Baked Tofu with Broccoli

First things first – I have to admit, this is supposed to be Crispy Baked Tofu with Broccoli, but it hasn’t come out crispy the few times I’ve made it. It has, however, been tasty enough to keep making multiple times, so… okay. I have been doubling the amount of broccoli (which is how I wrote it below), which feels like the right proportions to me. The sauce is really easy, but also really goods, so I do recommend giving it a go! You can sub in tamari for the soy and agave for the honey to get a gf/vegan meal if that is relevant to your interest.

Ingredients:

Tofu:

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Broccoli:

  • 2 crowns broccoli cut into bite-size florets
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

For Serving:

  • sesame seeds
  • sliced green onions
  • cooked rice/other grain

At least 30 minutes before cooking (at lunch, if you work from home, works), drain the liquid from the tofu package, then wrap the block of tofu in several layers of paper towel. Plate on a plate, with another plate upside-down on top, and layer something on top to create a gentle weight. Keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment, and spray with baking spray if using foil.

Slice the tofu into 1″ cubes, and put in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the cornstarch.

In a small dish, stir together the olive oil, soy sauce, and honey. Pour over the tofu and again toss gently.

Spread in a single layer over part of the baking sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, oil, garlic, and salt.

Ok clearly this is a ziplock not a bowl.

Spread the broccoli over the rest of the baking sheet.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, water, and vinegar in a small saucepan and stir together. Place the cornstarch in a small dish and pour 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce mixture into it, stirring until the cornstarch is all mixed in. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the pot and add the brown sugar and garlic. Put over medium heat and whisk until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the tofu and broccoli over rice with a drizzle of sauce.

Tofu and Broccoli

A bit adapted from Savory Simple.

Tofu:

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Broccoli:

  • 2 crowns broccoli cut into bite-size florets
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

For Serving:

  • sesame seeds
  • sliced green onions
  • cooked rice/other grain

At least 30 minutes before cooking (at lunch, if you work from home, works), drain the liquid from the tofu package, then wrap the block of tofu in several layers of paper towel. Plate on a plate, with another plate upside-down on top, and layer something on top to create a gentle weight. Keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment, and spray with baking spray if using foil.

Slice the tofu into 1″ cubes, and put in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the cornstarch. In a small dish, stir together the olive oil, soy sauce, and honey. Pour over the tofu and again toss gently. Spread in a single layer over part of the baking sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, oil, garlic, and salt, then spread over the rest of the baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, water, and vinegar in a small saucepan and stir together. Place the cornstarch in a small dish and pour 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce mixture into it, stirring until the cornstarch is all mixed in. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the pot and add the brown sugar and garlic. Put over medium heat and whisk until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the tofu and broccoli over rice with a drizzle of sauce.

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Caramel S’mores Bars

Wow, 3 posts in 3 weeks! Boggling to remember how many years I did 3 posts every week!

These are pretty intense looking, but were very doable in a day during which I did a whole lotta other stuff, especially because I had multiple bags of caramel bits already so skipped making that layer from scratch. I’ve gotten good response sharing with a few friends! The original recipe said use an 8″ or 9″ square pan and I used an 8″, since my 9″ pan still had leftover brownies, but I think in the future I’d do 9″ just to make the marshmallow layer a tiny bit thinner, as it’d be spread over more space. I think I’ve only made marshmallows once before, and I’m not super confident with it yet, but this went fine!

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Layer:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve minus 1 graham cracker, for me)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Layer:

Marshmallow Layer:

  • /3 cup cool water for the gelatin mixture
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 envelopes powdered gelatin
  • 1/3 cup water for the sugar mixture
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (95 grams) honey
  • heaped 1 cup (226 grams) brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 100 g dark chocolate, chopped fine

Grease and line a 9×9″ pan with parchment. If your parchment doesn’t fully cover the sides of the pan, put another piece going the other direction too. Preheat your oven (woo big toaster oven!) to 350 degrees.

Make your graham cracker crumbs, either with a food processor or by putting the graham crackers in a ziplock, putting that on a thick cutting board, and whamming it with a meat tenderizer, or anything else solid you’ve got.

Combine the crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl and stir together. Pour into the lined 9×9″ pan and spread evenly, pressing firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

When the crust has cooled, combine the caramel bits and water in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir until smooth, then pour over the crust. Set aside.

In a small dish, combine 1/3 cup water, the vanilla, and gelatin and stir until no dry clumps remain. Set aside.

