Key Lime Bars with Macadamia Nut Crust
I was told once that Key Lime Pie was an acquired taste. I now know why. Key limes are tart and bitter, even more so than regular limes. Key Limes are smaller, seedier, has a higher acidity, a stronger aroma, and a thinner rind than regular limes. So, it is no wonder why it is an acquired taste. If you love limes you’ll probably love Key limes, probably being the operative word here. I love, love, love Key Limes. I have never had Key Lime Pie. I made my very first Key Lime Pie about 3 weeks ago at work. There is literally nothing to it. Key limes, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs that’s it. Well, you do have to prepare the graham cracker crumb crust first but we all know how easy that is so it doesn’t count!
These Key Lime Bars with Macadamia Nut Crust are addictive and delicious! They are simple to prepare and require very little oven time. In fact, after baking the crust that’s it no more oven 
So, technically they are a no-bake bar from the crust up. They are a beautiful bar with a little zip. The combination of Key limes with the macadamia nuts really compliment each other well. This dessert is light and would be prefect for a Caribbean style dinner.
Key Lime Bars with Macadamia Nut Crust
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped macadamias
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Key lime juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 1/2 cups whipping cream,whipped
For Garnish
grated lime rind
To Prepare
Process flour and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until finely ground. Press mixture into a greased aluminum foil-lined 13- x 9-inch pan.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Heat 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup lime juice over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons lime juice in a medium bowl; stir gelatin mixture, and let stand 3 to 5 minutes.
Add hot mixture, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk and grated lime rind.
Place bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice; whisk mixture 10 minutes or until partially set.
Fold in whipped cream. Pour evenly over prepared crust; cover and chill 8 hours. Cut into diamond, triangle, or square shapes. Garnish, if desired.
Makes 24 Bars
Source Southern Living
&
Best Friends For Frosting
If you are a fan of limes or Key limes this recipe is a must for you! They are absolutely incredible!
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Crisp Rosemary and Thyme Flatbread
Do you eat a lot of cheese and crackers? We do. Whenever we have a slight hunger hit we usually go for the cheese and crackers. It is a great snack simply because it is so easy to prepare.
The other day we were hungry but had no crackers in the house so I turned to this Crisp Rosemary and Thyme Flatbread. Flatbreads are more cracker than bread. I have a difficult time calling a bread a bread if it contains no yeast, you know what I mean? This flatbread comes together very quickly and bakes in about 10 minutes so if you find yourself in desperate need of some crackers make flatbread You can easily change the fresh herbs to better suit your tastes as well. Oregano and basil would be lovely as well. This flatbread is perfect for picnics or lazy afternoons where you don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen.
Crisp Rosemary and Thyme Flatbread
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme plus a whole sprig
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
To Prepare
Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.
Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, thyme, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.
Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).
Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary and thyme leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.
Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 3 – 10-inch flatbreads
Adapted Ever So Slightly From SmittenKitchen
If you are looking for a thin cracker like bread that pair perfectly with cheese and wine, stop right here
You may also enjoy Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey, and Sea Salt.
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Trifles
One of my very favorite summer drinks is a Strawberry Daiquiri. I love how simple it is to make and how it always gives me ‘brain-freeze’! Now, imagine a strawberry daiquiri in the form of a trifle. Layers of pound cake soaked in rum (or rum flavoring), alternating with strawberry mousse layers and then frozen! This dessert just screams summer but I made it in February, no big deal I am testing summer recipes early this year, that’s all.
Have you ever had a trifle? They have to be the simplest dessert to make. It is also a grand way to utilize left over cake you may have in the freezer. Trifles are traditionally made in a large deep bowl to display all the layers. You begin with a layer of cake on the bottom of a Trifle, followed by spirits, fruit or jam, custard, whipped cream, and decorations. This process is repeated until you fill your bowl or glasses, in this case. The best part about Trifle is that you can customize it to be whatever flavor you enjoy most. You could, for example, have a Strawberry and Lemon Curd Trifle, Black Forest Trifles, White Chocolate Strawberry Rhubarb Trifles, Mixed Berry Trifles or Tiramisu Trifles, just to name a few.
This trifle begins with left over Cream Cheese Pound Cake, followed by a dash of rum flavoring, topped with a strawberry mousse and then it is repeated until your serving dish is full. You can use any sort of cake, traditionally, a sponge cake is used but I’ll let you decide what is best for you. The strawberry mousse starts out as a curd and then whipped cream is folded into the strawberry curd to create a light and fluffy mousse. If you are making these for the entire family you can simply omit the white rum and substitute it with rum extract for the flavor.
Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Trifles
Ingredients
4 cups left over Cream Cheese Pound Cake or 1 package of pound cake crumbled
1/4 cup white rum or 2 teaspoons of rum extract
Strawberry Mousse
2 packages (each 300 g) frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
3 eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon grated lime rind or lemon rind
1 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice
1/3 cup white rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup whipping cream
Garnish
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
4 strawberries, halved
2 lime slices, quartered
To Prepare
Strawberry Mousse
In food processor or blender, purée strawberries; pour into large heavy saucepan. Add eggs, egg yolks, sugar, butter, lime rind and lime juice; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened and mixture coats spoon. Let cool completely. Stir in rum or rum extract. Whip cream; whisk one-quarter into cooled curd. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
Have ready four martini glasses with a 1 cup capacity. Place a layer of pound cake in the bottom of each glass; drizzle with a 1/4 of the rum or the rum extract. Spoon some of the strawberry curd over the top of the cake. Repeat layers for all four glasses, smoothing the top. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or up to 2 weeks.
Garnish
Using a pastry bag or spoon, pipe or spoon whipped cream on to each trifle. Garnish with fresh strawberries and a lime slice. Let stand in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until partially thawed.
Makes 4 Trifles
Source Canadian Living
&
Joy of Baking
This dessert is quick, simple and easy. It is perfect for summer entertaining or after a lovely meal for dessert!
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Mini Spinach Pizzas
If you have been following Sydney’s Kitchen for a while you know that we LOVE pizza! In fact, one of the first posts on this blog was Pizza, Anyone? One of the best things about blogging is you get to see how you progress with not only your food presentation but your photos as well, we have come a long way
These mini pizzas are a God send! I found the recipe on Martha Stewart’s site. The mini spinach and cheese pizzas were baked on mini pitas which is wonderful if you are in a pinch which I was not so I opted to make my favorite pizza dough for the crust instead. The recipe below will provide you with enough dough for 10 – 6 inch mini pizzas. You can pre-make all of the pizzas and freeze them in this state or you can eat them all. If you opt to pre-make all of the pizzas I would suggest using a red pizza sauce rather than the ricotta mixture used below. The ricotta may separate after freezing which will ruin your pizza crusts. I was unsure of the ‘white sauce’ so I made a few with traditional red pizza sauce and a few with the ricotta sauce. I will admit the ricotta sauce really did surprise me, it was insanely delicious!!!
If you are a busy mom with school aged children the original recipe will probably be best for you as it is less time consuming and can easily be thrown together at lunch time as it only takes a total of 15 minutes to make
Mini Spinach Pizzas
Ingredients
For the Crust
31/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground sea salt
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
For the Topping
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic clove, pushed through a garlic press
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 package (10 ounces) baby spinach, rinsed and stems removed
1 pint bocconcini (about 20 balls), halved
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
To Prepare the Crust
Place flour and salt in the bowl and whisk together. Place the yeast into another bowl and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar to the yeast. Add 1 1/4 cup warm water to the yeast. When the yeast is foamy and activated stir with a spoon and add the olive oil and honey to the mixture and stir well. Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients and combine to make a ball. Once you have a ball transfer the ball to a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough has come together and it is slightly sticky but not overly so.
Coat a large bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough into the bowl. Rub olive oil on top of the dough and cover with a dish towel. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Once the dough has doubled in size punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use immediately or wrap dough in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
To Top the Mini Pizzas
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, oregano, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, spread ricotta mixture on crusts, and top with spinach, bocconcini, and feta. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking time. Serve immediately.
Makes 10 – 6 inch pizzas
Adapted From Martha Stewart
This pizza dough lends itself to freezing, very well. If you do decide to freeze the dough wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight freezer bag. This dough will keep for about 1 month frozen.
If you are interested in a red pizza sauce rather than the ricotta sauce, try this pizza sauce! These pizzas are simple but delicious, your family will love you for them
Here are some other really terrific pizza variations:White Pizzas with Arugula, Pizza anyone?, Calabrese Salami and Mozzarella Pinwheels, or Tomato and Three Cheese Tarts.
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
New York Deli Style Rye Bread
Baking is a form of therapy for me. It forces me to concentrate on the task at hand. Everything else that is currently taking up space in my fore-brain is put aside and quite literally forgotten. I can always tell what sort of therapy I require by the type of baking I choose to do. Bread baking, to me, indicates that I require some spiritual soothing of the soul. It is a long drawn out process that requires time and patience. This is particularly helpful when you have a brain that is muddle up with tiny details that mean absolutely nothing. Bread baking force you to be in the moment, well all baking really. Why do you bake?
