Our day started with a cup of tea and these -

The recipe is from Richard Bertinet’s Dough.  I love it because you can mix the dough weeks in advance, shape them, and then pop them into the freezer.  The night before you need them you can take out a few and let them rise overnight and they are ready to fry in the morning.

Here is the recipe for the dough.  After the first rise you shape small pieces of dough into balls.  You can leave them that shape or press the center in and stretch to create a ring.  I started making them into rings so I don’t have to worry about getting the center cooked through.  At this point, you can either let them rise for another 45 minutes (covered with a towel) and fry immediately, or you can freeze them.  Once frozen you can store them in a bag in the freezer and fry as needed.  If they are frozen, let them rise (covered with a towel) overnight.  In the morning using a large pan with an inch or so of oil, heat the oil to 350 degrees.  Fry the doughnuts a few at a time, on each side, until browned.  Remove from oil and dredge in sugar.  I usually use a blend of standard powdered sugar and non-melting powdered sugar.

happy weekend

looks like it’s going to be pie for supper tonight

Tis the season for barbecuing with friends.  It’s becoming a bit of a tradition to head over to our friends’ place for the fourth.

In keeping with the theme, I like to do a red, white, and blue dessert for the evening.  Last year we had massacre in a snowstorm, which looks more festive than it sounds (the name came from a similar dessert by Nigella Lawson).  This year we will be trying raspberry sorbet and blueberry sorbet that will be served with whipped cream.

happy weekend!

raspberry sorbet

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 pints fresh raspberries

juice of one lemon

In small saucepan, bring water and sugar to boil.  Stir to dissolve sugar.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Transfer syrup to bowl and stir in vanilla.  Chill syrup for 15 minutes.

Puree raspberries, syrup, and lemon juice in blender.  Strain mixture through sieve, discarding seeds.  Chill sorbet base overnight.  Freeze according to ice cream maker’s directions until slushy.  Transfer sorbet to container and freeze completely.

blueberry sorbet

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 pints fresh blueberries

juice of one lemon

Follow directions as seen in above recipe.

These were one of my favorite treats growing up.  Now I get to share them with the cj and lulu.  Sometimes we even leave some to share with the spouse.

peanut butter bars

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add peanut butter and mix well. Add eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir in oatmeal.  Spread  on to bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Place on rack (in pan) to cool.  Frost while still a bit warm.

peanut butter frosting

1/2 stick butter (at room temperature)

3 cups powdered sugar

scant 1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup peanut butter

Cream butter with electric mixer.  Slowly add one half of powdered sugar.  Add milk and vanilla.  Add remaining powdered sugar.  Mix until it reaches a spreading consistency.  Adding more milk or powdered sugar as needed in small amounts as needed.  Mix in peanut butter.

lulu celebrated a birthday this weekend -

there were flowers

there were buntings

there was cake

there were candles

fun was had by all

Someone was kind enough to share.

I had never cooked with sour cherries before and wasn’t sure what to expect.

deliciousness

I spent a couple of days last week making cookies for a graduation party.

pecan shortbread

white chocolate peanut butter with chocolate chips

double chocolate

peanut butter

chocolate chews

gingersnaps with pearl sugar

ready for delivery

While out running our errands, lulu decided she wanted to try raspberries because “they are dad’s favorite”.  I grabbed them without thinking what I would do with them.  Sunday dessert rolled around, I whipped up the leftover cream (from the on the fly pasta and peas with bacon), added the raspberries and topped it off with a couple of speculoos cookies that my, oh so kind, cousin sent to me as a mother’s day treat.

Lulu voted it a success.