brownies

I had these awesome brownies at New Year's and managed to get a hold of the recipe. These are incredibly rich, chocolatey, and over-the-top. I did a little twist and put caramel and sea salt on a couple. Yowza.  I only made a half recipe. And I cooked it 10 minutes longer than this says.

If you want a brownie that will thoroughly kick your ass, these are it. (caramel & sea salt at your own risk!)

3 sticks unsalted butter
12 oz fine quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
1 1/4 C cake flour (not self rising)
1 C plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
3 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan, knocking out excess flour.

2. Melt butter with chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk in eggs, 1 at a time.

3. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and stir into batter with sugar and salt. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours, before cutting into 20 squares.