What I Love: 7/23/13

Gooseberry pie! It kind of sounds like something out of Anne of Green Gables, but it is actually very tasty. If you find yourself burdened with gooseberries, this is a great recipe to use them in. Gooseberries are very tart (the pie is similar to a sour cherry pie), but the addition of tapioca helps cut down on the tartness. A note though, the pie is pretty runny if you cut it right after pulling it out of the oven. I recommend serving it with ice cream, to help with the tartness even more.

Gooseberry Pie

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups gooseberries
1 tsp orange rind
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp tapioca
2 tbsp melted butter
2-layer pie crust

Soak the tapioca for about 10 minutes. Then, combine all the ingredients (except the crust, obviously). Let the filling sit for 15 minutes. Then put the bottom crust in a 9 - inch pie pan, add the filling, and finish with the top crust. Crimp the edges and cut in some vents, and the pie is ready to bake! Put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 30 minutes. It should look golden and bubbly. Let it cool, and enjoy!

What I Love: 7/18/13

A recipe I tried today: Brown-Butter Snickerdoodles. And OH MY GOSH SO YUMMY! That is all I have to say.

What I Love: 5/2/13

I have to admit, I am excellent at roasting marshmallows. I have honed the ability of sticking sugary fluff into fire and having it come out all golden and melty. In honor of today's Blog Every Day Of May, I thought I might share my methods with you, my lovely readers.

How To Roast A Marshmallow Perfectly

1. get a good fire going. the fire has to be just right. A brand-new fire is too hot, and doesn't have the proper coals. Let it burn down for a bit. It is perfect when there are a lot of glowing coals and not too many burning logs in the way.
2. grab a marshmallow. Stick it on the end of a skewer. I don't recommend roasting more than one marshmallow at a time, because this can affect the distribution of heat. Also, try and grab a  straight skewer, because if it is bent it will throw off the rotation of the marshmallow.
3. find your spot. You want to find a spot in the fire where the coals are red-hot. It's also nice if there is a log or rock nearby that you can rest the skewer on.
4. start roasting! Stick the marshmallow close to the coals, resting the skewer on the log to stabilize it. Slowly rotate the skewer, so all sides of the marshmallow are evenly exposed to the heat. Watch it closely, and you'll see steam coming from the marshmallow when it is golden. When you see the steam, rotate! If you let it sit once it starts steaming it will turn black and catch on fire. When all sides are evenly golden, the marshmallow is done.
5. EAT. messily and with chocolate.

What I Love: 2/27/13

Those soft, frosted sugar cookies they sell at grocery store bakeries. Those things are disgustingly sweet, but...yum.

What I Love: 2/17/13

the insane amount of candy in our room right now. SO MUCH CHOCOLATE.

What I Love: 1/10/13

This recipe. It's quite yummy! I like the chocolate chips, but dried fruit would also work. It is adapted from the recipe for "Currant Scones" in Tea Time by M. Dalton King.

Basic Scones

2 C. flour
1/3 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. cold butter
3/4 C. milk
1 egg
1/2 C. chocolate chips
4 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. In another bowl, blend the milk and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients  stirring until it is mixed. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. The dough will be very wet. Thoroughly flour a flat surface, and turn dough out on it. Knead the dough lightly, and pat it out into 3/4 inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the scones and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter over the tops of the scones. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, and serve with butter or your favorite spread (Nutella or strawberry jam are mine!)

What I Love: 1/8/12

Frozen yogurt drops! I found them via Pinterest, but couldn't track down the original source. Basically, you just spoon yogurt into a plastic bag, cut off the corner, and squirt bite sized pieces onto wax paper. Stick in the freezer for a few hours and voila! A sweet, healthy treat!

What I Love: 12/18/12

The most delicious cake in the history of ever! My grandmother passed on this recipe for Chocolate Pistachio Pudding cake, and it is one of my favorites. The best part is, it could be adapted for any cake mix/pudding flavor combination. Think of the possibilities!

Chocolate Pistachio Pudding Cake
Cake:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup club soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Frosting:
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 box instant pistachio pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all cake ingredients in a large bowl, and blend for 2 min. Pour into a well-greased Bundt pan, and bake for 50 min. Let the cake cool and remove from pan. As it continues to  cool, mix frosting ingredients and beat until thick and frosty. Thickly frost the cake, and let it sit before serving. Enjoy!