Many excuses are available to explain my lack of postings to this web site. Truthfully, I have just been lazy.

But today is my 60th birthday and I’m going to try to become a better person. (Finally) More postings are in order and that will help me keep in touch with all my friends.

My birthday celebrations began on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. I arrived home after a long day at work and my family had prepared a surprise. Hawaiian shirts were given to everyone and a lovely rum punch was served.

We then went to Mango Mikes, a beach themed restaurant in Alexandria, VA.

This restaurant is unbelievable. There are palm trees and fish tanks and lots of tropical decorations. And, great cocktails:

The food was wonderful, but who could really taste anything after all the cocktails?

We had a great time together and I could almost forget my birthday request: to spend time on a beach. There wasn’t any sand but my family made the dreaded birthday a fun event.

Here’s the recipe for the evening’s cocktail:

CORNELL LAW BREW

8 ounces fresh orange juice

4 ounces Meyers Dark Rum

2 dashes grenadine

2 tsp. sugar

1 splash triple sec

Shake together and serve over ice.

Cheers, Patty

Here in DC there is a bakery, Firehook, that sells awesome macaroons. Well, if you want to start a bakery in the Washington, DC area, this recipe from Sweet Melissa is the place to start because you really could compete with Firehook with these cookies. You can find the recipe at Blue Tree Green Heart. Thanks Ellen!

I did change the recipe and method  a little bit.

First, I used the new chocolate chunks from Williams-Sonoma just because they were in my pantry and it was easier than chopping chocolate. I also added about 3 Tablespoons agave nectar to the batter; some bakers mentioned the macaroons were dry and I assumed the nectar would help keep the cookies moist.

The batter is super easy to mix. Add the orange zest to the coconut, add sugar and blend with your hands. Add the egg whites and continue to blend with your hands. then add the chocolate.

Using a medium ice cream scoop, place the batter on silpat lined cookie sheets. I had exactly 24 cookies, 12 per cookie sheet.

Now, bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees. When they come out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the silpat. They will firm up and develop crisp edges.

YUM!!

Once the cookies are completely cool you can serve them! I really liked the big chunks of chocolate in the cookies.

I will let you know if they freeze well. I absolutely need to banish these from my sight or I will devour them all. To the freezer right now! Or, I’ll take them to work!

Washington DC has the most exuberant spring. Every bush, shrub, tree is covered with blossoms. And the cherry blossoms by the tidal pool in DC are the most famous.

But the one problem with all these great flowers are the TOURISTS that descend on our city and who clog the whole place.

This year we decided to view the blossoms at sunset, hoping to avoid the hugh crowds that are at the tidal basin.

The flowers are remarkably delicate. The colors are very subtle, they are almost white with a tiny touch of pink. I need to take many photos until I finally get a shot that shows the soft colors. This drives my dear spouse crazy but he has learned to be patient!

The sunset illuminates the blossoms:

It is a beautiful sight. Come visit DC at cherry blossom time, but try to avoid the prime tourist times; early morning or late afternoon are the best times.
So, cheers to all, hope you are having a great spring,

Patty

Today is my turn to host Sweet Melissa Sunday. Each Sunday a different blogger prepares and posts a recipe from “Sweet Melissa Baking Book”, a terrific cookbook full of recipes that give fantastic results. I’m sure everyone has been disappointed by a cookbook with beautiful pictures but find the recipes aren’t great. You won’t be let down by Melissa Murphy’s recipes.

Today’s selection is Pavlova, a dessert that combines meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit. It should be made the day you plan to serve it but most of the work can be done earlier in the day.First, you need a mixer to beat the meringue:

The ingredient list is short:

Egg whites plus sugar and after beating them to stiff glossy peaks you add a touch of vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla. After a slow bake and a rest in the turned off oven you have the base:

The fruit topping will be tossed with a raspberry sauce:

Top the base with whipped cream, spoon on the fruit mixture, drizzle with a little extra sauce and you have a heavenly dessert!

And here’s what was left after my housekeeping crew arrived:

This is the recipe:

Sweet Melissa Pavlova Peach Melba

INGREDIENTS:

- FOR THE MERINGUE

- 4 large egg whites

- 1 cup superfine sugar

- 1 1/2 tsps cornstarch

- 1 tsp white vinegar, (I used champagne vinegar)

- 1/4 tsp vanilla, (I used vanilla paste)

- FOR THE MELBA

- 2 to 3  large peaches

- 1 pint fresh raspberries

- 1  recipe raspberry sauce, see notes

- FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 Tablespoon sugar

METHOD:

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 7″ circle on the paper with a pen. Flip over the paper. You will be able to see the line.

To make the meringue:

1. In a clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high heat until they hold firm peaks, about 1 minute. Start adding the sugar, little by little, until the meringue holds very stiff glossy peaks, about 2 minutes. You should not feel any sugar grains at this point. If you do, keep beating.

2. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the cornstarch over the meringue, and sprinkle the vanilla and vinegar on top. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients into the meringue until just fully incorporated (the goal is to do so without deflating the meringue.)

