Giant S’Mores.

Sometimes it’s the little things.  Graham Crackers + Marshmallows + Chocolate. You’d be surprised how something this easy and simple makes everyone smile (including 20 something hipsters :)

Buttermilk Pies (miniaturized) with Peach Rosemary garnish from Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts book.  

Cinnamon Toast from Trouble Coffee in San Francisco

Ice Cream Sandwiches from Bakerbots in Toronto.  

You pick the cookies and the ice cream, they craft it and watch as you attempt to eat it before it melts. (tip - it’s futile).

They said that surprisingly, it was women who would order this large size, while men tended to go with the half-size.

This pictured is the salted chocolate sable (inspired by Dorie Greenspan) and burned marshmallow ice cream [L] and peanut butter cookie with chocolate ice cream [R]

Sangria in San Francisco

So, you’re supposed to use cheap wine to make sangria - but we only had good wine, and trust me, it’s worth using the good wine and not having to dilute it with sugar; instead use the good stuff with a splash of 7Up; Tonic; Sprite etc and an assortment of fruit on hand.

Classic Lemon Zest Vicky Sponge!

Lord Grey’s Peach Preserves

Ingredients

• 5 pounds ripe peaches
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 Earl Grey tea bags, divided

• ½ tbsp butter, softened

Directions

• Cut a small, shallow X in the bottom of each peach. Working in batches, blanch in a large pot of boiling water until skin loosens, about 1 minute (2 minutes for me; ripe peaches peel, unripe don’t). Transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Peel, halve, and pit (do over bowl of sugar to catch juice). Cut into 1/3 inch slices. Combine with sugar and juice in a large bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Place a small plate in freezer. Transfer fruit mixture and 4 tea bags to a large heavy pot. Open the remaining tea bag; crumble leaves slightly; add to pot. Bring to a boil, stirring gently, and cook 15-20 minutes. Test doneness by scooping a small spoonful onto chilled plate and tilting plate. (Preserves are ready if they don’t run.) Remove tea bags (At this point, stir in butter to help break up foam). Skim foam from the surface of jam. (At this point, blend using immersion blender to get a nice jam consistency.  Ladle jam into 2 clean, hot 1-pint jars. Wipe rims, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
  
  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/08/lord-greys-peach-preserves#ixzz1Yf4s9cT9
  
  This is the greatest jam ever.  Savory, sweet and easy to make.  Definitely worth the effort of canning.  Timing is everything with this recipe and I suggest making sure everything is out and on arms reach before starting.  

hellyeahrecipes:

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
2. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
5. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over batter in the pan.
6. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
8. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.

(via citycouncilbitches)

2 9” Layers

Ingredients

CAKE:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk 

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

1 1/2 cups caramel sauce

CARAMEL SAUCE:

2 cups cream

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1/4 cup water

Pinch salt

1/4 cup butter

Directions

Caramel Sauce:

Warm the cream in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. While it’s warming, add the sugar and water to a large, heavy, high-sided pan over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave it alone to boil until it reaches a deep amber color. You are looking for a dark caramel here, because you will be adding cream, so don’t flinch and take it off the heat when it’s still just pale gold!

Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Be very careful and add the cream slowly - the caramel is going to bubble up violently! Add the pinch of salt and butter and whisk smooth. Simmer until slightly reduced.

This will keep in the fridge for at least two weeks.

Cake:
Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease two 9” cake pans.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the eggs and beat until silky and lightened. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt. Whisk the milk and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter, alternating with the flour. Beat just until smooth.
Pour batter into the prepared pans. Pour half the caramel sauce into each pan, and swirl with a knife. The pans will be quite full. Put in the oven carefully and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the centers are set and a knife comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-caramel-banana-cake-028969

Makes 2 Loaves

5 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 egg + 2 tbsp cold water (wash)

Optional:

zest of 1 meyer lemon

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 cup washed and chopped fresh cranberries

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, yolk, sugar and vanilla

3.  In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt

4.  Add the wet to the dry and stir with a mixing spoon

5.  Let sit for ten minutes – if it needs more flour, add it now

6.  On a parchment lined cookie sheets, divide dough into two and roll each into a log shape  (15”) and flatten with hand

7.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demera sugar

8.  Bake for 25-30 minutes; remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes

9.  On an angle, slice in ½” slices and set facedown on the cookie sheet

10. Lower oven to 325 and bake for an additional 20 minutes

11.  Remove from oven and let harden while they cool

*so, so good and so impressive.  I take it out early enough on the second bake so that they stay a little soft and have a little give to them.  I’ve added orange zest and blueberries, lemon and cranberries, chocolate chips etc and they’ve all turned successful 

4 to 6 sheets matzo or approximately 40 Saltine crackers or crackers of your choice
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
A big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)
Extra sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet completely with foil, and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper, cut to fit.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzo or crackers, covering all parts. [If using matzo, you’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces, which will be annoying because despite being perforated, it does not actually break in straight lines. I have some luck pressing a serrated knife straight down along a sectionbetween perforations, if that (hopefully) makes sense.]

In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and stir it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes, stirring it well. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the matzo or crackers. You’ll want to spread it quickly, as it will begin to set as soon as it is poured.

Bake the caramel-covered crackers for 15 minutes, watching carefully as it will bubble and the corners might darken too quickly and/or burn. You can reduce the heat if you see this happening.

Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand five minutes, and then spread them evenly across the caramel. An offset spatula works great here. If you’re using them, sprinkle the chocolate with toasted chopped nuts and/or sea salt. (The sea salt is great on matzo. On Saltines, it’s really not necessary.)

Once completely cool — I sometimes speed this process up in the fridge, impatient as should be expected in the face of caramel crack(ers) — break it into pieces and store it in a container. It should keep for a week but I’ve never seen it last that long.

* Seriously.  This IS LEGAL CRACK.  THIS MAY BE THE GREATEST THING TO BE POSTED ON THE INTERWEBS SINCE CAT VIDEOS.ALL HAIL SMITTEN KITCHEN & DAVID LEBOVITZ

Graham Crackers from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour (a swap of 1/2 cup with whole wheat flour or 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour works well here, too)
1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (4 grams)
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup (114 grams) mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk, full-fat is best
2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
3 tablespoons (43 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

[Alternately, if you don’t have a food processor or electric mixer, you can cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender. Just make sure they’re very well incorporated.]

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. [This makes a traditional graham cracker shape. I rebelled and made mine into 2-inch fluted squares with one of these.]

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Decorate the crackers: Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough (again, this is for the traditional cracker shape). Using a toothpick or skewer (I like to use the blunt end of a wooden skewer for more dramatic dots), prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. [The baking time range is long because the original recipe calls for 25 minutes but my new oven — which I suspect runs crazy hot but have yet to confirm with the actual purchase of an oven thermometer — had them done in way less. Be safe, check them sooner. Nobody likes a burnt cracker!]

Illy Coffee + Salted Caramel Macaroon at the hidden Oliver & Bonacini outpost at the Bay.

http://www.marthastewart.com/863975/brown-sugar-buttermilk-pie