Rhubarb Crumble Pie (Recipe)

Serious topic today.
Rhubarb. Who was that person who decided to eat this plant? Who was sacrificed? Why is it that the leaf is poisonous and the stalk not? It's amazing to me. These are the things I think about daily. (And artichokes. Seriously? Who deemed that edible?!) Welcome to my mind!

I just don't get it. But what I do get is this Rhubarb Crumble Pie. Stupid easy to understand, so easy I didn't even put any comments or helpful tips. It's delicious. End of lesson. Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time!

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Crust/Topping

1/2 cup                    melted butter
1 + 1/2 cups            rolled oats
1/2 cup                   a.p flour
2/3 cup                   brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients for crust. Save 1/4 for topping. Firmly mold and pat into pie plate.

Filling

3 cups                    diced rhubarb
1/2 cup                  white sugar
1 + 1/2 tbsp           flour
1 egg beaten
1/4 tsp                   nutmeg
1 tsp                      cinnamon

With a spoon combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Turn out into shell. Pat remaining crumble on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

Now someone needs to tell me who decided to eat rhubarb. Along with artichokes, puffer fish, lobster and crabs. I mean how many people did it take to find out which parts of a puffer fish are edible. Come on.

Shelan Boake out!

Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies (Recipe)

Let's play truth or dare. Truth? Ah, well I was supposed to have a post up last week but apparently the cake recipe I used did not like me...? There goes the Mother's Day post I was going to put up.
Dare now? ...You dare me to make Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies? Challenge Excepted...!

You bake, then swirl some lovely Cookie Dough icing on top! Next you top it off with some adorable mini chocolate chips. It's like a cookie on top of a cookie. Double the pleasure and double the fun! Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This Cookie Dough Icing Recipe is adapted from Laura's Sweet Spot.

Soft Cookie Dough Sugar Cookies

Makes about 60


Sugar Cookies 

10 tbsp                        butter, softened
2/3 cup                        shortening
1 1/2 cup                     sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp                          vanilla
2 tsp                            baking powder
1 tsp                            salt
3 tbsp                          milk
3 cups                         flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add in baking powder, and salt. One cup at a time add in the flour along with a tablespoon of milk. Drop onto baking sheet and flatten a bit with fingers. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies start to turn golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Icing

3/4 cup                       butter, softened
1/4 + 2 tbsp                brown sugar
1/2 tsp                        salt
1 + 1/4 cup                 icing sugar
1 tsp                           vanilla
1/2 cup                       flour
2 + 1/2 tbsp                milk

Beat butter, brown sugar and salt until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add flour then milk, beat. Transfer into piping bag and pipe onto your cookie. Enjoy!

 Comments:

-Your cookies may turn out differently depending on how long you beat them, but that's just fine!
-You can fairly easily half the amount of cookies if desired.
-If your cookie dough is crumbly add another few tablespoons of milk.
-I wouldn't suggest eating more than two at a time they are very rich!

Now it's your turn! I dare you to go make these cookies right now. Go! If cookie dough is not your thing you can make them with any kind of icing you desire!

Shelan Boake out!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream (Recipe)

Every time I would go to get ice cream when I was little I would always pick Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I don't even know how I came to like it. But, every single time that was what I would get. No hesitation. The vanilla base and the chocolate chips... Ooh and seldom piece of cookie dough! That was the only downer. Not enough cookie dough! You would feel special to even get five in your little cup.

It has gotten warmer out so I decided to make some ice cream. You know it! Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice cream. With tons of cookie dough in each lick. Pure bliss in your mouth! Did I also mention it has double the cookie dough flavour? Oh yeah, the ice cream, that's cookie dough flavour too. Shut up. It's just too good. I died. I just. Can't.
Remember: Freeze your ice cream maker bowl two days before hand!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Cookie Dough

2 + 1/2 tbsp                   butter, melted
2 + 1/2 tsp                     brown sugar
2 tbsp                            flour
1/4 tsp                           vanilla
6 tbsp                            mini chocolate chips

Combine butter and sugar together in a small bowl. Mix until smooth, break any sugar lumps. Stir in flour until in fully incorporated then add vanilla and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture onto plasitc wrap, shape into a disk, wrap and put in fridge until cool.