3. Gently mound the meringue in the center of the circle on the prepared parchment paper, and smooth the edges. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for an additional hour or more. The meringue may crack as it cools – this is normal. When cool, carefully peel the paper from the bottom of the meringue and place the meringue on a serving platter. The meringue can be made only on the day of serving.

To prepare the fruit:

Peel, pit, and slices the peaches into a large bowl. Place the raspberries on top of the peaches. Pour over 1/2 cup of the raspberry sauce. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine.

To make the whipped cream:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whipping attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla on medium speed. In a slow, steady stream, add the sugar beating until the mixture forms medium-stiff peaks.

To Complete the Pavlova:

1. Mound the whipped cream in the center of the meringue and spread it just up to the edges.

2. Pile the fruit and any sauce left in the bottom of the bowl on top of the cream.

3. Drizzle a little of the remaining sauce over the fruit, and serve the rest of the sauce on the side.          Using a large spoon, serve immediately.

NOTES:

To make raspberry sauce: combine two 12 ounce packages of frozen raspberries, 3/4 plus 2 TBS. sugar, and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill for up to 5 days.

SERVINGS: 8

SOURCE: Sweet Melissa Baking Book

Sweet Melissa Pavlova Peach Melba
INGREDIENTS:
- FOR THE MERINGUE- 4 large egg whites- 1 cup superfine sugar- 1 1/2 tsps cornstarch- 1 tsp white vinegar, (I used champagne vinegar)- 1/4 tsp vanilla, (I used vanilla paste)- FOR THE MELBA- 2 to 3  large peaches- 1 pint fresh raspberries- 1  recipe raspberry sauce, see notes- FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold- 1 tsp vanilla- 1 Tablespoon sugar

METHOD:
Before you start:Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 7″ circle on the paper with a pen. Flip over the paper. You will be able to see the line.
To make the meringue:1. In a clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high heat until they hold firm peaks, about 1 minute. Start adding the sugar, little by little, until the meringue holds very stiff glossy peaks, about 2 minutes. You should not feel any sugar grains at this point. If you do, keep beating.
2. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the cornstarch over the meringue, and sprinkle the vanilla and vinegar on top. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients into the meringue until just fully incorporated (the goal is to do so without deflating the meringue.)
3. Gently mound the meringue in the center of the circle on the prepared parchment paper, and smooth the edges. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for an additional hour or more. The meringue may crack as it cools – this is normal. When cool, carefully peel the paper from the bottom of the meringue and place the meringue on a serving platter. The meringue can be made only on the day of serving.
To prepare the fruit:Peel, pit, and slices the peaches into a large bowl. Place the raspberries on top of the peaches. Pour over 1/2 cup of the raspberry sauce. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine.
To make the whipped cream:In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whipping attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla on medium speed. In a slow, steady stream, add the sugar beating until the mixture forms medium-stiff peaks.
To Complete the Pavlova:1. Mound the whipped cream in the center of the meringue and spread it just up to the edges.2. Pile the fruit and any sauce left in the bottom of the bowl on top of the cream.3. Drizzle a little of the remaining sauce over the fruit, and serve the rest of the sauce on the side.          Using a large spoon, serve immediately.
NOTES:
To make raspberry sauce: combine two 12 ounce packages of frozen raspberries, 3/4 plus 2 TBS. sugar, and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill for up to 5 days.SERVINGS: 8SOURCE: Sweet Melissa Baking Book

I hope you will try this recipe.

Cheers, Patty

After all the snow we have had in Washington DC:

it was a pleasure to attend the Philadelphia Flower Show. My sister, my friend Countess and I  boarded a bus at Green Springs Gardens in VA. and headed to the show. This year’s theme is Passport to the World. Many countries are represented and my favorite exhibition was South Africa. Beautiful statues were decorated with flowers:

Many other countries were represented. India featured a wedding, complete with the elephant that brings the groom to the ceremony.

This elephant even had decorated toes:

There were exotic plants everywhere:

There were lovely bulb displays:

This flower show is a must attend if you enjoy gardening. I took way too many photos and I’ll try to post a few more soon.

You may have noticed that it has been some time since I posted on this blog. In early January my friend Countess and I joined (rejoined for me!) Weight Watchers. I have not been baking along with Sweet Melissa’s group because I am trying to stay on program. With several family weddings in the near future it seems important to lose a few pounds. I will try to post some fun recipes in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy the flower show pictures! No calories!!

Remember, you can click on any photo to see a larger print.

Cheers, Patty

SAND TARTS

Adapting recipes seems like a simple task. Just take out the crisco and substitute butter. Or change the type of flour , or even the liquid. Whats the difference?

While trying to improve an old recipe I found that you cannot just swap out ingredients. There was one recipe that I loved from my childhood: sand tarts. But the recipe called for 2 cups of  oleo.
That term is almost unheard of in recipes today but, basically, it means margarine. And I really wanted to use butter. Every attempt to substitute butter made the cookies spread while cooking; the final cookies were too thin and did not brown nicely.I gave up on baking a great Christmas roll out cookie.