In a deep pot, combine the the water, honey, brown sugar, and salt. Put over medium heat and stir to combine.

Heat until a thermometer in the mixture reaches 245-250.

Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Let cool for a quick minute, then add the now-congealed gelatin.

Beat with the whisk attachment, starting on low speak and working up to medium, and beating for around 10 minutes.

While the gelatin mixture is beating, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

When the marshmallow mixture is big, thick looking, fluffy, shiny, not much above room temp, and only sort of, not hand-engulfingly sticky, take the bowl off the mixer. It will get even less sticky as it sets. Pour in the chocolate, and stir just a few swipes, so it’s not fully/evenly mixed.

If your caramel layer is room temperature and the caramel isn’t sticky at all, throw it back in the oven for just a few minutes, just long enough to soften the caramel a bit to help it stick to the marshmallow. Spread the marshmallow onto the caramel layer, and spread evenly. Let set for at least 4 hours.

To cut, run a sharp knife under hot water until the blade is hot, then wipe the blade dry. Spray with some cooking grease, and slice. To store, put in an airtight container in the fridge, but bring back to room temp for cutting/eating.

Caramel S’mores Bars

A little adapted from Buttermilk by Sam.

Graham Cracker Layer:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve minus 1 graham cracker, for me)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Layer:

Marshmallow Layer:

  • /3 cup cool water for the gelatin mixture
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 envelopes powdered gelatin
  • 1/3 cup water for the sugar mixture
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (95 grams) honey
  • heaped 1 cup (226 grams) brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 100 g dark chocolate, chopped fine

Grease and line a 9×9″ pan with parchment. If your parchment doesn’t fully cover the sides of the pan, put another piece going the other direction too. Preheat your oven (woo big toaster oven!) to 350 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl and stir together. Pour into the lined 9×9″ pan and spread evenly, pressing firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

When the crust has cooled, combine the caramel bits and water in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, then pour over the crust. Set aside.

In a small dish, combine 1/3 cup water, the vanilla, and gelatin and stir until no dry clumps remain. Set aside.

In a deep pot, combine the the water, honey, brown sugar, and salt. Put over medium heat and stir to combine. Heat until a thermometer in the mixture reaches 245-250, then remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool for a quick minute, then add the now-congealed gelatin. Beat with the whisk attachment, starting on low speak and working up to medium, and beating for around 10 minutes.

While the gelatin mixture is beating, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

When the marshmallow mixture is big, thick looking, fluffy, shiny, down to almost room temperature, and not SUPER sticky. Pour in the chocolate, and stir just a few swipes, so it’s not fully/evenly mixed.

If your caramel layer is room temperature and the caramel isn’t sticky at all, throw it back in the oven for just a few minutes, just long enough to soften the caramel a bit to help it stick to the marshmallow. Spread the marshmallow onto the caramel layer, and spread evenly. Let set for at least 4 hours.

To cut, run a sharp knife under hot water until the blade is hot, then wipe the blade dry. Spray with some cooking grease, and slice. To store, put in an airtight container in the fridge, but bring back to room temp for cutting/eating.

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Peanut Butter Banana Brownies (can be GF)

Some simple enough brownies that use just a little bit of banana for a tiny bit of banana taste and some extra moisture. I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gf flour and had no issues with texture or weird tastes. It’s not a ton of flour anyway.

Thinking I’m ready to bake, realizing I only have milk chocolate chips…

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • 5 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped (I used these)
  • 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used these)
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 of a large banana, 56 grams
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 200 grams
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 84 grams (can sub in a gf alternative
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch)
  • 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter, softened, plus extra for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil (I actually used vegetable oil)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9″ square metal pan with nonstick foil. I didn’t realize that was a thing that existed, but then found a roll in the basement anyway! If you don’t have it, just spray some regular foil with baking spray.

The original recipe used the stove but that’s a more annoying dish to clean so… Combine the butter and semisweet and bittersweet chocolates in a microwave safe dish. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring well in between, until evenly melted. Once fully melted, stir in the cocoa powder and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth.

It’s really not much!

It’s certainly possible to smoosh this even smoother…

 

Whisk in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate mixture, followed by the salt and flour.

Check that the batter isn’t still so warm that it would melt your chocolate chips, and if it’s cool enough, stir them in. (Otherwise, wait a few minutes until it has cooled.) Transfer the batter to your lined 9×9″ dish.

In a small dish, mix together the peanut butter and oil.

