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Once the cookies have baked and cooled, the recipe calls for spreading a topping of strawberry jam on each cookie, but the girls didn’t want this. Using a large rimmed baking dish, I prepared the icing and coated one side of the cookie. Once the icing dried, I made separate bowls and made color icing based on my granddaughters’ preferences. The girls had fun creating their “art pieces.” The cookies are rather large and they’ve been nibbling away at them slowly.
Recently in our CSA box I had fresh spinach, leeks, cremini mushrooms and goat cheese crumbles. On a recent Saturday morning I created a frittata for my husband and I to share. I sautéed the cremini mushrooms and chopped leeks in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Next I added some roughly chopped spinach and covered the pan so the spinach could wilt. I whisked a few eggs and poured them over the vegetables and cooked them for several minutes until they were just set around the perimeter of the pan. Next, I spread the cheese over the eggs and placed it under the broiler to finish cooking and brown. When it was done, I carefully inverted it onto a platter. The frittata was delicious. The combination of veggies made for a tasty and light lunch and the goat cheese added a bit of tang. When the weather was nice, my youngest granddaughter and I would walk over to the local playground for a bit of fun and fresh air. On our way home, it was inevitable she would ask to stop at Dreyer Farms for apple cider donuts covered in powdered sugar. It just so happened I went to the Coastal Habitat for Humanity store in Asbury Park where I came across a donut baking pan that makes six donuts. With some frozen Melick’s Town Farm cider in my freezer, I decided to make a few donuts myself. I found a recipe on The New York Times/NYT Cooking website by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Her recipe makes a dozen donuts, but I prepared half the recipe. You’ll need non-stick cooking spray, all-purpose flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and apple cider. If you have it, I would suggest using Pam Non-Stick Baking Spray. While the regular non-stick spray works, I did have to gently go around the perimeter of the baked donuts to release from the pan. The dry ingredients are mixed together in a medium bowl. If using a stand mixer, you’ll need the paddle attachment to cream the butter, brown sugar and some of the white sugar until light and fluffy. The eggs are added one at a time and followed by the vanilla. Finally, the flour mixture is slowly added and the apple cider is streamed in. You can pipe the batter into the donut pans, or spoon in filling 2/3 of the way; I accidently add more. The donuts bake for 12 to 15 minutes. While they’re baking, you can prepare the cinnamon and sugar coating by mixing granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. After the baked donuts have cooled for 5 minutes, remove from pan and brush the butter on and then coat with the cinnamon sugar. I just dusted mine with powdered sugar. Wow, these were so good! My husband said they tasted lighter than fried donuts. The powdered sugar was just enough to give that extra sweet edge, but not overpower the apple cider flavor that was prevalent. I’ll be making these again and, by the way, six was just enough to have fresh donuts when you want them. My husband enjoys spaghetti squash and I like to find different recipes in which to use it. I recently found a recipe by Lidia Bastianich for Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce. For the recipe you’ll need a large squash, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, an onion, hot pickled cherry peppers, a 24-ounce jar of tomato passata, dried oregano, peperoncino flakes, fresh basil and Grana Padano cheese. Some quick notes, tomato passata is an uncooked tomato purée that has the seeds and skin removed. Instead of Grana Padano for this recipe, I used Parmesan-Reggiano, which may be easier to find. The recipe is easy to prepare. The squash is roasted until tender. Using two forks, scrap the strands into a bowl. The sauce is made by sautéing chopped onion and chopped peppers in olive oil; then adding the tomato passata. The spaghetti squash is then tossed with the sauce. (I had enough sauce left for another meal.). The sauce was flavorful and had a bit of a kick from the cherry peppers. However, my husband said he preferred the Sausage-Stuff Squash recipe. In this week’s CSA box, we had golden beets and more radishes. I scoured through different recipes and decided to do my own. I’ve made buttered stewed radishes and I couldn’t believe how cooking changed them from something peppery to something mild and tasty. What would roasting do to them? First, I roasted the beets until just about tender then I peeled and quarter them. I tossed the beets along with the whole radishes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once in the pan, I drizzled white balsamic glaze by DeNegris and put them on a rack on my gas grill. This side dish came out fantastic, my husband was impressed by the final