PSA: Fly Killaz

Summer is the best. Fresh fruit & vegetables, baking with fresh fruit & vegetables...ahhhh yummmm! Unfortunately, I quickly run out of room in the fridge to house all of the latest and greatest from the garden, and some things just shouldn't be in there to begin with. The disgusting, miniature vultures known as Fruit Flies come and try to take what they can of your wonderful produce.
I was freaking out last year when my nice, clean kitchen was still attracting these disgusting little things and I was at the end of my rope trying to get rid of them without putting flypaper or something that could get my animals into trouble all over the house. Finally, after extensive googling, I found a "recipe" that is tried and true - the stupid little suckers won't know what hit 'em. I don't remember where I found this or if I've changed it at all, but here is the BEST way to kill fruit flies without really trying:

"Fly Killaz" 
by Adrienne

Items Needed:
1 tall, skinny bottle, preferably with a narrow neck (beer, wine, soda, whatever you have lying around)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dawn or similar dish soap

Don't these look yummy little flies? Well I have something
you'll REALLY enjoy!

1. Rinse your bottle with hot water so none of the sugar from the liquid that was in it is in it now. You don't want the flies to get their treat on the neck of the bottle and then leave! No no! You want them to check in for an extended stay. :) I like to use a brown bottle (like an IBC rootbeer bottle) so I can't see what is going on inside, because it looks pretty nasty.
2. Pour Apple Cider Vinegar in the bottle so it is about 1" deep. Put ONE drop of dish soap in and swirl it around. This will make it so the surface tension of the vinegar is no more. The flies would usually be able to land on top, slurp up their fill and leave. Just in case they are particularly crafty and are still able to drink the vinegar without drowning, the narrow neck of the bottle will further confuse them and they will not be able to leave.
3. I like to put a label on the bottle so it doesn't get accidentally discarded before its time, or so (heaven forbid) it doesn't get confused with a bottle that is currently being enjoyed.
4. Put the bottle near the sink. Watch 'em die. Or not. Your choice. They'll be doing it anyway.

These blueberries are covered in cinnamon,
waiting to be baked,  flyless!

Red, White & Blueberry! (Late...)

We have been having some technical difficulties over here at la patisserie...and it has also been too hot to bake anything. *luckily* (not) our 4th of July was rainy and craptastic. However, that made it cool enough for me to whip something up.
Our family 4th of July party only had 6 attendees. 4 ate this tart. 3 had seconds (they were all male, so apparently men like the tart fruit/sweet cheesecake combination the most ;) There wasn't much left by the end of the day. :) Despite the red, white, & blue theme, I think it is appropriate for all summer gatherings, or evenings in where you need a nice cool dessert. Enjoy!

Red, White & Blueberry Cheesecake Tart
From Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts

For the Crust:
6 Graham Cracker sheets (3 1/2 oz)
1/3 cup whole raw almonds
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1 pound (two 8 oz bars) cream cheese, room temperature (I used 1/3 reduced fat, it worked fine)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of Salt

For the Topping:
4 red plums (1 to 1-1/2 lbs total), halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 oz. (2 cups) fresh blueberries

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, almonds, and sugar until finely ground; add butter, and process until combined. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

2. Make the filling: Carefully wipe processor blade and bowl clean. Process cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, & salt just until smooth. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; fill with cream cheese mixture. Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely.

3. Make the topping: In a medium saucepan, combine plums, sugar, & lemon juice. Cook at a low simmer, stirring until mixture has thickened to a jamlike consistency, 15 to 25 minutes. Time will depend on  ripeness of fruit. (In my experience, this was closer to the 25 minute end of things...but my plums were icky walmart plums that weren't all that ripe...so they had more cooking down to do. Just watch it closely and keep on stirring!) Reserve 1 Tablespoon cooking liquid (no solids); cool remaining plum mixture completely.