Ice Cream

3 tbsp                             butter
2 cups                            whipping cream
2/3 cup                           brown sugar
4 eggs yolks
2 tsp                               vanilla
1+1/2 cups                     milk

Add butter to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Swirl the pan to help it brown evenly. Continue cooking until it turns dark brown and smells nutty, not burnt. Add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Remember to continually whisk the cream so it doesn't form a skin. Meanwhile, (while you're doing this be sure to keep on stirring your cream.) whisk the brown sugar with the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly add the cream mixture and whisk constantly while pouring. Pour mixture back into saucepan and clip on your candy thermometer. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 175 degrees. Strain the custard into a heatproof bowl and stir in the vanilla and milk. Cover and refrigerated until completely chilled about 5-6 hours. Pour the mixture into your frozen ice cream maker and have it mix for about 20 minutes until thickened. Meanwhile break the cookie dough disk into bit sized pieces. As you transfer the ice cream into the air tight container through in a few pieces of cookie dough throughout the ice cream and put some on top too. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Enjoy!

Comments:

-This recipe is a great way to use up extra egg yolks. (you can really taste them!)
-I halved the recipe for cookie dough for you because I made the full recipe, way too much. I might have eaten some of the left over stuff...
-Do not burn your cream while mixture the sugar and separating the egg yolks, you might want to separated those before hand so it's quicker and easier for you.
-Freeze your ice cream bowl two days before you want to make this recipe!
-Don't expect to have this ice cream come out in a beautiful scoop. Not gonna happen. ;)

It may look like a lot of work but it's mostly me telling you not to burn the cream while you're multitasking. ;) And it will be so worth it. You won't want to stop eating it! Good thing it makes a quart!

Shelan Boake out!

Meringue Clouds (Recipe)

"April showers bring May flowers!"

It's been really rainy here for the last few days, there has been little sun and mostly cloud. But, that's not a bad thing per say, actually, I'd say clouds are way better.

To be honest the sun is jealous, I think that's why it's hiding. I mean come on, no one can look at the sun, it's too bright. Clouds on the other hand, you can pretend they are other shapes. They also don't burn your eyes to a crisp. See, way more enjoyable.

Clouds are tasty too. No one wants to eat a blazing hot inferno! I shall praise the clouds by making food for them. Meringue Clouds! Much tastier than the real thing. Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time!

Meringue Clouds

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp                  cream of tartar

3/4 cup                 superfine sugar

1/4 tsp                  vanilla

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip. With a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Add the sugar 1/3 at a time and continue to beat until the meringues hold very stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter into piping bag and pipe three circles conjoined, repeat. Bake for 1 1/2- 2 hours. When finished baking keep in the oven for another hour or two to let them dry out. Enjoy!

Comments:

-If you don't have caster sugar put the sugar in the food processor until fine.

-If they peel off the parchment paper easily, they are finished.

-Do not use left over egg whites that have been in your fridge for a few days, they won't work.

-To make them extra special dust them with blue luster dust!

Maybe these wonderful meringues will get the sun jealous enough to make an appearance soon, or else the clouds may get too self centered and give us more of their great gifts. Like snow. Blah.

Shelan Boake out!

Chocolate Chippers (Recipe)

I always seem to post recipes that are family based. Many of the recipes that I have posted on my blog my family members made up or passed the recipe down through generations. These recipes are used so much that by the time they reach my generation they are adapted to perfection!

It's not that my family members bribed me to post a recipe they have invented, it's my own decision. I feel that these recipes are the best because they are made with the most love coming from my family. I only want to give you the best so, what am I sharing with you today? Another family recipe! They are my Grandmother's Chocolate Chippers!

Crispy, thin and delicious made with tiny chocolate chips, that helps distribute chocolate around the cookie better. What's that I hear coming? A recipe?! Get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This recipe is adapted from my Grandmother.

Chocolate Chippers

1/3 cup                     butter
1/2 cup                     sugar
1/4 cup                     brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp                          vanilla
1+1/8 cup                 Bisquick®
1/2 tsp                       baking soda
1/2 tsp                       salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat the softened butter and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together Bisquick®, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat. Add chocolate chips and mix with spatula. Take your cookie scoop and lay out your cookie dough 2x3 on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes-12 minutes or until golden and flat. Do not take them out when puffy. Let them cool on sheet for about 2 minutes then quickly, using a spatula take them off the cookie sheet. Eat them all or store in an airtight container. ;) Enjoy!

Comments:

-You can find Bisquick® in your pancake mix isle at the store.
-Make sure when you take them out of the oven to work quickly because they are hard to get off the cookie sheet when fully cooled.
-After about 3 minutes they will begin to look weird, don't worry, they will flatten out.
-In 8 minutes they will slowly begin to deflate, keep an eye on them make sure they don't over bake!
-You might have to let the bottom rack of cookies cook for a bit longer.
-(Update) My Grandmother has informed me that she uses the whole package of mini chocolate chips, so you can use 1/3 cup or go crazy! ;)

So many of my favorite recipe are from my family, Whipped Shortbread and Buttermilk Pancakes to name a few... I'm sure you have many family recipes too, and I'm sure they are probably some of the best things you've ever had.

Shelan Boake out!