Foodbuzz 24x24: A Summer Snack Attack Lunch!

I am so excited that I have been chosen for Foodbuzz's 24x24 this month!!! I had quite the mix up, thinking twice that I wasn't chosen at all. I was bummed, but totally exuberant when I found out that I really was going to be a part of it! It was a bit of a scramble at the last minute to get everything together, but I have to say, I am pretty pleased with the results and it was an amazing day of cooking and spending time with my family.

This is an entire meal of "snack" food. Because snacks are wonderful and they need more credit! In the summer, snacks are easy and don't require an oven (well, maybe MINE do, but this is a "lunch party" after all!). It might not be a firm established "tradition", but to me hot summer days spent indoors in the cool with family, watching tv and movies, is a tradition. It is an integral part of my summer experience just as much as pool parties, trips to the beach, blueberry picking, and all the other outdoor activities one does in the summer months. I couldn't imagine summer without a few days spent indoors like this!

The hot Massachusetts sun was blazing today!!!

So...I had an indoor lunch with my daughter and her father comprised of snack food and with lots of movies and air conditioning. They were more than willing to watch movies, eat free food, and hang out inside all day!

On the menu:

Fried pickles w/ homemade parmesan peppercorn dipping sauce
Cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites
Buttery soft pretzel bites w/ homemade cheddar cheese dipping sauce
Homemade potato chips
Mini chocolate cupcakes w/ chocolate frosting
Mini yellow vanilla cupcakes w/ vanilla sour cream frosting
Strawberry ice cream cups
Lemonade

Fried pickles are amazing! I first had them after a late night bar run and these taste just as good as the ones that night. Hamburger dill chips are coated with a mix of bread crumbs and cornmeal and fried until crisp. They are juicy, salty, crunchy and perfect for snacking on in front of the tv with parmesan peppercorn dip.

I made two different kinds of pretzels: cinnamon sugar and butter and salt with cheddar cheese dipping sauce. Cinnamon sugar pretzels bites are such an addictive snack food. I get them every time I'm at the mall and I'm ecstatic that I found a version that tastes just as good. These are time consuming to make but the results are well worth it.

The other pretzel bites get soaked in pure butter. The dough is salty enough that they don't need extra pretzel salt. They are tender, doughy, and buttery. Homemade cheddar cheese sauce takes them over the edge. If you've never had this combo at a mall or pretzel shop I encourage you to try these for the next party you go to. Everyone loves them!

These are homemade potato chips plain and simple. I sliced red bliss potatoes with the skin on with a mandolin. Hot hot oil and salt are the only other things you need to make these. They can be finicky to get to crisp up so I use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil is super hot. These are impressive if you can make them to bring somewhere as a snack, and an added bonus to regular chips is that you have control over every ingredient that goes into them. I thought that salt and vinegar would be a good flavor to try but I kept this batch simple.

These are, without a doubt, the most moist and tender crumbed chocolate cupcakes I've had. I kept them simple with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. I caught my boyfriend, who doesn't even like cake, eating three of these. These are definitly a keeper and I'll be making them again soon.

I decided to go simple with chocolate cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes, but I didn't go halfway on taste with either. These taste like sugar cookies baked into a cupcake. The frosting is a simple vanilla buttercream with a twist: tangy sour cream that reflects the sour cream in the cupcake batter.

These are delicious strawberry ice cream cups. I half-pureed the fruit so there are big chunks of strawberries in the ice cream. I'm always amazed at how flavorful strawberries make things; much more flavorful than any store bought strawberry-flavored option. I love this ice cream, and it was a big hit with my daughter!

Last but not least, I made lemonade for a drink. It reminds me of summertime and is so easy to make. Nothing is refreshing like a glass of homemade lemonade, pure and simple.