Drop spoonfuls over the batter, then drag a knife through the batter to marble the peanut butter in. In my cold house, on the cold marble counter, the chocolate in the batter had already firmed back up enough that it was quite firm and resistant to ‘marbling’.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until they appear set. While the peanut butter bakes, it gets little air holes in it, so if that’s going to bother you, drop small spoonfuls of additional peanut butter on the still-hot brownies, and it’ll melt into the holes in the existing peanut butter.

Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours. Remove from the pan and cut into squares, and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

From Cookie Madness.

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • 5 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 of a large banana, 56 grams
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 200 grams
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 84 grams
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch)
  • 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter, softened, plus extra for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9″ square metal pan with nonstick foil.

Combine the butter and semisweet and bittersweet chocolates in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring well in between, until evenly melted. Once fully melted, stir in the cocoa powder and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate mixture, followed by the salt and flour. Check that the batter isn’t still so warm that it would melt your chocolate chips, and if it’s cool enough, stir them in.

In a small dish, mix together the peanut butter and oil. Drop spoonfuls over the batter, then drag a knife through the batter to marble the peanut butter in.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until they appear set. Drop small spoonfuls of additional peanut butter on the still-hot brownies, and it’ll melt into the holes in the existing peanut butter to provide a smoother appearance.

Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours. Remove from the pan and cut into squares, and enjoy.

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15 Bean Buffalo Chicken Soup

A tasty, filling, probably decently healthy soup that cooks most of the day in a crock pot – it may seem unusual, but 7 hours on high is right – you’ve got a whole bag of dried beans, they need a good amount of cooking! This recipe calls for chicken thighs, and I used them, but in general I find them annoying – so much fat I feel like I’ve thrown away half the chicken just trimming the excess!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package 15 bean soup bean mix (there’s a Hambeens option, which you’d throw out the ham flavoring mix from, and a Goya one that’s actually 16 beans and no ham packet, at my supermarket)
  • 2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 celery ribs, sliced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
  • 9 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro (skipped it/hate it)
  • tortilla chips for serving

Rinse the beans and discard any bad ones/pebbles. Toss them, and all the other ingredients except for the cilantro and chips in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 7 hours.

I can not identify all of them, but they’re pretty!

After the 7 hours, remove the bay leaf and discard. Remove the chicken onto a plate and shred, then return to the crock pot.

Stir in the chicken, and the cilantro if using. Serve with tortilla chips.

15 Bean Buffalo Chicken Soup

From The Magical Slow Cooker.

  • 1 package 15 bean soup bean mix
  • 2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 celery ribs, sliced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
  • 9 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
  • tortilla chips for serving

Rinse the beans and discard any bad ones/pebbles. Toss them, and all the other ingredients except for the cilantro and chips in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 7 hours.

After the 7 hours, remove the bay leaf and discard. Remove the chicken onto a plate and shred, then return to the crock pot. Stir in the chicken, and the cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Banana Bark

Apparently this is a “thing” on ticktock, maybe? I’m the sort of boring that would rather play sudoku than use ticktock so I can’t confirm first-hand! But it’s very a simple, quick, and tasty snack/dessert. The first time I made it, I used the measurements below. Unfortunately, the time I actually took pictures was an hour after I’d packed all my measuring cups and silicone spatulas for yet another move, so yours may not look exactly the same, but that’s fine! Annoyingly, my camera, which is “only” 12 1/2 years old, and has “only” had about a full cake’s worth of ingredients dropped into it over the years, seems to have died, so it’s phone pictures for now.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (my preference is milk chocolate)

Line a small pan, or even large plate, with parchment or wax paper. A toaster oven sized pan is great. Peel and then thinly slice your bananas onto the pan, arranging the slices as close together as possible.

Microwave your peanut butter for 30 seconds to make it more pourable, then spread evenly over the top of the slices.

Move the pan into your freezer while you microwave the chocolate in 30 second bursts, stirring after each, to melt the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, take the pan back out and spread the chocolate evenly on top of the peanut butter-ed bananas.

Freeze for an hour, then either slice with a sharp knife, or break off individual banana slices as you snack. Easy peasy!

See y’all in a different kitchen soon!

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Gooey Butter Cookies

The cookie version of gooey butter cake, this recipe helped me use up a block of cream cheese I had kicking around. Day 1 they weren’t actually very cream cheese-y, but I thought it was a more noticeable flavor from the second day on. This recipe made A Ton of cookies, but happily the baked cookies can be frozen and then thaw back to the perfect texture, so you can work your way through them at a reasonable rate.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder (why did I have a completely unopened box in the cabinet??)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until evenly mixed.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, and baking powder.