I was obviously in some serious need of clearing my mind the other day when I decided to bake this New York Deli Style Rye Bread. What ever made me decide to bake this is long since forgotten but the bread still remains! This bread is, in my opinion, the best rye bread you will EVER make or eat, that is a fact! It is not a complicated bread at all it is only a little time consuming. If you have an afternoon or an entire day, more like you really should try baking this bread because it is absolutely amazing! It is perfect for sandwiches or with just a little butter and a bowl of soup.
New York Deli Style Rye Bread
Ingredients
Sponge
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup rye flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature
Flour Mixture
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (you can grind these if you want to avoid the crunch)
1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
Dough and Baking
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
about 2 teaspoons cornmeal for sprinkling
To Prepare the sponge
Combine sponge ingredients in a large or mixer bowl and whisk until very smooth, to intentionally incorporate air — this will yield a thick batter. Set it aside.
To Prepare the flour mixture and cover the sponge
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour mixture and gently scoop it over the sponge to cover it completely. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature. (The sponge will bubble through the flour mixture in places.)
Mix the dough with a mixer
Add the oil and mix with the dough hook on low speed for about 1 minute, until the flour is moistened enough to form a rough dough. then raise the speed to medium and mix it for 10 minutes. The dough should be very smooth and elastic, and it should jump back when pressed with a fingertip; if it is sticky, turn it out on a counter and knead in a little extra flour.
Let the dough rise
Place the dough in a large container or bowl, lightly oiled. Oil the top of the dough as well. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Flip the bowl over and let the dough fall out on to a lightly floured counter, press it down gently, fold or form it back into a square-ish ball and allow it to rise a second time, back in the (re-oiled) bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 45 minutes.
Shape it and wait out the final rise
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently press it down again. Round it into a ball and set it on a cornmeal sprinkled baking sheet. Cover it with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. When it is gently press with a fingertip, the depression will very slowly fill in.
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 450°F as early as you can tolerate, (30 minutes or up to 1 hour.) On a shelf at the lowest level, place a baking sheet or bread stone.
Slash and bake the bread
With a sharp knife or singled-edged razor blade, make 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep slashes in the top of the dough. Mist the dough with water and quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. [If you decide to get fancy and bread oven-like: Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the bottom of the oven and immediately shut the door.] Bake for 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 400°F and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (or a thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F; I prefer this method because you’ve done much too much work to possibly end up with an under- or over-baked loaf of bread).
Cool the bread on a wire rack.
Makes 1-3/4 pound round loaf
Source Smitten Kitchen
Whether you are baking for clarity or for the simple enjoyment of creating you must bake this rye bread. There is no need to drive to New York to have your favorite deli style sandwich, you can make it for yourself in the comfort of your own home!
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Turkey, Gruyere and Honey Mustard Palmiers
I don’t know if you noticed but I have a thing for puff pastry. I do. It’s no big thing, I just love how easy it is to use I am not a complete slack for using pre-made puff pastry. It is far more economical to use pre-made rather than making it from scratch. If you are interested in trying to make your very own puff pastry from scratch you should check out this post by Not Without Salt. It is a very informative post with all sorts of lovely step-by-step photos on how to prepare a quick version of puff pastry!
This recipe is quick and easy! There are only a few ingredients so there is not much to muddle up the flavors. The turkey, honey mustard and gruyere cheese compliment each other very well and when you wrap them up in a flaky puff pastry, it is simply heaven If you don’t have turkey on hand you could use ham, or whatever meat tickles your fancy for that matter.
Turkey, Gruyere and Honey Mustard Palmiers
Ingredients
1 sheet (9 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz. very thinly sliced baked turkey
To Prepare
Heat the over to 425°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry to a 10×14-inch rectangle. Using the back of a spoon, spread the pastry evenly with the mustard. Sprinkle on the Gruyère and Parmigiano in an even layer.
Arrange the ham in a single, even layer, tearing or cutting pieces to fit. Lay a piece of parchment or waxed paper on top and gently roll and press with the rolling pin to compress the layers. Gently peel off the paper without disturbing the ham.
Cut the rectangle in half widthwise to make two 10×7-inch bands. Gently roll one long edge of a band into the center and then roll the opposite edge in so the two rolls meet in the middle and resemble a double scroll. Press lightly to stick the two rolls together. Repeat with the second band. (The rolls can be assembled to this point and held in the refrigerator for several hours.)
