A Cute Cottage Kitchen
The oven is too small for my taste, BUT HOW CUTE IS THIS SPACE?
Very unique.
Thoughts?
My Date With Oatmeal Raisin
Ah, oatmeal raisin cookies: a staple of my childhood. I am a big fan of a crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, cookie. Too much crunch and you've lost me. Too chewy, and it's probably time to stick it back in the oven. But when done just right, you've got me right where you want me.
I am a HUGE (honestly, that might be an understatement) fan of The Smitten Kitchen, and just found the best recipe for the thick, chewy, oatmeal raisin cookie. (That sort of rhymes if you read it a certain way.)
This is how I spent my Saturday:
For this post, there are no "after" pictures because as soon as they were done, most of them were eaten by me and my housemates. Nonetheless, my experience was great.
What I Learned:
1. This recipe was an adaption of the one found on the back of the Quaker Oats box. (I know, not really that important, but I found it interesting, so here you go.)
2. Oatmeal Raisin dough is fun to work with.
3. Chill your dough before you bake it. I chilled mine for 30 minutes, and I promise, it totally helped with the thickness.
4. Parchment paper is my new best friend and cleanup was a breeze. (My beloved cookie sheet is permanently stained with the shapes of 12+ Christmas trees from a baking adventure long ago. I didn't butter as well as I thought, and now I'll always be reminded. Side note within this side note: those christmas tree cookies were DELICIOUS.)
What You'll Need:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, or 115 grams) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (125 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
- 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (120 grams) raisins
- 1/2 cup walnuts (65 grams), chopped (optional)
Check out the recipe here!
Happy baking!
The Time I Made Shortbread
My love for shortbread knows absolutely no limits. It's buttery (especially when I make it), but light enough that you can eat a few pieces, and it still feels like a snack.
Over the holidays I decided to try my hand at it, and the results were marvelous!
What I learned:
1. Making shortbread is so simple, and so easy to do! And if you make a mix large enough, you can have shortbread cookies for days and days!
2. Shortbread dough can be a bit tough at times to work with. It is ESSENTIAL that your work space is well-floured before rolling out your dough. If it isn't, you'll constantly have to pull dough off your rolling pin. Trust me on this one. It's sticky.
3. My life motto: The more butter, the better.
These little cookies were perfect for my afternoon tea party!
What You'll Need:
- 1 Cup Butter
- 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour
Check out the recipe here!
Happy baking!
Wishes For My Kitchen
Wish # 1: I wish that my kitchen could be half as organized as this one.
And I know I'm not alone in wishing this. The older I get, the more things in the kitchen I accrue, and before I know it, I'm digging through piles of pans, just trying to find one. But that's the problem with living on your own isn't it? Finding a place for everything is tough, and finding a good solution for more space is a tricky business. Soon, everything does have its place, but it always tends to be the place for everything. And you never want to throw anything away, because you never know when you might need it. If I could just have everything in front of me, not buried underneath countertops, I would be one happy cook.
Whoever came up with this is an absolute genius.
Built-In Storage!
I've lost count of what number this is on my list of dream kitchens. All I know is: built-in storage in a kitchen island is both a genius and totally inspired idea! To make it even better, that shade of blue is beautiful. It's the perfect accent color for a darker brown countertop and stools! LOVE.
Bonus: Check out those lights! I've never seen any like them, and they just belong in a kitchen like this!
Cool Kitchen!
Seriously, how awesome is this kitchen?! It's simple, it's clean, those windows are both fabulous and genius, and I love that there are just the few hints of subtle retro flair.
Pastels in the Kitchen
Okay, how much do you absolutely love this kitchen? For one, country chic at its finest. And the accent colors chosen? Beautiful!! I love this shade of green, and I wish I could find appliances like those to match!
Gorgeous.
My dream appliance: a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. They are so classic. Did you know that since their creation, the design has not changed? And these babies have been around for a VERY long time.
It's just one of those things; If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Am I right?
THE DAY I get my mixer, is the day I make these absolutely adorable cookies.
Learning the Language of Latkes
For three weeks I've had one dish on my mind: latkes. So what is a latke you ask? For those who don't know, here's an official definition:
|
Noun
|
Now here's my (unofficial) definition:
Noun
Circular potato pancake of deliciousness.
I am officially on break for a month, thus: the perfect time to start cookin'! And boy, was this dish an easy blast!
Here we go!
It took me absolute ages to peel these potatoes, but I made it happen! A good vegetable peeler is an essential tool for the kitchen. Without it, I would have used that knife, and I'd probably still be peeling. (Okay, honestly, the peeler probably just saved me 10-15 minutes tops. Still!)
Next, in order to fit the onions and potatoes into the food processor for shredding, I had to cut them up into little pieces. I'm happy to announce that the onions did not sting my eyes, as they usually do. I don't normally have access to food processors at my apartment, so using one definitely saved me some time. If you've got one, use it. Some recipes call for graters, which I'm sure work fine, but if you're planning on making latkes for a dinner party, or planning on having leftovers, a food processor is the way to go.
The recipe calls for 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and one large egg, but since I used two potatoes, I ended up doubling the recipe. Adding the freshly shredded and drained potato/onion mixture to the...well, mix, I whisked it all together until everything was coated.
Latke time! Here's what I learned:
1. When the recipe tells you to scoop a mere teaspoon of latke mix into a pan, do it. I decided to take spoonfuls because I wanted bigger cakes, but that was a MISTAKE. They cooked slower than I wanted, and I just didn't feel in control at all.
2. Although the recipe called for peanut oil, I found that extra virgin olive oil does the trick nicely as well.
3. You'll have to use more oil than what the recipe suggests.
Here, I finally started to get the hang of it. (Notice that I heeded the recipe's advice and lessened my spooning size. )
FINALLY, FINALLY I got it! Perfect size, good crispness. What I learned:
1. YOU MUST WATCH THESE CAREFULLY. These cakes are much smaller, and significantly thinner, so they crisp before you know it. One minute is a pretty solid amount of time, but every cake crisps differently.
2. If you've got an electric stove like I've got at home, the heat should be at about 6. If you've got a gas stove like I've got at my apartment, 5 or 6 is probably a good, safe place to remain.
Into the tupperware they go, ready to be eaten tomorrow for dinner!!
Doubling the recipe made a TON, and this is a great food item to make in advance, and they're great re-heated. What's also great is that these aren't just for dinner parties! Potato pancakes can be enjoyed at breakfast, or as hor d'oeuvres with some yummy topping combinations!
Oh! And here's the recipe from Smitten Kitchen!
1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled 1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Peanut oil, for frying
In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
Happy Cooking!!