Banana Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Filling

Whoopie pies seem to be one of the current rages on the blogosphere. The Wicked Whoopie website has a long list of flavor combinations, each more yummy sounding than the last. Gingerbread, maple, and orange creamsicle all sound good right about now.


I originally saw a banana-peanut butter whoopie pie on Abby Sweets. Peanut butter on banana is one of my favorite snacks - why not make it into a cookie? I liked the idea of a peanut butter filling, but didn't think one that was cream cheese-based would work for me. Martha's recipe for the cookie looked amazing, and I already had all the ingredients on hand.


There was a slight incident between Hubs and I over the banana. There were 2 ripe bananas left and I asked him to save me one. I got home from work, ready to whip up cookie dough, only to discover no ripe banana. Instead, there was a new bunch of green-tipped bananas perched on the counter. I almost went ballistic, when he texted that he hadn't eaten the last ripe banana, and would bring it home so I could use it for the cookies. This meant that I was up until 11:00 making whoopie pies, but they were totally worth it.



Banana Whoopie Pies
From Martha Stewart

2 c flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ c mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
½ c sour cream
½ c butter (1 stick)
½ c granulated sugar
½ c packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add flour mixture and banana mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with a large opening. (I used a number 12). Pipe batter into 1-inch rounds, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool a few minutes and then transfer cookies to a wire rack.

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 c creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

Beat peanut butter, butter, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until mxture reaches desired consistency. There may be some sugar leftover.

To assemble cookies, spread or pipe filling onto the bottom of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies.

Chicken Potpie

Hubs and I just finished a hectic week. We performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, arguably one of the greatest works in the repertoire. It's a very theatrical piece - chorus of over 200, vocal soloists, and a slew of off-stage brass and percussion. It's subtitle is, "The Resurrection," and we were all thoroughly uplifted by the performance.


We had rehearsals every night leading up to the concert. Knowing we wouldn't have time to cook dinner, I made these chicken potpies in advance. Hubs is trying to reduce his carb intake, so I left out potatoes. The extra veggies more than made up for the lack of potatoes. And the individual pies upped the pastry/filling ratio, which was just fine with me!


Chicken Potpie
Original recipe


2 c low sodium chicken stock
1 c whole milk
2 Tbs butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 c frozen peas
1 c frozen corn kernels
2 c cooked chicken, cut into small chunks
¼ c plus 1 Tbs all-purpose flour
Fresh thyme leaves
Single crust pastry dough
1 egg


Pour the chicken stock and milk into a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and keep warm.

Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the peas and corn and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken.

Sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the chicken stock mixture and keep stirring until the flour has dissolved. Place the mixture into a 2 quart casserole or individual casseroles. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the top. Roll out pastry dough and cover the casserole dish(es). Crimp to seal the edges.

Beat the egg with a little bit of water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash over the pastry dough. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Garnish with some thyme sprigs. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Plowman's Burger with Caramelized Onions

I'm a sucker for the "Bargain Books" at Barnes & Noble. I love browsing the cookbook section for inspiration at a reasonable price. As much as I am a fan of food blogs and accessibility, there's something satisfying about turning the pages of a cookbook and discovering what's on the next page.

On my latest browse, I found a book solely dedicated to burgers. They are one of our go-to meals. We'll fire up the grill almost once a week. Our favorites are lamb burgers and turkey burgers. We have yet to make a seafood-based burger, but I think that will soon be rectified.

We loved the Plowman's burger that we found in our new burger book. There was no explanation on why it was so-named, but I can only imagine it was due to the heartiness of all the ingredients. For an extra surprise, you can stuff the cheese into the patty instead of melting it on top.


Plowman’s Burger with Caramelized Onions
Adapted from Burgers
By Paul Gayler


1 Tbs butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp paprika
Leaves from about 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 ½ lbs ground beef
2 Tbs barbecue sauce
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper
1/3 c grated cheddar cheese
Hamburger buns
Tomato slices

Heat butter in a sauté pan. Add the onion, garlic, paprika, and thyme. Cook for about 2 minutes until the onions are softened but not colored. Place in a bowl to cool. Add in the ground beef, barbecue sauce, and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper. Mix carefully, making sure not to overwork the meat.

Divide mixture into evenly sized burgers. Cook burgers on a hot grill, 3-4 minutes on each side until they are the desired doneness. Right before taking the burgers off the grill, top with cheese and let the cheese melt. Remove from grill and let sit.

For the caramelized onions: Heat 1 Tbs butter in a hot sauté pan. Slice 1 onion into thin strips, and add to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the onions turn a deep brown, about 15 minutes.
To assemble burgers: Place burger on a bun. Top with tomato slices and a heap of onions.

Peach Ice Cream

I once heard a statistic that New Englanders consume twice the national average of ice cream. Thinking back on the amount of ice cream I ate when I was a child, I totally believe it. In our area, there were three dairies that sold homemade ice cream, as well as a Friendly's. Going to get ice cream was the thing to do on a summer evening, and even in the cold months, my friends would pack into a booth and gobble sundaes.

One of my favorite childhood flavors was peach ice cream. It was only available during the summer, when peaches were in season. That made it taste even better. One bite of this ice cream took me right back to those hot summer days.


Peach Ice Cream
From Williams-Sonoma, Ice Cream
By Mary Goodbody

4 large, ripe peaches
1 ½ Tbs fresh lemon juice
½ c sugar, plus 2 Tbs
1 ½ c whole milk
1 ½ c heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Boil some water in a large pot. Cut a small ‘x’ on the surface of the bottom of each peach, just breaking the skin. Blanch the peaches in the boiling water for 1 minute. Lift the peaches out of the water and set them into a bowl of ice cold water. Let the peaches cool for a few minutes. The skin should peel easily away. Remove all the skin, and chop peaches into small chunks.

