Homemade Oreos

Posted by: Annie

Store bought cookies...

No offense to them, but they must don't make it into my grocery cart anymore.  I have nothing against them, except that I have guilt, major guilt.  How can I buy packaged chocolate chip cookies when I know that I can make them myself?  

All guilt aside, sometimes a girl just needs an Oreo, and a double-stuffed one at that.  With this recipe, I can avoid hiding packages of Oreos at the bottom of my cart and make my own at home - and, stuff them with as much frosting as my heart desires! Triple stuffed anyone? 

What you'll need:

For the wafers:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Arrange oven racks so that there are two in the middle of the oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Using an electric mixer, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. On low speed, mix in the butter and the egg. Mix until the dough comes together. 

Take rounded tablespoons of dough and scoop onto the lined baking sheets.  Lightly moisten hands and slightly flatten the dough.  Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once while baking.  Set baking sheets on rack to cool. 

Now, for the best part.  To make the Oreo filling, combine butter and shortening and slowly beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Increase the mixer speed to high and beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, until the filling is light and fluffy. 

To assemble your Oreos, use a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip, and squeeze a teaspoon sized amount of cream onto the center of one of your wafers.  Do your best to find a matching size wafer to place on top, and gently push the cookies together to evenly fill the cookie.  Repeat for the remaining cookies. 

Source: With Sprinkles on Top

4th of July Recap & Black Bean Burgers

Posted by: Annie

Somehow my Fourth of July celebrations did not include one cook-out! It did include me eating my first ever Philadelphia Cheesesteak (go Jim's!)...

And culminated with me eating this (shhh...hot dogs were boiled, not grilled!)

And this:

After my weekend, I was craving something healthy and grilled, and Black Bean Burgers (courtesy of Annie's Eats) fit the bill. I ended up using my indoor grill, but it still fulfilled my desire to grill, and still felt summery!

What You Will Need:

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided use
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 red onion, or 1 whole shallot, minced

Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Mix panko with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and add to the heated skillet to toast. Stir often until the breadcrumbs appear light golden brown in color. Remove from the stove, and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, add 2 1/2 cups of the black beans, and mash with a fork until relatively smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Whisk together.

Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, remaining beans, bell pepper, cilantro, and onion/shallot to the mashed beans. Stir well until thoroughly combined.

Using heaping 1/2 cup measurements, divide the mixture into six portions. Pack into approximately 1-inch thick patties. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, and cook until the patties are golden brown on each side (approximately 5 minutes per side.)

Garnish with your favorite burger toppings! I topped mine with cheddar, avocado, tomato, and a dollop of sour cream!

Summer Berry Tart

Posted by: Maggie

Look at me actually posting something seasonal, and appropriate for the upcoming 4th of July holiday! I always seem to have the worst timing when it comes to recipes I make, and I always want things like pumpkin at totally inopportune and unseasonal times (umm...like now. It's hot here and I'm craving fall.)

I have to put my desire for fall aside for now, because berries are so gosh darn delicious in the summer that they almost make this disgustingly hot season worthwhile. I do not like summer at all. I just despise the heat and humidity, and all the people who tell me that my hair "doesn't look that bad" when it frizzes so much that I look like Art Garfunkel's long lost sister. The only thing I like about this season is that berries aren't sour and disgusting in June, July, and August like they are the rest of the year.  Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are my favorite fruits, and I usually eat them all before I have a chance to bake with them. 

Come on, look how pretty? Who wouldn't scarf all these down before making dessert? These practically are a dessert! (As you can tell from the pic below I originally planned to use strawberries on the tart too, but changed my mind and just ate them!)

Inhale all the berries you want for the next couple months, but make sure you set aside a small stash to make this tart. It was one of those desserts that I didn't have high expectations for - I just thought it would be something for Jeff and I to snack on - and it totally blew both of us away. We may have polished off the whole tart in two days. It's fruit, so it's ok. 

Here's what you'll need:

Flour for your work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided

A combination of blueberries and raspberries (blackberries and strawberries would also be great!) I didn't measure the fruit, just eyeball it according to your own tastes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, slightly roll out puff pastry sheet, and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently score a 1 inch border around the edge of the puff pastry with a knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush beaten egg on the border you've created, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until golden and puffed, about 18-22 minutes.

Using the tip of a knife, gently re-score the border of your puff pastry without cutting through. Gently flatten the center of the pastry sheet. Cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes. 

While cooling, make the cream cheese mixture. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and beat again until smooth. Spread the mixture in the middle of the cooled pastry sheet. 

Arrange your fruit in desired pattern, and sprinkle with the remaining powdered sugar. Store leftovers (if there are any!) in the fridge.

Source: Real Simple