4. Leaving a 1" border (if you can...i couldn't, I don't think I cooked my plums quite long enough), spread cooled plum mixture over tart filling. Reheat reserved plum liquid on stove or in microwave until loose. In a medium bowl, combine with blueberries, and scatter on top of plum mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve, 2 hours or up to 1 day; unmold before serving.

Lonely little leftover slice.

Peach & Raspberry Tart

I was told not to bake my own birthday cake...so I decided that I would make a tart instead! This was an excellent recipe - it was fast, delicious, and adaptable. It lends itself to summer fruits very nicely, but I think you could easily mix it up with whatever you want. I didn't feel like leaving the house to buy groceries, so I used frozen raspberries instead of fresh, and it was perfect!

Peach & Raspberry Tart

Modified slightly from Martha Stewart's Pies


For the Crust

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling

3 or 4 ripe peaches, pitted & sliced into 1/2 inch wedges

3/4 cup assorted fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries & blackberries, frozen will do if you can't get fresh :)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

 

 

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, pulse flour, conrmeal, sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk & vanilla until dough just begins to come together. Press dough evenly into the bottom & about 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 8" springform pan or tart pan with a removable bottom; a 9" pan will also work if you do not have an 8". I used a 9" tart pan with removable bottom and used 4 peaches for the filling instead of 3. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet. bake until golden and slightly puffy, about 15 minutes. using an offset spatula, gently flatten bottom of crust. reduce heat to 350.

 

2. Meanwhile, make the filling: in a medium bowl, toss together peaches, berries & sugar.

 

3. Arrange fruit in crust. Bake until peaches are juicy and tender, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. serve warm or at room temperature.
It is also good for birthday breakfast...not that I would know...

Sweet & Nutty Shortbread

Hubby: "Martha's shortbread isn't sweet enough, it is too salty. I want shortbread that is sweet."

Was that a baking challenge, hubby? Yay an excuse to bake!

Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread

from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely ground pecans
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting ("optional" - but let's be honest, it really isn't.)

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and cloves.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Add the pecans and give the mixer a couple of turns, just to get the nuts into the dough.

3. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9×10-1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4-inch thick. (If you are using a gallon size Ziploc, you don't really have the option to make it these exact dimensions, just roll it out to fill the whole bag :) As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets wiht parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-1/2 inch squares. I found eyeballing it and using a pizza cutter worked well :) Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale – they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like (you would like, trust me), dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving. They keep in an airtight container for a week+, if they happen to stay around that long ;)

My cookies spread a bit more than I would have liked - next time (and there will be a next time) I will return them to the fridge before popping them in the oven :)

Hostess with the Mostess

Hubby's birthday was in the middle of a week at the end of May and I like to make a big deal for birthdays. I celebrate "Birthday Week" (or as one of our acquaintances calls it "Birthakkah") and although his family celebration would have to wait until the weekend, I wanted to have a little something special for him to wake up to on the actual day-of-birth. I didn't have time to go to the store so I had to use what I had on hand for this late-night baking project. This meant a half recipe of whatever I decided to make based on my (shockingly) low butter supplies. I landed on Martha's cream-filled cupcakes and they were a big hit :) I love birthday surprises!

Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
halved & slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
Use the link to her recipe for the full "12" that it supposedly makes ;)

Makes approximately 5. Do what you can. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for muffin tins
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

For the filling:

• 3/4 cups marshmallow creme
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 6-cup (each with a 1-cup capacity) jumbo muffin pans; dust with cocoa powder to coat, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
   
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light. Add eggs in two batches, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, ending with remaining flour mixture; mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
   
3. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool in pan, 5 minutes; remove cupcakes and cool, right side up, on a wire rack.
   
4. Meanwhile, prepare filling: In a medium bowl, whisk marshmallow creme and butter until smooth. Chill until slightly firm, 15 to 30 minutes. I chilled the mixture overnight since I was filling the next morning, and just made sure to take it out of the fridge a few minutes before to get it loose enough to fill with. It was very hot, so this didn't take long ;) Transfer mixture to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, and seal; cut off one corner of the bag to make a 1/8-inch opening. (don't cut until you're ready to use - it oozes!)
   
