Happy Summer and Holiday Weekend!

It's that lovely time of year... when the stone fruit comes back into my life.

Summer.

Awesome.

Just got these from the Farmer's Market. Couldn't be happier with life than right now.

Wishing you and yours have a grand holiday weekend!

- mary the food librarian

P.S. If you are looking for something fun to make this holiday, my friend JustJenn has these cool shave ice cupcakes. She made them back in 2010 and they now appear in the current issue of Food Network magazine!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - Nosh with Me recipe

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last night, I opened the refrig and saw two very sad bananas. I tweeted...Anyone have a Banana muffin recipe? Luckily, friends Hilary and JustJenn came to the rescue. I'm going to make JustJenn's recipe next time (looks very yummy - love crumb toppings!), and whipped up a batch of Hilary's mom's recipe this morning.

Banana and Chocolate are best friends, no? I love chocolate covered frozen bananas...oh, I'll to get one of those this summer!

I think this is a first! I woke up, make the muffins, photographed it, blogged, and am now heading to work. AND it is 6:00 am! Yes, I'll be going to bed early tonight! :)

Recipe:
Go to Hilary's Blog, "Nosh with Me" for the recipe. You can make a loaf of bread or muffins.
Notes: I used 1 stick of butter (not shortening), added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and placed a couple chocolate chips on the muffins. I baked mine at 350 degrees convection oven for about 30 minutes.
Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Meyer Lemon Bars

Meyer Lemon Bars

My folks have a Meyer Lemon tree in the backyard. Thus, lemons galore! When life gives you lemons, you need to make some lemon bars!

I adapted a recipe from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich. Oh, by the way, the FTC says I'm supposed to disclose that the link to Alice's cookbook goes to Amazon. I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program where I get a few cents if you click through this link and buy stuff on Amazon (don't worry, I never know who buys what so you can add that Fifty Shades of Grey to your cart too). Anyway, I have to tell you this with all the links now! Oy vey. And what do I do with those few cents? I plow them back into Amazon buying cookbooks...so the cycle of Amazon is complete.

I really like the crust. It'll be my go-to lemon bar crust from now on. It uses melted butter and is super easy to assemble. The "blob" (yes, I think that is a baking term) of dough gets pressed into the bottom of the pan. Because it is "wet", you can get a really smooth surface. I used an off-set spatula to spread and smooth out the crust. The crust is on the thinner side...if you like a big, hardy crust, then this one may not be for you.

Here's a photo of my mom and dad last year holding their Meyer Lemons!

I increased the amount of lemon juice from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup. I like a big, thick layer of lemon on my lemon bars!

Meyer Lemon Bars
My yield was 25 bars (cut 5 x 5)
Adapted from by Alice Medrich's "Very Tangy Lemon Bars 2.0" (page 182) of her book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies


Crust:
7 Tbsp unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
¾ tsp  vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (I used 7 ounces of sugar because Meyer lemons are milder than regular lemons. Alice suggest using 4.375 ounces but I missed that note in her recipe!)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (I didn't measure my zest...used zest from two Meyer lemons)
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained (Alice Medrich's recipe calls for 1/2 cup juice, but I just kept squeezing my juicy Meyer lemons and just threw all the juice into the bowl!)

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil or parchment (create a sling for easy removal).

Crust: In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the pan (I used a small offset spatula). Bake 25-30 minutes until fully baked and golden brown.

Topping: While the crust is baking, stir together sugar and zest until damp. This will release the lemon oils. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.

When the crust is baked, turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Slide the rack out and pour the filling over the hot crust. Baked for an additional 20-25 minutes until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. (I tightly wrapped and refrigerated my bars overnight)

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Hellllllo! Been gone for a bit...how have you been? I went to Orlando for a library conference...it was very hot so I was happy to head back to the cool breezes of Los Angeles.

Last week, my co-worker mentioned a craving for cranberries. I said I was craving pumpkin and other fall spices. Hence, Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins!

I adapted Dorie Greenspan's delicious Pumpkin Muffin recipe. I skipped the raisins and sunflower seed topping, and added cranberries and walnuts. I also topped it with some raw sugar.

Muffins are always a welcome start to a day! I hope you make some soon... nothing like putting in a little fall in the middle of summer.

I use a ice cream scoop to dish out my muffin batter. This recipe made 14 muffins. If I have a couple extras, I put a cupcake liner in a ramekin and pop them on a half-sheet tray along with the cupcake tray.

This muffin is super moist and just really yummy. I'm glad I added the cranberries - a nice touch of tart with the mellow pumpkin.

From my Instagram account. Are you on Instagram? Oh, I love it! They recently made it available to us Android users. I'm "foodlibrarian" and the photos are 80% food, 19% dogs, and 1% Los Angeles.