But I really missed these cookies so  I  started reading the detailed ingredient information in some of the better baking cookbooks, hoping I could improve the recipe. And I discovered that crisco is 100% fat but, butter is only 80-85% fat.The rest of butter is liquids. You cannot substitute butter for crisco!! You must adjust your recipe for the difference in the amount of moisture.

By changing some measurements I have been able to totally improve the original recipe! But be warned: this recipe makes at least 6 dozen cookies! Which is a big amount, when you consider the preparation of the cookies before they are baked.

Each cookie is brushed with egg white, then a piece of pecan is pressed into the cookie, then you sprinkle a bit of sugar on the cookie, and then you sprinkle a tiny amount of cinnamon on the cookie. THEN you bake them!

And even before you decorate them, you roll the dough and use cookie cutters.

The recipe will yield at least 6 dozen cookies. The amount depends on the size of the cutters. Just don’t use large cutters, these are delicate cookies.

This is the recipe:

Servings/Yield

5-6 dozen

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• Topping
• 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
• sanding sugar
• pecans, chopped
• cinnamon

Method

Measure the flour by scooping the flour into the cup. Level by sweeping a straight edge across the top.
Cream the butter, salt and sugar. Add the whole egg and yolk, mix well. Add the flour in 3 additions, mix well at a low speed.
Divide into 4 flattened disks and wrap well in saran wrap.
Chill dough overnight.

Roll on a floured silpat and cut with a variety of cookie shapes. Stars and circles are nice.

Arrange cookies on a silpat lined sheet pan. Brush each cookie with egg white, place a small piece of pecan in the center of the cookie. Then sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and then a generous pinch of sugar on top.

Bake at 400′ for 7-8 minutes. Watch carefully, they burn easily.

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

It can take less than 20 seconds for these to get too brown. WATCH carefully!

These would make nice valentine cookies if cut into heart shapes. consider adding these to your cookie recipes. They are very crisp and very tasty!

Cheers, Patty

Well, I did not bake with Sweet Melissa this week; between the clean-up of our house after the flood, and teaching a technique class at work, I just did not find  time to bake. But, many bakers did! Please visit Basically Boots to see the recipe for this week’s SMS. And you can click on: SMS to see the other bakers.

Instead, I offer a few pictures of my amaryllis flowers. Despite the tribulations of our house, the flowers have been blooming!!

These are from the White Flower Farm, they send the best bulbs:

And the birds continue to visit:

And we have beautiful sunrises:

This is a beautiful sight to behold while drinking your first cup of coffee. We are so lucky to have a great view of the sunrise and sunset each day. Remember, you can click on any photo to enlarge it.

Cheers, Patty

Its Sunday and time to resume baking along with the Sweet Melissa Sunday group. This week offered a creative outlet: everyone made the same chocolate pie crust but used their own fillings. I thought I had a “slam-dunk” for the filling but a sloppy approach resulted in a less than perfect pie.

I din’t measure my tart pan and I grabbed a too large pan for the amount of filling. The crust was easy to make:

Using a pastry blender is the easiest way to make a pie crust.

After chilling the dough I rolled it out and baked it blind for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Once it is baked you paint the inside with raspberry jam:

And then add fresh raspberries:

Yum! Chocolate and raspberries! A filling of marscapone, sugar, walnuts, eggs and a tiny amount of flour are blended in a food processor, then this mixture is poured over the raspberries and baked.

The pan was too big; the berries should be covered by the filling. It still tasted ok, but it is much better when the filling is deeper. The recipe calls for a 10″ tart pan, I used an 11″ pan and just that small increase spread the pie out too much. The pie tasted good but it wasn’t the result I wanted. Using great ingredients helped save the dessert:

The recipe for the chocolate pie crust is posted at Donna’s great blog: L’Amour de la Tarte, just click here. Donna, thanks for hosting this week!

Here’s my recipe for Raspberry Walnut Tart:

1  10″  tart shell, baked blind for 15 minutes (use chocolate crust or your favorite pie dough for 1 crust)

Custard filling:

• 2 eggs
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces marscapone
• 1/2 cup ground walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon flour

1 pint fresh raspberries, 1/4 cup raspberry jam

After baking the crust, spread the jam inside the shell. Place raspberries evenly on top of the jam.

Blend the filling in a food processor for one minute. Pour over the raspberries and bake the tart at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Baking is less forgiving than most cooking. A small difference in pan size can make or break the results. Go ahead and try this filling. Just be sure you are using a 10″ tart pan!

Cheers to all, Patty

Overnight there was a small snowfall, about one inch. Of course, schools in the area are either closed or on delayed openings. We cannot handle any amount of snow!

The sunrise was beautiful:

A small breeze created a shower of snow:

The morning light created a nice pattern on the snow:

And the birds tried to find a sheltered spot:

And my birdfeeders are very busy:

That’s a yellow bellied sapsucker. They are very shy and fly away at the slightest movement at the window. I was lucky to get this picture!

You can click on any photo to see it in a larger format. Enjoy our snowfall!