With a very sharp knife, slice each band into about 22 pieces, just under 1/2-inch each. Arrange the palmiers on two parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheets and bake until deep golden brown and no longer doughy in the center (break one open to be sure), 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to burn the bottoms. Let cool on a rack and serve just slightly warm or within an hour if possible.
Makes 44 palmiers
Source Fine Cooking
These palmiers are excellent for entertaining as they may be prepared well in advanced wrapped in plastic wrap and then frozen until ready to use. It takes all of the stress out of having guests
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Virgin Mojitos
I have a little something to tell you. Would you believe that I have never had a mojito? It’s true. Until I made these virgin mojitos I had never had one. Obviously, that was incentive enough
Traditionally, a mojito is cocktail that consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, sparkling water and mint. The original Cuban recipe uses spearmint. Its combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to complement the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear highball a popular summer drink.
When preparing a mojito, lime juice is added to sugar (or syrup) and mint leaves. The mixture is then gently mashed with a muddler. The mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils and should not be shredded. Then rum is added and the mixture is briefly stirred to dissolve the sugar and to lift the mint leaves up from the bottom for better presentation. Finally, the drink is topped with whole ice cubes and sparkling soda water. Mint leaves and lime wedges are used to garnish the glass.
There are several versions of the mojito, according to Wikipedia.
This virgin mojito recipe includes fresh basil and is alcohol free, obviously It is very simple to make and takes less than 10 minutes to mix together, awesome, right?!! It is a very refreshing drink that is probably best suited for the summer months. It was spring like weather here the other day so we celebrated with a Virgin Mojito!! We wished you were here, celebrating spring like weather with us because you are wonderful
Virgin Mojito
Ingredients
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
large lime, cut into small wedges
1 teaspoon organic evaporated cane juice or sugar
2 cups sparkling water
Ice, as desired
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish, optional
To Prepare
Place basil, mint, lime and cane juice in the bottom of a large martini shaker. Using a wooden spoon, crush mixture until lime releases most of its juice and herbs are slightly bruised, about 2 minutes.
Top with sparkling water and stir to combine. Fill 2 glasses with ice and divide mixture evenly among glasses. If desired, garnish with mint sprigs.
Makes 2 Cocktails
Sources Clean Eating
&
Wikipedia
If you are looking for a way to relax and unwind this weekend I suggest that you mix up a couple of these and do just that
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Lentil and Bulgur Salad
There is a more than a slight sense of relief in the depths of my belly. Christmas and Valentine’s Day are WAY to close together, I didn’t even have time to breathe and it happened all over again. I am so glad that there are no more holidays for a while, wait a second, when is Easter? I think I need at least a month to recover from Valentine’s Day. Ha. Would you listen to me whine, enough is enough, right?!!
One of the reasons my belly is so relieved is because of this nourishing lentil and bulgur salad. One of the pitfalls, if you can call it that, to food blogging is consuming all of the wonderful food we post. When holidays are in full swing we tend to eat a lot of sweet, and sugary treats. I try to offset the imbalance by eating light and healthy salads that are loaded with proteins, vitamins, and minerals just like this lentil and bulgur salad.
Did you know that lentils, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Lentils also provide moderate amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. There are only 230 calories in one cup of cooked lentils, they fill you up-not out Lentils provide slow burning complex carbohydrates. They can increase your energy by replenishing your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with lentils is a good idea–especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, lentils are not rich in fat and calories. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism, according to the world’s healthiest foods.
Lentil and Bulgur Salad
Ingredients
3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
¾ cup fine-grain bulgur wheat
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
To Prepare
In a medium saucepan, cover lentils with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in bulgur,1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper. Cover; remove from heat, and let stand until bulgur has absorbed liquid, 30 minutes.
Transfer bulgur to a large bowl. Gently stir in lentils, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and oil. Serve sprinkled with feta, if you so desire.
Makes 4 servings
Sources Martha Stewart
&
The World’s Healthiest Foods
If you are trying to get back on track with your eating habits after Valentine’s Day, start with this salad! Your belly will thank you for it
Not into lentils? Check out one of these recipes, Bulgur Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Mint, Bulgur Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts, or Breakfast Bulgur Porridge.