product. The beets got some char; the radishes were mild and had a subtle sweetness. The balsamic glaze with its acid component enlivened the flavors, so good. My husband picked up the magazine “Industry,” March/April 2025, at the entrance of a local restaurant. In there he found a recipe for Grilled Baby Meatloaf by the chef David Burke. Mr. Burke has a variety of restaurants in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and soon Florida. The recipe calls for ground beef, sausage, Tabasco sauce, cumin, ground coriander, freshly ground black pepper, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and minced shallot. This is a generous recipe for two individuals, but with leftovers, it’s another meal I won’t have to cook. To cook the meatloaf, I used a meatloaf pan with a lift-out liner that I purchased many years ago at Willliam-Sonoma. Though similar to their current Goldtouch Pan®, mine has an opened bottom on the exterior pan. I mixed the ingredients together and placed it in the pan and wrapped the pan in foil. You can do this without the pan by molding it into a loaf and wrapping in the foil. The recipe says to cook for 35 minutes, however, mine cooked longer to reach a medium rare temperature of 135°. The flavor was good albeit a bit dry. I purchased my ground beef and sausage at Perrotti’s Quality Meats in Cranford. Did the meats not have enough fat, was my thermometer not accurate or did the pan have something to do with it cooking longer, I don’t know. You’ll note that there are no eggs or breadcrumbs in Chef Burke’s recipe. I would think the addition of pork sausage would add both fat and moisture. Only way to know is to try the recipe again.
Pop’T Art Cookie
“The Official Disney Parks Cookbook – 100 Magical Recipes From the Delicious Disney Vault,” Pam Brandon & the Disney Chefs ©2022 by Disney Enterprises, Inc. Yield: 6 cookies Ingredients For Sugar Cookie 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 egg white 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1/8 teaspoon Salt Toppings 6 tablespoons strawberry jam Glaze 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Food coloring Preparation For Sugar Cookie
For Topping Spread 1 tablespoon strawberry jam on each cookie, leaving a border of about 1/8-inch around edges. Set aside. For Glaze
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
“Bringing the Apple Cider Doughnuts to You,” Erin Jeanne McDowell The New York times, November 20, 2020 Total Time: about 35 minutes Yield: 12 doughnuts or muffins Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 1¾ cup/225 grams all-purpose flour 1¼teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature ¾ cup/165 grams light brown sugar ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½cup/120 milliliters apple cider Preparation
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti di Zucca con Salsa al Pomodoro Piccante By Lidia Bastianich, “Lidia’s Italy” Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients 1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeded 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing Kosher salt 1 medium onion, sliced 4 hot pickled cherry peppers, seeded, sliced One 24-ounce jar tomato passata 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian oregano, on the branch Peperoncino flakes 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lay the pieces, cut side down, on the baking sheet, and roast until a paring knife inserted into the center of the squash slides out with just a little resistance, 25 to 30 minutes. While the squash roasts, make the sauce. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until it’s softened, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped peppers, and cook until they’re sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the tomato passata, and bring it to a simmer. Stir in 1 cup water, the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and a big pinch of peperoncino. Simmer until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. While the squash is still hot, use two forks to loosen it into strands and transfer these to the skillet with the simmering sauce. Toss with tongs to coat the strands in the sauce. Add the basil and grated cheese, toss well, and serve.
Grilled Baby Meatloaf
By Chef David Burke “Industry Magazine,” March/April 2025 Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef ½ sausage 1 tablespoon Tabasco 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground pepper ½ bunch parsley, chopped ½ pound Parmesan, ground 3 tablespoons garlic, chopped fine 3 tablespoons shallot, chopped fine Directions In a bowl, combine ingredients and mix with hands until well combined. Mold into a loaf shape, brush it with your favorite meatloaf topping sauce and wrap in foil. Place wrapped loaf on grill and cook for 35 minutes. Donna’s Note: Chef Burke does not give a temperature for the gas grill, but I kept mine around 400°F with the center burner turned off. I took mine off the grill when it reached 150° allowing for carryover cooking to raise the internal temperature to 160°F.
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