5. Using a small melon baller, scoop out center of each cupcake from the bottom, and reserve (you will use this to plug cupcake after filling). Hollow out each cupcake a bit more, discarding crumbs (or eating them...either way ;). Insert tip of plastic bag into each cavity, and squeeze to fill; replace plugs. Using remaining filling in plastic bag, decorate top of cupcakes. Hubby loved them, put one in his lunch for work that day, and said they were delicious right out of the fridge, too :)
   

I dug very deep holes.

Maybe a little TOO deep.

(((Hermits)))

(Get it? they're (((hiding))))

My mother in law loves hermits so I wanted to make her some for her birthday. This was back in April. I am very behind with  my posting. This recipe makes so many hermits that there were plenty of leftovers for us to keep at our house. Everybody loved them (and there were a lot - we kept them around for more than the recommended amount of time and they were still very enjoyable ;)

Iced Hermits
Slightly modified from Martha Stewart's Cookie Book

• For the Cookies

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking sheet
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 3/4 cup raisins

• For the Icing

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed. If you don't have whole milk, improvise. I used 1 T skim and 1 T half and half...I think it would have been fine with 2T skim though :)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar, plus more if needed

If you don't have the right size pan, the batter is very thick
so you can fashion your own makeshift sheet from aluminum

Directions

1. Make bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. (If for some reason you don't have 10x15, you can make some nifty pan shrinkers out of aluminum... ;) like yours truly) Line bottom (& sides - trust me, it is easier) with parchment paper, and butter parchment; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cloves in a medium bowl; set aside.
   
2. Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and yolk, and molasses. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Mix in all raisins.
   
3. Spread dough evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until firm, 18 to 22 minutes. Until firm, but not crispy! Remember - you want them to be chewy after all is said and done. Let cool completely in baking sheet on a wire rack.
   
4. Make icing: Put brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and confectioners sugar. If icing is too thick to drizzle, stir in more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thin, stir in more confectioners sugar, a teaspoon at a time. Let cool slightly.
   
5. Drizzle bars with icing. Let stand until icing has set, about 15 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares. Bars can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Those Dutch sure know how to Cocoa (Chocolate Sugar Cookies)

These oversized cookies are an easy to make treat on a Friday afternoon so the hubby has something fun to come home to after a long work week while I go out & celebrate a dear friend's "last night as a 'single' lady" :) I owed him these cookies anyway. Every once in awhile, I toss him a cookbook and ask him to pick something so that I have an excuse to bake. Quite some time ago, he selected this recipe from Martha's Cookie Book (One of his favorite books to catch ;) and I wouldn't make it because I didn't have any Dutch Process Cocoa Powder.

Dutch Process Cocoa makes these chocolate sugar cookies- the Dutching process removes the acidic/bitter tones in the chocolate and the results are purely magical. The GIANT size of the cookie makes the edges slightly crispy and the middles soft and chewy. Even I could not resist these, and I do not really care for chocolate. Maybe it is just that I don't care for NATURAL chocolate! (Can't find Dutch Process? Penzey's Spices carries it, and more recently our Costco has picked it up as a regular item...and it is amazing. buy lots.)

GIANT Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Martha Stewart's Cookie Book

She says it makes 8, I say it makes 10 (Using HEAPING Large Pampered Chef Scoop)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening, or substitute 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (This is what I did), melted & cooled
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Exract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside
• Put butter & sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (Or additional butter). Add egg & vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
• Using a 2 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. They really spread out. I fit 5 on each sheet.
• Bake until edges are firm, 18 - 20 minutes. I rotated the pans front to back and top to bottom after 9 minutes, then cooked another 9 minutes and promptly removed them. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. (This is a lie. I have two cookies left one week after I made them, and I just broke a piece off. It is Delicious.)

This is fairly large orange. These are abnormally large cookies.