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Holidays, wipe me out. Fact. There are so many tiny details to tend to that my mind becomes fatigued with all of them. When the holidays are over all I really want to do is sleep so that I can recuperate from the entire ordeal. Sleep is not in the cards for me today, maybe this weekend…. I do hope that you all had the most lovely day yesterday filled with lots of love and tons of affection
Have you ever stuffed a portobello mushroom? Until making these I had never stuffed a portobello mushroom. Now that I have stuffed portobello mushrooms I am going to make a point of doing so more often. This recipe is ridiculously easy. I am not kidding. You can grill the mushrooms on the BBQ or you can broil the mushrooms under the broiler in your oven. Either way in less than 20 minutes you can be eating these wonderfully stuffed mushrooms! This is a vegetarian dish but do not be fooled by this, these mushrooms are VERY filling. I could barely eat two and that was me, done. You have been forewarned
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
4 large portobellini mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese or Gouda cheese
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or green onions
1/4 teaspoon pepper
To Prepare
Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve for another use, such as stock. Brush mushrooms all over with oil.
In bowl, combine Gouda cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, chives and pepper; set aside.
Place mushrooms, gill side down, on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill just until juices start to release, about 4 minutes.
Turn mushrooms and spoon cheese filling evenly over gills. Close lid and grill until cheese is melted and mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes.
Serves 4
Source Canadian Living
This is a healthy and nutritious side or meal that will leave you completely satisfied.
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
The Perfect Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! I sincerely hope that you all have loads and loads of love in your life and that you have lots of love to give!! I am full of Valentine’s Day. I have been decorating cookies, cakes, and candies which is absolutely perfect because if you remember earlier this year one of my goals is to become far more skilled in these departments. I am very pleased to report to you all that I have improved my skills tremendously particularly in the cookie department. One of the skills that I was trying to perfect was “flooding” the cookies, I have come to learn that this technique is nothing to be fearful of. If you are trying to perfect your cookie decorating skills I highly recommend checking out these sites: Sweetapolita, Sweetopia, Bake at 350, or Glorious Treats.
Now, enough about me let’s talk sugar cookies! These sugar cookies really are perfect! Sugar cookies are very simple to make. Although, a wee bit time consuming with chilling the dough, these perfect cookies are well worth the wait! These sugar cookies are crisp, sugary and vanilla-y just what a sugar cookie should be, according to Rosie at Sweetapolita. Sugar cookies are the perfect canvas for cookie decorating, too! The dough provides a nice flat surface on which you can create all sorts of beautiful designs or images. If you are going to decorate your cookies you will also require some royal icing for the job. I have included the best recipe for royal icing that I have found, courteous of Sweetopia. I usually use egg whites but I have discovered meringue powder and I am in LOVE!! The recipe below is the very best for cookie decorating it provides a beautiful consistency that is easy to work with and it always sets just perfectly!
The Perfect Valentine’s Sugar Cookie
Ingredients
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cups butter, softened for about 20 minutes at room temperature
1 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
To Prepare
In large bowl, sift together flour and salt. Set aside.
Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.
Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract.
Steps to the perfect rolled dough
Remove 1/2 of dough from bowl, make a ball, and place on a large piece of plastic wrap on counter.
Wrap the sides of wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2″ thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with 2nd half of dough.
Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes.
Remove one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper (I use a silicone rolling mat underneath to ensure it doesn’t slip while rolling, but you can even dampen counter so the parchment sticks a bit.), then place 2 wooden dowels on either side of your dough, then another sheet of parchment paper.
Roll dough (this will require a bit of elbow grease for the first few minutes until it softens up a bit) so it’s flush with dowels–they will ensure that your dough is even thickness.
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Slide your parchment paper and dough onto a board, then place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
Remove from fridge, and cut your shapes using the cutters of your choice, placing them on a baker’s half sheet lined with a Silpat Mat, with 2″ clearance around each one and the edge of sheet.
Place sheet with cookies into freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Then bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
Cool sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling.
May be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They also freeze well.
Makes 15 medium/small mixed shaped cookies
Source Sweetapolita
The Perfect Royal Icing
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2.25 lbs (1 kg) icing sugar
To Prepare
Measure 3/4 cup warm water into a glass measuring cup. Add the meringue powder, and whisk for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar to the meringue powder mixture, whisk for an additional 30 seconds. Add all of the icing sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the meringue mixture to the icing sugar and beat on low for 10 minutes. Remove the royal icing from the bowl of your electric mixer and place it in an air tight container with a damp paper towel covering it, this will prevent it from drying out. Tint the royal icing as required.
Source Sweetopia
For more on royal icing check out this informative video.
Cookie decorating is something that requires patience and practice, that’s it. At first, I thought I would never be able to flood a cookie without seeing the lines, but in a short amount of time I have accomplished my goal Thanks to all of the wonderful bloggers out there who take the time to make these wonderful tutorials so that we can all learn and become more skilled at our craft! I heart all of you and your work
Happy Valentine’s Day
From our kitchen to yours,
Sydney Jones