I will be posting all of the recipes in the upcoming week. I hope everyone has an amazing summer! Thank you to Foodbuzz for allowing me to put on my snacky lunch! XOXO

Mini Yellow Cupcakes with Sour Cream Vanilla Frosting

*Makes about 4 regular sized or 12 mini cupcakes

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbl salted butter, at room temp
1 large egg yolk
1/3 large egg white
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbl sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup mini-cupcake pan with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the flour, sugar, and baking powder to combine. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 way full and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Top with vanilla sour cream buttercream and rainbow sprinkles.
Recipe adapted from JoyofBaking.com

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Buttercream

*Makes about 4 regular sized or 12 mini cupcakes

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbl salted butter, at room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbs sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup mini cupcake pan with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder until combined. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 the way full and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Top with chocolate sour cream buttercream and chocolate sprinkles.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Vanilla and Chocolate Sour Cream Buttercream

8 tbl (1 stick) salted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup sour cream
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sour cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and no lumps remain. Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed. Turn the mixer to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Divide the frosting in half. Frost the vanilla cupcakes with half.

Add the cocoa powder to one half and beat until combined. Frost chocolate cupcakes.

Banana Malt Ice Cream

Hi! How are you? Long time no see. Unfortunately when you're a poor struggling college student/mother of one, you tend not to have spare change lying around...definitly not enough spare change lying around for a new camera anyways. Sadly (*tear*) my poor camera broke months and months ago when my 2 year old daughter smashed the protracted lens on my wooden floor. Ever since then I've been at the mercy of friends and family members who've been willing to let me use their cameras for a short time. Lately, I've been just out of luck on that front and so haven't been much able to take pictures of any of my creations. Now that I've gotten that off my chest...

Banana malt ice cream. It sounds a little off, a little strange, weird. But it is AMAZING. It incorporates the flavors of roasted bananas, malted milk powder, maple syrup, and tangy buttermilk perfectly. The malted milk powder really mellows out the banana flavor or intensifies it depending on your perspective. But either way it lends a deep and layered flavor to this ice cream. The maple syrup is just an afterhint that really meshes well with the other flavors and the tangy buttermilk is a nice counterbalance to the richness. It also is really easy to make since you don't have to cook anything on the stove to make a custard. Just roast the bananas and blend everything together. I think you will find this ice cream delicious just like I did!

P.S. If you're trying to lose weight, like I am, this is a really nice ice cream to make. It is actually healthy and low calorie for ice cream. There's no heavy cream or egg yolks. Instead the creaminess comes from half and half, buttermilk, and (obviously healthy) bananas. :)

P.S.S. This ice cream would be super delicious with chocolate malt powder and crushed malted milk balls mixed in...just saying...

Banana Malt Ice Cream

3 large or 4 small bananas (unpeeled!)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbl maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the bananas (skin on) out on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes. The bananas will turn black and go from this:

to this:

Let the bananas cool. Remove the peel and food process/blend the bananas along with any juices that were in the pan. Slowly add the buttermilk and half and half to the food processor/blender until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps. Measure and add in the rest of the ingredients before pulsing/blending until combined and even.

Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.

Recipe adapted from this website.

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

I saw this recipe in my Baked cookbook, realized I had all the ingredients, and had had had to make it. I am a real lover of Friendly's Forbidden Chocolate ice cream. And if I ever thought that was good and chocolatey this ice cream has it beat forever. The base for this ice cream tastes like pure, rich, creamy chocolate pudding. It actually tastes almost identical to the chocolate pudding ice cream from my fav ice cream place Herrel's in Northampton, MA. It totally wasn't what I was going for, but that's what I got!

If you're on a diet, maybe you shouldn't make this ice cream. As I'm sitting here mindlessly eating peanut butter pretzels (which I don't even like, mind you) I realize that maybe I shouldn't be making it either. I obviously have no self control. I've been wearing work out clothes for three hours, have eaten a Luna bar, and various crudites with 40 spice Hummus, and two coffees. I have absolutely no plans to do anything productive within the next two hours except to put some laundry in and attempt to drag my ass to the gym. And I really should be trying to purchase a new car right now...Ok. So there's my sob story and a really amazing ice cream.

P.S. I cut the recipe in half. For those of you with self control, feel free to double it back to its original form.

P.S.S. Baked suggests adding in some crushed up salted pretzels just before the ice cream is fully frozen. Sounds good to me...

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

4 ounces dark chocolate (60%-72%), finely chopped
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup plus 2 tbl sugar
2 tbl dark unsweetend cocoa powder

Place the chopped chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer and place a fine mesh seive over top, set aside.