Recipe:
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Pumpkin Muffin (Baking from My Home to Yours)


2 cups flour (I used 280 grams)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp groung ginger
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
1/2 cup brown sugar (100 grams)
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla (Dorie uses 1/2 tsp)
3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw), cut in half
Raw sugar, for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Dorie's recipe is 400 degrees but I tried that and my muffins burned) Prep a 12-cup muffin tin. This recipe makes 12-14 muffins.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmet. Set aside.
3. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating one minute after each addition.
5. Beat in vanilla, pumpkin puree and buttermilk. Don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled at this point.
6. On low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time. Don't overmix - better to undermix and finish it by hand.
7. With a spatula, fold in walnuts and cranberries.
8. Dish out into muffin tins and top with raw sugar.
9. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones

Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones

I love scones! Soooo easy to make. I often make them in the morning and take a shower while they are in the oven!

Um, these were really good and very sweet (much sweeter than a regular scone). The topping of Heath Toffee Bits melts a bit so it can be a little sticky...but not in the gross 10-napkin sticky, but the "oh, I guess I just need to lick my fingers a bit after eating a yummy scone" kind of sticky.

And, before you ask, that beautiful cake stand is by Whitney Smith of Oakland, CA. Isn't it stunning? My friend Sumi got me the cupcake stand (see here) and my co-workers gave me the cake stand! I treasure them immensely.

This scone has both mini chocolate chips and Heath English Toffee Bits. I don't use the Toffee Bits enough...need to incorporate them into more foods in the future.

I almost always make square scones...because I'm lazy! I'm too lazy to pull out a circle cutter and cut rounds, then re-roll the remaining dough. With square scones, you can use a bench scraper to make the cuts and be done with it all! Easy peasy!

You mix all the chocolate chips and some of the toffee bits into the dough. After cutting the squares, additional toffee bits are pressed into the dough.

It is easy to make and freeze these scones too. The cookbook says you can wrap the unbaked scones in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours as well. You should enjoy them the day they are made...not a problem in my library! :)

Recipe:
Chocolate Toffee Scones
From the Art & Soul of Baking (page 154)
Find it on Amazon or in your library

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup (3½ ounces) mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup (2½ ounces) plus 1/3 cup (1¾ ounces) toffee baking bits
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. (The book has instructions for making it in a food processor, but I like to make my scones by hand...less clean-up).
3. Cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until it resembled course sand.
4. Add the mini chocolate chips and the 1/2 cup toffee baking bits.
5. In the small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
6. Pour the egg mixture mix until the dough holds together in large, thick clumps. (I used my hands a bit to quickly mix it together).
7. Use a spatula to scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze or knead the clumps together until they form a cohesive dough—it may seem a bit dry at first, but will come together with a few kneads.
8. Pat the dough into a circle or square about 1 inch thick. Cut into wedges or squares and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Recipe yields 8 wedges (I cut mine into 16 small squares).
9. Lightly press the remaining 1/3 cup toffee chips onto the tops of the scones, dividing evenly. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until golden brown, especially around the bottom edges. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

This weekend, I got to see my friend Helen three days in a row! Friday night for the movie Five Year Engagement - it was funny and cute! Saturday night for the awesome Dodger's Game versus the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers came from behind in the 9th and then Matt Kemp's homer in the 10th inning won the game. Hella screams and shouts! Our seats were awesomeness - check these out! And on Sunday Helen hosted a brunch at her house!

I borrowed the book, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch from the library and made this lovely coffee cake. The cake has a layer of cinnamon-walnut-sugar (hence the name of the cake!)

You know I'm totally into the Bundt cake, but sometimes you need a Tube pan (which is NOT a Bundt) to make cakes with a topping.

This cake is made with cake flour, sour cream and oil. The crumb is pretty soft. Don't you just love Helen's oil cloth tablecloth? She's ready for summer entertaining.

Helen made some delicious potatoes. I had, um, perhaps three servings. Small servings...over and over.

Marie made a great fruit and yogurt parfait. Lots of fresh fruit! Yummmmmmy! Kathryn made fluffy dill eggs and Christine brought mimosas!

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
For the filling and topping:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola or corn oil (I used Wesson's vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Oil a 9 1/2- or 10-inch tube pan with sides at least 3 3/4 inches high. Prep the pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or oil the bottom of the pan.

Filling and topping: In a bowl, stir together the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cake: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer with paddle, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly (very slowly) add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the sour cream just until no white streaks remain.

Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Set aside 1/4 cup of the walnut-cinnamon mixture to use as a topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the batter. Insert a small knife about halfway into the batter and gently move it through the walnut-cinnamon filling to create a swirled effect. Pour the remaining batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top with the spatula. The batter will not cover the filling completely. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved topping.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (My cake took about 63 minutes to bake). Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert to remove and reinvert so it cools on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

I didn't make the caramel sauce, nor top it with powdered sugar. Here is the caramel glaze recipe on the Williams Sonoma site.

