Wednesday, August 7, 2024

ALMOND FRANGIPANE BLONDIES

 

Almond Frangipane Blondies


A new favorite after Kaylee brought these to our Relief Society birthday celebration.


INGREDIENTS


For the Frangipane

4 TBS. unsalted butter, softened 

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2/3 cup almond flour 

Pinch of sea salt



For the Blondies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted 

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 1/2 TBSP. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup  almond flour

1/4 cup sliced almonds (for top) 

Powdered sugar (for top)


DIRECTIONS


 Preheat the oven to 350°F.


Frangipane: Cream together the softened butter and sugar in a bowl.

Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix. Add almond flour and salt and stir into a paste.


Blondie batter: In a separate bowl, add the brown sugar and melted butter and mix. Add the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder and salt. Fold in the flour and almond flour until the batter is just pulled together.


Grease an 8×8 tin. 


Spread the blondie batter onto the bottom of the pan. 


Spread the frangipane in an even layer on top. Using a butter knife, run four lines in one direction, rotate the pan and run four lines in the other direction so you get a grid pattern. Bring up a little batter as you go to slightly combine the layers. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.


Bake for 33-40 minutes until the edges are brown and caramelized and the top is slightly browned. The top may have some browned spots, but not be completely dark.


Let cool, then top with powdered sugar.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY COOKIES


WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY COOKIES

Aka Korrin’s wedding cookies 

1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Cream Cheese, softened
1 Large Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup White Chocolate Chunks, (or white chocolate bars chopped up)
3/4 Cup Raspberries, freeze dried, chopped up slightly (5.4 oz bag)


INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Melt the butter and then mix room temp cream cheese until smooth and creamy with a fork. Add the sugars and mix.


Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix. 


Add the dry ingredients to the wet and slowly mix until it is almost incorporated, leaving streaks of flour. Add the white chocolate chunks and freeze dried raspberries. Carefully mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Don’t break up the raspberries too much.


Scoop out with standard size cookie scoop, place on baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes (I press mine down a little).


Original recipe from OhSweetBasil.com

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Neapolitan Pizza Dough & Sauce

Pizza tastes better at the Bowden Bear Lake cabin

SIMPLE PIZZA DOUGH

What started with our little Ooni oven at the Gordon house has expanded to our Gozney oven at the Waterway house. We can’t get enough wood fired pizza.

From Ooni 

Makes 3 x 330g Doug balls or 4 x 250g dough balls 


INGREDIENTS

12.8oz (364g) cold water

4 tsp (18g) salt

20g fresh yeast (or 9.2g active dried yeast, or 7g instant dried yeast) *amend yeast quantities depending on proving time—* 4.1g fresh yeast (or 1.8g active dried yeast, or 1.4g instant dried yeast for cold proof)

21.4oz (607g) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting


DIRECTIONS

Place two-thirds of the water in a large bowl. In a saucepan or microwave, bring the other third of water to boil, then add it to the cold water in the bowl. This creates the correct temperature for activating yeast. Whisk the salt and yeast into the warm water.


If mixing by hand: Place the flour in a large bowl and pour the yeast mixture into it. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the pizza dough comes together in a ball. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it is firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.


If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook and place the flour in the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed and gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour. Once combined, leave the dough to keep mixing to at the same speed for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is firm and stretchy. Cover the dough with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. 


When the dough has roughly doubled in size, divide it into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on what size you want your pizzas to be (either 12 inches or 16 inches wide). Place each piece of dough in a separate bowl or tray, cover with cling film and leave to rise for another 30 - 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.


Kneading and stretching the dough: Our top tip is always to start with a perfectly rounded ball of pizza dough as this helps to keep the shape of the pizza base circular during the stretching process. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the center, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the pizza dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this – you don’t want it to tear.


Once the pizza dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel and lay the base on it. If at this point you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together. Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings and bake in your pizza oven as indicated in your chosen recipe.


**Cold-proving or cold rising is a technique that slows down the fermentation process by placing the dough inside your fridge as it ferments, allowing the yeast to work on the sugars in the flour for a long period of time. 


A 24- to 72-hour prove time helps the dough to develop a complex structure, creating a deeper flavor and added texture. Shaping the dough into balls while they’re cold also prevents excess air from escaping, resulting in beautifully bubbly crusts when cooked. Although it requires a bit of forward planning, the technique itself is super simple, and the results are well worth the wait. Just mix the ingredients together, then pop the pizza dough in the fridge and let the yeast work its magic! 


———————————


SIMPLE PIZZA SAUCE


INGREDIENTS

  • Makes enough sauce for 8 x 12” pizzas
    2 tbsp olive oil
    2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
    4 cups (800g) canned whole plum tomatoes (we like San Marzano)
    2 heaped tsp sugar
    1 tsp salt
    Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
    Pinch of freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS


Place the oil in a pan over a medium heat. When warm, add the garlic and fry until softened but not brown.


Pour the can of plum tomatoes in the pan and use a masher or fork to crush them down.


Add all the remaining ingredients, then simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes, or until the flavor has deepened and the sauce has thickened slightly.


This sauce can be used straight away, or placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to a week, ready to be used as required.








Wood fired chocolate chips cookies are the best treat as the oven cools down when we are done with pizza

Back at Gordon. Nothing better than being surrounded by family and friends making amazing food together. 







STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE


STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE 

An instant favorite treat Ellie and I had at grandma Patty’s girls camp in Utah 


INGREDIENTS


Sheet cake:

1 package white cake mix

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 egg whites


Topping:

8oz cream cheese (ROOM TEMP)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

1 lg box strawberry danish dessert (4.75oz) 

3 cups fresh or frozen berries (chopped)


METHOD


CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray large jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.


In large bowl, mix together cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, milk, oil, vanilla and egg whites. Beat for about two minutes using electric mixer until batter is smooth. 


Pour batter into pan and cook for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. 


Remove from oven and cool completely (quicker in fridge or freezer).


TOPPING:

Prepare the ‘dream mixture’ as the cake is baking.


Beat room temp cream cheese in mixing bowl until smooth. 


Add whipping cream, vanilla and powder sugar to the cream cheese. Mix on LOW speed for 5 mins, then medium-high speed for 3 minutes. The mixture/frosting should now form soft peaks.


Frost the cake with the dream mixture and run knife along the edges so the dream mixture can get down into the edges of the cake. 


Cool the cake in the fridge for 2 hours and let the dream mixture set. 


While cake is in the fridge cook the danish dessert in medium sauce pan—

Add 1 3/4 c cold water in saucepan and pour in danish dessert. Begin stirring, turn heat on high, stirring, until it comes to full boil. Boil and stir continuously for 1 minute.  


Remove from heat and stir until its cooled down a bit. Stir in the berries. 




Monday, September 26, 2022

Katie’s Sunday Roast

KATIE’S SUNDAY ROAST

4lb (can do 2 lb) Chuck roast or round roast


Sear the edges of roast with olive oil and fresh garlic. 


1 pkg Lipton soup mix

2 pkg brown gravy mix (the amount of powder for two cups of gravy for 4lb roast)

2 pkg Italian seasoning mix 

2 cups water cold 


Add potatoes 

Carrots

Onions 


Cook in Dutch oven with lid 350 for 3 hours 

Or 250 for five hours