Whisk the eggs together in a large heat-proof bowl and set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottomed pot bring to a boil the cream, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk 1/3 of the mixture into the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, whisking constantly, and immediatly remove from the heat and seive over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for one minute before whisking the mixture together. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool, about 4 hours.
Remove from the fridge and whisk until light and frothy. Add to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturers directions.

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Strawberry Milk Waldorf Angel Food Cake

 

Here is some retro dessert love. One of my loves is to find really odd-ish desserts from times past and make them. Dessert is dessert, after all. Just because something goes out of style doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. Just look at this waldorf cake and you'll know why it's awesome.

This cake is super pink! Angel food cake and whipped cream aren't hard on the pallet. I think just about anyone you served this cake to would like it. It's also crazy light and perfect for summer days. It can (and should) be eaten with lots of fruit... but wait. I haven't even told you what a waldorf is, have I?

A waldorf angel food cake is angel food cake (duh) filled and frosted with whipped cream. Pretty simple. You could use chocolate whipped cream or vanilla. You could add nuts. You could do anything you want.

Why not try strawberry milk whipped cream? It looks pretty. It tastes like strawberries. It reminds me, combined with the angel food cake, of strawberry shortcake. Lovely!

 

Why not make a delicious parfait with your leftover cake, whipped cream, and strawberries? Score! Double-duty dessert :)

Be careful not to keep the finished cake lying around at room temp. Put it in the freezer to keep the cream fresh and the colors from bleeding or melting. Hot summer days + whipped cream = sticky puddle. Plus, eating cake from the freezer is like an icy treat.

Make cake please and make people happy. This cake totally reminds me of my dad since he loves angel food cake. Make it for someone you know who likes angel food cake and make their day. <3

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tbl granulated sugar
12 egg whites, at room temp
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and have your 10" by 4" angel food cake pan handy. Sift together the flour and first amount of sugar and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment begin beating the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until foamy. Turn the mixer to high and slowly add the second amount of sugar two tabelspoons at a time until all is incorporated, and the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Gently use a rubber scraper to fold in the vanilla.

Gently fold in 1/4 cup of the flour-sugar mixture just until it disappears. Continue folding in the mixture 1/4 cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Pour into the ungreased pan and use a rubber scraper or spoon to cut into any air pockets and seal the batter against the sides of the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.

Cool the cake upside down in the pan until cool to the touch. Slide a butter knife around the edges and bottom to remove. Place the cake in the freezer for half an hour to make it easier to cut while you make the whipped cream.

Strawberry Milk Whipped Cream

2 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
3/4 cup strawberry milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
neon pink food coloring (optional)

Beat all ingredients using a stand mixer or handheld mixer starting off on the lowest setting and gradually increasing to the highest. Beat until stiff peaks form.

To make the waldorf: remove the frozen cake and use a large serrated knife to cut off the top one inch of the cake. Carefully cut the middle of the cake out leaving one inch on all sides. Fill with strawberry milk whipped cream and replace top. Freeze for another 15 minutes. Frost with remaining whipped cream. Serve immediatly or freeze. Cake can be cut directly from freezer and eaten.

Cake adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

When times are stressful, bake. Baking just makes everything better. Fights with sister-in-laws? Bake. Doggy caused a motorcycle accident in front of your house? Bake. Need a present for motorcycle accident victim? Bake! These actually aren't for said motorcycle accident victim, but now I've got myself thinking...These parchment paper wrappers are totally cute too! They're wicked easy, literally cut up parchment paper. And they look damn good with muffins.



I'm having a blueberry moment. Thank you Costco for my giant gallon blueberry crate. This is another recipe from my mom's retro Betty Crocker cookbook.

These muffins have a really tender crumb thanks to buttermilk, and the blueberries stay suspended in the batter after a light coating of flour. These are like perfect summer breakfast food. They're not too heavy yet just sweet and comforting enough to fill you up. My 2 year old taste tester Riley gave them her approval so I know they must be good!

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or parchment paper squares.

In a large bowl whisk the egg. Whisk in the buttermilk and vegetable oil. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until blended. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet until they are just moistened. The mixture will be lumpy.