Recipe:
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch, by Georgeanne Brennan, Elinor Klivans, Jordan Mackay and Charles Pierce
Find it on Amazon here or in your library via WorldCat

Sinjin, Linnéa, and Katie in the Park

Absolute Adorableness

A couple weeks ago I spent the day in the park with the cutest kids in the world! Librarian friends Gwendolyn (with hubby Nate) and Shannon brought their kids to the Culver West Park. We all used to work at the same place, and it was too long since we last saw each other...see little Sinjin and Katie hanging out over a year ago!

Katie on the see saw with her mommy, Shannon.

Katie enjoys gardening, her dog, and is not particularly excited about putting on clothes every single day.

Cutie Linnéa getting a lift from her daddy, Nate.

"I'm flying" says Linnéa

Gwendolyn getting her kids ready for the slide.

Sinjin is an energetic boy. Sinjin climbed the rock wall. When he got to the top...

...his daddy was on the other side! Look at the blue sky...it was a lovely day in Los Angeles!

I brought some brownies and these kids could be my spokespeople! So cute!

Such a fun day in the park! For more photos of these cuties, see my Flickr set.

Chocolate Mochi Brownie Squares

Chocolate Mochi Brownie Squares

Recently, I transferred to a new position at work. Still working for the same library system, but a new position at our headquarters. I'm tardy in posting photos of my going away party at my former library - they hosted a lovely dessert buffet...it was so sweet. Those are coming soon!

At my new workplace, one of my co-workers is on a gluten-free diet (darn you Celiac). I keep bringing in desserts she can't eat so I wanted to make something gluten-free. I love, love, love all things mochi (my family's history with mochi is well documented in my New Year's Mochi Making posts) so this recipe on my friend's blog JustJenn Recipes was a perfect fit.

Since these brownies are made with rice flour (I only use Koda Farms Mochiko rice flour), they have a distinctive "mochi" chew. They aren't too sweet and are a nice morning or afternoon treat.

I cut all my work treats "petite" size...I usually cut a 8 x8 pan into 16 or 25 pieces.

This is a great gluten-free recipe...and enjoyed by all! It's super easy to make...no electric mixer needed. I hope you make a pan full of yum soon!

P.S. Thanks for all the comments about my last post mourning the loss of Picnik. Picnik certainly had many fans!!! I used PicMonkey to add the text to the first photo. It is easy to use and the fonts are stylin' - I jumped for joy seeing Lobster Two! They say collages are coming soon! Some Picnik folks went to PicMonkey and you can see it. It is web based, but you need to pull your photos in from your computer, and can edit one photo at a time.  I hope they are able to add direct integration with Flickr at some point and make the whole process online, but it a great start!

Recipe:
Find the recipe on my friend's justJENN Recipes blog for Chocolate Mochi Brownies

My changes and notes:
- 1 cup mochiko (Koda Farms brand) was 4 7/8 ounces by weight
- I used 1/2 cup Nestle semi-sweet morsels for the melting
- I mixed 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter then put the pan into the oven. After 15 minutes of baking, I sprinkled the remaining 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips on top. I think this helped prevent the chips from falling to the bottom of the pan.
- I used an 8 x 8 pan and baked it for 52 minutes.

I will miss you Picnik

Dude, I'm so sad. Picnik is closing tomorrow, April 19th.

For those who didn't use this great editing program, Picnik was awesome. It had free services, or a really inexpensive Pro account that easily allowed you to edit photos, make collages, add text and do fun stuff. It worked seamlessly with Flickr and was so easy to use. So freaking easy.

If you were a user of Picnik, what are you going to do? (Besides cry like me?! :)  The Aviary program that's in Flickr now SUCKS. You don't get to choose any fonts? What?! I haven't used Google+ because, well, it's Google+ and I'm mad at them for killing Picnik. I hear you can make the edits like in Picnik, but not the collages...and it isn't tied to Flickr (since that's a Yahoo product) so you can't save them back to Flickr.

At least PicMonkey has a font collection and they say "Collages are coming soon"... I'll be trying them out as soon as I'm over my mourning period for Picnik. Let me know if you found something similar to Picnik.

By the way, I have Photoshop Elements and Lightbox, but I found Picnik so easy to use and the web-based aspect was so handy when working in a coffeeshop. Perhaps I'll head to these programs... Sigh.

Oh Picnik...I'll miss you so! Thanks for many good years! :)

- mary the food librarian

National Library Week Giveaway Winners!

Winners

Thanks for entering my giveaways for National Library Week! I loved hearing how much you use your library! Whoo hoo!

I used Random.org and picked the winners.

Flour Bakery Cookbook - #86 Karen

Biscuit Cutters - #20 Barbara (she's a librarian too! how cool!)

Baked Explorations Cookbook - #113 Lisa

I'll be contacting you to arrange shipping of your prize! Happy Baking everyone! - mary