Beat the dry goods into the cream cheese mixture in several additions. Refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Once the dough has chilled, scoop level tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, then roll in the powdered sugar. Place sugared dough balls onto a lined sheet 1″ apart.

Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes.

Let cool briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. It took me long enough to roll the dough balls that it made sense to just put one pan in the oven at a time and work on the other. I ended up with about 3 1/2 pans’ worth.

Precariously balanced over the sink, so I’m not dumping powdered sugar on the counter!

Gooey Butter Cookies

From Taste of Home.

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder (why did I have a completely unopened box in the cabinet??)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until evenly mixed. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, and baking powder, then beat the dry goods into the cream cheese mixture in several additions. Refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Once the dough has chilled, scoop level tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, then roll in the powdered sugar. Place sugared dough balls onto a lined sheet 1″ apart. Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. It took me long enough to roll the dough balls that it made sense to just put one pan in the oven at a time and work on the other. I ended up with about 3 1/2 pans’ worth.

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Caramel Apple Dumplings

I made this with friends around Christmas, and we all agreed it was very good, very simple, and would be something you could sort of do some prep work ahead of time and then throw together easily enough for a nice dessert during a dinner party type evening.

The way the recipe was originally written was brief and not super descriptive, but called for bringing all the ingredients in the apple mixture to a boil, and didn’t say if you then let it boil for a bit, or got straight to adding the dumplings. When I made it with my friends, we pretty quickly added the dumpling mixture. I wondered if cooking the apple mixture a bit longer first would make it a bit thicker, so I tried making it again, and this time letting it boil for 20 minutes before adding the dumplings to cook. The liquid did thicken up a bit, but really the larger improvement was that you get much more of a browned butter taste, that’s great! So, I’d say that’s the way to go!

Ingredients:

Caramel Apple Mixture:

  • 1/2 cup butter (I only ever have unsalted)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups apples, diced

Dumplings:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large saucepan/pot/dutch oven (something with a lid), combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, and diced apples over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, and continue to cook at a low boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s honestly ok to get the first 4 ingredients in and heating while you chop the apples as long as you take a break from chopping to stir once in a while.

While the caramel apple mixture boils, combine the dry goods from the dumplings in a small bowl, and the liquids in a measuring cup.

Stir together until no dry bits still exist.

Spoon big spoonfuls of batter into the boiling caramel apple mixture, trying to space them out evenly.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. After that, the surface of the dumplings may look wet, but that’s probably just external mixture, they should be cooked through.

Scoop, and serve with some vanilla ice cream!

Caramel Apple Dumplings

From The Masterson’s Market Cookbook – Carol may have given me that? It’s from WY!

Caramel Apple Mixture:

  • 1/2 cup butter (I only ever have unsalted)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups apples, diced

Dumplings:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large saucepan/pot/dutch oven (something with a lid), combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, and diced apples over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook at a low boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the caramel apple mixture boils, combine the dry goods from the dumplings in a small bowl, and the liquids in a measuring cup. Stir together until no dry bits still exist. Spoon big spoonfuls of batter into the boiling caramel apple mixture, trying to space them out evenly. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Scoop, and serve with some vanilla ice cream!

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White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

A pretty filling, tasty, simple soup. This one uses dried beans, so you do need to plan a bit ahead, but letting beans soak is about as hands-off as it gets. This would be extra nice with some good crusty bread!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, haricot blanc, or navy beans, which is what I used)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups water (I actually just used all water and some better than bullion, with good results)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions, sliced thin
  • 3-4 sage leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • salt to taste

The day before, put the beans in a pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Soak overnight.

When ready to cook, drain the beans, then combine with the broth and 4 cups water over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, at least 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and herbs and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the squash and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid, and pour 6 cups (after evaporation, that’s most of it) into the pot with the squash.

Cook at a simmer until the squash starts to become tender. Add the beans and continue cooking until the squash is very soft.

Season with salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

From The Art of Simple Food.