In a seperate bowl toss the blueberries with enough flour to coat, about 1-2 tbl. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook

Blueberry Crisp

How good does a bowl of this blueberry crisp look right now? Look at how yummy everything looks together. I think you need to make this. It is blueberry season in New England after all, and what else are you going to do with all those blueberries? Blueberry pie is great...but really? This is the blueberry filling covered in the "crisp" part of apple crisp. Yum!!

This is a blueberry cobbler-apple crisp hybrid. I basically put the blueberry filling with the crisp topping and cut out the extra sugar. This is really fresh, summery, and comforting. I paired mine with my favorite black raspberry ice cream but vanilla works too. This is all about retro Betty Crocker. My mom's old cookbook that she still has as a wedding gift from the 70's! I am in love with it. It is huge, retro, and every recipe from it is kick ass.

Blueberry Crisp

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbl cornstarch

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 tbl lemon juice

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

6 tbl softened salted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar and cornstarch to remove any lumps. Add the blueberries and lemon juice and toss to coat. 

Bring to a boil and let bubble away for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour into a glass baking dish while you prepare the crumb topping.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon mix in the softened butter until the mixture is combined and crumby. Evenly sprinkle over the blueberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Greek Pizza

Here is another one of my staple recipes. I absolutely love the combination of salty feta and briny calamata olives on a pizza. It is just so yummy. The pizza dough makes enough for two nice sized pizzas meaning that you can cook two different kinds and keep everyone happy. If you're like me and dinner is not something you usually have time to make, this dough is great because it can be kept in the freezer and pulled out the morning you wish to use it. I like to make my own pasta sauce for this. It's based on a recipe I got from Annie's Eats. At this point it has turned into a little of this and a little of that: a can of crushed tomatoes with a lot of salt, pepper, dried basil, marjorem, thyme, garlic, red pepper, and whatever else I have around. It's so much better than store-bought on my opinion. I also love this because my 2 year old daughter can get involved. For her pizza I buy squeezable pizza sauce and shredded mozzerella and let her top it. She loves to help!! It might even be a good way to sneak in veggies.

Pizza Dough

½ cup warm water (about 110°)
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 envelope)
1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Knead at medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a dark place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls. If freezing one, cover with plastic wrap, place in a large zip-loc bag, and freeze. Cover the other with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minute but no more than 30 minutes

Greek Pizza

1/2 recipe for pizza dough
pizza sauce of your choosing
feta cheese
grated parmesan cheese
mozzerella cheese
baby spinach
pitted and chopped kalamata olives
sliced purple onion
anchovies and fresh basil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spread the pizza dough to desired shape onto a cornmeal dusted (baking spray also works) baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake until crust is just starting to cook but not browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and top with sauce, cheeses, olives, onion, and optional toppings. Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned. Slice and enjoy!!

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon

Hello foresty cedar planks. You taste like pine trees and smoke. I'm in love with you. Yup.

Grilling fish on a cedar plank is so fool-proof it's ridiculous. As long as you have a meat thermometer you will get perfectly grill-smoked moist salmon every time.

Things you need to make cedar plank grilled salmon: a gas (or charcoal) grill, cedar planks, a meat thermometer, and one really nice piece of wild caught salmon.

Here's how to do it:
-soak your cedar plank(s) for at least 1-4 hours
-preheat your gas (or charcoal) grill on high and close the lid
-lightly oil, salt, and pepper (a little bit of sugar also helps) your piece of fish on the cedar plank
-turn down your burners to low-medium or turn one off altogether
-put the cedar plank on the grill but try not to place it over a direct flame
-close the lid and let the magic happen (try not to open it!)
-after about 20 minutes check on your salmon and take its temp: it should be at 135 F when its done

Using this foolproof method you too can have amazing cedar plank salmon! Just remember a couple things: don't open the lid until the end - the smoke needs to circulate to flavor the fish. You can save your cedar plank if it's not too charred by lightly washing with warm water (no soap) and placing it wet in a freezer bag in the freezer. I got my cedar planks at Costco $9.00 for 6 but they sell these babies just about everywhere now. If you buy a large filet make sure it fits on your plank and remember that cold salmon is great for leftovers.