Put half the peaches in a bowl and mash slightly. Sprinkle with lemon juice and 2 Tbs sugar. Toss to combine. Cover and chill.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, 1 c of cream, and the remaining peaches. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the peaches with the back of a spoon. Discard the solids.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, ½ c sugar, salt, and the remaining ½ c of cream in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve. Gradually whisk about ½ c of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg and milk mixtures into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep the custard at a low simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, about 4-6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Stir occasionally until cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When nearly frozen and the consistency of thick whipped cream, add the reserved peaches. Churn until just mixed. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm.

Vegetarian Tacos

Last taco post for a while, I promise.

This dish was a surprise hit at our taco party. A number of the guests are vegetarian, so we wanted a taco filling that they could munch on. I found this recipe on epicurious, and liked the inclusion of fresh, summery vegetables. This was the first dish to run out; even our carnivorous friends enjoyed it!


Mushroom, Rajas, and Corn Tacos
Adapted from epicurios.com
By Deborah Schneider

2 poblano chiles
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 zucchini, diced
1 tsp fresh chopped oregano
Fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
6 warm corn tortillas

Preheat broiler. Place chiles on a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil until charred on all sides, flipping after top side has blackened. Remove baking sheet from oven, and let chiles cool. Peel charred skin off the chiles, and remove the stem and seed pod from the center. Chop into ½ inch dice.

Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat. Toss the corn kernels in a bowl with a 1 tsp olive oil and a sprinkling of Kosher salt. Spread the corn in the hot pan and let them blacken slightly without stirring, about 30 seconds. Remove the corn kernels from the pan.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and diced chiles and cook until onions are softened and begin to brown. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms and zucchini are cooked through.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in the corn, diced chiles, oregano, black pepper, and half the queso fresco. Assemble tacos and top with remaining queso.

Marshmallow Frosting

It's National Cupcake Week! I've been seeing cupcake posts all over the blogosphere, and now I know why.

How fortunate that I made cupcakes for our party this past weekend. I didn't get too fancy with the flavors, using my favorite vanilla and chocolate recipes. I tried a meringue-type frosting instead of a usual buttercream. I had to tag team the hand mixer-beating with Hubs, because my arm got tired halfway through. I love how light, fluffy, and not-too-sweet the frosting turned out. The squirt especially liked it.


Marshmallow Frosting
Adapted from Cupcakes!
By Elinor Klivans

1 ½ c sugar
¼ c minus 1 tsp water
3 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract


Put the sugar, water, egg whites, and cream of tartar in a large heatproof container (2 qt capacity) and beat with a handheld mixer on high speed until opaque, white, and foamy. Put the bowl over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water. The top of the container should sit firmly over the pan of hot water. Beat on high speed until the frosting forms a stiff peak that stands straight up if you stop the beaters and lift them out of the frosting. This should take about 12 minutes. The frosting should register 160 degrees F on a thermometer. Remove the container from the water and add the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating for another 2 minutes to further thicken the filling. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a tip and pipe frost the cupcakes. The filling will harden slightly as it cools on the finished cupcakes.

Taco Party for 25

The squirt's birthday is coming up in a few days. We had a party for him this past weekend. Hubs and I put together a taco spread - beef, chicken, and veggie fillings, veggie and non-veggie refried beans, guacamole, red salsa, and green salsa, and cupcakes.

The squirt liked his cupcake, especially the frosting. He carefully picked all of it off the cake. It eventually got all over his face. There was very little smashing, unfortunately. Once he wiped his eyes and got frosting in them, the fun was all over.


We put together a homemade taco seasoning for the beef filling. It tasted so much better than the packaged variety (usually the case), and had way less sodium. I'll never buy the taco seasoning packets again!

Homemade Taco Seasoning
adapted from Annie's Eats

4 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp. paprika
3 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Brown 1 lb ground beef in a skillet. Sprinkle 2 heaping Tbs of taco seasoning over the meat, add 1 c of water, and stir. Let the meat simmer until the liquid has cooked off.

Store extra seasoning in an airtight container.

Pecan Pie Bites

A dear friend of mine is getting married in a few months, and her bridal shower is coming up. She wanted these for the shower, and asked me for the recipe. Usually I refer her to the blog, but then I realized that I hadn't posted it yet. So, Jessica, here it is!

This recipe is a bit labor intensive, with all the pressing required for the crusts. The filling makes these well worth the effort. It is the perfect combination of sweet, nutty, and sticky. If the dough starts sticking to your fingers, wet them with some cold water.


Pecan Pie Bites
Source: Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies

Crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c brown sugar
2 2/3 c flour
½ tsp table salt

Filling:
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar
3 eggs
¼ c pure maple syrup
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbs bourbon, optional
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp table salt
6 oz chopped pecans
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.

Cream butter and 2/3 c brown sugar in a bowl with a mixer until blended. Add the flour and salt; mix until sandy. Dough will seem dry.

Pres 1 Tbs of dough into each well of prepared muffin tins, shaping up the sides. Prebake the shells for 6 minutes or until set and lightly golden around the edges.

Remove the tin from the oven and pat the bottoms down lightly with a small spoon. Set the shells aside.

For the filling: whisk both sugars, eggs, syrup, butter, bourbon (if using), vanilla, table salt, and pecans together in a bowl. Pour 1 Tbs filling into each shell. Bake for 15 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is browned.

Sprinkle tartlets with kosher salt, then let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. To remove, run a knife around each and carefully lift out.

Makes about 4 dozen tartlets.