  • 1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, haricot blanc, or navy beans)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions, sliced thin
  • 3-4 sage leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • salt to taste

The day before, put the beans in a pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain the beans, then combine with the broth and 4 cups water over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, at least 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and herbs and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the squash and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid, and pour 6 cups into the pot with the squash. Cook at a simmer until the squash starts to become tender. Add the beans and continue cooking until the squash is very soft. Season with salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

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Strawberry Bundt with Cheesecake Frosting

Strawberries/strawberry sauce on cheesecake is a wonderful combo, so why not go sort of the other way around? There’s no reason! In a tremendously uncharacteristic move, I have cut the amount of frosting in half here, and I think it’s actually, just this once, enough. Easy enough to double what’s listed if you want more, though!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups strawberry puree (made from approximately 3 1/2 cups washed and hulled fresh strawberries)
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, then set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt, then set aside. Using a food processor or immersion blender, puree the strawberries, then combine 1 3/4 cups of the pureed strawberries with the milk in a bowl or large measuring cup, and set aside.

This just feels like so many fewer dishes than the full-on food processor!

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat the butter on high for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes on high before scraping down the sides again.

Reduce the mixer’s speed to medium and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl again.

Add half of the flour mixture, and beat in on low speed. Add half the strawberry/milk mixture, and beat until about combined, then repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture and strawberry mixture, beating until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test, and/or springs back when pressed with a finger.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When ready to frost, first beat together the butter and cream cheese with your mixer’s whisk attachment on high for 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until just incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides/bottom of the bowl at least once.

Spread on the completely cooled cake, and enjoy.

Strawberry Bundt with Cheesecake Frosting

Fractionally adapted from Cakes by Melissa.

Cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups strawberry puree (made from approximately 3 1/2 cups washed and hulled fresh strawberries)
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, then set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt, then set aside. Using a food processor or immersion blender, puree the strawberries, then combine 1 3/4 cups of the pureed strawberries with the milk in a bowl or large measuring cup, and set aside.

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat the butter on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and beat another 2 minutes on high before scraping down the sides again.

Reduce the mixer’s speed to medium and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl again.

Add half of the flour mixture, and beat in on low speed. Add half the strawberry/milk mixture, and beat until about combined, then repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture and strawberry mixture, beating until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake 55-60 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test, and/or springs back when pressed with a finger. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When ready to frost, first beat together the butter and cream cheese with your mixer’s whisk attachment on high for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until just incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides/bottom of the bowl at least once. Spread on the completely cooled cake, and enjoy.

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Gochujang Caramel Cookies

I got an ad for this recipe and couldn’t resist. Weird combo, but if anyone’s going to like a gochujang dessert, it’d be me, right? Based on the ingredient list you might not expect it, but the brown sugar is probably the strongest flavor, with gochujang second, providing more of a spicy aftertaste. They’re unusual, but in a way I really enjoy! I gave one to a volunteer at work who seemed to take tasting it very seriously, and described it as crunchy and chewy, sweet but not too sweet, and with a spicy aftertaste. She liked it too!

Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, divided (I just kept the stick in my pocket while I did other stuff around the house for an hour or two)
  • 2 tightly packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 heaping tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal (which is what I have)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour

In a small dish, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter with all of the brown sugar and gochujang, stirring to combine well. Set aside at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter with the sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla by hand.

Swap to a rubber spatula and stir in the baking soda, then the flour. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes, until still soft but less sticky.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment/silpats.

Remove the bowl of dough from the fridge. Place the gochujang mixture on top of the dough in 3-4 big blobs.

Gently swirl the gochujang mixture into the dough, using just a handful of swipes to create streaks through the dough, rather than stirring so much that it becomes evenly distributed.

Use an ice cream scoop to create 1/4 cup balls of dough, and space widely on your prepared pans, putting only 4-5 dough balls per pan.

Bake 11-13 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden at the edges and almost set in the center. Cookies will firm up as they cool on the pan. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy within the next few days.

Gochujang Caramel Cookies

From the NY Times Cooking section.

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, divided (I just kept the stick in my pocket while I did other stuff around the house for an hour or two)
  • 2 tightly packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 heaping tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal (which is what I have)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour

In a small dish, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter with all of the brown sugar and gochujang, stirring to combine well. Set aside at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter with the sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla by hand. Swap to a rubber spatula and stir in the baking soda, then the flour. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes, until still soft but less sticky.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment/silpats.

Remove the bowl of dough from the fridge. Place the gochujang mixture on top of the dough in 3-4 big blobs. Gently swirl the gochujang mixture into the dough, using just a handful of swipes to create streaks through the dough, rather than stirring so much that it becomes evenly distributed.

Use an ice cream scoop to create 1/4 cup balls of dough, and space widely on your prepared pans, putting only 4-5 dough balls per pan. Bake 11-13 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden at the edges and almost set in the center. Cookies will firm up as they cool on the pan. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy within the next few days.

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